SUPERMAN/BATMAN # 17
© DC

Mania Grade: A
Issue: 17
Authors: Jeph Loeb, Carlos Pacheco, Jesus Merino
Publisher: DC
Price: $2.95

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SUPERMAN/BATMAN #17

Oh my God! Jeph Loeb killed continuity! You bastard!

The headline to this review is a joke, because I really like SUPERMAN/BATMAN. This is essentially the big summer action movie title of DC heroes. Except that unlike those things, this book is usually worth your money. However, Loeb recklessly disregards the post-CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS continuity established in the 1980s. While this is mildly annoying in that it makes you wish DC would just somehow fix the continuity mess (and maybe they will, from what I'm hearing), it's not that big of a deal in the end. This just further reinforces the need for that most valuable skill of the modern comic book reader: to not worry about it and enjoy the ride. And enjoy it you will.

This issue furthers the saga of Superman and Batman time jumping after the grand manipulation by the members of the Legion of Super-Villains. At the start of the story arc, Bruce and Clark pretty much ruled the world as dictators. Since then, they've witnessed different eras and timelines colliding, including Sgt. Rock and the soldiers of Easy Company showing up in modern times. Last issue, Bruce managed to kill the mugger that normally would have murdered his parents and inadvertently prevented his genesis into the Batman (God, I love calling him "the Batman"). Of course, this sent everything to hell because now R'as al Ghul controls the world, as there was no Batman to stop him. The other members of the Justice League of America are dead and Bruce is living the serene life of a millionaire playboy alongside his still-living parents. It's up to his pal Clark to make him remember what he was, resurrect the members of the JLA, and fight off the combined forces of Ghul and the members of the Legion of Super-Villains. It's a little convoluted and confusing. But, it's damn fun. It's also a fan-boy wet dream when the members of the JLA all rise out of a Lazarus pit with a caption above each of their heads with their respective names.

More than anything, Loeb gets both Batman and Superman and how the two interact. In fact, the only time I really care to read Superman is when he's with Batman. Though Clark alone doesn't particularly interest me, I like the juxtaposition between the two and how they remain friends despite their obvious differences. They're like peanut butter and jelly very different, but ultimately meant to be together.

Carlos Pacheco's pencils are clean and sharp not too abstract, not too realistic. For some reason, it just feels like his art fits Loeb's writing like a puzzle piece. The same goes for the colors and inks. All are top notch and perfect for the title. Congratulations to the whole team on this book for putting together a consistently strong book every month.