A child has gone missing in Gotham, said to be taken by a man who flies with a grimacing smile. Raising concerns catches Batman’s attention and leaves him to suspect that the Batman Who Laughs is still out there, plotting, waiting to execute his next move.
He realizes he cannot trust anyone else, and Cal’s in Superman to assist him in his investigation. But not everything is as what it seems! What is the Batman Who Laughs up to this time? Where has he been hiding since the events of the Batman Who Laughs mini-series? Can Batman and Superman trust each other to work together? And who amongst the superhero community is infected?
Joshua Williamson is known for his work on The Flash, which has been pretty solid despite minor drags here and there. A few years ago, I remember when I was reading his Justice League vs Suicide Squad series and thinking, He needs to write a Justice League series! Although Scott Snyder and James Tynion are writing an amazing Justice League run, Williamson was still writing The Flash. Once it was announced that Williamson was to write Batman/Superman, I was ecstatic! It’s been almost a decade since there has been a Batman/ Superman team-up that was as good as the Jeph Loeb Superman/Batman series. That’s not to knock the New 52 Series of the same name, but it was all too brief and didn’t last long nor leave strong impressions for a lot of readers. With that said, knowing that Williamson is able to write the Justice League really well, I’m glad that he’s only focusing on the world’s finest.
With that said, Williamson has a really good handle on Batman and Superman’s dynamic as a team and as individuals. Some of the narrative baby between the two characters harken back to that memorable Loeb run that readers still talk about to this day. The story is well balanced, providing good context, exposition / set up in a way that keeps everyone up to speed in case they’ve never read Dark Knights Metal or Batman Who Laughs. It was easy and fun to jump in on this book and immediately follow what was happening throughout. There isn’t much I can say about this issue that contains any constructive critique necessary since it remains to be seen how the follow-up issue will hold up, which is a good sign that I enjoyed reading this new book.
David Marquez artwork is just a sight to behold! When it was announced that Marquez was moving over to DC comics, I couldn’t help express my excitement more given that he has produced phenomenal work for Marvel, despite having his art wasted on certain marvel stories that didn’t do his work justice. Even if a book isn’t well written, Marquez’s artwork helps to make anything look good, really, really good. But his artwork paired with Williamson’s writing is a match made in heaven. Marquez has the ability to produce artwork that complements the story so well that you forget that you’re even reading a comic book because it feels like you’re watching a movie. Although Marquez’s illustrations and layouts are gorgeous to look at, it’s Alejandro Sanchez’s colors that really makes everything on the page come to life. John H. Hill’s lettering also delivers a huge impact, helping to distinguish between the voices of different characters, which adds a different element to the book that stands out. With these three guys at the visual helm, they remind us why they are on a series such as this.
Look, I don’t think there is anything else that I have to say to let everyone know what I think of this first issue. But if you need reassurance, I’ll provide you this.. this book is worth adding to your pull list. With Williamson, Marquez, Sanchez, and Hill on this book, it’s a guaranteed good read. I hope that they keep this team consistent, through the majority of this series, either way, this is pull list worthy and a great jumping-on point for new readers as well.
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