I am absolutely loving this title and, frankly, I'm a bit surprised.

I've never been a huge fan of either Superman or Batman -- but the first issue looked interesting, so I thought "what the heck."

Well, as of issue #4, I'm hooked. The art is perfect for the title. And the writing does a pretty good job of capturing the essence of both characters, IMO.

And the fight scenes! The guest appearances! That Luthor kiss with _______! Superman vs. Captain Marvel and Hawkman vs. Batman! Never thought that would be how those match-ups would turn out!

I'm definitely looking forward to issue #5.

Any other fans of this title?

I haven't read #4 yet...

But I absolutely love the first three issues...

One of my holds since it started. I'm with you in that the combination of art and story are well matched and I've liked each issue so far. There is actually supposed to be a change in creative teams coming up with an issue in between (#7 I think) the change being a story about Superboy and Robin instead of Superman and Batman.

Don't know how the change in the creative team is going to affect how I like the title but I'm sticking with it for now.

What is it with DC and kissing lately? Editors in love?

I haven't even heard of this series - I tend to just ignore anything with Superman in it. But It sounds as if it's worth picking up. Is this a limited series?

Its a full fledged series, not a mini. I just checked the releases for TPB's in 2004 and its not listed but its still early in the series yet, with #4 just out. #5 comes on Christmas Eve and the first story arc ends with the following issue in January.

Okaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay: Luthor's injecting himself with Kryptonite.

Lex Luthor is injecting himself with kryptonite.

Just wearing a Kryptonite ring "killed" him before (it took a clone body and demonic deal to get him out of that one) AND HE'S INJECTING himself with the stuff?

...


...

..

.


[Oh, and McGuiness should actually have paid attention to what the Claw of Horus looked like before he drew something completely different. And Batman KNOWS that Captain Marvel = Billy Batson]

It has some good moments, but I'm getting a bit tired of the tandem thought narratives that punctuate the differences/ similarities between the two. It's getting trite. It was cool to see Hawkman and Captain Marvel get the best of the "Big 2", but the preceding encounter with Luthor's bunch didn't treat those heroes very well at all except Katana and Power Girl.

i'm enjoying this series so far ....

Matthew.

Michael Turner is doing the next main arc, after the SUPERBOY/ROBIN story, isn't he ???

WONDER WOMAN features in it !!! and Michael say's he can't wait to work with the "DC's" ...... Big Three !!!

Matthew.

Testify, SOM!

I like this series, but there's a dreadful amount of 'clangers' in the script, like those pulled out by SOM above. Loeb's striking directly for iconic depictions of the characters that may or may not gel well with established continuity.

Didn't like last issue much (esp. Luthor's kiss, the kryptonite, Bats' confusion over Cap/Billy), but I'm willing to stick about to see where Loeb's headed.

I'm LOVING this series -I didn't even pick it up until issue #3 and I liked it so much that I went back and got them all. I'm not really a huge fan of Supes or Bats either, and I think its kind of ridiculous how the super-heroes are not standing behind them (with the exception of Power Girl and Katana), but otherwise fun stuff.

I would really like it if they went further than World's Finest and added Wonder Woman to the group -but the thought balloon squares between Bats and Supes already gets a bit confusing.

It might be a neat idea to swap the main characters after every story arc. They could start with Superman and Batman, then have Superman and Wonder Woman for a few issues, then Wonder Woman and Batman, etc. That way, you'd see how each set interacts with each other in their own unique way...

i wished they'd called this series "WORLD's FINEST" insted, then could have done like you just said, Ger !!!

Matthew.

I tried to read the first two issues and didn't like them...

as i was holiday, i've missed this issue [ sold out at my CBS ] so can someone tells me what happens .... [ this was the last part of this current arc, wasn't it ???

hopefully i'll be able to get it in London in a couple of weeks or at the next comicfare .....

Matthew.

Haven't read it yet Matt, but I will! If no one replies by Sunday when I get it, I'll let you know ! I have loved this book so far!

I'm stopping for my books tomorrow (hopefully). I'd be happy to scan you a copy Matthew. Just let me know.

Did I miss this one too?

I've gotta switch to a more reliable store!!

The release date is tomorrow Stu. I had to double check when I saw Matthew's post.

thank's for the reply, Scott !! it does come out today [ doesn't it !!?? ]

i was sure, #6 was supposed to have been released 2 weeks ago [ whilst i was away ] that's why i thought it had sold out ???

oh well, i'm happy that i haven't missed it, and look forward to picking it up on Thursday ....

