Superman/Batman #9 Advanced Review (Spoiler Heavy)

[Ryan]

“The Supergirl from Krypton, Part Two: Visitor”
Writer: Jeph Loeb
Artist: Michael Turner
Colorist: Peter Steigerwald
Letterer: Richard Starkings
Associate Editor: Tom Palmer Jr.
Editor: Eddie Berganza

One month after the events of last month’s issue, the ever mysterious Kara Zor-El of Krypton has become a catalyst for argument between our two antagonists: Superman has come to accept Kara’s origin and motive whole-heartedly while Batman, expectedly, is not so soon to allow Kara into the fold. Kara displays all the physical and mental tendencies of a Kryptonian, including most impressively, an accelerated learning which enables her to adopt not only English with ease, but several other languages just for kicks. For the last month, Superman and Batman have quarantined Kara before allowing her to enter the populated world, to Superman for her safety, to Batman for others. To Superman, Kara represents the perennial love story to which his life has always been empty of: true family. Sure, he has Conner and Krypto, but neither is of true Kryptonian heritage (heck Conner is basically half Lex Luthor), and of all those that inhabited and dyed on Krypton, Kara just happens to be Clark’s cousin. This storybook coincidence just doesn’t jive with Bruce and he continues on with his full-fledged investigation of Kara, despite Clark’s increasing disdain towards Bruce regarding his treatment of Kara. Despite Bruce’s objections, Clark takes Kara out to Metropolis, although Bruce is never far behind.

Meanwhile, Granny Goodness (Wow, she received the short end of the stick in the super villainess names) of Apokolips is disappointed to find another trainee of the Honor Guard/Elite Guard/Furies/multiple other pseudonyms to fall in training (a.k.a. the Furies whip your ass). Darkseid offers Granny Goodness an ultimatum: find the Supergirl from Earth or (in my best Darkseid impersonation) “Dear Granny, it will be you that The Furies will be carrying off….” Back in Metropolis, Clark is out with Kara (in a thong by the way), with Bruce not far behind, when out of nowhere BAM!!! Laser to the face! They all spring into action against the mysterious foes until finally Superman and Batman overcome their foes only to find Kara subdued by….Wonder Woman?!

Jeph Loeb and Michael Turner put forth a solid effort this month that only falls flat on one or two occasions. One of the most interesting aspects of Superman/Batman is the separate internal narrations between the two title characters that you can just tell Loeb really enjoys writing. This for me has always been what made Superman/Batman a top of the pile book. Not to mention the fact that Superman/Batman is one of the most action packed books of today. Although I felt the first issue of this arc to have moved too slowly, this issue was nearly spot on for me on the pacing side of things. Concerning plot specifics, the lethal force exerted by Wonder Woman upon two of her closest allies seems a bit off to me, but I’ll wait till next month to fully pass judgment on that matter. Again Krypto is used for comic relief in this issue and by now I’ve come to the conclusion that Loeb continually mentions or uses him every issue to smite all those naysayers from back when he first used him during “Hush.”

Onto the art by Michael Turner, I’m sorry to say that this issue really missed the mark in my opinion. His depiction of Kara is vibrant in her youthfulness and sexuality, but at times I think it is much too excessive, whether it be Kara’s over-sexed garb (I just can’t fathom Clark ever introducing Kara to the how and what a thong is), or her wide-eyed manga-inspired face. But one can expect overly sexual and muscular characters in the type of art that Turner practices, which can fall flat in the wrong story, but for Turner and all others involved, this is the right story. My one complaint about the art and not the style thereof, is that it seems that his art was thinly, if not at all inked, by himself, before being given over to colorist Peter Steigerwald. His art appears too sketchy at times and you can only imagine how much better his art would appear had he allowed someone to ink his work and not only provide sharper, crisper character depictions, but also more detailed and impressive backgrounds. Overall, Superman/Batman is a book of much promise for the years to come and is one of the best commercial books in the market of today.


Writing: B
Art: C
Overall: B-

[GhettoRebel]

Dude - not to bash on ya.

But I was doing a little weekly thread called Strategic Attack which dealt with these type of Advance Reviews. I asked Matt if he wanted these her or on the Talk@ board. He told me he wanted them on the Talk@ for now.
quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by GhettoRebel
So should I be posting my new weekly "Strategic Attack" Thread over there or over here?

