Writer: Greg Pak
Artists: Jae Lee & Ben Oliver
This has become one of my favourite series from the New 52, as although it hasn't always been phenomenal, it has always been very entertaining, having some very interesting and exciting moments, and Greg Pak continues to show in this series how good a writer he really is.
Plot
There is conflict between the two Supermen and Batmen, and how they must decide what to do with the mysterious crystal.
Review
This was a fantastic issue, and an amazing conclusion to this opening story. Greg Pak did a wonderful job of tying the story off in this issue, as although there were minor problems I had, overall it was a very exciting and interesting issue. The pacing throughout the issue was also brilliant, as although there were some sequences that were a little too quickly paced, the overall issue flowed very smoothly. Pak also managed to add a lot of suspense and tension in this issue as well, with the entire atmosphere being amazing. I would however add that this is an issue that you need to pay attention to, as if you speed through it you may get slightly confused, and have to re-read certain parts, or even the entire issue again.
The artwork in this issue was also brilliant, as although I'm never going to become a huge fan of Jae Lee, his work on this series has been outstanding. Overall his artwork is simply beautiful, but the main problems I have is the lack of emotion throughout the characters, as well as the odd way he draws characters hair. I do however love his unique and dynamic layouts, and the amazing energy that he brings out of the story. Ben Oliver who did a few pages worth of art on the first issue would also help out once again drawing the latter pages of the issue. The detail and atmosphere was once again fantastic, with there being brilliant tone and emotion throughout, and I kind of wish he'd done the entire story.
This issue would see a difference of opinion between the Batman and Superman of the regular DC Universe, and the Batman and Superman of Earth-2 about what should happen with the crystal. I really enjoyed this, and although it would have been nice to see more action, given the fact the story has two of each character it needed something like this, adding a lot of drama and suspense. I also found the crystal itself to be a very interesting object, as although it seemed a rather simple concept, it had vast amount of development points, and Pak managed to show this brilliantly.
The Trickster would also have some involvement in this issue, as she would continue her fight with Wonder Woman, which Lois Lane and Catwoman watch, with Lois trying to help stop the Trickster. Now overall the Trickster has been a brilliant addition to this story, and I'm sure she'll have a even more interesting role somewhere down the line. I would of however have liked to have seen a bit more of her fight with Wonder Woman, as although I understand why Pak focused more on the Batmen/Supermen sequences, it would make this sequence feel too much like background noise. I did however enjoy the message that Trickster had for them near the end.
One of the things that the solicit for this issue promised was to reveal how Superman and Batman have no recollection of this adventure. Now I won't go into any details about this, but it was just as expected, and due to that rather disappointing. It did however add a lot of tone and atmosphere to the end of the story, and I liked that due to this Pak has managed to keep the story in continuity. I also loved how Pak would follow-up on the opening sequence of this story, developing on Bruce and Clark's encounter involving a bullied boy, making the story come full circle.
Final Verdict
This was a brilliant conclusion to the series opening story, and although it wasn't quite as impactful as I hoped it would be, it was still very exciting and entertaining, with some very interesting moments. The character interaction was also yet again wonderful, and I really hope that Pak gets round to building on this story later in the series. Due to all this I'd highly recommend this issue, and the entire first story, though if you're short on cash and haven't been getting the series so far I'd recommend leaving it till next issue.
Rating: 8/10
Writer: Greg Pak
Artists: Jae Lee & Yildiray Cinar
This is quickly becoming one of my favourite series out the now, as although the last issue didn't quite live up to the brilliant opening issue it was still very interesting, having me very excited for this series. I am also very interested with this new character Trickster, and after seeing the cover for this issue am interested as to how Darkseid will be involved.
Plot
The Trickster reveals a dark secret and we see how the Clark and Bruce of Earth-2 met each other.
Review
This was an amazing issue, and although not quite better than the first issue of this series, it was better than the last issue, and Greg Pak continues to develop this story brilliantly. This issue had a lot of very exciting parts to it, as although still not quite as exciting as the first issue the developments in this one were really interesting, and have me extremely excited about the conclusion in issue 4. I also loved how Pak managed to add some lightheartedness to this issue with the younger Bruce and Clark from Earth-2 sequence, which was very interesting as well. There were however also a couple of things that I was slightly disappointed about, but overall this was a fantastic issue.
The art in this issue was overall very good with both Jae Lee and Yildiray Cinar both doing a terrific job. I've already stated in my previous reviews on this title that I'm not a huge fan of Lee's work, but I have to say that he has impressed me on this series. The layouts of his artwork were once again brilliant, and he even managed to show some emotion in the characters, even though it was overall still rather stiff. Cinar's artwork on the flashback sequences was also fantastic, as although a much different style to Lee's, it really suited the lighthearted nature of the sequence, showing the characters emotions perfectly, and although the layout in this sequence wasn't as good as Lee's it was still very dynamic and impactful.