Matthew.

I got it! And now I'm going to go off and read it!

It was. It shipped late.

got this today !!!!

and it was great finale to the current arc !!!!

i've really enjoyed this first 6 issues and the creative team of Loeb and McGuinness has been great !!!!

can't wait for the upcoming SUPERGIRL arc .....

Matthew.

BATMAN/ SUPERMAN #6: Soo..... Captain Atom gets blown to smithereens again. Nice to see that he at least gets to save the day (a la Ferro Lad, taking Supe's place as pilot of the "SuperBat" robot (there's no explaining it -- you gotta see it)). Odd that the way it was shown, it appears that he blew up on impact but the whole idea was that he was supposed to absorb the Kryptonite radiation, so it's unclear what actually happened there. I wonder if this is a direct lead-in to Kara's appearance. Luthor never did explain why the meteor was "drawn" to Superman.

And Luthor's last line "There will be a reckoning ... A CRISIS." Whoo-boy if that's not a loaded statement... (nice Byrne Wolverine homage btw, with that image)

Do you know what I noticed? When the asteroid gets blown to pieces and lumps are scattered over the planet, there were different colors of krytonite! Green, orange, purple, grey, crystal and red! Now that is a nice touch!

the "SUPER/BAT ROBOT" reminded me of "ASTRO BOY" !!! did anyone else think they looked the same ....

and i take it the statement by Luther will lead into "Identity Crisis" !!!

has the boy / TOYMAN appeared before and if so .... where and when ???

Matthew.

Yeah, I noticed that too -- seems like they're laying seeds for some interesting future stories.

The SuperBat robo actually reminded me a bit of "Big O" (the anime, not "O" as in ... um, nevermind... )

I recall seeing the boy as Toyman a little while back in one of the Superman titles. I think he was attacking Metropolis with a giant robot in that issue...

Did anyone see the pink kryptonite that was featured in one of the last issues of Supergirl?

I saw that! When I first heard what it did, I thought it was a joke!

By the way -- historically, have all of these colors appeared before?

I know that green, red, blue, and gold kryptonite (and their effects) have previously been shown. What about orange, purple, grey, crystal, etc.?

Crystal Kryptonite had the effect of killing plant life if I'm not mistaken. The other colors have never appeared before.

"Superman / Batman" #8

anyone get this ???

not read it yet, but the last page page is very good !!!

Matthew.

That's cheating!

I got it. Read it. Loved it.

S

P

O

I

L

E

R

S

P

A

C

E

A worthy adaption of the original tale, IMHO. The addition of Batman to the story adds an interesting edge of skepticism to the story. I want to believe that Clark's right about Kara's identity, but really, how much evidence is there?

I can't wait to find out more.

I didn't pick up my books today but please, please tell me the art in this one is better than the blech from the last issue. #7 was bad enough to almost make me drop the series. Just not what I want as regular art for the book.

[edited so as not to offend with my choice of words for the description of the art]

The art was definitely better than the "bleah" that was in #7!!!

I'm not sure I want "another" Supergirl. It seems like all DC has done since Crisis is find another way to bring Kara back in one way or another... Matrix, Kara in the Superman/Aliens crossover, Andromeda/Laurel Gand, Linda Lee, the alternate universe Supergirl at the end of Peter David's run of the book, the other one in the Superman books (Lois and Clark's future daughter travelling in time or something like that?? Not really following that one...).

Everything just seems too confusing and frazzled to bring the original Kara back now. Don't get me wrong, I hope it works...but I'm skeptical (just like Batman )!

I have no doubt that DC intends this to be "Superman's Kryptonian cousin, Kara Zor-el". They know they've done the bait and switch long enough and it's time to go back to the basics of what the character was intended to be. What they do with her from here on in is up in the air.

I also wouldn't be surprised if the Kryptonian font they made up actually means something.

Is it just me, or does Batman and Superman sound more and more like Midnighter and Apollo all the time? I think I liked it more when they were seen as having opposing viewpoints -- this is like the mutal admiration club.

Be honest, guys--

I missed out on the first few issues of this series--

But from what I've read here, this series will have/does have a lot of impact on the DCU.

So... I guess my question is:

Is it worth purchasing in TPB format or no...? Or should I begin collecting the monthly issues?


(please note: I do not collect ANY OTHER Bat-* or Super- books.)


*I personally don't consider BoP a BAT-book

I say pick up a TPB of the first arc when released and decided. It was good, not great, but one that will stay on my list for now.

