I understand what Geoff Johns wants to do and I agree with the idea. Not having our heroes meet each other for the first time and not fall into the cliche that suddenly these very different individuals would suddenly trust each other and have no problems. They should have teething problems and lock horns . They are all strong personalities. With different backgrounds and ways of doing things. We meet the Batman and Green Lantern who definitely like getting their own way and have different methods of dealing with threats. This is set 5 years in the past and is the new DCU's year 1. The heroes have, it seems, been operating covertly or recently gotten their powers and the world is just getting use to seeing them. The reason that brings Hal and Bruce together is a parademon. So we will be seeing Darkseid, no doubt, as the main threat.
Hal and Bruce seems to play off each other well. They can't stand each other and forge an alliance borne out of necessity, not choice. I suspect we'll be seeing DC play with this relationship a little more than the old boyscout Supes and paranoid Batman. Batman seems to have a little more balance in his attitude. He still does not take crap but he's not so anal. Hal is just cocky and acts before he thinks. They both track down Superman to Metropolis thinking this alien might yield some answers to their current parademon concerns. Hal of course thinks with a power ring he can do anything. But the new DCU Superman as we know is not a conservative boyscout. He is tough, brash and rough on the edges as he starts his heroics.
The working class hero meets the flyboy and the aristocrat and what an entrance he makes. Best panel of the whole issue. Supes with a challenging light in his eyes, body ready and poised to take on anything..."So what can you do?" he asks Batman after he blurs at Hal and KOs him with a punch.
Batman we know is just a human in a batsuit (yes that's how Hal puts it) But he is clever and resourceful enough to get Hal's ring off his hand. That seems a little far fetched to me seeing they just want us to believe that without showing how Bruce did it. Oh well maybe Zatanna's dad showed him sleight of hand when he was young. Anyway the next issue is set up as Batman (human) versus Superman ( powerful alien) . So I hope we don't go the same old same old kryptonite resolution. Batman says he has studied Superman's powers. Hmm, so did he get into the Fortress or managed to get some other Kryptonian bodies to study? Seems all a little too convenient and I hope the writing does not go down cliche street and we get Batgod taking down Superman so easily again. Bruce has a mother box by the way he got off the parademon so...maybe he has the very deus ex machina right there.
The art was very very good. Jim Lee is a master with pencils. He gets movement and does the Adonis like physiques so well. Alex Sinclairs colors are brilliant. I want to see how Jim gets these characters when they settle down and we have more quieter or interpersonal interactions. That's more the test to me to see how he gets individual character. Superman's entrance was a fine example of him getting character in one panel.
So I would say 3.5 out of 5 overall but in terms of expectation for the next issue a full 5 because as the team builds it promises to get better and better. And I think kids would love the heck out of this. Buy it.
Best Panel: Superman's entrance
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| Jim Lee's young Superman is hot! |
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