Superman/Batman #1 (2003)

Superman/Batman #1 (October, 2003)
"The World's Finest"
Writes - Jeph Loeb
Pencils - Ed McGuinness
Inks - Dexter Vines
Colors - Dave Stewart
Letters - Richard Starkings
Associate Editor - Tom Palmer, Jr.
Editor - Eddie Berganza
Boy Wonder - Matt Idelson
Cover Price: $2.95

What's this I keep hearing about a movie coming out?  Superman and Batman are fighting over the Superhero Registration Act, you say?  Hmm... no?

All joking aside, I still haven't decided whether or not I'll see Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.  The wife is pretty excited for it, which somewhat surprised me... but, I'm really not so much a "movie" guy.  I can't remember the last time I darkened a theater.  It all just seems like a giant hassle... the cost, the crowds... makes my teeth itch just thinking of it.  You know, my mother used to tell me that I was "born an old man", she just may be right!

Not helping at all is the fact that I really didn't enjoy the last superhero comic adaptation I checked out.  It was way back in the spring of 2002.  I was the manager for a larger call center in town, and worked the night shift.

One morning as I was readying to head home, I noticed a curious package in my work-mailbox.  This is going to sound like something out of a crappy noir movie, but it was wrapped in nondescript brown paper... like someone took a lunch bag and made a package out of it.

I opened it up, and found inside two DVD-R discs and a post-it note that just read "enjoy!"

I asked around, and nobody knew anything about the discs.  I was curious, and honestly had no idea what these could be... Being the manager of a whole lot of late-adolescents and young adults I figured that maybe I pissed one of them off, and they were getting my back by giving me some sort of extreme pornography.

I did not have a DVD player that could play DVD-R discs, I only had my PlayStation 2 at this point.  I gave the discs to a buddy, and asked if he could check them out.  He told me he'd call me later on that day with the dirt.

Hours go by, and I haven't heard from my friend.  Finally, as I'm about to go to sleep for the day my phone rings.  I'll never forget the first thing he said...

"It's Spider-Man!"

This was about two-weeks before the movie was to hit theaters.

So, I jumped into a pair of pants... then into the car, and headed across town to his house to watch Spider-Man... and well, I hated it.  From then on, I've ignored every superhero movie that has been released.  So, if you head out to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice this weekend, I sincerely hope you enjoy it... If the wife can somehow drag my old ass out of the house to check it out, I'll letcha know.

Here's the humble blog's official-unofficial Batman v Superman tie-in, Superman/Batman #1 from 2003.

... never did find out who left those discs in my mailbox...

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We open with a bit of a revisit of both Superman's and Batman's origins.  They are juxtaposed in such a way so that we may appreciate both their congruity and opposition to one another.  This is all well-trodden ground, featuring Superman being rocketed off Krypton and finding the light in his family, and Batman finding the dark when his family is taken from him.

Superman is conducting a patrol of the Metropolis skies when he observes a thick plume of black smoke emanating from S.T.A.R. Labs.  As he makes his approach to see what's up he is launched across the city to the "Times Square" looking part of Metropolis where he crashes into a large antenna.  On the video screens, we see sitting United States President, Lex Luthor officially announce his candidacy for re-election.

Whoa, like... death from above... bummer.

Superman expresses that he actually felt the shot that sent him flying.  As he heads back to S.T.A.R. he finds himself running straight into his Kryptonite-hearted foe, Metallo.  Superman wallops him into a nearby wall, exposing his more robotic facial features.  Metallo expresses that he means no harm.  He is not there to hurt or kill anybody.  He exposes his Kryptonite Heart and lays Superman out before taking his leave.

Perhaps Metallo would be interested in some of the fine products from todays "Interesting Ads"...

That night in a Gotham City cemetery, we join Batman as he does a little crime scene investigation work in regard to some very recent grave-robberies.  Superman swoops in and tells him of his recent run-in with Metallo.  This is the graveyard where John Corben (Metallo)'s human body was buried, and he feels there's a connection.

Moments later, Corben shows up with a coffin in tow.  Batman leaps into action before running afoul of one of Metallo's telescoping arms.  Superman steps in to save his partner, when Metallo fires a Kryptonite bullet into his chest.  Superman falls backwards into an open grave where he lay prone.

Batman drops into the grave to attempt to remove the bullet from his buddy's chest when Metallo transforms his arm into a scoop shovel and buries the World's Finest team alive.  Satisfied with a job well done, Metallo leaves with the coffin.

This is the kind of banter Superman and Batman should have!

Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C. Lex Luthor has received intel in regard to an asteroid being on a collision course with Earth.  The asteroid is believed to have been a chunk of the planet Krypton that had traveled millions of miles into our galaxy.  He has assembled a team of heroes to deal with the threat, with the understanding that Superman is not to be informed.

The team of heroes is partially revealed, and includes Major Force and Captain Atom.  Five heroes remain in shadow, however, two are clearly Black Lightning and Green Lantern (John Stewart).  We are... [to be continued...]