Lash, I think it's a decent series but if you're interested because of its "importance" to the DCU, then I'd say you should pick up the series based on the storyline. For instance, the last story dealt with Luthor's fall from the presidency. If that means anything to you, then by all means read it, if not then it's enough to know that by the end of the first arc, Luthor went mad and is no longer the president. This storyline is obviously about Supergirl. If that interests you I'd pick up the issues just to stay current and not have the thing spoiled for you by the time the trade comes out.

Just read #8. SO much better than last issue. Hell, it was even better than #6 IMO. I hope this will be the last time we get a Supergirl introduced. Maybe with the mini-reboot they are doing to Clark, this will bring the real Kara back to the DCU.

I did like the issue, but it does seem like they've done the whole Supergirl thing too many times now. So I'm like "Ok it's Supergirl, but is it really. most likely not. been there done that."

I loved the return of Supergirl arc that closed Peter David's run on SUPERGIRL.

Those issues were possibly my favorite comics at that time.

The story was very touching.

I wonder how this one will compare...

i love this title, it's one of my favourites each month, and i'm very excited about the return of Kara !!!

even though i does make me think, why did we have to go through all that pain of losing her the first time during CRISIS !!! when the wanted SUPERMAN to be unique !!!

and then over the years, return all the characters that were erased !!! again !!!

Matthew.

From the interviews I've read, I think DC's finally learned their lesson about brining in pseudo-Supergirl's. If they made her acceptance to easy, though, we wouldn't have much of a story.

BTW, why is Superman staying in his fortress? I think I missed something here.

I got the impression it was because of the kryptonite from the meteor that Batman was cleaning up. Just to make sure he didn't accidently encounter any.

Yay the return of Kara!!!!

Lash, I definately recommend the trade and then picking up the latest issues off the stands. Great story, great art, and probably THE most relevant book in terms of the DCU.

And arguably the best written Batman and Superman each month. Great stuff!

I started reading this title around #5 or 6. I've found it to be pretty good and I don't pick up the other Supes titles (unless I notice a guest appearance by someone I AM interested in) or any of the Bat titles either (unless you consider Nightwing or Outsiders a Batman title, I don't)

Lasher, I'd give it a try. This issue is a good jumping on point and you should be able to judge by the end of the arc whether or not to keep it on your list.

Re: Superman/Batman #10 --

NooOOOOooooooOOOoooooo...!

Is that a good NooOOOOooooooOOOoooooo... or a bad NooOOOOooooooOOOoooooo...?

Depends on whether there's an even or odd number of "o"s!

Care to elaborate for those of us who aren't buying it...?

Is this about Lyla or how weird and angular Turner draws Superman's face?

Yes.

Actually, it's about Lyla.

*MINOR SPOILERS*
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Poor Lyla! I sure didn't foresee that...

That might have meant more to me if I read it after I watched Angel.

She knew it was going to happen. I'm not sure if that makes it better or worse. Probably worse.

I wonder if that's not Donna Troy on the cover? She's the one who wears/wore the starcloth costume, not Diana... and when she died in Graduation Day, we see her... somewhere else, picking up a sword and shield...

That would be keen, I miss Donna. She's one of my favorite characters. I hope at some point they add her to the Teen Titans toon.

Ah, I just remembered I pointed out the resemblance to Donna here:

http://www.legionworld.net/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=001578;p=3

i still can't believe Donna was killed ... i know they left a HUGE backdoor to bring her back ...and i'm sure Phil Jimenez will be doing something with her within the next year but it still sucks

Lillith AND Donna in 1 3-issue mini? By a mistaken entrance of an android from the future? If you're gonna kill off TWO characters, it's pretty bad taste to have them BOTH be women and the death itself pretty meaningless

I'd rather have Donna added to Outsiders, JSA or JLA ... but that's because i don't pick up Teen Titans at all

OH, by the way, I think it's Cassie on the cover

Is the next issue of this ever going to come out? WTF?!

I mean, I've waited so long now that I almost don't even care what happens to Kara.

Geez, Stuey, you sound like all those whining crybabies over on the DC SuperBat board...

Loeb's not pointing fingers, but says the delay's not on HIS end... :rolleyes: And like I told the posters there, I could give two figs about the resolution to this storyline. I'm just pissed that they're holding up Pacheco's artwork on the next arc for Turner's crap. I don't know why DC is so high on him... I find his covers on IC totally unnecessary.

That's because I am those whining crybabies over on the DC SuperBat board...