Basically my sneak peek at one of next weeks books, maybe a good review and some spoilers.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nah - keep that ever here for now. I'd like to see what the forum does with just reviews in it, rather than capsules or advance looks like yours.

'Sides - we're going ot need something over here to talk about, other than the clever ways we can modify Chapelle show quotes..."Is Matt Brady gonna have to choke a bitch?"*

MattB

Good Review though. I also read this for my thread this week but went with Capt Marvel instead.

I'd give this an A myself.

[gOgIver]

What's this about Krypto not being of true Kryptonian heritage??:confused:

Nice review BTW.

[GhettoRebel]

Originally posted by gOgIver
What's this about Krypto not being of true Kryptonian heritage??:confused:

Nice review BTW.

I always thought Krypto came right off of Krypton?

From the return to Krypton Arc......

[Big Grim]

Originally posted by GhettoRebel
I always thought Krypto came right off of Krypton?

From the return to Krypton Arc......
yeah, me too. what gives?

[cactusmaac]

He's from a fake alternate Krypton.

Given how Birthright's "official"now, Superman's backstory just isn't going to make sense until they start revising elements like Krypto and Eradicator's origin.

[GhettoRebel]

Originally posted by cactusmaac
He's from a fake alternate Krypton.

Given how Birthright's "official"now, Superman's backstory just isn't going to make sense until they start revising elements like Krypto and Eradicator's origin.

I choose not to belive in Birthright until a desgnated time in the future as I see fit.....

[Big Grim]

Originally posted by cactusmaac
He's from a fake alternate Krypton.

Given how Birthright's "official"now, Superman's backstory just isn't going to make sense until they start revising elements like Krypto and Eradicator's origin.
haven't read Birthright, but regardless of that an alternate Krypton is still a Krypton, is it not? Just as an alternate Earth is still Earth.

[GhettoRebel]

Originally posted by Big Grim
haven't read Birthright, but regardless of that an alternate Krypton is still a Krypton, is it not? Just as an alternate Earth is still Earth.

Good point. Humans are human regardless of what earth they come from so it would be safe to apply the same logic to any other planets (Krypton).

[Big Grim]

Originally posted by GhettoRebel
Good point. Humans are human regardless of what earth they come from so it would be safe to apply the same logic to any other planets (Krypton).
thanks man, appreciate the compliment.

[Ryan]

Yeah, but no matter what way you look at it, Krypto still comes from an alternate Krypton, that as real as it was, was still not Superman's true heritage. He's Kryptonian, but not truly of relation in heritage to Superman. (Gah, I never envisioned the day I'd argue over Krypto, damn Loeb :p )

[GhettoRebel]

Originally posted by Ryan
Yeah, but no matter what way you look at it, Krypto still comes from an alternate Krypton, that as real as it was, was still not Superman's true heritage. He's Kryptonian, but not truly of relation in heritage to Superman. (Gah, I never envisioned the day I'd argue over Krypto, damn Loeb :p )

Now dont confuse heritage with genetics. Just becuase it is an alternate Krypton does not change the fact that is is indeed Krypton. Now if the inhabitants of the planet had mutated beyond the extent as being recognized humanoids I'd agree to an extent.

For the basic premise of an alternate universe all you need is for 1 thing to be different in the history to cause an alternate timeline. In this case Krypton wasn't destroyed (I think).

So, for all intents in puroses Krypto is Kryptonian and he is part of Superman's "family"

[Big Grim]

Originally posted by GhettoRebel
Now dont confuse heritage with genetics. Just becuase it is an alternate Krypton does not change the fact that is is indeed Krypton. Now if the inhabitants of the planet had mutated beyond the extent as being recognized humanoids I'd agree to an extent.

For the basic premise of an alternate universe all you need is for 1 thing to be different in the history to cause an alternate timeline. In this case Krypton wasn't destroyed (I think).

So, for all intents in puroses Krypto is Kryptonian and he is part of Superman's "family"
couldn't have said it better myself.

[Ryan]

He's still not from Superman's Krypton, even if their is only one difference.

[Big Grim]

Originally posted by Ryan
He's still not from Superman's Krypton, even if their is only one difference.
but even if it is a different Krypton, he is still of Kryptonian heritage.

