Jim Aparo: Brave & Bold Artist by Eric Nolen-Weathington and Jim Amash (book review).
Jim Aparo (1932–2005) was to Batman what Curt Swan was to Superman: always there, reliably turning out pages for a character he clearly loved. This book, ‘Jim Aparo: Brave & Bold Artist’ by Eric Nolen-Weathington and Jim Amash, looks back over his career.
Like many comic book artists of his era, breaking into the industry wasn’t easy, and Aparo began at Charlton Comics when it was edited by Dick Giordano. There, he demonstrated that he could illustrate almost any kind of story, from comedy and romance to adventure, and even drew The Phantom, which he particularly enjoyed. Remarkably, he handled not just the pencils but also the inking and lettering. In fact, it might be more accurate to say he worked in reverse order, placing the word balloons first so he knew how much space remained for the artwork.
When Giordano moved to DC Comics, he brought several creators with him, including Aparo, who was assigned to titles such as Aquaman, the Phantom Stranger and the Spectre. After a lengthy run, he moved on to ‘The Brave And The Bold’, where he enjoyed an extensive tenure, not to mention an exclusive contract. Reading this, I doubt he would have wanted to move elsewhere. Aparo was very much a company man, seeing his role as that of an illustrator rather than contributing to the writing side of comics.
He rarely attended comic book conventions until later in life and never regarded himself as avant-garde, simply as someone doing what he loved: drawing. Through ‘The Brave And The Bold’, he ended up illustrating most of DC Comics’ characters anyway. I was familiar with many of these stories, as I still own them, but I was struck again by his versatility, particularly in horror, mystery and comedy, areas that can often be overlooked.
If there’s a criticism to be made of this book, it lies in the checklist of his work. Rather than being arranged purely alphabetically, it might have been more useful organised by comic book company, especially as he only worked for two.
Aparo had a formidable work ethic, producing an enormous volume of work. The comments included in this book consistently highlight how friendly and dependable he was. Like many professionals, he understood that comics were fundamentally a job, one that required meeting deadlines without fail, and he was never late. It seems he only fully realised the extent of his fanbase later in life.
Books like this help ensure that artists of his generation are not forgotten and that their contribution to the history of American comic books is properly recognised.
GF Willmetts
April 2026
(pub: TwoMorrows Publishing, 2026. 175-page illustrated hardback. Price: $39.95 (US). ISBN: 978-1-60549-137-0. Direct from them, you can get it for $39.95 (US))
check out websites: [www.TwoMorrows.com](http://www.TwoMorrows.com) and [https://twomorrows.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=95_93&products_id=1877](https://twomorrows.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=95_93&products_id=1877)
