Books : Superman/Batman Vol. 1: Public Enemies

In association with Amazon.com

Rating:

- Good for Comparison
The first thing I noticed, and the reason I ended up buying the book, was that the whole way through you got to see inside of batman/superman's head via captions. It was really cool seeing how they each saw the situation so differently, yet came to the same conclusions. The problems start right after President Luthor puts a million dollar bounty on supermans head. After that the majority of the plot is based on them being attacked with an unbelievable number of super villians, who we discover have apparently all had their minds taken over by a psychic ape. From their it just goes downhill. The artwork was good, though a bit too... solid for my tastes. The art all looks like it belongs in a cartoon (where you can't leave too much of the screen uncovered) than in a graphic novel (where such things can be used for effect).

Rating:

- Batman & Superman, polar opposites that make a great story
Batman and Superman have always been amazing characters, yet couldn't be any more different in their approach for fighting against crime. Batman, the ever dark personality that uses his anger to overcome great odds. Superman, the boy scout who looks for the good in all and fight for truth, justice and the american way.

"Public Enemies" displays just how different these two are and does so beautifully by displaying each ones personal thoughts throughout the book.

Fighting for a common goal, they each show tremendous respect for the other, though not agreeing entirely on each others tactics. They almost, in a way, dislike the fact that they have to rely on one another at times. It is almost hard to say that them two are real friends and it is very easy to see how they could become mortal enemies if the circumstance permits. A very intriguing alliance.

In "Public Enemies", President Lex Luthor, has put a billion dollar bounty on their heads and every known bad guy has come to claim it. "Public Enemies" has a great collection of team battles with classic villians and epic confrontations with former team members.

A great read, with a lot of action, that comes highly recommended.

Rating:

- Enjoyable
It's nothing great like the legendary Hush storyline and art. Art in Public Enemies are fairly cool, depends on what u like. Story was pretty addicting to me, but after i read it i didnt go back to it.

BUT, if u do plan on getting it, Buy this copy QUICK. Hardcovers are limited and in stores paperbacks have already replaced the hard covers. If you guys want this book, might as well get it hard cover so act quick. If you guys dont care, just run down to ur local comic shop and get the cheaper paper tradeback cover. Otherwise, get it quick while it lasts.

Rating:

- The worst of Jeph Loeb
There was a time when I would buy anything with Jeph Loeb's name on it. At the time this book was being written, Jeph Loeb had already worked with Tim Sale to produce "A Superman for All Seasons" (the inspiration for Smallville), and "Batman: The Long Halloween." Jeph Loeb had established that he KNEW these characters. He seemed born to write them.

But all was not well when wrote Batman: Hush, the story leading into this one. He still had a wonderful handle on the character, but his great mystery (Who is Hush?) was formulaic and predicatable. At best. It was cluttered with too many characters and was painfully episodic. At this time he was following up the terrific first two season's of Smallville with the somewhat lack luster Season 3 of Smallville.

Then came Batman/Superman and Smallville Season 4. One has to ask, did Jeph Loeb have a blood clot form in his brain? Batman and Superman work to take down President Luthor after Luthor declares them outlaws because a giant kryptonite meteor was headed to Earth. ... Wait ... Superman, the most significant figure in human history since Jesus ... is a bad man because a piece of a homeworld he never saw is going to hit the Earth? And isntead of rallying all the Superheroes on Earth to stop it... you send them after Batman and Superman? Hard as it is to imagine, it goes down hill from here.

Luthor is the perfect villain for Superman. He is evil, and equally powerful, but fragile. He is the epitome of the Superman conflict. Superman has all the power of a God, and sometimes he just can't stop evil. He can't save everyone with his powers. One of the major themes of Superman is that some problems can't be punched. Some problems must be faced as a man rather than a Superman. Loeb appeared to understand this, and was the very man who made Luthor President. The American chose the man who respresented everything Superman found evil and wrong to control the country he loved. Superman felt betrayed. The paralells to Bush are striking, but as Luthor's rise to President was written well before the Novembor 2000 election, pure coincidence.

SO here we are, Batman/Superman. Several DC story arcs were leading up to Clark Kent doing what Superman couldn't. Using truth and the media to take down a man that Superman couldn't touch. THIS is a theme that DC comics needs to embrace. If they want to reach a more mature audience, a greater focus needs to be put on Clark. Superman gets the people in capes, Clark gets the people in suits. And as the story arcs build up to what could be the best Superman story written in a decade-- Jeph Loeb decides to have Luthor just GIVE UP EVERYTHING and inject himself with LIQUID KRYPTONITE and get in a giant robot and go fight Superman in front of national television. Paging Mr. Loeb, we've discovered that you are a hack.

This of course ignores many of the other terrible aspects of this story. This review is getting long.

- The homoerotic tension could be cut with a spoon. I have no problem with gay super heroes. Superman and Batman are tow of my favorite heroes and I lvoe their interactions. But this isn't two budies facing certain death. It's two gay lovers taking down the entirity of the DCU in issue after issue of uninspired dialogue and terrible story.
- the world is ultimatly saved by a giant half batman half superman anime robot flown by Captain Atom. We are meant to feel bad because he is going to die. Only he can't. It's impossible. eVery time his suit gets ripped open he just gets thrown into the future. And that happened again of course. So why should the reader care?
- Being shot with a kryptonite bullet apparently does nothing more to Superman than make him a bit quesy.

It's amazing how one can across comic books and Smallville track how the shining star of comic book authors went from a man who could reach his readers on a profoundly emotional level to a man who appears to be writing for little more than a paycheck.

Rating:

- Great 6 part series, I recommend to everyone
I have always been a fan or Superman and Batman. I find they are a terric duo that go very well together. In Public Enemies you do get a quick review of Superman and Batman's origins.

The story starts off with Superman and Batman facing off againts Metallo. There is a very interesting mystery involving Batman and Metallo.

The President Lex Luthor is up for re-election. He and his advisors have detected a Large Krytonite Asteroid on a collision course with Earth. Lex has declared Superman is responsible and has put a large price on his head. Now mostly every villain and even super heroes want to bring in Superman to collect on his bounty.

Well that is a basic idea of the story. Check out Volume 2 Supergirl, that sort of picks up after this volume.

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