The end of last issue would see Earth-2's Wonder Woman introduced into this storyline as she took down Trickster, using her Lasso of Truth to get answers out of her. I question whether Wonder Woman is a character that should be involved in this series, as although I loved seeing the interaction between her and the other characters in this issue I felt that overall it may have been slightly unnecessary. I also loved seeing how the younger Superman reacted to her and the fact that she called him "boy."
One of the things that I was slightly disappointed with in this issue was the lack of a proper Darkseid appearance, as after seeing the cover for this issue I was really looking forward to seeing him make an appearance, and the one we got was rather poor. It did however not take too much away from the issue, and at the same time also added more mystery and suspense. It also leaves some build up for the conclusion of this story, and I hope that Darkseid has a proper appearance in the conclusion.
The other part of this issue would show how the Clark and Bruce of Earth-2 met. I personally loved this sequence, and it was one of the best things about the issue. I loved the lightheartedness of the sequence, and how it's so different from the series so far. I also enjoyed seeing the relativity of this sequence, and the symbolism of it throughout this issue was brilliantly shown by Pak. I also loved seeing the attributes of these younger versions of Bruce and Clark, and how that even at their young ages they still showed the characteristics they'd have throughout their crime fighting career. I also enjoyed the interaction between the Earth-2 versions of Alfred and Jonathan Kent, as it added more depth to the sequence.
Final Verdict
Although the series hasn't matched the brilliance of the first issue in these last two issues it has however had some very interesting development points that have me very intrigued as to how this story will conclude. It also had some emotional and exciting points throughout, as well as some lightheartedness. Due to all this I'd highly recommend this issue and can't wait for the conclusion, though am more excited about the Doomsday Villains Month issue the now.
Rating: 9/10
Writer: Greg Pak
Artist: Jae Lee
The first issue of this series was simply phenomenal and blew my mind. I had always expected great things due to Greg Pak working on it, but I never quite expected this, and I seriously hope that he can continue this as if so this will easily become my favourite comic out the now.
Plot
Batman and Superman have been taken to Earth-2 by a the Trickster where they meet their older counterparts.
Review
This was a fantastic issue, but wasn't as good as the last issue. Greg Pak did however do an amazing job of continuing his storyline in this issue, as although it overall was slower paced, it was still very interesting. It also had plenty of dram and emotion throughout, as due to the situation that all the characters have been put in it allowed for some very emotionally driven developments. Pak also did a great job of adding action to the issue, as although most of the issue was slow as to develop the story, there were still a few very exciting moments. The dialogue throughout the issue was also spectacular, and I really enjoyed how Pak handled the interactions between all the characters involved.
The art in this issue was also very good, and Jae Lee once again did a great job. Though I've never really been a fan of Lee's work over the years, due to his style not appealing to me, I have been enjoying it on this series, as although is till dislike how he draws the characters hair, the rest has been very dynamic, suiting the story perfectly. I also once again loved Lee's layouts, which are probably the best thing about his artwork, as they are so unique and dynamic, also adding plenty of depth to the issue. Lee did however once again not show that much emotion in his artwork, as although there were some parts that were better than usual, most of the time the characters look rather stiff and emotionless.
The last issue ended with the revelation of a new character who would be named as Kaiyo, the Trickster. Now I personally found this new Trickster to be rather interesting, and much different to the Trickster that we already know from the DC Universe. I also loved the mysterious nature to this character, as besides the mischievous nature of her, she had a lot that was yet unexplained which made things really interesting. I also love the other mystery as to why she wants these younger versions of Batman and Superman to meet parallel versions of themselves.
This issue would also as I said see both Batman and Superman meet their counterparts from Earth-2. The first out of these meetings would be between the two Supermen, as after the younger Superman starts beating up Earth-2's Batman, the Superman from Earth-2 would interject. The encounter itself was extremely interesting, and probably the better out of the two, as it had a lot of different tones to it which I loved, and the differences between these two Supermen were also very interesting, and the encounter as a whole was very entertaining.
The meeting between the two Batmen was almost as interesting, as although it didn't quite have the same varying tones, it had a very dark and mysterious tone as you would expect from two Batmen. I also loved how opposed to the differences in the Supermen how this would show the similarities that both these characters have, as not having really superpowers there's nothing for them to enhance, besides their pure skill. I also loved seeing Earth-2's version of Catwoman, as after seeing her briefly in Worlds' Finest it was nice to see her again, as well as Batman's reaction to this different version of his enemy.
Final Verdict
This was a brilliant issue, and although not quite as good as the opening issue was it was still very interesting with some very exciting moments. The issue also had a lot of emotion throughout, and the development though at a much slower pace in this issue has still been very interesting. I personally still however am not a huge fan of the artwork, as although I prefer Lee's art on this than anything else I've seen there are still things that I dislike about it. I would however highly recommend this issue as although slightly slow it was still amazing.
