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Superman & Batman: Public Enemies

Creators: Jeph Loeb, Ed McGuinesses
Publisher: DC

Reviewed by Rob Manuel

I don't know how many of my reviews you've read before. They all start off with an intro to the story leading into the synopsis. This time I want to talk about Jeph Loeb. Mostly known for his Batman stories (Long Halloween, Hush series), Loeb has a bit of a pop star status when it comes to writing for comic books. When you helm two of DC's biggest characters, you need to be able to bring something to the table. Loeb does just that. Superman & Batman is one of DC's most ambitious series in the past year. Original? Sadly, not. Ever since Return of the Dark Knight (note: mandatory reading) the Superman/Batman rivalry has appeared in several different story lines as well as a couple of one-shots. What Loeb does differently, however, is creating a series and doing it right from the first page.

I guess now would be a good time to get into that synopsis.

Luthor is President. Yes, that Luthor. You should keep up in your comic reading. It actually happened during the last presidential election, but that's a different series. When Luthor learns of a Kryptonite meteor heading towards Earth (a la Armageddon), he quickly fingers Superman and Batman as the cause to Earth's problems. Why? Because as the president, laying blame on any one person is your political right. To add a little bit of heat to the fire, Luthor tacks on a large bounty on the World's Finest sending nearly every villain from both series scrambling to put their head on a plate. Let's recap - Luthor is president. Every villain on the planet is out for Batman and Superman for the money. A squad of Superheroes has been sent to bring you in. The Earth is in danger. Loeb is at the writer's desk. I say this isn't a bad way to start a series.

With all of this stacked in its favor, why doesn't it get a perfect score? Loeb may have over reached himself with this project. Not only are you combining two different comic book characters, but you're also throwing together two different styles of stories into the mix. Superman first appeared in Action Comics. Batman came out of Detective Comics. See the difference? At the heart of all good Batman stories, there's a mystery. Superman tends to think with his fists than with his head. Loeb tries to blend the two styles together into a less than seamless condition. I guess, as a huge Hush/Long Halloween fan, I would have preferred to keep the story strictly a mystery with a little bit of action. Then again, it would be tough to read any story where half of the team just sits around.

Still, Superman & Batman is one of the best mainstream series on the shelves today. For this reviewer, I holding onto my perfect score until I can see what happens in the next volume.

Rating: (3 1/2 out of 4 stars)

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