Comic Info
Comic Name: Batman/Superman/Justice League (Volume 2)
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Greg Pak
Artist: Jae Lee/Paulo Siqueira/Ben Oliver/Yildiray Cinar/Netho Diaz
# of Issues: 5
Release Date: 2014
Batman/Superman #1 Variant
Reprints Batman/Superman #1-4 and Justice League (2) #23.1 (August 2013-December 2013). Batman and Superman are two sides of the same coin. Both want justice and both want to protect the innocent…but they have different methods. When Batman and Superman find themselves on another Earth by means of a creature named Kaiyo, they learn that another Batman and Superman are friends…but the fate of both worlds could hang in the balance.
Written by Greg Pak, Batman/Superman Volume 1: Cross World is part of the DC Comics New 52 series. The collection features art by Jae Lee, Paulo Siqueira, Ben Oliver, Yildiray Cinar, and Netho Diaz. The collection also features the Villains Month issue Justice League #23.1 (November 2013).
The New 52 was a real mixed bag. Some things worked well and other things were kind of disappointments. I never was a fan of a Batman-Superman team-up book because I always enjoyed supporting characters more than DC’s big guns.
The story in the collection is rather over-written. The story feels like it could written in much simpler means to tell a more concise story. With two Supermans and two Batmans, it gets confusing who is who and which character is talking since the differences in the characters are so minor.
Batman/Superman #3
The collection also skips the Batman/Superman Villains Month issue (Batman/Superman #3.1) and instead reprints the Justice League issue. While the story does tie back to the first storyline presented in this book, it feels like Batman/Superman #3.1 should have had this issue in addition to Justice League #23.1 since there were only five issues anyway.
I do love Jae Lee’s art. It doesn’t always work with comics and it doesn’t necessarily work here (because of the above problems of confusing two heroes). It is still interesting to look at and more compelling than a lot of art out there.
Batman/Superman isn’t as fun as it could be. The story is so-so and underdeveloped. It is interesting to read, but it isn’t necessarily the series I want to follow or ultimately care too much about. It feels like an addendum to better series in the New 52. Batman/Superman 1: Cross World is followed by Batman/Superman 2: Game Over.
