Batman/Superman #1

Writer:  Greg Pak (World War Hulk)

Art:  Jae Lee (Before Watchmen, Dark Tower) Ben Oliver (Batwing)

    With Superman hype at a recent high, DC has dropped it’s second new title featuring the Man of Steel for the month of June.  This being a classic team-up style book from new-to-DC writer Greg Pak and journeyman Jae Lee, with additional help from Batwing’s Ben Oliver.  DC isn’t pulling any punches and puts a pair of their biggest stars into the spotlight.  Overall, this was a very solid issue with a great approach to the characters.

    The first thing you notice with this book is the great art and minimalistic backgrounds.  The addition of the color palette June Chung and Daniel Brown use with their respective pencillers really sets the tone for the series.  Gotham is presented with an almost Tim Burton-esque vibe that really seems to fit well with the story.  The reader is shown the principle differences between Superman and Batman through their civilian interactions with a fighting group of children.  Superman, the man of action, and Batman, enabling people to help themselves.  It is implied that Batman’s approach would have been preferable, but their voices were great.  This could easily become a flagship title for DC, so having the voices of the main characters come through correctly is extremely important.  

    What’s interesting is that Batman gets top billing for this series, wheres the roles were reversed in the previous incarnation of this title.  It seems an odd choice, what with Superman being fresh in everyone’s minds, and this being a good jumping on point for new readers.  Regardless, this title is greater than either character individually.  There is a lot of action, with both characters having their own chance to shine and show what they bring to the table.

And can we talk about that title page?  Easily my favorite page(s) of the month.  Two men, different upbringings, different approaches to their duties.  This is what should be at the core of this title, and I’m glad to see Pak is starting off on the right foot.  That isn’t to say that the issue is perfect.  It seems a bit disjointed and difficult to follow at parts.  This is obviously the first installment of a larger story, but a number of questions are raised.  The fill-in work from Oliver is very good, but somewhat took me out of  the story as their styles are very similar, but Oliver’s sketchy approach to the characters contrasted with Lee’s smooth pencils.  And, sadly, I’ve never been a fan of the early Superman-in-jeans look.  I was really hoping I wouldn’t have to see that again.  Hopefully after the flashback sequences are complete we won’t have to deal with that era of Superman anymore.

I’m excited for what’s to come.  DC’s faltered as of late in the public eye, and there has been a revolving door of talent coming and going.  The acquisition of Pak from Marvel is a big win for DC, and a step in the right direction.  I’m hoping Pak is able to continue telling the story he wants to tell and doesn’t receive interference from any of the DC brass looking to push their agendas.  This month’s Superman Unchained gave us a great glimpse into how  the Man of Steel acts when he’s working alone, but I really look forward to his one-on-one interactions with Batman.