Posts: 1099 Location: Cheektowaga, NY Joined: 29.07.05
Posted on 26-10-2006 12:14
SPOILERS INCLUDED
.
.
.
PLOT:
How did Superman and Batman discover each other's secret identities? Why was Deathstroke after Bruce Wayne on one of his earliest assignments? How do Ultraman and Owlman fit into this? And why are they all on a cruise into the Bermuda Triangle?
REVIEW:
As we take a break from the current arc of the series, we're offered an annual issue for the wait. As the plot said, this is basically a recap of the characters and their history. Not from the Superman/Batman series itself, but from the DCU continunity. But at the same time, the tagline on the cover "A Re-Imagined Story" and the certain things from this issue, that leds to the idea that maybe its not part of the continunity. So is it part of the main continunity? Maybe. Is it not? Maybe. The reason why the same answer is given is because I think it falls with not just DC Comics but you guys as well.
Again, SPOILERS INCLUDED since this gives away the whole annual.
The story is like this: for some time now, Superman & Batman have appeared together yet don't know each other's identities but swear to each other than each will know. Clark & Lois go on a cruise in route to the Bermuda Triangle and as it turns out, so is Bruce Wayne. In the first comedic/comedy bits, the computer messed up their rooms and while Lois gets her own room, Bruce and Clark have to sleep in the same bed. While Clark & Lois dance later that night, Bruce cuts in and Deeathstroke (on assignment to kill Wayne) gives Bruce a poisoned drink, only to saved by Clark via heat vision. Clark & Bruce can't sleep (for good reason) and a huge noise is heard and big lights are around the ship. Bruce and Clark try to make excuses to leave but then Bruce decides to knock Clark out with a tranquilizer gun but the tranquilizer bounces off, both of them know how the other is.
Then things turn strange when someone looking like Deathstroke (whose costume in negetive brighter colors) enters their room followed by the real Deathstroke. Outside, Lois sees what she thinks is Superman & Batman together, but its actually Ultraman & Owlman from Earth 3, with Ultraman fighting Superman, Owlman kissing Lois thinking she's Superwoman from Earth 3, while the actual Superwoman attacks Bruce. All the crazy things later, Batman uses his batboat to zap Ultraman with kryptonite and the Earth 3 characters are forced back home. At the end, its reveal Mr. Mxyzptlk, talking to a bizarro publisher, planned the whole situation because he says today's stories need angst as he holds up a silver age Superman issue: Superman #76.
So y'see what I mean? Did it really happen or not? We don't know. So until we hear something from DC, its up to us to say wheather we believe it to be real or not.
But how was the issue itself? It was good. It had funny moments that made you laugh (out loud or silently) when you read it. It had action and you had our Earth-1 World's Finest fighting the Earth-3 World's Finest. The art was done by Ed McGuinness and whe I was reading it, I was stuck down by the story. So the art was fine in my opinion.
Overall, this series' first annual was actually a good one. I liked it, it was funny, exciting, and we're left with questions of wheather or not this is actually in DCU continunity. Of course, if not DC, we still have the two new books coming: Superman Confidential & Batman Confidential, that deals with their early years.
RATING: 8/10
You don't get it, boy... this isn't a mudhole... it's an operating table.
(crack!)
And I'm the surgeon.
- Batman - The Dark Knight Returns
This was just a fun movie-style story with the usual awesome action shots by McGuinness. I seriously doubt that the story is in continuity, whatever that is now. Joe Kelly does not write for any of the main Superman or Batman titles, so he doesn't have much influence on the characters anymore. Hopefully they will keep how John Byrne wrote Batman and Superman's first meeting in the Man of Steel miniseries.
I would like to read Superman #76 sometime though, just to see the parallels between the that issue and this.
BATMAN: Yesterday, Today, & Beyond, all of it's sub-sites, or hosted sites are in no way associated, or affiliated with DC Comics, Time Warner or any of it's divisions.
Items cataloged in merchandise sections are not for sale. The downloading of video game ROMs is for backup and testing purposes only. If you do not own the actual game, the ROM is to be deleted from your hard drive within 24 hours.
Any money that may be made from Amazon Associates, advertisements, or affiliate programs will be contributed to the maintaining of this website, to provide the fans with the best that we can offer.
Home
