DCU Comic Book Reviews

SUPERMAN/BATMAN #33

The Enemies Among Us, Part 4

February 2007

Written by Mark Verheiden

Pencils by Joe Benitz

Inks by Victor Llamas

Cover by Phil Jiminez and Andy Lanning

Synopsis

The alien invaders have reached Earth.  Possessed by the Blackrock, Batman attacks Superman, who has been able to shake off the “call” of the aliens.  In an attempt to get the Blackrock out of Batman, Superman threatens to kill him.  The threat works.  Elsewhere, Jimmy Olsen, who ha been possessed by the Blackrock, takes Lex Luthor to the aliens because Lex knows how to kill Superman.  The dynamic duo then decide to attack the alien spaceship hovering over Metropolis.   While Superman battles the alien heroes controlled by the aliens, Batman enters the ship and plants a nuclear device.  Then the dynamic duo are captured.  Superman pleads to the aliens to see the good in humans.  Although they understand Superman, they are conflicted because they see the evil intent in Batman to destroy their ship.  Batman releases the trigger mechanism and the aliens release their hold on Earth.   

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

This was a very lackluster ending to a storyline that took far too long to reach the core of the plot (the alien invasion) and then resolved it way too quickly.  When the invasion happens it kind of just goes pfft as Superman convinces the aliens that there is good on Earth and this we should be spared.  Really, all it takes is an impassioned plea for mercy? 

I also have a big problem with Batman’s ultimate decision:  to murder the aliens.  Does this sound like the actions of the Dark Knight to you.  Personally, I think Batman’s plan would be strategic:  find the most deadly alien currently being possessed and attempt to, uh, depossess, that character in the same way the dynamic duo got free. 

This entire story could’ve been crammed into two issues, perhaps even one issue.  The idea that an alien to this world, Superman, is able to save Earth because of his human nature related to his upbringing is intriguing, but it shouldn’t have gone on this long.  Sometimes I think stories are written a certain length because of the need to make a good trade paperback, rather than writing stories for the length they should be. 

What purpose did Despero serve for the story?  I suppose you can argue he was the one who convinced the aliens to take over Earth, but did we need an extra character for that?  Why not have the aliens decide to exterminate Earthlings on their own?  It seems like an extraneous character and plot device that clutters the story.  (As an aside, don’t you think the Guardians should’ve alerted the Lantern Corps that someone escaped custody?  By the way, fyi, Despero escaped.)  In fact, Lex Luthor also clutters the story and is basically useless. He is brought to help Despero but fails to do anything as Batman kicks him to unconsciousness. 

Does this mean that the Blackrock has some type of living properties?  Why would an inanimate object care if its host were to be killed?  Wouldn’t the rock just fall out of the lifeless body and then wait for someone else to pick it up.  To suggest that the rock’s possession would stop at the threat of Batman’s death indicates their must be some kind of consciousness. 

It is difficult to tell and my knowledge of the DCU in the past is limited, but is Superman only attacked by the heroes of the DCU.  Wouldn’t the aliens want to take over the alien villains, as well? Are there any villains with alien origins like Hawkgirl or alien technology like Blue Beetle?

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