DCU Comic Book Reviews

SUPERMAN/BATMAN #2

The World's Finest, Part Two:  Early Warning

November 2003

Written by Jeph Loeb

Pencils by Ed McGuinness

Inks by Dexter Vines

Cover by Ed McGuinness and Dexter Vines

Synopsis

During a fight with Metallo, Superman was shot in the chest by a Kryptonite bullet and then he and Batman were buried alive.  Batman is able to blast his way down to the sewers and then to the Batcave.  Meanwhile, President Lex Luthor attempts to blow up the Kryptonite meteor that is hurtling towards Earth.  The bombs fail to stop the meteor.  In the batcave, Batman learns that John Croben (aka Metallo) may have murdered his parents, a fact that Clark knew but had not yet shared with him.  A boom tube suddenly teleports in a future version of Superman, who plans on killing both Superman and Batman.  Before he can finish the job, however, he disappears back to the future.  Later, Lex Luthor appears on television and declares the Kryptonite meteor is heading to Earth because of Superman.  He offers one billion for the capture of the man of steel.

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

Let’s take this in order of the comic book:  the opening sequence was hilarious, the competing narration and the dialogue were perfect; even as President, Luthor is still a delicious bastard and next to Lex Captain Atom is just a weakling, even with his powers; the argument between Superman and Batman seems forced and unnecessary; the fight with the future Superman also feels extremely forced and too much of cliche to feel right; and the final scene with Luthor’s press conference set the right tone, showing just how far Luthor will take his position as President to attack the one person he hates the most:  Superman.  So, in essence the issue started great and ended great, but, man, the middle section was just a let down.  I am not in any way shape or form a fan of the let’s physically fight while we verbally argue, which, let’s face it, is a lame attempt to generate action in comic that doesn’t have (or need) it.  Worse, the visit from the future really amounted to...nothing.  What warning did he have?  Why try and kill his former self?  What purpose did it serve, other than to show Superman losing a fight to Superman?

I also do not like the idea of inserting Metallo into the Dark Knight’s mythology.  I really hope that this is a red herring or a false trail of some type.  Otherwise it strikes me as a wrong move.  Yes, Batman and Superman are friends and teammates, but their origins should not be tied together.  They work well together, but they work just as well separate.  In addition, I am wondering how this exactly ties into the main plot with Luthor and the meteorite.  Or is this just one of those underlying plots that will creep up here and there and won’t addressed or resolved until several years down the road. 

Some people may have had a problem with Superman pulling out gun, feeling that the man of steel should not resort to firearms.  However, I would suspect that as a boy growing up on a farm, he would’ve been around guns his entire life, so they would not be completely foreign to him.  Besides, the narration provides not only the reason for it (more velocity than his injured body can generate) but also provides the rationale for choosing that method (take the boy out of the farm...).

Is that the Kingdom Come version of Superman.  If so, why? Isn’t that an Elseworlds title and therefore not part of the true DC future?  Granted, no future is certain, but still...

 

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