--

You ever get the feeling like you're reading a modern classic?  That's how I felt (and feel) about this opening chapter of Superman/Batman.  You just get the feeling that something important is looming just out of view, and you can't wait to get there.

This is some of the best Loeb/McGuinness collaboration out there, and definitely worthy of a look.  This features a more cordial Clark and Bruce than I feel we're in for in the film.  These two are old friends, who perhaps never saw eye to eye as it pertains to their methodology, yet they have a bond and an incredibly respect for one another.  This is the "World's Finest" team that I like most.  I don't think they should ever come to blows.  Even if Batman can be a blowhard from time to time, I have a problem with a (non-mind controlled) Superman ever raising a fist to an ally... a friend.

Loeb's writing is wonderful here, minus the somewhat nonplussed "Uh... Guys... Death... From Above...!" we overheard from a civilian as the antenna fell.  Bruce and Clark's playful jabs at one another were a lot of fun, you get the feeling that they are always kind of trying to one-up one another.  It's fun, it's entertaining, and... it makes sense.

McGuinness' art, as always, is a treat.  Since his work on Superman (vol.2) he seems to have toned down his exaggeration of Supes' proportions, which... while I never had a problem with his "larger than life" rendition, I'll admit this looks a lot nicer.

Perhaps the only complaint I have about this issue is how quickly I was able to go through it.  I can't outright blame this on "decompression" as, although the book flew... it felt as though a lot of stuff happened.

Definitely recommended.  Even as a "single issue" guy, I'd urge interested folks toward the collected edition.  This was a huge story for its time, and its ramifications were felt long after its conclusion.  It feels as though the last several years of Superman titles were building toward this story in one way or another.  It's a satisfying read in single-issue format, though I'd imagine most would rather have the whole story (which is, definitely worth reading).

This issue is currently (March, 25) available to read digitally FOR FREE from DC's digital site.  No reason not to check this one out.  The entire collected edition is currently available digitally at a deep discount as well.  As always, if digital comics ain't yo thing... InStockTrades has both the trade paperback and the combo hardcover/blu-ray edition available for your convenience.

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Interesting Ads (for your oily T-Zone):

Enjoy Dawn of Justice if you're going to see it, hopefully it was worth the wait!

Superman/Batman Annual #1 (2006)

Superman/Batman Annual #1 (December, 2006)
"Stop me if you've heard this one..."
Joe Kelly - Story
Ed McGuinness, Ryan Ottley, Sean Murphy, Carlo Barberi - Pencils
Dexter Vines, Cliff Rathburn, Sean Murphy, Don Hillsman II, Bob Petrecca, Andy Owens, Rodney Ramos - Inks
Guy Major - Colors
Rob Leigh - Letters
Jeanine Schaeffer - Asst. Editor
Eddie Berganza - Editor
Cover Price: $3.99

"Hey you ever read that issue of Superman/Batman that had Deadpool in it?" said the guy behind the counter at one of my local comics haunts sometime in 2009.

"the hell are you talking 'bout?" was my reply, head wrinkled, eyebrow cocked (though "hell" may be the PG version of what I had actually said).

During the mid-2000's I found myself with a very serious debilitation, it was one so heinous and extreme that I would find myself violently ill, and cursing the fact that I'd even woke up each day... I had... a mortgage.  It was almost a full-blown case of adulthood, for which there is no cure.  Well, at least not a socially acceptable one.  That having been said, I trimmed much of my perceived "comic book fat" from my weekly hauls... dropping from about $50 a week to about $50 for an entire month.  I had to make many difficult decisions in regards to my pull list, and one of the books I found myself dropping was Superman/Batman.

Don't get me wrong, it was an enjoyable book.  Ed McGuinness' art is never a let-down for me, and contrary to what the current fashionable internet hive-speak is in regard to Jeph Loeb, there's very little of his work that I don't like.  Superman/Batman started out big and bombastic, it was like reading a summer blockbuster cartoon in comic book form, if that makes any sense.  It was just a book that, when push came to shove (and it did) that I could drop without feeling too many pangs of collector-guilt.

I have since revisited the series, finding it a fun romp through the latter part of the post-Crisis/pre-Flashpoint DC Universe, and almost a sanctuary from some of the ultra-violent, ultra-serious books of the New 52.  This issue is a perfect example of such a romp, and it's got Deadpo... er, Deathstroke the Terminator's Earth-3 counterpart in it to boot!  I figure to commemorate the opening of the Deadpool live-action movie, I figure it would be a good time to revisit some-guy's lone sorta-kinda DC Universe appearance...

--

Billed as a Re-Imaginary story, Superman/Batman Annual #1 takes us back to a time where Superman and Batman did not know each other's secret identities.  They work together as partners from time to time, and seemed to view their attempts to discover each other's secret ID's as something of a game or contest.