Rating: 8/10
Writer: Greg Pak
Artist: Jae Lee & Ben Oliver
I've been looking forward to this series for a while now, as being a huge Batman, as well as a relatively big Superman fan I really wanted to see the first encounter of these two great character's in the New 52. Also with the brilliant Greg Pak taking the writing reigns I expect brilliant things.
Plot
As Wayne Enterprises employees start turning up murdered in Metropolis, Clark travels to Gotham City to ask Bruce Wayne's thoughts on the matter. This leads to Batman travelling to Metropolis to investigate, and the first meeting between Batman, and Superman.
Review
This was an outstanding issue, and one of the best opening issues I've read for a while, as although the first issues of Superman Unchained, and X-Men were good, this was something else. To be honest when I started reading this issue I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy it, as it had a different start than I'm used to, but Greg Pak would soon show why he's such an amazing writer (having previously amazed me with his Hulk, and Hercules runs), by producing some amazing thought boxes, and dialogue. Besides this Pak does a phenomenal job of showing just how different Clark, and Bruce, and Superman, and Batman really are, which I loved. I also liked how you could easily tell that this was a much younger version of each character, as the way they think shows this, as both seem that little bit more naive that usual, seeing each other in a different light than usual as well. I do however question how this works with Justice League, as that series started with Batman, and Superman squaring of, and from their expressions, and actions then it looked like they didn't know one another, which is funny if this is actually their first meeting. I do however hope that Pak will address this, and I'm sure he will, and I'm also sure that he'll come up with a good reason.
Most of the art in this issue was drawn by Jae Lee, with Ben Oliver doing the final seven pages. Now I'm not the biggest fan of Jae Lee's art, as although it always looks nice, there's just certain parts of his style that doesn't appeal to me. The main thing I don't like about his art is the way he draws hair, as although he did Clark's hair brilliantly, he always seems to want to make people's hair as wavy as possible, and this to me makes it look very unrealistic. He also doesn't do a great job at showing the character's emotions, as although he adds the odd eye gesture, most of the time people's face's are very still, not showing much emotion, which is disappointing. There are however some positives about Lee's art, and the main one has to be his layouts. If you've read any comic with Lee's art in the past you'll have noticed that he has a unique style of laying out his work, and it's simply amazing, being extremely dynamic. The other thing that I always love about Lee's art is the colours that June Chung provides, which really make his art stand out, and also makes it much more vibrant. I am however a fan of the other artist on this book, Ben Oliver. His art on the likes of Batwing, and Action Comics #0 really appealed to me, and when I noticed that he'd have art featured in this issue I was very happy. It was very impactful, with lot's of detail, and the character emotions were brilliant, and to be honest I'd much rather he was doing the whole of the artwork on this.
This issue starts with Clark Kent travelling to Gotham City to talk to Bruce Wayne about the murders of Wayne Enterprise employees in Metropolis. Now although as I said earlier the initial start of this had me questioning if I'd like this series, but it quickly turned round, and became an interesting sequence. I loved how Pak understood both character's perfectly, whilst also making Bruce a little more rebellious, and the interaction between the two character's was golden. I also liked how we saw how being from Gotham allowed Bruce to understand the mentality of Gotham's citizens more, as when Clark tries to do something good, he's actually making the situation worse.
The villain in this issue turned out to be none other than Catwoman. Now I'm not sure if Catwoman's the best villain to start this series with, especially considering she was away from Gotham, but I have to say I loved seeing her as the villain once more, as although she's became a good heroine, she was always great as a villain. The fight between here and Batman in this issue was also brilliant, though I did feel that there could have been some interaction between the pair, as since becoming good they have some very entertaining conversations, whereas there was nothing during this fight, which was slightly disappointing. It didn't however take anything away from what was a phenomenal issue.
This issue would also see Batman, and Superman square off against each other, and to be honest it was always going to happen no matter who was writing it. I did however feel that Pak did a great job with this fight sequence, and it would have been hard to have done better. Although the fighting itself was entertaining, and exciting, with explosive artwork, it was however the though boxes from Pak that made this outstanding, as with both character's seeing the other as a killer, or murderer it showed how little they knew one another, and how naive they were in thinking this.
There was also a bit of mystery in this issue, especially near the end. Now I won't go into any details as to avoid spoilers, but some of the stuff shown during this was amazing, and really had me intrigued, and wanting to read more. I also loved other small additions, and they also left more questions to be answered, which is always nice (as long as they're delivered on though).
Final Verdict
This was a great opening issue, and probably one of the best I've seen for a while. Pak really understood both character's, whilst adding his own uniqueness to them, which I loved. The action, and mystery also added for another level of drama, and suspense, and I can't wait to read more. Due to all this I'd highly recommend this issue, as it's a phenomenal read, and I seriously hope the series continues in this fashion.
Rating: 5/5
