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Review: Batman/Superman #8

By | February 28th, 2014
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The return of Jae Lee heralds the return to Earth 2. Sort of. Greg Pak and Jae Lee kick off ‘First Contact’ with style and substance. All is right in the worlds.

Written by Greg Pak
Illustrated by Jae Lee
Colors by June Chung

The Worlds’ Finest teams of two worlds meet at last in chapter 1 of “First Contact”! With Power Girl’s abilities on the fritz, see what happens when her long-lost cousin Superman approaches her! And a major threat returns in a way you won’t believe! Continues in this month’s WORLDS’ FINEST #20.

“Batman/Superman” was a very enjoyable surprise when it launched last Summer. As in his run on “Action Comics,” Pak demonstrates a terrific grasp on Superman, and his Batman isn’t too shabby either. Plus, Jae Lee art makes most anything fantastic. The earth-jumping opening arc was nothing short of refreshing. However, the sideways (in more ways than one) second arc left much to be desired. Thankfully, “Batman/Superman” #8 sees the original team united to continue their story.

Though the cover labels this issue as “part 1” of ‘First Contact,’ the story actually began in last month’s “Worlds’ Finest,” leading to the issue’s in media res opening. However, Pak quickly fills in the gaps, tying the story back to earlier in his run. It’s incredible how quickly this team slides back into action, as if they haven’t skipped a beat.

Pak and Lee are quickly becoming an veritable dream team. Few creators bring so much to the table, both individually and as a unit. As mentioned earlier, Pak nails Superman. This isn’t the brash, arrogant, “Five Years Ago” Clark Kent, but the noble, caring, magnificent Man of Tomorrow. In a particularly powerful scene. Clark takes pity on his cousin (once dimensionally removed), seeing his younger self in her. Smartly using his own continuity, Pak references back to a moment when, as a young boy, Clark accidentally set fire to his father’s fields, a moment recently shown in “Action Comics.” The New 52 has stressed a high level of interconnectivity, but this particular example has a level of heart and emotion that rises above simple fact checking or editorial reference.

Jae Lee, on the other hand, continues to do what he does best. Take a look at the issues’ opening sequence, where an imprisoned Huntress describes Earth 2’s war with Darkseid. On a stunning double page spread, we see Earth 2 in flames, the Trinity disintegrating in Apokoliptian flame as Darkseid’s gloomy visage looms. It’s surprisingly dark stuff, especially for a book that is generally fun and lighthearted.

It’s been alluded to before, while Lee’s gothic style is heavily suited for a Batman book, it’s not quite what you’d expect from a Superman title. While the Batman focused scenes, in the cave or the batplane, certainly feel the most natural, the mostly sunny and open Superman scenes provide an appropriate visual contrast for the two characters. It remains a treat to see Lee flexing his creative muscle, stepping outside of his wheelhouse.

June Chung’s contribution to Lee’s pencils is absolutely invaluable. Her colors add a much needed vibrance to Lee’s work, which is often heavily inked and devoid of background details. One particularly memorable use of color is on the same double page described above. It’s a simple panel, Karen and Helena standing back to back against a hot pink background. It’s quintessential 90’s girl power, and feels quite unlike any other panel in the book. However, it’s quite certainly gorgeous.

The art and writing crystalizes in one singular moment, on the opening credits page. As an out of control Power Girl decimates a small village, hope seems lost. Then, in a blink, Superman appears, shielding a young boy from Karen’s heat vision. The reflected beams radiates outward like a sun beams from the iconic “S” shield. To top it off, he holds a rescued puppy aloft like a prize. It may sound like a cheesy, goofy image, and admittedly it kind of is. But at the same time, it embodies a kind of Man of Steel that hasn’t been seen in a while.

You might notice that I’ve spent more time talking about the Superman’s part in the book than Batman’s. Much of that has to do with the fact that, compared to Pak’s superb handle on Clark, his Bruce Wayne feels a little lacking. It’s definitely not a poor portrayal, but Pak has yet to find a definitive grasp on the Dark Knight’s voice. He does, however, do a fantastic job handling Huntress and Power Girl. Part of the fun of an arc like this is seeing these interdimensional characters interact for the first time. Pak touches on the complex emotions involved with meeting a younger version of a family member, or the daughter that you haven’t, and may never have. However, he does so quite subtly, never delving into melodrama.

“Batman/Superman” #8 is a sigh of relief for those who believed the series best days had already past. It’s not a perfect read, it takes many liberties regarding the reader’s knowledge of other books, for instance. However, it has certainly set ‘First Contact’ off to a solid start.

Final Verdict: 8.8 – Buy, definitely buy.


Zach Wilkerson

Zach Wilkerson, part of the DC3 trinity, still writes about comics sometimes. He would probably rather be reading manga or thinking about Kingdom Hearts. For more on those things, follow him on Twitter @TheWilkofZ

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