And now the inevitable posts for issue 13 have started... shyeah, like we're gonna see THAT this year... :rolleyes:

Did you get this, Stu? I looked through it at the shop. Nice enough, but NOT worth the wait.

And I wonder if the Marvel Family's going to sue Kara for stealing their gold trim??? :rolleyes:

Haven't picked it up yet.

At this point, what I'm really looking forward to is the last issue of The New Frontier. I'll read Superman/Batman, but a lot of the momentum is gone.

I certainly don't see anything that made it worth the wait. The delay sure took the wind out of its sails as far as I'm concerned and for a nothing story.

I'll have to rummage through my stack of books again but I don't remember this being in mine. Its been so long though I probably didn't realize what I was seeing when I picked up my holds.

I hate long pauses between issues, especially right in the middle of a story arc. Like Vee said it just take the wind out of it, making it not as enjoyable. But since the we know the LSV (or something similar) is showing up I'll keep getting the book.

i got the latest issue, but like you guy's the wait, is killing the story a little, for me !!!

i think it was 10 weeks ago, that the previous isuue had come out !!! that's a long wait .....

and since we had those preview shots and info on the LSV appearing, i'm looking forward to that now !!!

speaking of this arc, there with an interview with JEPH LOEB in last months "WIZARD" stating that, this arc .... isn't an "ELSEWORLDS" story ????

Matthew.

This issue took so long to come out, Kara's now ineligible for membership in the Legion... again.

And issue 25 came out this week.

I think you are mistaken, it is but 24. of couse its so late, it might as well be.

Thanks, I lost track of the story along with the issue number.

SUPERMAN BATMAN #26

Wow, that last story had an impact. I cried when I saw the author's photo at the end of the issue. What a sad waste of what could've been quite a talent-- not to mention a life.

I'm now only picking this title up when I can't resist the 'guest stars'.

This month, it's the Metal Men-- along with new MM, Copper. And Gold's head.

I can't say I'm wild about some of the redesigns, especially Lead's-- but I don't exactly cringe at them, either. OK, I did at first sight, but as the story went on, I didn't.

And 'Platina'? Ugh. What was wrong with 'Platinum', nick-named Tina? I am glad to see a second female in Copper (which is my 'favorite' metal, by the way).

Is this version of the team the one that's going to get their own title in the fall, or we in for another reinvisioning?

Either way, I'll likely pick it up. I enjoyed them, here-- even if they were pretty much fodder for Brainiac's 'possession'.

The Brainiac as nano-virus bit was... interesting. Is this guy still Brainiac 5's biological ancestor? How did that happen, again?

Frankly, I don't pay much attention to the stuff Supes and Bats are doing in the issues of this title I pick up. I consider this, along with Supergirl, as one of the more impenetrable titles out there.

LSH, Hawkman, Donna Troy and X-men continuities are child's play, in comparison.

Like Mystery Lad, I only get this for the guest stars. It was great to see the Metal Men back although Lead does look a little cartoony and "Platina" seems an unnecessary change.

The way Platina hung on Doc's shoulder made her look like a gangster's moll. Are the Metal Men going to be the bad boys of superheroes? Will they steal gold to complete Gold's body?

Copper's a good addition and I'm curious if the two females will be friends or foes.

The story gets into humans' fear of/distaste for mechanical beings; this could become a theme of any future Metal Men stories - it's more topical now than it was in the 60s.

This seems to be the version for the upcoming miniseries, according to this preview cover .

I'm only still getting the title out of habit. Haven't cracked open an issue since the LSV arc.

I can't believe the length of the last story arc. And for what? To remind us that Kal is an alien and the humanity taught him by the Kents is all that saves us from a super powerful extra terrestrial overlord. (no wonder Jor-El comes across as pissed off most of the time)

Yeah, I was getting it for the guest stars but I was so bored with the story that I had to force myself to plonk down hard earned cash for it.

Ah, Superman / Batman. There is absolutely no reason this shouldn’t be the number one selling comic book every single month. The characters, quite simply, should sell it themselves. There is also no reason why the very best writers and artists should be on this title—again, it sells itself and almost should be a reward for DC’s best since they’ll make more money on it.

And yet…the title is basically crap. And has been since almost inception. Loeb actually started pretty good on this title IIRC—but of course, it is Loeb afterall and the quality took a nose dive pretty quickly. And it never really recovered.

I actually don’t mind if it stands outside continuity. Particularly in this current DCU. That could totally work to its advantage. But it should at least matter. And it feels like the stories here just don’t matter in the slightest.

