Superman/Batman #49 Review

Superman/Batman is a title that The Revolution has not bothered to review in a long time. And that is because this title became a pretty ordinary read for a while. However, Michael Green and Mike Johnson have done an impressive job reviving this title and making it a quality read.

The current story arc dealing with Superman and Batman on a mission to rid the Earth of every single piece of Kryptonite has been completely enjoyable. Superman/Batman #49 is the final issue in this story arc. I am confident that Green and Johnson will end this story arc with a fantastic finish. Let’s hit the review for Superman/Batman #49 and find out.

Creative Team
Writer: Michael Green & Mike Johnson
Penciler: Shane Davis
Inker: Matt Banning

Art Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Story Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 8.5 Night Girls out of 10

Synopsis: We begin with Batman in his Batplane following Superman on their way to LexCorp to talk with Lana about the stunning revelation last issue that the U.S. Government has hired LexCorp to design and manufacture Kryptonite based weapons to be used against Superman.

Superman thinks how he was shocked to find out that LexCorp was behind all of this. Batman thinks how he isn’t surprised that LexCorp was behind it all. Batman thinks how Clark believes the best of everyone. Because Clark strives for the best in himself. Batman thinks “It’s a problem.”

We see Kryptonite missiles being launched from LexCorp’s building. Batman uses his Batplane’s defenses to take out all of the missiles. Batman tells Clark that Lex is supposed to be off-planet. Superman answers that Lex is and that Lana Lang is now running LexCorp. Superman says that there is no way Lana would do this. That this Kryptonite weapons program had to be one of Lex’s projects that crept on in his absence. Superman says that he will talk to Lana and that she will take care of this.

We see Superman and Batman split up. Superman flies into Lana’s office. Superman sees that Lana has an old picture of Clark and her from their Smallville High prom. Lana apologizes for the missiles. Lana says that they are part of the building’s automatic response to fast approaching entities.

Superman then tells Lana about LexCorp designing and manufacturing weapons for the U.S. Government. Superman tells Lana to tell him that it was Lex and not her. That Superman will believe her. Lana says nothing. We cut to Batman in the basement of the LexCorp building beating the crap out of some LexCorp guards. Batman thinks how LexCorp has enough security to keep out anyone else other than him.

We shift back to Lana telling Clark that it was just a business decision. Clark is upset and exclaims that they are close friends. That Lana saved his life numerous times from Kryptonite. That Lana almost died several times because Kryptonite slowed Clark down. Clark says that all he wanted to do was to make the world safe for him. To clear his home of poison and to get rid of an arsenal of Kryptonite weapons designed to kill him.

Clark asks if Lana did this all for profit and stock value. Lana exclaims that Clark doesn’t understand. That this had nothing to do with the two of them. That she has responsibilities that Clark cannot imagine. That when she took over LexCorp that the company was in ruins and the stock was in the toilet. That people’s jobs and lives were on the line. That a thousand families go hungry or get fed based on the decision she makes. So, Lana had a choice to either let LexCorp go bankrupt or make weapons for the U.S. Government.

Superman then says that he is taking the Kryptonite from LexCorp. Lana responds that she cannot let Superman do that. Superman answers that he is not asking. Superman then reveals that Batman has already infiltrated LexCorp’s building and should have hacked into the LexCorp mainframe by now.

Batman then radios Superman and informs him that the cache of Kryptonite is in a facility in Siberia. Superman then tells Lana that Lex was never able to stop him and neither will she. Batman then radios Superman and says that there is a problem. That the Siberian cache is not the only one. Batman reports that LexCorp has a thousand caches of Kryptonite all across the globe.

Lana adds that the caches are all shielded from Superman’s scanners and are rigged to explode should Lana push a single button on her desk. Lana says that if all the caches explode then the thousands of megatons of Kryptonite will be instantly vaporized into the Earth’s atmosphere. That every corner of the planet will be contaminated by a microscopic film of Kryptonite. Batman radios Clark to confirm that Lana is right. That they created thousands of Kryptonite dirty bombs.

Lana says that Superman would have to leave Earth. That Superman would have to find a new home. Lana pleads with Superman to not make her push the button. Lana says that she has a company to protect and employees to serve. Lana tells Clark to tell Batman to stand down and leave.

Clark holds out his hand and says that “Lana…This is me.” Clark says that he knows her and that she would never push that button. That Lana was the only person he trusted for a long time. That they loved each other once.

Batman radios Superman and tells him not to test Lana. Batman says that they will find another way. Superman tells Batman that it is okay. Superman tells Batman to hit the charges and blow up LexCorp’s mainframe. Superman says that they are going to finish what they started.

Lana then pushes the button.

We see the thousands of caches across the world explode as Earth is enveloped in Kryptonite.

We cut to the JLA Watchtower where Batman has Superman, Supergirl, Chris, Krypto and Power Girl. Batman says that they have to figure this out. That there must be something they can do. Superman replies that there is nothing to do. That it is over. Batman responds that they can’t let Lana win. Not like this.