The two, in their civilian form, find themselves aboard the same cruise to the Bermuda Circle, Lois Lane in tow only to find that the ship had accidentally booked Clark and Bruce into the same cabin.  The dynamics between Clark and Bruce here is something that absolutely must be read.  Bruce is 100% billionaire playboy jerk, and Clark is 100% mild-mannered.  They clash upon check-in, and their conflict only intensifies from there.

During dinner, Lois (who at this point does not know the secret ID, and is wildly curious) and Clark are sharing a dance.  Clark timidly asks if he can share her cabin, rather than stay with Wayne.  Bruce then cuts in, much to Clark's chagrin, swooping Lois to his table for them to dine.

While all of this is going on, Deathstroke the Terminator is preparing to make an attempt on Bruce Wayne's life.  He was hired in the opening pages, and I believe this is written to be his first "costumed" outing.

Bruce and Clark retire to their room for the night, where the attempt is made.  A dart is fired, and bounces off Clark's neck.  Batman and Superman put two and two together, and come to the realization of just who they are sharing a room with.

Suddenly Deadpo-- er, some guy barges in to save Bruce Wayne's life, just before he can say his name, he is shot multiple times in the chest.  I am assuming this is intended as Deathstroke's Earth-3 counterpart, due to some characters that show up in a few pages.  He is very clearly intended to be... well, another Wilson, who's first name rhymes with "Slade".

Okay, screw it... joke ain't funny anymore (if it ever really was)  It's clearly intended to be Deadpool.  Writer, Joe Kelly and artist, Ed McGuinness were the creative team for the first bit of Deadpool's first ongoing series in the late 1990's (highly recommended, by the way, and has been collected in an Omnibus), and have rekindled a bit of that magic in this here issue of Superman/Batman.

Lois notices the silhouettes of Superman and Batman on deck, and begins to make some connections herself in regard to their secret identities.  She is shocked to find that she wasn't seeing Superman and Batman... she was seeing Ultraman and Owlman of the Crime Syndicate!  She is taken hostage, and is kissed by Owlman, who is surprised to find out that this Lois Lane is not Superwoman.

Meanwhile, Superwoman is below deck fighting with "our" Bruce Wayne.  With lasso tied around his neck, and little hope of survival... Wayne is saved, once again by Deadpool!  Right before 'pool can introduce himself, he is stabbed through the head by Deathstroke.  This being Deadpool, he naturally does not die.

The Bruce Waynes fight, and Lois overhears some discussion that tips her off to Owlman's (and by proxy, Batman's) secret identity.  Just before she can verbalize it, Bruce (our Bruce) gives her a nerve pinch, and puts her to sleep.  Owlman is about to shoot Bruce, when he is once again saved... by Deadpool.  Bruce is able to escape, jumping overboard to a Bat-Submarine he had placed down below.  'Pool is again about to say his name, when Superwoman breaks his neck.

The World's Finest team fights their Earth-3 counterparts, while Deadpool narrates.  It is all very entertaining, and wildly overblown.  Thanagarians and Blackhawks in a beak-on-beak dance, Ambush Bug beating Darkseid in a game of chess, even Green Lantern, Mogo (who was not usually brought up during this time) gets a mention.  The ending of the battle is a bit out there, and concerns a space-time rift.  Ultimately, the Earth-3ers are sent home, and the day is saved.  Our mystery man gets one more opportunity to introduce himself just as he's about to blink out.  As far as we now know, his name is "Deaaaaaa--"

As we close, Lois is just about to confront Superman and Batman on their secret identities.  Before she can, Clark undressed them both at super speed, and redressed them in their civilian clothing.  Their secrets are safe, for now... plus Clark was able to get one last dig in at Bruce, saying he had found him "cowering in his closet".

The final page shows who took out the contract on Bruce Wayne.  It was Mr. Mxyzptlk and a Bizarro Editor.

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Insanely fun issue.  Definitely recommended.  Books this fun are a rarity, especially of those published since the turn of the century.  The writing is actually funny, which, it being Joe Kelly should be no surprise.  The art, fluctuates from fantastic to passable.  There are four pencillers on this over-sized annual, and for the most part there is consistency... there are, however, a few more staggering pages to behold.  The only thing that would have made this issue better (beside having Ed McGuinness draw the entire thing) would have been the addition of colorized word balloons for the Deadpool-alike.  In his Marvel books, 'pool has yellow dialogue balloons.  Perhaps that would have been a bit too on the nose for a DC publication to include, however, I don't think it would have caused all that much harm (but what do I know?).

Mile High Comics has this issue listed at $12.00 for a near-mint copy (though, there are none in stock).  This appears to be the going rate for hard-copy online.  Comixology is offering the digital version for $2.99.  If digital is your thing, this is well worth a purchase*.

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Interesting Ads:

Was never financially secure enough to "invest" in Legos, though
I suppose the Lego Batman video games were pretty fun (at first).
I had forgotten about these "Secret Files and Origins" pages

I remember folks being rather excited for this.
I have still never seen a single Superman movie.