The latest Blackest Night crossover featured Solomon Grundy, Man-Bat and Bizarro—in other words, it had some potential. It also had art by Scott Kollins, whose art I know isn’t everyone’s cup of tea (I actually like Kollins work quite a bit because its different and has such a rugged quality to it). But the story itself was pretty bleh. Lots of punching but not a lot going on. Nothing of any real consequence happens to anyone.

I hope somehow DC can get it together and make this the completely awesome comic book it should be. It needs good writing, good art, some consistent quality and stories that actually matter. To both Superman and Batman and the larger DCU, but don’t let continuity bog you down. If Superman is in space, let the fans figure out where it fits in—but make sure the story here accomplishes something in terms of characterization in some way.

I know the oncoming stories will actually be set in the past, during various DC events. Which means it could be a disaster in story-telling or it could be good. Frankly, I don’t care all that much about it at this point, so I won’t argue either side. If they could just tell some damn good stories, I’d be on board 100% with whatever they did.

Honestly, they should have Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis on this after BN and try to start breaking sales records again.

I haven't bought this title in a long time but I really like the idea of seeing new stories set during some of DC big "events" of the past.

Why they chose to set their first story during the execrable non-event that was Our Worlds At War is beyond me though.

Y'know- I have to wonder if the fact that this wasn't titled from the beginning "World's Finest", as it should've been, wasn't a sort of self-defeating prophecy.

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=24684

A couple of quotes from that Joe Casey interview. He seems less than enthused at the idea as well.

^^^ Thanks Reboot.

I like seeing creators being suitably critical of their own (or others') work. It makes me feel more confident of their talents when I know they can call shit "shit" just as easily as I can, rather than always kow-towing to the company line.

And I'm glad Casey seems to have a sense of humour about the whole thing.

I read the issue and I can understand where Casey is coming from. Why in the world would they return to the shitty Our Worlds at War logo? Talk about making a comic DOA. Still, Casey's story didn't really justify a better marketing ploy...it was pretty boring and seems pretty irrelevant. Talk about a yawner.

So I just finished Superman / Batman 72. It was a great start to the story.

Compared to Legion #1 it was "smaller" but it was still excellent. All the players are showcased and it set up a story that seems to be pretty intriguing.

Anyone else like it?

Just read it myself, Matt and my reaction is: Wow, what a really great story! I've collected Superman/Batman since #1 and this is the definition of a series that can't find an identity and just lingers along. I say with some firm feeling that this has been the single best issue to date for this series!

I would also say this is probably a stronger showing for Paul than Legion #1 and really showcases several things he excels at as a writer.

- The Superman in space sequences where he's doing things with his powers and giving the readers some first person narration are absolutely terrific. Paul captures Superman's essence (the larger 70 year history essence) incredibly well. I've said it in the Legion thread but Paul really knows how to showcase a characters personality and powers by having them *do* things other than be a talking head and get into a gang fight.

- He has two really intriguing subplots running: the Batman/Lois one and the Lexor one (at least, I think that's where this is going). Both appear to be building to a single story about worshiping & hating Superman (and if it is Lexor, worshiping Lex). Paul is able to make both subplots equally interesting while not missing a beat switching back and forth between them.

- Little human moments like Lois attending a funeral, Clark commenting on his love of space exploration and Batman working on another case. Giving us insight into their daily routine before a larger, more grandiose story overtakes them. This is like classic comic book writing 101, yet no one does it anymore. Kudos to Paul!

Besides the writing, Jerry Ordway really does a superb job here! Welcome back Jerry! I feel like I haven't seen his artwork in awhile outside of the JSA, and it's really nice to see him doing Supes & Bats again. He is able to show a cosmic Superman in space sequence countered by a down to Earth Batman in Metrpolis or Gotham sequence.

The coloring/inking on the issue also gives Ordway's pencils a really different feel than I've ever seen them before. It's so different that its noticeable and I like it quite a bit. It lends a little extra polish to it, IMO.

All in all this was a really great issue and I highly recommend it! This is Paul's strongest showing thus far among all the comics he's written since his 'return', and its also by far the best Superman/Batman story to date since this decedent of World's Finest relaunched.

I bought S/B 72. Though I won't get around to reading it for awhile, I bought it specifically because Paul was writing! Don't forget, also, that the S/B Annual #4 featuring Batman Beyond came out last week--also written by Paul Levitz! Make sure you pick up that as well, Matt! Bought it and can't wait to read it (though I will )!