[Ryan]

Originally posted by Big Grim
but even if it is a different Krypton, he is still of Kryptonian heritage.

Not Superman's Krypton.

[GhettoRebel]

Originally posted by Big Grim
couldn't have said it better myself.

Thanks.

[GhettoRebel]

Originally posted by Ryan
Not Superman's Krypton.

What was different about this Krypton and Supermans?

What cause this one to continue to exist?

Was KAl-El jetisoned off into space and then they were able to restore the structural integrity of the planet?

If thats the case than it is Supermans Krypton.

Regardless. Krypton is Krypton. regardless of universe.

Thats like saying that every planet that the Exiles visit inst Earth.

It is earth and it is our earth. It may not be the earth that we are familiar with but is our earth.

[Ryan]

Originally posted by GhettoRebel
What was different about this Krypton and Supermans?

What cause this one to continue to exist?

Was KAl-El jetisoned off into space and then they were able to restore the structural integrity of the planet?

If thats the case than it is Supermans Krypton.

Regardless. Krypton is Krypton. regardless of universe.

Thats like saying that every planet that the Exiles visit inst Earth.

It is earth and it is our earth. It may not be the earth that we are familiar with but is our earth.

No, it isn't our Earth (or Superman's Krypton), something is fundamentally different about it. It's a Earth, or an Krypton, but it's not our Earth, or Superman's Krypton.

[Big Grim]

Originally posted by Ryan
Sure, he has Conner and Krypto, but neither is of true Kryptonian heritage
that's your quote man, and Krypto is of Kryptonian heritage cuz he's from the planet Krypton. Yes, it's an alternate, but it's still Krypton.
His depiction of Kara is vibrant in her youthfulness and sexuality, but at times I think it is much too excessive, whether it be Kara’s over-sexed garb (I just can’t fathom Clark ever introducing Kara to the how and what a thong is), or her wide-eyed manga-inspired face.
it's not like Clark, or any other parent, can control what their kids wear. And besides, Lois is the one that picked out the clothes for Kara. And besides, in case you haven't noticed, girls do dress that way.

[Ryan]

Originally posted by Big Grim
that's your quote man, and Krypto is of Kryptonian heritage cuz he's from the planet Krypton. Yes, it's an alternate, but it's still Krypton.

it's not like Clark, or any other parent, can control what their kids wear. And besides, Lois is the one that picked out the clothes for Kara. And besides, in case you haven't noticed, girls do dress that way.

Nope, I'll always disagree on that.

No shit girls dress that way, but f#&$ if I see Clark or Lois giving her a thong. It really just doesn't match up to me.

[cactusmaac]

Sorry if I didn't make myself clearer but the Krypton in question was a fake construct created by Brainiac, not something from an alternate universe.

[Big Grim]

Originally posted by cactusmaac
Sorry if I didn't make myself clearer but the Krypton in question was a fake construct created by Brainiac, not something from an alternate universe.
really, when did they reveal that?

[Dood Lee]

Originally posted by Big Grim
really, when did they reveal that?

In the Return to Krypton 2 arc. However, Braniac did state that he created this artificial world using actual Kryptonian DNA (Jor-El's) so you can argue that this artificial Krypton is still Kryptonian.

[Big Grim]

Originally posted by Dood Lee
In the Return to Krypton 2 arc. However, Braniac did state that he created this artificial world using actual Kryptonian DNA (Jor-El's) so you can argue that this artificial Krypton is still Kryptonian.
man, I need to grab that Return to Krypton tpb. I musta missed that part about Brainiac.

[GhettoRebel]

Originally posted by Big Grim
man, I need to grab that Return to Krypton tpb. I musta missed that part about Brainiac.

Ditto. And that is where I started reading Superman again.

[MrBlonde]

Continuity is dead right?

As far as I remember Supes left Kryto with Superboy so he could learn some responsabilities (teen titans)... I cant believe Loeb, one who is aware of details, left this... I'm sure he tries to prove something, but he's a good writer so he could do it another way.

Also I'm getting tired of "shot first, questions later" characters... in this one the girls attacked (isn't WW supposedly a friend?). They have never attacked Supes that way, when he's gone mad... why they do that way if it's about Supergirl?. Just like Supes, Kryptonite is the onely sure way...

