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The Brave and the Bold (1955) #57-58, 66, 68
Showcase Presents: Metamorpho, Vol. 1
This massive black-and-white volume collects all Metamorpho's Silver Age adventures, from THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #57-58, 66, 68, METAMORPHO #1-17, and JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #42! Guest-starring Batman, the Justice League of America, the Metal Men and more!
560 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2005
8 people are currently reading
74 people want to read
About the author
Bob Haney
450 books13 followersRobert G. Haney was an American comic book writer, best known for his work for DC Comics. He co-created the Teen Titans as well as characters such as Metamorpho, Eclipso, Cain, and the Super-Sons.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 22, 2023
One of my favorite heroes as a kid. Of course I was a science geek, still am, and the concept of a man made of elements was just blowing my mind. Great collection of this Silver Age hero. Very recommended
December 6, 2017
This book collects the entire Silver Age run of Metamorpho, the Element Man: his two tryout issues in Brave and the Bold #57 and #58, his own comic series from Issues 1-17, and Team Ups with the Metal Men (Brave and the Bold #67) and Batman (Brave and the Bold #68) and his guest starring appearing in Justice League #42.
The concept of Metamorpho was good. Rex Mason, adventurer ticks off wealthy scientist Simon Stagg, who is also the father of Rex's lady love Sapphire. As a result of an encounter with the Orb of Ra, he obtains strange powers to change his composition to various elements. He ends up working for Stagg who promises to find a cure, but really wants to keep as the Element Man to keep him away from his daughter (who Rex refuses to marry as long as he's "a freak,") and to keep Metamorpho available to do his bidding.
The set up is great. Metamorpho's powers are impressive and somewhat unique in the sheer variety of them. The supporting team set up is good. Metamorpho has two of his supporting players not really on his side. Stagg is using Metamorpho and the million-year-old Caveman Java (who Rex rescued) wants Rex out of the picture so Java can marry Sapphire. Sapphire, contrary to her shallow party girl rep stands by Rex even as Metamorpho. The art is often quite fun and Metamoprho's power set is very visually appealing. I also liked Metamorpho's dialogue. In my mind, he has the speaking voice Frank Sinatra.
So why didn't the series last longer? Well, to start with, the villains were nothing special. While Java fumed about Rex and pined for Sapphire, he didn't do a whole lot in the adventures one way or another. Most of the time, he wasn't a help to Metamorpho or a hurt...he was just there.
Still, the book was okay until Element Girl came along. She had all the powers of Metamorpho but was female. She was introduced as an experiment with reader letters determing whether she would be brought back. Before she'd come along Rex and Sapphire had decided to get married. However, she interrupted the wedding to ask Rex's help for a mission and then Rex refuses to marry Sapphire while Element Girl's out saying he's unable to choose between them. After all who among us wouldn't struggle whether to choose a beautiful woman who stood beside us while we went into a freakish disfiguring accident...or someone we just meant.
Anyway, after Element Girl stays, she becomes a very consistent Mary Sue character. The books are marked by catty interactions between her and Sapphire that essentially changes Sapphire's characterization from loving sweet kid to spoiled rich harpie. Issue 17 saw the book turn towards a new direction with Metamorpho on the run with Element Girl on their own. The book was cancelled and the cliffhanger was never resolved. Metamorpho had jumped the shark and didn't really live up to his potential.
The extra team ups are fun. The one with the Metal Men finds him having to fight them when they go evil. Their powers are quite similar, so the battle is somewhat interesting, even though Metamorpho's greater range makes him the obvious favorite. The Batman team up has Metamorpho trying to help Batman when he's changed into Bathulk by Joker, Penguin, and Riddler. This one was goofy but the same could be said of most Batman team ups in the 1960s.
The Justice League issue was actually a fairly good story where Metamorpho is named the next member of the Justice League and declines but is attacked by another being who wants to join the league-the Unimaginable. It's a nice high concept story which allows many of the Justice League's finest to show their stuff against an intriguing opponent. This is the only story not written by Bob Haney and the big downside is that Gardener Fox's dialogue for Metamorpho is a bit off. Still, this is a delight.