My store was sold out of the Annual, so I've got a copy on back order. Looking forward to checking it out.

I didn't even think to look for #72.

Funny you should mention that Annual Lardy, as I just read it and reported back here to post my comments!

My above praise of Levitz's #72 continues right into the Annual, as it is another terrific example of solid storytelling. It's a much darker style and tone and almost completely different from the previous tale, more fitting with the Batman Beyond future timeline. Levitz does a great job balancing the tone of both of these issues with Legion and Adventure--four comic books on different points of the tone spectrum in one month. Well done, Paul!

Batman: Beyond is a world I'm pretty unfamiliar with as I only ever watched like one episode or two previously and know little about it. In fact, I was hoping Lardy would check in here since I know he's a fan and my interest in Batman: Beyond is really based on knowing he was so fond of it from a conversation we had years ago. My lack of familiarity with it isn't because I don't like it however; I find the premise interesting enough. So as my first real exposure to Terry McGuinness, I found the character to be unique enough from other Bat-characters and likable in his own way. Levitz does a great job as establishing him as the lead character of this story while also making sure both Bruce and Superman are ever-present.

The usage of Superman is also quite good: a future Superman story different enough from previous 'future Superman' stories that has some heart to it, references past continuity (to keep some readers happy but not distracting to a newbie like me), and also has some pretty ingenious Superman-mythos related plot devices explaining what he's doing these days.

Renato Guedes provides the art and does a great job at showing the moody, darker atmosphere of the future. It's actually his future Metropolis, which is depicted as darker and dirtier that he really shines. There is a claustrophobic sense of Metropolis that is played up well here. It actually feels filthy. He also gets to showcase his skills by doing a great Artic sequence for the Fortress of Solitude.

Of course, the story is great because of the little things Paul does like I say in the above #72, but even more noticeable here is this is a story with some real heart to it.

A little more specific:
<span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text">Bruce & Clark don't actually interact all story but it is still a bit of a subtle love letter to their friendship / relationship, completely played as a subtle background to Terry's interaction with Superman. And the Lois Lane scenes were a nice touch. Very well done by Paul.</span></span>

For Batman: Beyond fans this is a must. For Levit fans, I also recommend, especially if you get his other comics this month to Marvel at how different they are. Especially if you check out his recent House of Mystery story which is even further along the spectrum. And of course, if you're looking for a solid story, this is a solid buy.

Who would have though Superman / Batman, the black sheep of DC titles, would get good again? Bravo, Paul!

Quick question - I think I remember reading that Paul was going to be using the Legion in Superman/Batman somewhere/sometime. Does this arc seem like the one that that's going to happen in? Or are they scheduled for another arc?

'Cause I'd like to buy whichever story the Legion appear in here but the budget can't stretch to include any they won't unfortunately (as good as you guys make it sound).

Blacula, the solicitations for the S/B arc have contained hints that there will be consequences for the 31st Century but there's been no explicit mention of the LSH guest-starring. So there may just be a story point that will be followed up on in LSH at some point. If the Legion appear, I believe it will be towards the end of the 5(?)-part arc...if at all.

^ Cool. Thanks OT. I'll be keeping my eye on this book/arc then.

I suspect the Legion will appear in #75, but to be honest, I'm not sure. The story set-up in #72 does't hint at them at all being involved but that could be a later surprise down the road.

Have you read enough to see what the Legion connection is yet? If there is and it's super-spoilery, a vague reference will suffice.

Thus far, there doesn't appear to be one. Which means either (A) there isn't or (B) Paul hasn't gotten around to introducing it yet in the story...

72 was a good opening issue. Things happen, and set up the arc. Paul finds the characters easily enough.

Didn't notice a Legion connection yet...

Wow! Just read the annual and loved it! Paul was writing in a completely different voice!
I would never have guessed he was the scripter if his name wasn't in the credits.

^applause on thread merger

^suck up...

Well, I'm the one who requested it and then felt guilty for making work for our fearless Founder...

I just put down Superman/Batman Annual #4, written by our very own Paul Levitz, and really, REALLY enjoyed the hell out of it! It's a terrific standalone that tells a story firmly set in the universe of Batman Beyond. It was really good to see this universe finally revisited as the cartoon was a well-done, underappreciated sequel of sorts to the classic Batman: The Animated Series.

To address a certain point made on the previous page by the Cobester:

<extended rant follows, you've been warned >

I'm not quite the expert on Batman Beyond that Cobie misremembers me to be. Unfortunately, during the years the show aired, I missed out on the show's first run for various reasons. One of these was a general indifference I had to the concept because it was marketed poorly and I had little or no access to any sources that might have given it the buzz I needed to hear at the time.