Also Batman has to be the stupidest detective and careless hero cuz it seems like everybody knows about Kara, even they supposedly kept it a secret until it was safe, right?

The art is great, but mistakes like these throw off the story, so I'm giving it a B-

[Godfather]

Originally posted by MrBlonde

Continuity is dead right?

As far as I remember Supes left Kryto with Superboy so he could learn some responsabilities (teen titans)...

I cant believe Loeb, one who is aware of the details, left this... I'm sure he tries to prove something, but he's a god writer so he can do that in another way.

Also I'm getting tired of "shot fisrt, then ask questions later" characters... in this one the girls attacked first (isn't WW supposedly a friend?). They have never attacked Supes that way, when he's gone mad... why they do that way if it's about Supergirl?. Just like Supes, Kryptonite is the onely sure way...

Also Batman has to be the most stupidest detective and careless hero cuz it seems like everybody knows about Kara, even they supposedly kept it a secret until it was safe, right?

The art is great, but mistakes like these throw off the story, so I'm giving it a B-



I'm not sure of your reasoning about Batman being the most "stupid" (sorry I like grammar, not stupidest) detective. A meteor hurtles through space, a little space ship drops from said meteor onto earth. I would imagine there's a lot of people who noticed this happening. Now how they know its Supergirl is another question.

And while I did like the art for the most part, I have to agree. Clark Kent, to me, wouldn't let Kara run around with her thong showing (let alone let her wear one).

I liked this issue though. B is for Batman.

[MrBlonde]

Originally posted by Godfather
I'm not sure of your reasoning about Batman being the most "stupid" (sorry I like grammar, not stupidest) detective.


Doh!... the X-babies messed up with my writing... so I corrected it "stupidest,stupidest, stupidest"...

[Big Grim]

yeah, but with so many books featuring Supes, I'm sure not all are in the right order. Maybe in terms of chronology, that Teen Titans story takes place after this arc. As for Wonder Woman taking Supergirl, it's fairly obvious that she's gonna take her away to Paradise Island to train. As for how she found out about her presence, I'm sure that will be revealed soon enough

[Moonbeam]

I loved this issue. Definitely one of my favorites.

A few points related to the discussion.

1) The original statement that Krypto isn't really Kryptonian may not be "technically" completely accurate, but I think the point still stands. Compared to this Supergirl, he's not really Kryptonian. So the point that Clark would be anxious to be with this new person because he has no one else from HIS planet Krypton makes sense, and I think Loeb made it clear that it is Superman's motivation for trusting her.

2) The chicks looked awesome in this issue. OK, no one else made this point, but what's wrong with you dudes? Heck, even I was drooling!

3) I LOVE the way Turner does Batman. Beautiful. And Bruce Wayne for that matter. Great job by this artist on this character.

4) I'm torn on the issue of Kara's clothing. At first I thought, "no way would a wife buy those clothes for a woman she'd never seen that is hanging out with her husband," but then again -- she's a kid and I have had fun shopping for young girls before. I can dress them up like dolls. I guess I can see Lois having a field day, picking out the type of clothes she'd love to be able to wear around if she wasn't a top reporter and having to act her age.

5) It is never stated in this issue that Supergirl is a secret. I assumed she wasn't. I mean, she took out cops and did a huge public display in the last issue -- why would you think she was a secret? I think they "quarantined" her to observe her (Batman) and to get her ready for life on a new planet (Superman) -- nowhere was it implied that they were hiding her or something, was it? Anyway, I think saying Bruce was bad at keeping secrets is putting something into this story that just isn't accurate at all -- nitpicking about a non-existant problem.

6) The Amazons are NOT friendly with the JLA. Because of their participation, the brutal attack makes a LOT of sense. If you read the Wonder Woman title, you know that this fits into continuity perfectly, as tensions between the Amazons and the human world are at an all-time high. And Wonder Woman's presence and the line from Artemis that "We were told to delay you, but I'd sooner take your life" confirms that the Amazons are the brutal part of this attack, but someone (namely Diana) has told them to play nice.

7) I admit that I also thought to myself, "I thought Krypto was with Superboy," but I don't think it's a stretch to think that Superman will sometimes have to watch him -- I mean, they're only at Titans Tower on the weekends, right? And he visits the Kents frequently (remember the home-cooked meal in this week's Flash?). Anyway, I don't think this is a huge departure from continuity. It works for me that Superman would have his dog around from time to time.

