Peacemaker Is Teaming Up With A Surprise Golden Age Hero
Warning: This post contains spoilers for "Peacemaker Tries Hard #3."
DC villains have stolen Peacemaker's dog, Bruce Wayne, so Christopher Smith is teaming up with a surprise Golden Age hero to track his pup down. In DC Comics' "Peacemaker Tries Hard" by Kyle Starks, Steve Pugh, Jordie Bellaire, and Becca Carey, Peacemaker falls head over heels for a dog while working on a mission for Amanda Waller. Unfortunately, as his relationship with Bruce Wayne grows, the villain, The Brain, steals his new pup. (Something made doubly sad by the fact that Peacemaker's abusive father never allowed him to have a dog.) To save Bruce, Peacemaker teams up with The Brain's superintelligent gorilla servant, Monsieur Mallah, who wants Deathstroke's DNA to create a new body. After retrieving a DNA sample from Slade Wilson, Monsieur Mallah shoots Peacemaker in the back. The Brain then tells him he planned on keeping his dog and leaving the former Suicide Squad member for dead.
This chaos leads Peacemaker to team up with the Red Bee, a classic Golden Age hero, who has been secretly monitoring him while serving as his parole officer. But can the two unlikely heroes work together to save Bruce?
Peacemaker's been monitored by a classic hero
In "Peacemaker Tries Hard" #3, a dejected Peacemaker returns home to bandage himself. However, after dealing with his injuries and suiting up, he's met by Richard, his bearded parole officer. He tells him he violated his parole by crossing state lines. When Richard tells Peacemaker he must return to jail for the violation, the helmeted hero attacks the older man. However, Christopher Smith then witnesses his parole officer easily dodging his punches. Richard uses a single bee to distract Peacemaker, allowing him to cuff him. As he's about to be taken to prison, Peacemaker explains the situation about his dog Bruce, leading Richard to have a change of heart. He agrees to help Smith and shares he's actually a hero himself: The Red Bee.
Peacemaker jokingly calls the Red Bee's superhero costume a "super blouse." When Red Bee says he can control trained bees, Peacemaker seems impressed. However, his excitement dies when Red Bee reveals he only has one bee that he keeps in his belt buckle to use when needed. Red Bee says Peacemaker needs to have some faith in him. He reminds Peacemaker that he wouldn't be assigned to him if he wasn't qualified. A quick flashback then reveals Waller assigning Richard to Smith and he calls Smith "sharp as a sack of wet mice." Peacemaker agrees to work with Red Bee and the pair begin their mission to save Bruce in the issue's final pages.
Who is the Red Bee?
Red Bee is a pretty deep cut from the Golden Age era of comics. He debuted in "Hit Comics" #1 from Quality Comics by Toni Blum and Charles Nicholas. Richard Raleigh was a powerless masked vigilante who used trained bees and a stinger gun to take down foes. If the character sounds somewhat silly, it's because he was. The Red Bee wore a colorful costume featuring flowing transparent arms. Red Bee used his background as an assistant district attorney to help solve some of his cases. Much like the older Red Bee in "Peacemaker Tries Hard," he kept a single bee (named Michael) inside his belt, effectively serving as his sidekick.
While Red Bee's history was erased following the events of "Crisis on Infinite Earths," a new version of the character returned in "All-Star Squadron." There he joined the patriotic superteam, the Freedom Fighters. Sadly, Red Bee was killed on their first mission, taking on a group of Nazis. Red Bee made several minor appearances following his death, including in "Tales from the Dark Multiverse: Crisis on Infinite Earths" #1.
A legacy version of Red Bee named Jenna Raleigh was introduced in "Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters," serving as the original character's great-niece. She operated in an armored suit and used electric bees with powers that made her part insect, part human. After appearing in two volumes of the modern Freedom Fighters series, Jenna has been pushed into obscurity in the modern-day DC Universe.
Red Bee's legacy has surprisingly continued with DC Comics
Interestingly, Red Bee has been on a (sort of) mini-comeback in the pages of DC Comics. In "Flashpoint Beyond," Red Bee's name resurfaced, as Ladybug emerged as one of the long-lost sidekicks erased from history due to Flashpoint. Ladybug, technically a new character despite being pulled from time and existing in the Golden Age, was said to be Red Bee's sidekick. She could shrink in size and worked alongside Red Bee. Ladybug recently appeared in "Star Girl: The Lost Children," ending up being stuck in the present, becoming a member of the new Young Justice Society alongside Stargirl and several other lost sidekicks.
DC Comics
Considering "Peacemaker Tries Hard" doesn't appear to be canon in the main DC Universe, it's unlikely Ladybug will show up alongside Red Bee. Still, it's interesting that after decades in between the character's appearances, his name is suddenly on the rise within the pages of DC Comics. The Golden Age hero is one of the last heroes expected to have a role in stories in 2023. Seeing him as an older man in his silly costume helping Peacemaker is a fitting modern take. Despite his unusual look and powers, he's the best ally Peacemaker has in getting his dog back.
Peacemaker and Red Bee's official team-up begins in "Peacemaker Tries Hard" #3 from DC Comics, which is in comic book stores and available at online retailers now.