But at some point, I was buying DVDs on eBay and happened on a great deal for some BBeyond-related DVDs. The lot contained a collection of about a dozen episodes and the direct-to-DVD film "Return of the Joker". I think it was interest in the Joker DVD that caused me to purchase the lot.

All I know is those were some really terrific cartoons! I was afraid they were trying to 'Spider-man-ize' Batman with this series. To some extent, that's a fair assessment. However, it's futuristic setting and it's direct continuity with the classic Batman Animated made it a real keeper. This was really underlined by Kevin Conroy's continued presence voicing Bruce Wayne, the presence of Barbara Gordon as Gotham's future police commissioner and all the mysterious references as to what occurred in the lengthy time gap between the former series and this one.

Unfortunately, you just can't find Batman Beyond anywhere on the cable stations I get. I think it gets aired on Boomerang or one of those othersthat I don't get, but it's a CRYING SHAME that Cartoon Network doesn't air it and some of the other vintage animateds like they used to! I'm fairly sure they could air any WB property pretty easily. I guess they'd rather rerun the same crap day-in and day-out!

Anyhow, the end result, is I've seen maybe half of all the Batman Beyond episodes ever produced, tops (and waaaay less than half of such programs as Justice League and JL Unlimited). So, sadly, I cannot be considered anything like an expert on BBeyond. I'm sure I'll rectify that some day.....

<gets off soapbox>

Anyhow, near as I can tell, Paul was very faithful to the BBeyondverse and especially to the characters of Bruce and Terry here. For my money, this is the best story by far that Paul has written since he returned to writing. Granted, it's a short list so far, but this story showed me, more than anything else, that Paul still has the writing chops in spades. Terrific story. Great dialogue/monologue. Complete understanding of the BBeyondverse and mythos.

And, most importantly, an awesome done-in-one story. I definitely got my money's worth here without a doubt. Not too often that you get that in a $5 comic, really.

Did I mention the art? Frikkin' OUTSTANDING!!! I've seen Renado Guedes's work on Superman and enjoyed it, but nothing he's done before impressed me like this one! His style evokes Frank Quitely's a little bit, but I never felt he was aping Quitely's style. Guedes was massive on fine details (the 'wrinkles', I'd characterize them) like Quitely is, but at the same time, there's a softening up there that draws you away from being so focused on those fine details. I'm not sure if that makes any sense.....perhaps in Guedes' case you can appreciate the forest without being distracted by the trees? I love Quitely, but the trees distract somewhat if you know what I mean?

I'd love to see more work from Guedes. I already know from Superman that a monthly schedule is not achievable for him, but he is a fine, fine talent who deserves a share of the limelight. Did I mention he did the coloring on this annual, too?

All in all, a terrific annual...a great example of what the format used to do and what it should strive to do again. Not a groundbreaking, astonishing or shocking story. Just a really well-crafted one. I highly recommend this one!

Plus: <span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text">It had two panels of Mon-El in it! )</span></span>

^By the way, the Annual is getting a 2nd printing this Wednesday, giving those of you who missed it another shot! Highly recommended!

I'm actually gonna try out the Halloween issue.

It’s a shock to my system to find myself reading Superman / Batman so early in my stack of comics again, which says a lot at how much I’m enjoying Levitz’s storyline with Ordway. I found #73 so enjoyable that I decided to post about it first before reading #74. A few things really stuck out in my mind:

First, the narrative use of Superman, Batman and Lois Lane all splitting up and doing their own investigating was really cool IMO. Having Lois so essential to the storyline and an equal partner was very welcome. In fact, Batman’s early description of Lois was awesome: “She was the fastest learner I’d ever had for a non-combatant, and Clark insisted she was the brains of the couple…but a magnet for trouble”. Love it. Again, this storyline is by far Paul’s best work thus far in his return to writing fulltime.

I’ll mention again I’m enjoying Jerry Ordway’s artwork quite a bit here and so much of that is the cool/unique coloring job being done by Pete Pontazis It’s creating a really weird effect on the inks that is appealing.

I like that #73 stands completely on its own even though it’s part of a larger story. Someone could pick it up off the stands and read it & enjoy it on its own without buying other comics. Of course, they’d want to buy more because it’s intriguing enough to want to learn what happens next. But you don’t need. An old school approach that other writers and editors should take notes from.

