Review: Crossing Genres In ‘Batman/Superman’ #16
by Tony Thornley
The Man of Steel and the Dark Knight have had their lives inexorably linked since their origins. In Batman/Superman #16 we see how their link could change their worlds, in a stunning debut for the series’ new creative team.
We get two separate stories in this issue, one for each lead, but there may be more going on here than just multiverse shenanigans. It’s created by Gene Luen Yang, Ivan Reis, Danny Miki, Sabine Rich, and Saida Temofonte.
This is the story of two universes. On one, Batman and Robin are the world’s greatest heroes. However, their latest case involves a collector of mysterious artifacts, including a strange alien rocketship. On the other, Superman is the world’s greatest hero. However, his newest adventure takes him to Wayne Manor, and the mysterious family that lives there. Unknown to both heroes though, their worlds are about to collide.
This issue was incredibly outside the norm, but it was one of the most fun single issues I’ve read in a very long time. Yang writes two completely separate stories for these two versions of the titular heroes, one noir, one sci-fi. Even better, they have multiple parallels from start to finish, until in the last few pages things start to get twisted up. It takes full advantage of the wider multiverse concept that the DC Universe has opened up in the wake of Death Metal.
I don’t think there’s anyone who could have drawn this better than Reis and Miki. They layout the entire story, except the extremely intriguing last page, as parallel film strips on two page spreads, chronicling each adventure side by side. It’s an extremely unique format, with little details in the margins, and it makes the story a total joy to read. It looks fantastic on top of all that too.
Rich’s colors are rich and evoke the classic cinema mood that the story is creating. Temofonte’s letters add an incredible amount of texture to the story as well, whether it’s with the caption design or sound effects.
I haven’t had so much fun with a single issue in a long time. I cannot wait to see what’s next.
Batman/Superman #16 is available now from DC Comics.
Overview
Superman and Batman’s adventures are drawn into the multiverse! It’s an exciting launch for the new creative team, as well as being one of the most unique and inventive issues that DC has put out in years.