[Godfather]

Good points Moonbeam, but I still don't think Clark would be ok with Supergirl wearing those clothes. I know for a fact my daughter won't dress like that until she's out on her own and I have no say :) Guess thats never, cuz I'll always have a say, til I'm dead.

[Daedelus]

I thought the same thing as Moonbeam in terms of Krypto being there. I could buy into the idea that Superboy would watch Krypto, but he's only at the Titan's Tower "on the weekends." I don't think Superman would trust the world's most powerful canine to Beastboy when Kon-El isn't there. The dog can fly at "superspeed," maybe Superman just whistled and called him home to the fortress to introduce him to Kara? Is that really such a stretch? Also, as infrequently as we've seen Krypto in Teen Titans, I don't think this contradicts anything from the last couple missions.

I do find the fact that Krypto wants to eat Kara unsettling. The dog has no ulterior motives and I guess I trust his instincts even over Batman's (I expect him to trust no one). Could Kara be a weapon against Superman similar to the "Return to Krypton" pocket world? One that he would so want to be true, that he'd allow himself to be vulnerable? The meory gaps are also troubling as is the Birthright conitinuity (glad to see Loeb had Batman address this though) questions.

I've found this arc to be great and the art is fantastic! I know some people complain that Turner can only draw two characters and that every male and female character look the same (Wonder Woman=Witchblade with a lasso). I can see were they're coming from, but I think that's why he looks so good drawing real costumes in the DC universe and not near naked one's in Top Cow. I can always tell Batman and Superman apart and I think they both look kick ass.

The clothing choices on Kara is not so great, but nothing that ruined the story. Apreciate this for the great arc it is. Comics are rarely as good as DC has been putting out so consistently lately, complain about this and maybe we can go back to Superman Red/Blue or Extreme Justice. I've bought comics for two decades, I've read and supported alot of bad ones and I think the last couple of years have been some of the best. As long as they keep up books like JSA, Superman/Batman, and Teen Titans and I'll keep handing them out to those of our flock that have wandered to draw them back in.

[Godfather]

Originally posted by Daedelus
I've found this arc to be great and the art is fantastic! I know some people complain that Turner can only draw two characters and that every male and female character look the same (Wonder Woman=Witchblade with a lasso). I can see were they're coming from, but I think that's why he looks so good drawing real costumes in the DC universe and not near naked one's in Top Cow. I can always tell Batman and Superman apart and I think they both look kick ass.


I really like the way Turner draws Batman. I like big ears and long flowing cape Batman.

[Moonbeam]

Originally posted by Godfather
I really like the way Turner draws Batman. I like big ears and long flowing cape Batman.

Yes! His Batman really rocks! I mean, I totally see why all the reviewers always talk about his chicks -- they are certainly hot and all that ... -- but his Batman. Dude ... that long cape and the way it reflects the light ... it's outstanding!

[Godfather]

Originally posted by Moonbeam
Yes! His Batman really rocks! I mean, I totally see why all the reviewers always talk about his chicks -- they are certainly hot and all that ... -- but his Batman. Dude ... that long cape and the way it reflects the light ... it's outstanding!

I especially like it after seeing the short ear'd Batman for so long. I mean I don't want Kelley Jones Batman, but I like the ears and uber cape. I wanna see a cape that reminds me of my Batman Bowen statue :)

Spawn ain't got nothin on Batman's cape!

[Jer-el]

Originally posted by GhettoRebel
I choose not to belive in Birthright until a desgnated time in the future as I see fit.....

I second. I actually cringed a bit when I saw the Birthright versions of Superman's parents in the Fortress in Superman/Batman 9.

[Big Grim]

Originally posted by Jer-el
I second. I actually cringed a bit when I saw the Birthright versions of Superman's parents in the Fortress in Superman/Batman 9.
I was wondering why his parents looked that way. Last time I checked, he had two versions of both mom and dad (pre and post-return to krypton) on display in the Fortress. So they look like that in Birthright?