Overall, the book is a mixed bag. There's some snappy dialogue and fun art, but ultimately, Metamorpho's silver age series failed due to the creative team not being able to deliver stories worthy of their concept.
The concept of Metamorpho was good. Rex Mason, adventurer ticks off wealthy scientist Simon Stagg, who is also the father of Rex's lady love Sapphire. As a result of an encounter with the Orb of Ra, he obtains strange powers to change his composition to various elements. He ends up working for Stagg who promises to find a cure, but really wants to keep as the Element Man to keep him away from his daughter (who Rex refuses to marry as long as he's "a freak,") and to keep Metamorpho available to do his bidding.
The set up is great. Metamorpho's powers are impressive and somewhat unique in the sheer variety of them. The supporting team set up is good. Metamorpho has two of his supporting players not really on his side. Stagg is using Metamorpho and the million-year-old Caveman Java (who Rex rescued) wants Rex out of the picture so Java can marry Sapphire. Sapphire, contrary to her shallow party girl rep stands by Rex even as Metamorpho. The art is often quite fun and Metamoprho's power set is very visually appealing. I also liked Metamorpho's dialogue. In my mind, he has the speaking voice Frank Sinatra.
So why didn't the series last longer? Well, to start with, the villains were nothing special. While Java fumed about Rex and pined for Sapphire, he didn't do a whole lot in the adventures one way or another. Most of the time, he wasn't a help to Metamorpho or a hurt...he was just there.
Still, the book was okay until Element Girl came along. She had all the powers of Metamorpho but was female. She was introduced as an experiment with reader letters determing whether she would be brought back. Before she'd come along Rex and Sapphire had decided to get married. However, she interrupted the wedding to ask Rex's help for a mission and then Rex refuses to marry Sapphire while Element Girl's out saying he's unable to choose between them. After all who among us wouldn't struggle whether to choose a beautiful woman who stood beside us while we went into a freakish disfiguring accident...or someone we just meant.
Anyway, after Element Girl stays, she becomes a very consistent Mary Sue character. The books are marked by catty interactions between her and Sapphire that essentially changes Sapphire's characterization from loving sweet kid to spoiled rich harpie. Issue 17 saw the book turn towards a new direction with Metamorpho on the run with Element Girl on their own. The book was cancelled and the cliffhanger was never resolved. Metamorpho had jumped the shark and didn't really live up to his potential.
The extra team ups are fun. The one with the Metal Men finds him having to fight them when they go evil. Their powers are quite similar, so the battle is somewhat interesting, even though Metamorpho's greater range makes him the obvious favorite. The Batman team up has Metamorpho trying to help Batman when he's changed into Bathulk by Joker, Penguin, and Riddler. This one was goofy but the same could be said of most Batman team ups in the 1960s.
The Justice League issue was actually a fairly good story where Metamorpho is named the next member of the Justice League and declines but is attacked by another being who wants to join the league-the Unimaginable. It's a nice high concept story which allows many of the Justice League's finest to show their stuff against an intriguing opponent. This is the only story not written by Bob Haney and the big downside is that Gardener Fox's dialogue for Metamorpho is a bit off. Still, this is a delight.
Overall, the book is a mixed bag. There's some snappy dialogue and fun art, but ultimately, Metamorpho's silver age series failed due to the creative team not being able to deliver stories worthy of their concept.
January 29, 2019
Metamorpho has always been an odd mix of Ben Grimm and Plastic man with a little Indiana Jones thrown in.
While Ben Grimm could get really mopey, Metamorpho only ever seemed mildly annoyed by his monstrous appearance and powers.
His early stories have a fun, goofy charm.
It is very much a silver age comic, but it also seems aware of that and willing to kind of poke fun of the tropes of SA comics.
