DCU Comic Book Reviews

SUPERMAN/BATMAN #16

Absolute Power, Part 3:  When Time Goes Asunder

late February 2005

Written by Jeph Loeb

Pencils by Carlos Pacheco

Inks by Jesus Merino

Cover by Carlos Pacheco and Jesus Merino

Synopsis

Due to the interference of Lightning Lord, Cosmic King, and Saturn Queen, Superman and Batman were raised to rule the world with an iron fist.  An insurgency led to the death of Batman, which in turn led to a rupture in time.  Superman and Batman cascade through various timelines, with the death of one or the other causing the next shift.  Eventually they encounter Darkseid ruling over a destroyed Earth.  They also encounter Metron and Superman from the future.  They tell the World’s Finest that time rifts are uncontrollable, so they must be sent back to fix their origins.  First, they are sent to Smallville, where they are able to prevent Saturn Queen and Lightning Lord for abducting Kal-el, allowing the Kents to raise him as their own.  Then they are sent to Gotham City moments before the Waynes are murdered.  Despite Superman’s warning, Batman stops the killer and save his parent’s lives.  He then shoots the killer in the head.  Batman then ceases to exist.

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

This storyline not only is some very good stuff, but each issues Loeb tosses some wacky, wacky stuff into the mix and it all seems to work.  I think it all works because some of the stuff Lobe tosses in there are kept to a minimum (Kamandi’s appearance and Kryptonite buckshot?).  I think it also helps that much of what we are seeing is not real, in the sense of the DC Universe.  So things like Uncle Sam with a green lantern ring or Darkseid having Etrigan on a leash are not up-in-arms changes to the mythology of these characters, but aberrations that are treated as aberrations (if that makes any sense?).

The cliffhanger to this issue presents another twist that I did not see coming, but I suppose is somewhat expected given the way Loeb is handling the timelines of the World’s Finest duo.  I am curious to see if Loeb handles the situation.  Will Loeb attempt to show Bruce Wayne happy and content, but the world in shatters forcing Clark to destroy his friend’s happiness in order to save the world?  Or will Loeb show Bruce unsettled and uncertain because deep down in his subconscious he knows it is not real? 

It is a good thing Loeb kept the various different timelines to a minimum.  I think two are about all I can handle, any more than that and it fails to become interesting and more of an exercise to see who the writer and the artist can alter the world.  At the very least, the different timelines still represented DC characters in the form of the Kamandi and Jonah Hex.  I am curious why Gorilla Grodd was not added to the ape world, but I always appreciate a reference to Planet of the Apes. 

 

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