Superman laments that he has lost another home. Suddenly, Toyman (Hiro) radios Batman. Hiro says that he can help. Hiro reminds Batman that a while back he had invented some mechanical spiders that can clean up Kryptonite at the micro-level. Batman tells Hiro to send him the specs and he will get hundreds of thousand build as soon as possible.

Hiro says that he already did that. Hiro says that the spiders are self-replicating. Batman tells Hiro to activate the spiders. Hiro then asks what he is going to get out of this. Batman asks if Hiro is hinting at cash. Hiro replies that he was thinking more of a date with Power Girl.

Batman rubs his temples and mumbles that there is a decommissioned Power Girl robot that they could…Hiro interrupts and says that will work fine. Batman tells Hiro to send out the spiders. Hiro answers that he already did that. Hiro then replies for Batman to give him some credit. That Hiro was not going to let Superman suffer. Batman replies “Good man.”

We shift to Hiro’s “spiders” eating away and cleaning up all of the Kryptonite fallout across the entire planet. Superman is elated that he can go back home. He cut to later that night in Metropolis with Clark planting a huge kiss on Lois. We see that Lois and Clark are at a screening of the new movie “World’s Finest” about Superman and Batman.

Lois Lane and Clark Kent then do a red carpet interview with Bruce Wayne. Bruce comments that the movie better not waste any time with an origin story. Bruce says that he wants a good “smash ‘em up” film.

We then shift to the JLA Watchtower with Batman meeting with Hiro. Batman informs Hiro that the JLA is making him an honorary member. That when the League calls, Hiro needs to be ready. Suddenly, Power Girl walks into the room and asks Hiro if he is ready for their dinner date. That they have reservations at eight at a restaurant in Paris.

Hiro is struck speechless. Hiro asks Batman if this is the robot. Power Girl responds that she is not a robot. Hiro is about to die from sheer happiness. Hiro shouts “Paris, here we come!” Batman whispers to Power Girl that he owes her one. Power Girl whispers back “You have no idea.”

We slide over to Lana’s office at LexCorp. Superman is hovering outside of her window. Lana tells Clark that he can come inside. Superman says “No thank you.” Superman says that Lana tried to take everything away from him. His home, his family and his life. Superman says that he never thought Lana would do that. Lana answers that she never thought she would do it either. Lana says that she is sorry Clark pushed her to do it. Lana says that these aren’t like the simple old days anymore.

Lana says that she is just trying to make something out of this company. Superman replies that he can see that and that Lex would be proud of Lana. Superman says that he has wondered before what life would have been if it had been Lana instead of Lois that he ended up with. Superman says that Lana might have wondered why it was Lois instead of her. Superman then says that Lois would never have pushed the button.

Superman flies away. Superman thinks how Lana waits until he is miles away before she starts crying. Superman says he can hear the tears trickle down her cheeks. We then hear a voice from off panel say “Why so sad, Lana Love? You did perfect.” (And if Superman can hear a TEAR DROP trickle down Lana’s cheek, why didn’t he hear this mysterious voice which strongly hints that Lana is not acting of her own volition?)

We cut to Batman in his Batplane while Superman takes a container full of the last bit of Kryptonite left on the planet and flies it up to the sun. Batman tells Superman to throw it where they can see it. Batman thinks how this will let them all know that when they need one, when they want one, that they have a savior and that he is safe again.

We see Batman and Superman standing on top of the Daily Planet. Batman mentions that they did it. That every single shard of Kryptonite has been destroyed. That none of it remains on Earth. Superman answers not all of the Kryptonite has been destroyed. Superman then hands Batman a small lead box.

Superman says that this is the last piece of Kryptonite in the entire world and that he wants Batman to keep it. Superman says that the fact remains that during their mission to collect all of the Kryptonite that Superman saw a side of himself that he didn’t like. That Kryptonite is what makes him human. It is the fear of death. The possibility of death and an end that allows him to truly be human rather than playing at being human.

We shift to Batman in the Batcave. Batman takes the small box of green Kryptonite to the most secure part of the cave. Batman thinks how he will keep in case of an emergency that he cannot imagine.

Batman enters a special vault. Inside we see tons of green Kryptonite. We also see that Batman has collected white, red, blue, black and gold Kryptonite as well. Batman prays that he will never need to use this arsenal of Kryptonite. End of issue.

Comments
The Good: Superman/Batman #49 was an awesome issue! Green and Johnson serve up a fantastic finish to what was a wonderful story arc. Superman/Batman #49 was a nicely paced read. Green and Johnson allow the high drama between Clark and Lana to carry this issue. When there is serious tension like what we get in this issue the writer does not need to load up on the action in order to keep the story moving.