He has a fun supporting cast. his lady love is played as a ditzy damsel, but her relationship with Metamorpho is kind of sweet and she never has a problem with who he is.
Simon Stagg and Java, while technically bad guys, never threatening, they are goofy and scheming. Stagg is more Scrooge McDuck, then Lex Luthor and Java is just an odd character with some great one liners.
Later stories got very serious: Metamorpho got mopey, Simon Stagg went from scheming to downright evil and the stories weren't as fun.
December 18, 2008
Never paid much attention to Metamorpho until I got this book. A thrill-seeking playboy gets turned into a chemical freak by rich Simon Stagg. His jet-setting playgirl daughter still loves him even though he's the wild-looking Metamorpho, The Element Man. Most of the stories in the book are illustrated by the great Ramona Fraidon. I didn't even know DC had a woman drawing comics. They sure kept it on the down-low back then.
January 21, 2024
Freak and freaky-looking superheroes are so common now, it's hard to grasp how bizarre Metamorpho was when he debuted (I have trouble remembering and I was there). Rex Mason, daring soldier of fortune transformed into a chemical freak who can shapeshift based on the elements in the human body. At the time he was one of the few superheroes longing to give up his identity and assume a normal life (spoiler: didn't happen).
His brief original run ranges from grim and rather dark to goofy camp before swerving into a reboot that would have ditched most of the supporting cast (didn't help — the book was canceled before the final installment). This includes his tryouts in Brave and the Bold, his 17 issue series, and some team-ups with other characters (Batman, the Metal Men, the Justice League). I'd say it's worth buying but as with all Silver Age series, YMMV.
His brief original run ranges from grim and rather dark to goofy camp before swerving into a reboot that would have ditched most of the supporting cast (didn't help — the book was canceled before the final installment). This includes his tryouts in Brave and the Bold, his 17 issue series, and some team-ups with other characters (Batman, the Metal Men, the Justice League). I'd say it's worth buying but as with all Silver Age series, YMMV.
June 3, 2017
These days Metamorpho's treated as a weird, tragic figure but his first stories, collected here, are written lighter with tongue firmly set in cheek. Frankly, this approach works much, much better, especially as depicted by Ramona Fredon and Sal Trapani. A bunch of fun and a nostalgia kick for those of us of a certain age. The cliffhanger ending provides one of the two big unresolved plot lines of the sixties; I'm not aware anyone ever picked it up and ran with it later.
April 19, 2025
I got a Metamorpho action figure a while back, and I found out he'll be in the new Superman movie, but I had no idea who he was. I thought he was a villain, at first. Nope. Superhero. Being so unfamiliar with him, I found this book which has black and white presentations of all of his comics fairly cheaply.
It was a fun read, and I know who he is now. Being from the Silver Age of Comics, the stories were pretty silly and outlandish, including one where Batman turns into Bat-hulk.
It was a fun read, and I know who he is now. Being from the Silver Age of Comics, the stories were pretty silly and outlandish, including one where Batman turns into Bat-hulk.
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March 1, 2024Ramona Fradon, R.I.P. (1926-2024)
https://cryptoscatology.blogspot.com/...
https://cryptoscatology.blogspot.com/...
March 13, 2017
Learned a little about chemistry along the way
August 3, 2012
I usually don't put comics on my Goodreads list but this one was really interesting. Metamorpho is a pretty silly character who can turn himself into any element or shape he wants. This was pure silver age DC madness, where stories seem written by madmen or children who have only the slightest idea of how the world works. The stories seem to be taken directly from the subconscious and have a dream logic. Ultimately theses stories were just really fun.
January 25, 2008
Started out promising, but after the third or fourth story, it reads like an episode of Scooby Doo, and Metamorpho is Shaggy.
April 3, 2009
metamorpho needs to be in color. not the highlight of dc's comics in the 60s.
September 4, 2015
Excellent volume. The stories are fun, although a bit dated, but dynamic and original. And the drawings are top notch.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews