In 1999, DC Comics published the first four issues of an Elseworlds story that spawned two more limited series and a total of 20 individual issues. “Superman & Batman: Generations” eschews comic-book time and tells the story of two of DC’s most popular heroes and the dynasties that they create. This review contains mild spoilers.
Written, Illustrated and Lettered by John Byrne
Colored by Trish Mulvihill
They are the world’s two greatest super-heroes.
Superman. The Last Son of Krypton.
Batman. The Darknight Detective.In 1939, at the dawn of their careers, Metropolis’s Man of Steel and Gotham City’s Caped Crusader meet for the first time, teaming up to battle the fearsome Ultra-Humanite.
As the years pass, their paths cross time and time again. Facing menaces as diverse as the Joker, Lex Luthor and Mr. Mxyzptlk, they must combine their skills and powers to avert disaster. But even as they pass their mantles to a new generation of heroes, enemies from their past conspire against them. And at the brink of the 21st century, startling revelations will forever change the legacy of the world’s finest heroes!
Sometimes comic-book time, and the continuity that comes with it is a burden. Just ten years of backstory is tough to manage, let alone the 80 or 90 years some of DC’s characters have behind them. Wouldn’t it be nice to just let the characters age and see what happens?
That’s what John Byrne did in “Superman & Batman: Generations.” In this first volume, we meet Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne at the Metropolis World’s Fair in 1939, when their careers as superheroes are just beginning. We join them in 1949 when their adventures are in full swing. Then, we meet them again in ’59 when well, that would be telling.
This epic tale is told in Byrne’s unmistakable style. Like much of his post-Superman work, he fills all of the roles on the book except coloring. So, the book has a very familiar feel if you’ve seen Byrne’s self-inked work before. He uses splash panels and pages to make key action scenes pop. He omits the background in key scenes to draw your eye to character interactions. While his work may seem dialogue-heavy when compared to younger storytellers, his pencils carry you effortlessly through the story.
The title of this story is “Superman & Batman: Generations,” and it is very much about these two heroes. Even as we meet Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne’s children and grandchildren, the focus stays on the titular men. The tale is liberated from the suspended animation of comic-book time, but it’s more about how Clark and Bruce age and less about the generations of heroes that come after them. (Although Byrne does explore this in the two subsequent volumes.) This is a yarn for fans of Batman and Superman.
Each chapter jumps ahead ten years, and we see the heroes develop from young vigilantes to seasoned veterans, and eventually to family patriarchs. Each story suits the era it is set in. Byrne modifies the character designs to fit each decade, but the changes in the characters’ appearance are part of the story — and part of the fun. In 1939, Superman has a squint and a simplified “S” that’s evocative of Joe Schuster’s original design. In 1989, Batman dons armor reminiscent of “Az-Bat.” Byrne skillfully blends these changes in so that the homages are apparent, but they never pull you out of the story.
Each decade has a main story that’s appropriate for the era, while in the background Byrne lays the foundation for the harder-hitting direction that the overall arc takes. Early on, there are giant robots, super-villain team-ups, and fifth-dimensional imps. But things take a more serious turn as time goes by. Byrne walks a fine line between the light-hearted material of DC’s Golden and Silver Age and the more “realistic” modern age stories. Nothing in “Generations” is dark, especially by today’s standards, but following generations of heroes means that you’ll see people age, get sick, die, and be killed.
But things work out for the two heroes in the end. “Superman & Batman: Generations,” begins and ends with the same two men in the costumes. If there’s a flaw with the series, it’s that the title might be misleading. There are no real generations of Supermen or Batmen. In Byrne’s world, Superman will always be Clark Kent, and Batman will always be Bruce Wayne.
Continued below“Superman & Batman: Generations” is John Byrne at his best. He has often said that he enjoys “playing in the other kid’s sandboxes,” and that’s what he does in this epic tale. He takes 60 years of continuity, makes a single fundamental change, and we get to see where it takes him.
Final Verdict: 9.0 – “Superman & Batman: Generations” is a fun romp through and an alternate take on DC’s Comic’s rich history. Any fan of these two characters is guaranteed to read, enjoy, and reread, this story.
