DCU Comic Book Reviews

SUPERMAN/BATMAN #18

Absolute Power, Part 5:  Thy Will Be Done

April 2005

Written by Jeph Loeb

Pencils by Carlos Pacheco

Inks by Jesus Merino

Cover by Carlos Pacheco and Jesus Merino

Synopsis

Superman and Batman are trapped in an alternate timeline and are looking for a way to correct it.  Now, they are standing next to recently raised-from-the-dead Justice League to confront world leader Ra’s al Ghul and their “parents” Lightning Lord, Cosmic King, and Saturn Queen.  The battle does not go well for the heroes.  Ra’s, wielding a kryptonite sword, stabs Superman in the heart.  Batman retaliates and slices of Ra’s head.  When Batman pulls the sword of Superman’s chest, the Man of Steel recovers and they are able to capture their “parents.”  Then, the World’s Finest return them to the point where time diverged and then return to their own time.  Elsewhen, the elder Superman watches as his world returns to the way things ought to be.

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

This was a fairly good ending to the storyline and I was satisfied with the way things worked.  For the last couple of pages, Loeb was attempting to generate some real emotion regarding the relationship between Batman and his parents and Superman and Wonder Woman.  The former works to a small degree, but Batman’s relationship with his parents has been overdone over the years that it feels like a rehash rather than anything exciting.  The latter is not a bad conversation, but is diluted by the fact that her death happened several issues ago and was not brought up to keep the event in our sights. 

What undermines this entire storyline is the fact that Superman killed Wonder Woman and Green Arrow and Batman killed Ra’s al Ghul.  Yes, this occurs in a time that is not the DC Universe, but it still happened.  Yet, I know that these events will have absolutely no ramification at all on these characters, other than what was seen in this issue, which is sad really.  If you’re going to go for the shock value of having your two biggest heroes kill people (even in an alternate reality), there should be some sort of fallout. 

The one thing that I have learned over the time I have been reading comics is that the power of kryptonite and the effect it has on Superman varies depending on the writer and editor and the way it is used in the story.  Even knowing this, I have to question how the hell Superman could live after a kryptonite sword went right through him.  I suppose you could argue it was coated and not solid kryptonite, but there is nothing in the story to indicate what the sword was (and to be honest it could just be a green sword, I am just guessing here). 

 

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