Books : Superman/Batman Vol. 1: Public Enemies

In association with Amazon.com

Rating:

- it's time to take Lex down
Public Enemies is a great collection with superb art and an excellent storyline. My favorite part was reading Clark's and Bruce's thoughts and realizing how different the characters are. It's amazing they're on the same side when they are so far apart on the personality spectrum.

The collection starts off with a little tale about when Clark and Bruce were little kids and there first (near) meeting. From there it jumps into a battle between Metallo, whom has been accused of being the gunman who murdered Bruce's parents. It is soon revealed that a kryptonite asteroid is headed towards earth and somehow Lex convinces the world that Superman is to blame. He places a bounty on Supes head making him public enemy number one and since Batman has been aiding him he is also a target for the bounty hunters. The pair even have to do battle with Green Lantern (John Stewart), Black Lightning, Katana, Starfire, Major Force, Power Girl, Captain Atom, Hawkman, and Captain Marvel. In the end they have to raid the white house, deal with Lex, and save the world from a kryptonite asteroid all before they can call it a night.

This collection is defiantly worth picking up. You won't be disappointed.

Rating:

- Its OK
Well not much to say about this one. I like that there is a sleu of DC heroes in it, but this was a somewhat OK story with a really bad ending. I know we are talking comic books but this seemed a little childish... I did like the Superman Batman team up though.

Rating:

- Honestly, It's Not That Great.
In this volume Superman and Batman team up to fight Superman's arch nemesis, Lex Luthor. In the chronology of this particular storyline, Luthor was elected President of the United States. Unbeknownst to the public, he has also continued his various secret schemes and projects to rid the world of Superman and control the world. When a huge kryptonian asteroid threatens to hit Earth, Luthor blames it on Superman and orders a federal warrant for his arrest and sends a team of superheroes to bring Superman in. Meanwhile Batman and Superman try to capture Luthor while at the same time trying to stop the meteor before it hits the planet.

The art work in PUBLIC ENEMIES is beautiful. Ed McGuinness, Dexter Vines, and company do an excellent job of melding the vibrant, radiant colors that are often seen in connection with Superman to the more darker, bleak palette used with Batman. I also enjoyed the parallelism throughout the graphic novel between the thoughts of Superman and the thoughts of Batman. These two characters are tent pole characters of the D.C. universe and anytime they are teamed up makes for at least a decent story. Even though it made the story a bit more heavy-handed than it should have been, I also like how various D.C. characters are brought in throughout the story including Green Lantern, Hawkman, Captain Marvel, and the buxom beauty Atom Girl.

However, there is a lot about PUBLIC ENEMIES that I don't like. The series was written by Jeph Loeb. Loeb is a writer who doesn't really care much about the history of the characters he writes about. He doesn't seem to care much about continuity either. Under the direction and leadership of Loeb and writers like him, Lex Luthor tried to take over Gotham City, Lex Luthor was killed and went to Hell but was later resurrected, Commissioner Gordon became too old and had to retire from police duties, Lex Luthor ran for office and was elected President, etc. None of this fits with continuity of the D.C. universe or seems natural for the characters. Of course, none of this should come as a surprise because Loeb also works as a consultant for the television show SMALLVILLE, a show that totally threw out everything that had been written about the origins of any D.C. character and decided to rewrite them how they so fit. It was popular with the teeny boppers and made money for the company because of television rights, but teeny boppers don't buy and read comic books and therefore hurt the industry more.

PUBLIC ENEMIES isn't a very good story to introduce people to a Superman/Batman combo story. It's also not a storyline to sits well with longtime fans of the characters. The graphic basically appeals to those who know very little about either Superman & Batman and have learned what little they know from watching SMALLVILLE and/or reading earlier editions of Superman and/or Batman comics that were written by Loeb. If you want to read a really good Superman and Batman team-up, read some of the comics from either the Golden or Silver Age of comics.

Rating:

- A Lot Going On
I haven't kept up with much in the DC Universe for the last few years, so I can tell you that an awful lot happens in this trade that foreshadows not only the DC Crisis storyline which followed later on, but also the Wildstorm story that rebooted that universe as well. What brings Batman and Superman together is the coming of a giant asteroid from the explosion of Krypton that is going to hit Earth and destroy all life. You have literally 2 dozen heroes and villans popping up. I was able to get filled in on a few details from a knowledgeable friend as to why Lex Luther is president, or why there is a new Toyman, etc. It is a well told story with the dual thought captions of Supes and Batman reflecting their diverse personalities. The artwork is clean, with a nice little intro from one of my favorite Bat artists Tim Sale. If you are just getting into the DC universe, this one is a little rough to start with. But it is certainly a good tale.

Rating:

- A Blast of Comic Book Fun
This is just a good old-fashioned action comic which benefits greatly from Jeph Loeb's solid writing. There is dual narration from the perspective of both Superman and Batman. This is a really cool device, as it it gives us some interesting insights into their thoughts on one another. The chemistry between the two is developed well by Loeb. But as I wrote above, this is mostly about the action. And the action is good.

The art is undoubtedly cartoonish, but it fits the story so well that I don't understand why anyone would consider it a negative. This isn't supposed to be gritty or highbrow, and Ed McGuiness' illustrations are perfect for this type of story.

Overall, this is a great start to the Superman/Batman series. There's just enough substance to satisfy the more serious-minded superhero fan, and a ton of action for those of who who still read comics for the escapist excitement.

In closing, I must admit I may be a bit bias in favor of this book because my four-year old son loves it so much that he requests I "read" it to him at least four times a week. Of course, I only improvise my "parentally approved" version of the story as I go over it with him. In that regard, this is a pretty good intro for younger ones too.

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