Jim Aparo: Brave & Bold Artist

by Jim Amash, Eric Nolen-Weathington

176 pages, Hardcover

Published February 18, 2026

Reviews

[Robert Greenberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jim Aparo is one of my favorite comic book artists, and I am thrilled that a book celebrating his career has finally been released.

The editors did a fine job tracing his career from youth to an ad agency to comic books. They found the handful of interviews he gave over the years, including one unpublished piece. It helps paint a picture of a thorough professional who loved his medium and was proud of his work.

In addition to the career overview, we are provided with tons of artwork to watch his style develop and revisit some of his greatest stories featuring characters from Nightshade to the Spectere to, of course, Batman.

The final third includes tributes, anecdotes, and memories from those who worked with him (like me; yes, I have a short piece included) or were influenced by him in some way. There's a complete checklist and a loving final piece from former Bat-editor Scott Peterson.

You need to read between the lines to understand that, as the 1980s gave way to the 1990s, Jim's work changed, a result of age and failing eyesight. His characters grew blockier (more closely resembling his idol Milton Caniff's figures), and his pace meant he would need inkers. He wasn't crazy about it, but he loved working and accepted them. He also seemed unhappy with how DC management treated him at the end of productive years, which is a real shame.

But in conversation with his widow Julie, I wish there were more about the man. We know he had three children and grandchildren, and working from his basement studio let him be present for them. But the man, not the artist, isn't fully brought to life, which, to me, is a missed opportunity.

If you grew up on his The Brave and the Bold stories or his work on "A Death in the Family," you would be advised to read this and be reminded of how great his characters and storytelling were.

[Gary Sassaman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book from TwoMorrows Publishing is a long overdue—over two decades in the making!—tribute to Jim Aparo, one of the great Batman artists drawing the character in the 1970s through the ‘90s. Aparo’s style was reminiscent of Neal Adams, but a bit less realistic and earthier. He came over from Charlton Comics with editor Dick Giordano in the late 1960s, and drew DC characters like Aquaman, the Phantom Stranger, and a wild run of The Spectre in Weird Adventure Comics with writer Michael Fleischer. He took over The Brave and the Bold title with issue 100, becoming the regular penciller—and inker AND letterer—most of the time for the next 100 issues until the title ended with issue 200. The Brave and the Bold is probably his best work, alongside Bob Haney’s sometimes wonky team-up choices, and for a time the title was DC’s best-selling Bat-book. Aparo moved over to the main Batman title, and was the illustrator of the controversial “Death in the Family” story arc, when writer Jim Starlin killed off the Jason Todd version of Robin (don’t worry, he came back from the dead … they always do). I always enjoyed Aparo’s art, especially on those Brave and the Bold issues that teamed up the Caped Crusader with someone you least expected, like Kamandi, the Last Boy on Earth, Sgt. Rock, or the Blackhawks. Chock full of full color and black and white illustrations, this 176-page hardbound book on Jim Aparo was well worth the wait!

[M.J. Sewall · Rating 5 out of 5]

A near perfect book – just the right balance of insight, interviews, and art. The world needs more of these celebrations of great, yet underserved, creators. Bravo to the amazing designer of the book and to the excellent authors. A world class biography.