Superman/Batman #86

         This series is constantly on and off. Sometimes it's great, and sometimes it's lousy. I wasn't a fan of the last arc until after I finished it. I'm still not a fan of it, just in my mind it went from being terrible to being okay. The reason I keep coming back to it is because it's one of the few series now a days that still has a classic feel. Granted most of this is probably because Bruce Wayne is Batman, but I enjoy new stories every arc opposed to one story broken up into many little arcs.
        In this issue Batman is looking for the man that killed the reporter that was doing the story on Batman's secret identity. He goes to Martin Mayne, the editor in chief of the Gotham Gazette to get answers. Mayne goes through the "who elected you" schtick but eventually gave the name of a bar that the reporter went to a lot. Meanwhile Superman, as Clark Kent, goes to Wayne tech to get answers from Mr. Fox and continue the story. Fox says that things were stolen but due to the fact that Bruce Wayne did something else, they lost no money at all. Later on Bruce Wayne goes to the bar as Matches Malone and gets someone to talk about who killed the reporter. Someone named "The Box." Kent goes to Mayne and tells him that he will continue the story, Batman goes to the Box and finds out that the Box is the Joker, and in the mail box of the Joker's hide out is a tip from Mayne saying that Kent is continuing the story. The comic ends with the Joker trying to kill Kent with a hammer.
      Especially after the disappointment with Detective Comics issue 880, and the lack of the Joker's involvement, this was most enjoyable. This comic had a ver classic feel, but with a modern twist. Opposed to many other Batman stories that are being published, this one really felt like Batman a detective and not just a superhero, which was also really good. The only real problem I had with this comic had nothing to do with the comic. I really don't like Mayne. For starters his name is the same as Wayne just the first letter is flipped, and also he looks and acts to much like Perry White. Besides that one character though I loved this comic. I've always been interested in the Jokers fascination with Batman and how he doesn't want to know his secret identity. This has taken that to the next level. When I first heard this plot I assumed it was either going to be someone in the Bat family, or someone trying to do the right thing because they were saved by Batman. I never suspected the Joker. I would pick this comic up in a heart beat if I hadn't already.




Grade: 9/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Superman/Batman #85

         This series is never consistent. It is never consistently good, but it is consistently bad. This also means the story types are never consistent. That last part I like a lot. While I didn't like the arc where Superman goes to the magic run future, it was much different than the story with a battle between the two. I didn't see a series called Batman/Superman in the relaunch but I'm sure these two will team up again after September.
        In this issue a reporter who supposedly found out Batman's secret identity is found dead, people suspect Batman. Superman goes to help him but Batman doesn't want his help. Batman goes to the apartment where the reporter lived and burns all the evidence that leads toward Batman being Bruce Wayne. Now the cops are even surer he killed the reporter. Batman discovers the reporter had an old baterang, but one where one of the components in it still had the patent number on it, which links Batman and Bruce Wayne.
      This was a really cool, and a really fun story. It does bring Batman back to where he originally was with his dark "I work alone" attitude. I also liked that the reporter had hard evidence, usually when these things are attempted by comic writers, the person just seems to take a wile guess and has limited amounts of evidence to back it up, but this was different and I give the writer, Joshua Fialkov, credit for that. I'm not really sure how this is going to be dragged out into three issues. I could understand two, one is this, and the second is Batman finding the actual killer, but I really don't know how three can work, or how Superman can get involved. But in terms of this comic, the writing was well done, the story was interesting, and the art work was jaw dropping . Although it is missing something so I can't quite give it a 10/10 but I can give it something really close, and I do recommend this comic to all comic book readers.




