Review: Batman/Superman Vol. 1- Cross World

Quick Summary

Pros: The main storyline is exciting and unique. This portrayal of Superman and Batman is well done and conveys a clear understanding of the dynamic between the two. The artwork is incredible and makes every page feel like the most important page of the book.

Cons: The story and artwork can get confusing when two Batmen and Supermen are on one page.

Overall: This is a great book, no doubt about it. From the engaging and clever story to the gorgeous and creative artwork, there is a lot to love within these pages. It really gets to the heart of who Superman and Batman are as people and why they work so incredibly well together. If you want a wholesome and thorough examination of Superman and Batman, or just want to see a great take on the two, this is the book for you.

Story

In Batman/Superman Vol. 1: Cross World, Greg Pak flashes back to when Superman and Batman first met, a time where the duo spent as much time at odds with each other as they did working together. He then contrasts this with the Superman and Batman of comic book history, highlighting similarities and differences that make the two who they are. The end result is a thoughtful reexamination of the two heroes told through an exciting and unique story. It is a great book on its own and the perfect staging ground for a truly innovative series.

(spoilers start here)

This book is set before a majority of the New 52; Superman and Batman are still new heroes on the scene and have yet to meet each other. So this book details their first meeting and explains how it leads to near instant distrust. Superman’s reliance on heroic confrontation does not mix well with Batman’s use of subdued manipulation and causes both heroes to view the other’s tactics as illogical. Showing this is also a clever way to disguise a dissection of both character’s personalities and traits as a mental battle between the two. This allows readers to be entertained and informed before the book’s main plotline even starts.

Once it begins though, things get even more interesting. A trickster god throws both heroes into an alternate reality where older and wiser versions of Superman and Batman exist. This allows the examination of the duo to continue, as contrasting them with counterparts reveals a lot about who they are and who they could be. Superman sees himself as a mature person who has a clear direction in life, and Batman sees a Gotham where crime is as low as it can possibly go.

This contrast between the young and old is not just about who the characters are now, it is also about who they were. These older version of Superman and Batman are clear representation of who the duo were before the universe was reset in Flashpoint (Review). So the contrast here provides a commentary on the contemporary status of both heroes. It shows how the New 52 Superman is more brash and emotional than ever before, and how the new Batman is more suspicious and distrustful. This examination recognizes that these characters are not the same as they were a decade ago but shows that they can still be the archetypes that they have always been.  This metatextual examination is stimulating for longtime fans and informative for fans who are newer to the universe.

But this story isn’t just examination and commentary, it is also filled with moments that are fun and inspiring. Seeing this Superman, who lost his parents when he was young, have a reunion with them is touching, while seeing two Batman fight each other is awesome. The story of Clark and Bruce’s chance encounter as children is also extremely wholesome and ended up being one of my favorite moments in the collection. This is a story with meaning and heart that manages to deliver it in a way that still creates excitement.

(spoilers end here)

Art

While the storyline in this book is great, the art may be the most striking characteristic to the collection. Jae Lee creates a visual wonder that is a success in every regard. Paneling, character design, detail, and general quality are all done in a way that expresses beauty and creativity on every page. Lee will shift from stunning and singularly focused splash pages to more chaotic and intricately paneled pages that express multiple concepts, without hesitation. This dynamic, and the already gorgeous style Lee brings to the fold, make this a book that will impress everyone visually and is just as fun to look at as it is to read.

My only minor complaint with the artwork is that the Superman and Batman of Earth 2 are sometimes hard to distinguish from the normal Superman and Batman. There is already some inherent confusion drawn from having doppelgangers running around and this amplifies it slightly. It is not a huge negative but is simply something I wish was different.

Continuity

Batman/Superman Vol. 1: Cross World starts the Batman/Superman New 52 series. This means that this is the first volume in a brand new continuity, so there are not many references to previous books or specific character histories.

The story here continues in Batman/Superman Vol. 2: Game Over. (Review).

This volume also references and continues the stories from other comic books, detailed below:

• This entire book seems to take place before most of these characters met for the first time, which happened in Justice League Vol. 1: Origin (Review).
• The existence of Earth 2, and Darkseid’s later invasion of it, is detailed at the very beginning of Earth 2 Vol. 1: The Gathering (Review).
  
• The end of this collection is somewhat of a prelude to the Justice League’s fight against Darkseid in Justice League Vol. 1: Origin (Review).