Review: Batman/Superman #1
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist: David Marquez
Letters: John J. Hill
Colors: Alejandro Sanchez
Reviewed by: Carl Bryan
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Summary
Up in the sky, in the dark of the night, trust no one – for the infected walk among us. Spinning out of the devastating events of THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS, Superman and Batman are together once more in an all-new monthly series – and they’re facing a terrifying new threat that could strike from anywhere.
The Dark Knight and the Man of Steel must journey into the depths of Gotham City to learn which of their fellow heroes has been transformed into the horrifying horseman of their most dangerous and deranged foe ever.
Our heroes will need to fight to survive, but an even more dangerous question lurks in the shadows: Can Superman and Batman even trust each other?
Joshua Williamson and David Marquez pick up the Dark Metal Baton from Scott Snyder and Jock…and we embark on Who Are The Secret Six?
Positives
Where to begin? Never has a duo attracted more attention than the World’s Finest? As a kid, I would devour the issues that placed Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent in the same space. Now we get them working on what is arguably the biggest event in DC history with The Batman Who Laughs spreading his evil throughout the DC world.
Who Are The Secret Six explores the events in Scott Snyder’s The Batman Who Laughs (TBWL). Batman is questioning not only himself, but the vulnerability of all the heroes. Who can he trust? His friendship with Clark is tenuous at best right now. Never have I seen a writer, such as Williamson, explore the genuineness of Superman’s motives with the constant questioning of Batman. Given the recent purgatory that Batman has gone through, he should be allowed to be in a state of constant paranoia!
Rabid Robins…. this was always a favorite of mine in TBWL, and I always wondered where they came from? However, TBWL is so unpredictable, we see his first target as one of his Rabid Robins is Billy Batson! Shazam! What are we going to do now?
The last frame of the comic is pure cliff hanging art. How do you spread the Joker’s/TBWL’s face to a hooded Shazam? David Marquez does… and it is chilling. And that batarang that Shazam (Captain Marvel to us old folks) is clutching…perfect weaponry. The only thing that would be superlative is if it was coated in Kryptonite!
TBWL’s Batcave…woooo! Talk about looking into a Twilight Zone mirror for the Dark Knight. What an introspective look from Clark. We neglect sometimes to look at his investigative mind. Given his optimism over the years, he is a quick study of human (and alien) behavior. Williamson hits a home run in this one!
TBWL…part Batman…part Joker…part Riddler? Love the use of a chess board. Again, Williamson knows his canon, and he is in the driver’s seat now. Watch out as the first of the six is revealed. And this may shake some things worse than Leviathan or Luther’s latest escapade!
Negatives
The Batman Who Laughs and this rendition of the World’s Finest begs a comparison. The lack of lettering and secret messages thus far in Batman Superman is apparent as this was key in The Batman Who Laughs. Here’s hoping that becomes a constant as I know different artists and writers do different things. But consistency now that The Batman Who Laughs is a constant presence in the DC Universe is a must!
Not enough Gordon…I know he is in the infancy of his exposure to the toxin, and we get the “Heh” at the conclusion of the Batman and Superman rooftop meeting. But maybe this is the planting of the seed…..let’s hope so!
Verdict
If you didn’t get The Batman Who Laughs seven issue series or the Grim Knight one shot…shame on you! Get to your nearest comic store and get the back story. Scott Snyder did a lot to plant the seeds, but now Joshua Williamson is behind the wheel. Change is a coming and we already see in the last frame of the story, we are in for quite the ride!