Grade: 9.5/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Superman/Batman #79

         The past issues of Superman/Batman have been incredibly fun reads. They've had fairly simple story lines, but they have all been really good. Superman and Batman are two very popular characters and there's a reason. Both characters are brilliant, and it is because of appearances like the past couple issues of Superman/Batman that made the characters so famous.
         In this issue the Superman and Batman are the ones from DC One Million. A villain called Epoch stole the anti-hourglass, and took down the Flash and the Atom. Superman and Batman take him down fairly quickly. When Robin takes him to the asylum planet Pluto, Epoch disables him and escapes. He goes to the Batcave  and steals a battle suit, and escapes by means of a boom tube. He then runs to the JLA headquarters and steals the anti-hourglass, and escapes Batman again, and goes to the fortress of solitude. At the fortress of solitude he steals the chrono-cube, and escapes Superman and Batman to modern day, where he meets Superman, Batman and Robin.
          This review and this story seemed like a bit of a travel map, showing off what all the places, like the Batcave and JLA headquarters looked like. That is cool, but it hurt the story. A guy had all of this stuff, lost it and gained it back in the same issue, there was no real development. Like the other issues of this series it was a fun, and very enjoyable read, but there is no plot development. DC One Million was created mainly to compete with Marvel 2099, I could go back and forth saying how Marvel stole things from DC, and how DC stole from Marvel, but this one is very apparent, but that doesn't effect the enjoyment of the comic.
           If you are tired of trying to keep up with over complicated story arcs, that branch out over many series. Then pick up this issue, and this series. It's full of fun, very simple books.






Grade: 7/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Superman/Batman #78

            I've been looking forward to this issue for about a month but for some reason it got mailed late. In the times that I've read this series I've been thrilled, and I don't know why I didn't subscribe earlier. The reason I did subscribe to this is because Brave and the Bold (which was one of my favorite series) got canceled and DC replaced my subscription with Superman/Batman, and this is one of the best series I've ever read.
           In this issue two kids are talking about who would win, Superman or Batman, but they are having trouble figuring out how to do that. They create rules like: No Kryptonite, no magic and no Batmite. Once the battle is underway a series of hypotheticals happen making both characters unbeatable. Superman and Batman both listened to the conversation, and Batman assures Superman that he could beat him without Kryptonite.
            Discussing who would win Superman or Batman is something that goes all the way back to the golden age, when Detective Comics and Action Comics were putting out their first couple issues, and most if not all of the comic fans I know have discussed this, so I was very exited for a DC writer to put the whole story in a comic. My main problem with this story is that it wasn't long enough, only half of the book was devoted to Superman and Batman, the other half was given to Power Girl and Huntress. I was disappointed that it wasn't longer because this is a moment that I have been waiting for. Not just this issue, but a layout of a battle between Superman and Batman. But after that I really don't have any big  complaints, except that the dialogue could have been better, but this was from the point of view of a couple of kids. Also I noticed a couple panels where the art could have been better. But I really have no big complaints, except it wasn't long enough. If it were longer it would be a must buy, but since it's short I would say, check it out if you have some extra time.





Grade: 7.5/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Superman/Batman #77

           I've only read a couple issues of Superman/Batman , so I don't really know what to say about the series. But with the little experience I've had with it I do know that this is a decent series, that is a good go to when you want a simple pleasure read. I was upset that Brave and the Bold had been canceled again, but when the letter came that my subscription was to be switched to Superman/Batman, I was exited.
           This issue is not about Superman or Batman, it's Supergirl and Robin. After some interns from Lex Corp get murdered a cop accuses Supergirl of not caring about things that don't have to with giant alien invasions. She goes to find Batman so he can help her with this case, but instead she gets Robin. They investigate at Lex Corp, and then go to a halloween party that all of the interns are. Everyone is talking about the murders except one Batman villain that really likes Halloween and fear.

            First off I have to say that the whole thing between the cop and Supergirl would have been really effective if I hadn't seen it about a hundred times before. Like in Legacies issue four, and Green Lantern/Green Arrow issue 76, and in so many more places. Other than that I really liked this issue. After I read it I thought to myself "this was a fun read," which it is but then I remembered the murders in the beginning, but it's still a fun read. This comic really puts Damian Wayne in the spot light which I think is good because I really like Damian Wayne, most likely I'm in a minority here, but I think he's a funny character and a good/contemporary Robin. I hope that this issue will help change the minds of all the people out there who hate Damian Wayne. Especially the way he was done here, Josh Williamson really made Damian Wayne, there were parts where I just couldn't stop laughing.
I'm now very exited for more Superman/Batman, and I urge you to pick up this issue.




Grade: 9/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com