Finally the world's finest are pairing off in the new 52. (New 52 or DCNU being the names of the 2011 reboot and renumbering of all of DC's titles.) With so much buzz about the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight possibly sharing the screen, this book couldn't have come at a better time. Major SPOILERS for "Batman/Superman #1" follow.
It's no surprise that Batman and Superman, the two biggest names in comic history, hold the lion share of publications each month. The tent-poles almost have a monopoly on titles.
Some would argue that there isn't room on the shelves for anymore of either one of them. One thing that no one can argue, however, is that the duo have a chemistry together unlike any other. It's only when Day and Night meet that we get the wonder that is sunset.
The comic copies the duel narration that worked so well in Jeph Loeb's 2003 series Superman / Batman, but don't be fooled by the similarities. This new take on the team-up aptly titled "Batman / Superman," puts the Dark Knight first. Artist Jae Lee drives home this point with his gritty and gothic style.
Lee's Gotham will trap you there for the first few pages. It's nearly impossible to focus on the story when you first arrive. Go ahead. Take it all in. Leaf through a couple pages and then come back.
It will take your breath away so it's only natural for you to need a few moments to catch it. This isn't a real city, and not in a Mayberry-isn't-a-real-town type way. This city was not built...or at least no one would build this city.
It's almost like Gotham grew from out of the ground...from urban legends and the non Disney-fied versions of fairy tales. A dense fog covers the landscape, the castle-esque roof top skyline sticks out like gravestones. The swarm of Zeppelins overhead feel more like insects than any sort of security. The barren tree branches have enough twist and spirals to make Tim Burton dizzy.
This is the one place on earth that a man dressed like a giant bat wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb. The Batman fits right in here. Gotham City is the beast and the criminal elements are the fleas. Bruce can only scratch the itch. Batman has the unfortunate task of giving the dog a bath.
The tone carries over to Smallvile, Kansas, even in the brief flashback, the much sunnier farm town still gives a feeling of foreboding--almost as if a storm is brewing. The little we get to see of Metropolis is less impressive and more run of the mill. However, the subtle contrast between Metropolis' stone angels and Gotham's Gargoyles says plenty.
The hometowns only reflect the difference in their defenders. For years, Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent have been drawn as carbon copies of each other--physically at least.
Take off Clark Kent's glasses and his secret identity as billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne would be exposed. Jae seems to understand that Bruce and Clark are two different people. Clark's baby face screams boy scout while Bruce's rougher look is reminiscent of Tyler Durdren.
(I am Jack's justice)
As the plot thickens, Lee passes the pencil on over to Ben Oliver. Oliver takes us to a different world, one where Clark and Bruce once again look exactly the same. Where Oliver's work isn't bad, it certainly lacks the personality that Lee's had. Although the story does lead itself to such a stylistic change.
Speaking of story....the following contains spoilers. If you haven't read the issue, put down the Internet and head out to your comic shop.
If you are new to comics then this book might be a good place to start off. The story takes place in the past before Supes was too big for his britches and Bats was so long in the fang.
You don't need to be familiar with what is going on in the other Batman titles or the DCNU for that matter. In fact, the less you know the better cause some elements might leave comic fans a little confused.
Writer Greg Pak in his first outing with DC comics, comes out swinging. He really seems to understand the different voices of each of the leads, as well the common ground they share. You can definitely see the influence from Frank Miller's books: Batman Year One and The Dark Knight Returns.
Most of the debut issue is Batman and Superman sizing each other up. First in there Civilian identities as Clark Kent comes to Gotham to ask Bruce about a string of murders of Wayne Tech Employees in Metropolis. Clark is shewing away a gang of bullies that were picking a fight with a kid, Bruce on the other hand was happy to sit there and watch knowing that this was the day the kid would finally fight back.
The pair meet again in costume when Batman is investigating the previously mentioned murders, stops a possessed Catwoman from carving up a stubborn Wayne Tech employee. Batman accidentally breaks the mans wrist, exclaiming that he deserved it for being stupid.
He regrets this shortly after, when he hears the screams of the man's daughter, Knowing what it's like to be a frightened child. "I'm supposed to scare criminals but to these people.... I look like the villain," Batman's monologue reads, and their not the only ones who see him that way. Superman arrives on the scene and mistakes Bats for the culprit.
Our two heroes didn't always start out as Super Friends. Supes and Bats are just about to clash head to head when the she demon-thing that possessed Catwoman abandons whatever Wayne Tech killing scheme she had going on, and teleports the two away.
It's here where are the artwork changes and the dual meaning of the issue's title "Cross World" becomes apparent. Clark has crossed over to an alternate version of Smallvile. Angry and confused (as well as many readers had to be), he faces off against an older and better equipped Batman. Where the younger and weaker Superman and the more seasoned Batman might be more evenly matched, there ending fight is cut too short.
The end score. 8 of 10
The artwork and early story are enough to merit another bite, but the world jumping doesn't do much to wet the appetite. To top that off, there are so many unanswered questions. How does Batman and Superman meeting here for the "first time" fit in with their supposed first meeting in the pages of "Justice League #1?" Who is our mystery villain and why was she after Wayne tech employees? How did Catwoman fit in to any of her plans? Where in the multiverse did she send Superman and Batman? The world jumping just seemed so unnecessary and can easily complicate things. The DCNU is supposed to have been credited to untangle some of the messes that came with 75 years of continuity not add to it. Pak promises us that it will make since in the end. Although if he keeps this pace then it might be better to wait until this one comes out in trade.
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