In finding this thread, I see there were no comments regarding Paul's last issue of his mini-run on Supes/Bats (unless they were in the Legion forum?)/ Ultimately, I thought it was pretty awesome and I really enjoyed it--so much that it got me excited about Superman / Batman the series for the first time since it debuted and made me want to read the non-Paul next issue after years of floundering at the bottom of my pile.

I was dismayed when I learned Judd Winnick was coming on for an issue however (or just an arc?) since Winnick has burnt me so many times over the years--so much so that his name is usually a deal-breaker for me before I even view any of the finished work. However, I collect Supes/Bats anyway and I'm still enthusiastic for the title so I jumped in anyway with no preconceptions.

I'm glad I did! This was actually a terrific story and I'm impressed with Winnick here and glad to see him prove me wrong. This was an excellent emotional insight into Superman in the days immediately following Batman's death in Final Crisis that was powerful and poignant but didn't make Superman into a big cry-baby or even be a little heavy-handed. I thought it was just the right glimpse into a man very much grieving.

The issue then focuses on Superman's reaction to Dick becoming the new Batman, which was also well done. Winnick takes this to a logical conclusion but also adds the surprising (but fitting layer) of Superman recently losing his father (Jonathan Kent) and Dick feeling the same exact thing, so they could really relate to one another.

This is probably the best Winnick issue I've read in years since early Green Arrow when I was still liking what he was doing.

And I'm thrilled Superman/Batman is still kicking ass.

Really liked the Damien/Supergirl team-up. It was a lot of fun and they really got some good lines in for Robin. I like the idea that Scarecrow will be gunning for Luthor, I just wish it was the competent, scary version of Crane. I can picture a great issue of action where Crane gets in Lex's head to see what he's afraid of.

In agreement on all accounts! I really liked this issue but agree on the Scarecrow should have been better portrayed.

I generally find Damien annoying as hell (worse even than Jason Todd), but this was one of the best appearances of the character thus far, IMO. I really liked the interaction with Supergirl.

Superman / Batman continues it’s surprisingly sudden influx of really good stories with issues #78 (one-off) and #79 (first part of what I think is a 2-parter). Not only has the title had some great Superman / Batman team-ups, it also has been rotating in a lot of other characters in a similar way.

#78 provides a really cool one-off story by Joe Kelly about two kids arguing about who would win in a fight between Supes and Bats. Panel by panel they show the two getting out of each other’s grips and then gaining the upper-hand, and it has a charming quality, since it’s something just about every kid has argued at one time or another. Naturally, Superman and Batman are listening in, making for some quick, funny scenes in the end, only adding to the charm. I’d give this an A+.

This issue also has a back-up featuring Power Girl teaming with the Huntress, something Earth-2 fans should enjoy, even though it’s Helena Bertillini. What is nice is the writers make no bones about it being the modern Huntress & Power Girl, though they are referring to the classic P-Girl / Huntress friendship pre-Crisis, particularly now that Karen remembers that friendship so well (and Huntress is aware of that). Power Girl has to deal with the fact that this is a different Huntress and it’s clearly a metaphor for the fans having to do so as well. I respect the writers being so up-front about it. The artwork, however, is pretty tough on the eyes though, with a very Mike Turner-esque quality that isn’t my favorite and feels like it’s right out of 1993. The story itself, other than the character interaction, is a bit ‘blah’, with a non-ending that likely will never have a follow-up.

#79 then kicks off a groovy story about the Lord of Time battling Superman and Batman of the 853rd Century (the DC One Million Era) which did a great job at making these characters a pleasure to see. This is another example of this title’s recent foray into other Supes/Bats types stories. The Lord of Time makes for a great villain here, being more like the DC’s Kang (which he could use) and the subsequent follow-up, now that he’s time-traveled to battle our Superman and Batman & Robin (with a young Dick Grayson so at the beginning of their careers) is neat way to tie it into the main characters of the title. Writer Chris Roberson (I, Zombie, other stuff) and artist Jesus Merino do a great job making this story fun & exciting. Colorist “Blond” makes the art really pop.

Also Legion AR peeps—this story has a cameo by Phantom Girl and Mon-El.

^loved the second part of the story which was equally fantastic.

Love, love, love Kent Shakespeare showing up for a panel as the Superman of the 31st Century (we talked about it a bit in the Legion forum but I suspect many missed it). Roberson made the complicated Supes & Bats in every century notion work not only with Kent but also some of Morrisons Supermen from All-Star Superman.

Really solid story!