DCU Comic Book Reviews

SUPERMAN/BATMAN #28

The Enemies Among Us, Part One

September 2006

Written by Mark Verheiden

Pencils by Ethan Van Sciver

Inks by Ethan Van Sciver

Cover by Ethan Van Sciver

Synopsis

At a charity ball, Bruce Wayne senses that something is not quite right.  Back at Wayne Manor, J’onn J’onzz (aka Martian Manhunter) pays a visit, telling Bruce that there has been a grave injustice, an affront to the world and beyond, and that the affront is...Batman.  J’onn attacks Batman, who is able to defend himself by rigging a fireball to explode near J’onn.  When the smoke clears, however, J’onn is gone.  The next day, Batman asks Superman for help.  They are discussing J’onn’s attack when a red alert is broadcast:  Gotham City is under attack by Titano.  The World’s Finest are able to defeat the gorilla, but like J’onn when the smoke clears, it is gone.  When they go for a closer look, Superman is attacked by Parasite.  Batman saves him, but they are both then attacked by Dr. Phosphorus.  Superman saves them both, but like the others, their attackers have vanished.  Both realize this only the beginning... 

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

It is strange, but despite Van Sciver’s fantastic art and the solid action, I am having a tough time actually liking this issue.  Part of the problem is that the basic premise (one hero attacks another) seems a little too much like last year’s Sacrifice storyline, in which a mind-controlled Superman continually attacked various villains.  The way in which Batman and Superman continually fighting different villains suggests that perhaps they mind be seeing things that aren’t there.  The other problem I have is that some of these scenes are becoming repetitive and will continue to be until the mastermind is revealed.  I am not all that excited to read issue after issue of Batman and Superman fighting random and obscure villains.  For a first issue, the action was well done, but it could get old and tiring real quick. 

I have to give Loeb credit where it is due.  In a title called Superman/Batman, Loeb either put the titular characters together from the beginning of the storyline or he found ingenious ways to put the two together, especially in the very first arc.  Verheiden, however, doesn’t handle this part all that well.  For the first part of the story, it felt like I was reading Batman, not only in terms of the focus on the character but also due to the narration from Alfred.  Then, Superman appears less out of a natural progression of the story.  He appears because, as the story puts it, Batman asked fro help.  If you think about it, the story doesn’t depend on either hero; you could easily make it Batman and Green Lantern and the story wouldn’t change that much. 

I do like the synergy of what is happening in this issue.  Whatever is the mastermind tells Batman and Superman that he/it has been forgotten.  So, we have a forgotten villain who has taken the guise of several forgotten villains.  I like that. 

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