Superman/Batman #49 was well plotted. Everything slid into place for a seamless and stunning conclusion to this story arc. This issue is tightly delivered and focused. Green and Johnson also do a nice job of resolving this major plotline and at the same time planting the seeds for a future plotline involving Lana and the mysterious voice from off panel.

Green and Johnson crank out plenty of great dialogue. They have an impressive feel for Batman and Superman. Green and Johnson manage to contrast the two heroes’ strengths and weakness and demonstrate to the reader how each man compliments the other. This results in some excellent chemistry between Batman and Superman.

The scenes that carrier Superman/Batman #49 were the ones between Clark and Lana. Green and Johnson did a phenomenal job handling the complex and old relationship between these two high school sweethearts. I dig how Green and Johnson stress Clark’s supreme faith in Lana that never wavered until the moment she pushed the button. This was nicely juxtaposed with Batman thinking that Clark always seeing the best in people is his greatest weakness.

Green and Johnson manage to get the reader to feel exactly like Clark and in total disbelief when Lana pushed the button to detonate the Kryptonite caches. It was like a body blow to the reader. I was totally stunned and shocked. This was such a powerful scene as Clark’s feelings of hurt and betrayal were palpable.

I liked Hiro’s appearance in this issue. I have always found Hiro to be a cool character. Green and Johnson whip up some hilarious dialogue between him and Batman. Batman’s exasperation with Hiro about a date with Power Girl as “payment” for his help was humorous.

Green and Johnson then showed the reader that Hiro is a true hero by revealing that he had already released the spiders before talking to Batman. The nice touch of having Batman mumble out a grudging compliment to Hiro was classic. It is definitely a rare moment to ever receive any praise from the Batman.

I got a laugh out of the scene with Hiro and Power Girl. I can only imagine that Hiro must have felt that he had died and gone to Heaven. Hiro’s sheer giddiness over his date with the genuine Power Girl was nicely done. I also like the fact that Hiro was made an honorary member of the JLA. Hiro is a good character who should be utilized more often.

Green and Johnson dial up a fantastic scene between Superman and Lana Lang at the end of this issue. Superman’s pain and rage simply radiates off the page. Lana’s shame and regret is clear. Superman’s comparison to Lana and Lois, even though truthful, bordered a bit on twisting the knife since it is obvious that Lana still greatly loves Clark. This was a wonderfully done scene that had a powerful impact on the reader.

Green and Johnson then tease the reader with the mysterious off panel voice that praises Lana for how she handled Superman. Combine that with Lana’s obvious sorrow and it becomes apparent that Lana might not have pushed the button out of her own free will. I am curious to learn more about this plotline involving this mysterious voice and Lana Lang.

Green and Johnson end Superman/Batman #49 with an awesome ending. It was a brilliant and perfect ending to this story arc. Green and Johnson do a wonderful job building up Superman’s character as the paragon of virtue for New Earth.

And I liked the nice touch of using the Batman as the vehicle for this monologue praising Superman as our savior. Batman is often a tool used to tear down Superman’s character. By utilizing Batman to reinforce Superman’s position as the source of inspiration that everyone looks to in times of crisis gives the monologue more power and weight.

Of course, the fact remains that Batman is still cooler and Green and Johnson get that, too. Superman might be the only man in the DCU who has the power to do unimaginable good like no one else, but Batman is the ultimate bad-ass.

Superman is a powerful symbol that inspires the world and gives us hope and comfort. On the other hand, Batman is that bump in the night that operates while we are asleep to make sure the world is safe for us normal humans. Batman is not supposed to be a symbol of hope. Batman isn’t supposed to be the public figure that Superman is. Batman is like the Navy SEALs of the DCU. He works in anonymity and is willing to do whatever it takes to protect New Earth.

The final page in Superman/Batman #49 just re-enforces the fact that Batman is the only person who can tug on Superman’s cape. My jaw dropped to the floor at the sight of Batman’s vault brimming full of every single color of Kryptonite. Just imagine all the Kryptonite weapons that Batman could develop.

This one page splash shot made me grin from ear to ear. That’s my boy. The ever-paranoid Batman who hopes for the best and plans for the worst. Even if it means lying to his “best friend.” This was just a perfect ending to this story arc centering on eradicating every spec of Kryptonite from Earth.

Shane Davis and Matt Banning combine to deliver a nice looking issue. Davis and Banning infuse plenty of emotion into Green and Johnson’s story. The final scene between Lana and Superman was particularly well done. I loved that Davis had Superman silhouetted with just his red glowing eyes visible. This emphasized Superman’s distancing from Lana signaling that their previously close relationships is now dead.

The Bad: I have no complaints with this issue.

Overall: Superman/Batman #49 was a fantastic finale to what was an entertaining story arc. Green and Johnson have done a hell of a job on this title. Superman/Batman almost fell victim to The Revolution’s dreaded axe before Green and Johnson arrived onto the scene. If you dig the big red S and the big bad bat then you will certainly get a kick out of Superman/Batman.