[punkmonkey]

SUPERMAN/ BATMAN #9
Title: “The Supergirl From Krypton” Part 2: “Visitor”
Publisher: -- $2.95 / 22 pgs.
Writer: Jeph Loeb
Artist: Michael Turner
Colorist: Peter Steigerwald
Cover Artist: Turner

Reviewed By: Jared Moraitis
Grade: C-


The seeming reintroduction of the Kryptonian Supergirl into the Superman mythos continues with this second chapter, and I can’t help but be a bit disappointed in this second story arc so far. Most of my disappointment stems from the choice of artists -- I’ve never been a fan of Michael Turner, and although he’s shown some improvement since his WITCHBLADE and FATHOM years, I don’t think he’s up to snuff for such a high-profile title as this. He seems to be one of those flashy artists whose work looks somewhat impressive at first glance, but upon careful examination, the flaws are all too apparent. There is also the fact that there are some story elements that seem a bit iffy, but I learned with the last storyline that Loeb usually ties even the most seemingly out of place story elements together at the end, even if it comes off as seeming a bit of a stretch.

Writer Jeph Loeb maintains a nice balance in the conflict between Superman’s somewhat blind enthusiasm at finding a kindred Kryptonian and Batman’s immediate and persistent skepticism that this Kara is perhaps an engineered weapon or impostor of some sort.
The introduction of Fourth World elements to this storyline doesn’t do much for me yet, plus there’s the fact that I’ll never be able to take an elderly woman character named Granny Goodness seriously. The character of “Precious” is defeated far too quickly for one who apparently “showed such promise”. They seem to be holding auditions to find a replacement for Big Barda, but I’m forced to wonder why they don’t just promote one of these female warriors who made such short work of Precious -- they seem to be much more formidable. These Fourth World characters seem to be aware of Kara’s presence on Earth, which seems odd and all too convenient for the purpose of drawing a major villain/ twist into the story, but I’m curious as to the how and why of this revelation.

There seems to be a few lapses in logic or odd story decisions in issue 9 -- Batman bases some of his worry about Clark’s ability to mentor Kara by saying “other than Superboy... he’s never had to be responsible for someone so young” -- well, that doesn’t make much sense. Other than my daughter, I’VE never been responsible for someone so young, so... so what? That should prevent me from taking on the responsibility of another child? It’s not as if Superman failed in mentoring Superboy. It also seemed odd that Batman would choose to shadow Clark and Kara during their outing as Bruce Wayne instead of Batman. Seems he’d be able to tail them less suspiciously from the rooftops with his surveillance gadgets rather than some odd guy in a business suit hiding around corners. Lastly, the actions of the surprise character at the end of the issue seem very inconsistent and rash, but I’m sure Loeb will reveal some justification for her actions in the next issue -- as it is it just seems like an awkward excuse for ending the issue with a big fight scene and a cliffhanger.



I think Michael Turner needs an inker to solidify and add some weight to his work, instead of shooting the pages directly from his pencils, or else clean and tighten his pencils a bit more. Apparently Kara prefers the “juvenile tramp” style of fashion, which seems to be done for titillation sake -- she wears an extreme belly shirt ( cut off right below the breasts), which calls attention to the fact that Turner’s female anatomy is still too exaggerated and inaccurate, and very lowriding jeans exposing slutty thong underwear. Kryptonian females must also have unnaturally thick and full eyelashes, or else she wears a crapload of mascara. Turner also draws Kent’s glasses a bit oddly, which gives Clark a bit of an Asian appearance, and goes way overboard with designing Batman’s gear (his goggles have several wicked barbed protuberances that seem to serve no purpose other than excessive detail for a false sense of complexity). Batman pulls several similarly barbed gadgets out of his utility belt that no man would want anywhere near their crotch. To prevent a total dumping on the poor guy, I will say that Turner is by no means a terrible artist -- his style is just a bit too exaggerated for my tastes, and there are iffy anatomical and stylistic details (such as the way he draws hands) that, combined with his too angular pencils and broken and choppy linework, turns me off to the point of distraction. I can understand how some might enjoy his work, but I’m just not one of them, and I don’t think I ever will be.

Though there are things about the storyline so far that might not sit well with me or that raise doubts and questions, I’m willing to reserve a more critical judgment until a few more issues into the story, seeing as how Loeb is certainly not a careless writer, apt to tie things together at least somewhat satisfactorily at the end. I can’t help but wish for a different artist to realize this story arc, but that’s equal parts personal taste and critical opinion.