Bullet Review: Batman/Superman #2

I have decided that I will collect the first arc of the new Batman/Superman book in hopes of trying to understand all the nonsense of The Batman Who Laughs. Tossing Supergirl into the mix of 'the infected' made it seem I sort of had to know.

But I find these sort of stories tedious, especially when it feels like every other year is 'Year of the Villain' with DC and every third year is 'Supergirl is dark and angsty'. Wash, rinse, repeat.

Here in Batman/Superman #2, the World's Finest pair squares off against the first of the tainted heroes, Shazam.

Joshua Williamson writes a good story with the usual feints of 'is Shazam really evil'? But I find that the Batman in this book is just too infallible, too prepared, and too paranoid for me to embrace. As always, when Batman is elevated this much, Superman suffers in comparison. There are a couple of good moments here for Superman. But otherwise this reads like a Batman book with Superman as a guest star.

One thing I do love is the art by David Marquez which feels like some mix of Doc Shaner and Doug Mahnke. That's a nice mix. Really good.

On to some specifics.

Last issue Shazam arrived as the evil acolyte of the Batman Who Laughs.

A brawl breaks out and finally Superman decides to unleash his heat vision. But then, with his magic word, it is suddenly Billy Batson. And Billy says that in this form he isn't infected.

I have to say it smacked a little bit of the end of Moore's Miracleman. I know ... that was 30 years ago. But there it is. 

 Of course, it turns out to be a feint. Billy is just as corrupted, turns back into Shazam, and uses the lightning to blast Superman. Armed with a batarang designed specifically to infect Superman, Shazam rears back to strike.

And then we get the some Batman elevation. He flies the Batplane (perhaps the Batman Who Laughs batplane) into Shazam, jumping out at just the right moment, and stabs Shazam with the very batarang that infected the World's Mightiest Mortal. I don't know when he obtained that. Was it last issue?

But it is Superman who gets pounded and Batman who does the most damage.

 The Batman attack forces Shazam to retreat. And Superman being Superman, he rescues the falling and dying Batman rather than chase Shazam.

Awakening in the Fortress, Batman ignores the medical robots to get back into gear. He smashes equipment and yells. And he wastes no time in chastising Superman for letting Shazam go.

I know ... Batman is soooo cool.

Thankfully, Superman doesn't take it lying down. At least I have that.

Even better, Superman was able to obtain the poisoned batarangs, including the one designed to infect him.

It's Nth metal and covered in a specific poison.

Batman isn't surprised since he admits he has contingency plans against every hero. So we are back to that sort of Bruce again.

And, of course, Batman can read the Kryptonian language. (He says 'Please, I'm Batman.)

It is Superman who comes up with the ultimate plan. Rather than try and find Shazam, they should go to the root of all the evil.

 Batman reveals that he has built a prison beneath the Hall of Justice which houses the Batman Who Laughs. (I don't know if it makes sense to have the deadliest villain incarcerated under a public attraction like the Hall but there we are.)

I do like the idea of the Hall being like a clubhouse for all heroes. Nice to see Supergirl heading there.

And Superman's big plan? To pretend that Shazam was successful in making him evil.

Now this seems a little foolish. How does Superman know exactly what the effect of the poison would be? Can he pull off this act long term enough to fool someone who has all the skills of Batman? And why would you ever release this evil Dark Knight, even as an aspect of realism in this gambit?

I don't know ...

Hopefully this title will someday become just a book with standard adventures for these two. And if that hasn't happened once the Supergirl stuff has ended, I am probably out.

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