Review: Superman/Batman #8-13

I reserved judgement on this until it was complete, hoping there’d be a little more to it than than fanboy pandering, but alas, it is what it is.

Credit Jeph Loeb for giving the people what they want, I guess.

From his lazy, summer-blockbuster plotting and scripting, to Michael Turner’s incredibly overrated artwork, this story arc bored me senseless. Another Supergirl. Whoopee! I imagine there’s bigger plans for her in the near future but this overblown introduction certainly doesn’t have me anticipating them.

Never has Superman been more annoying, or Batman so predictable, and their navel-gazing narration was frequently trite and simple-minded, making me wonder why Loeb apparently has such a low opinion of his audience.

(DISCLAIMER: I blame Loeb, rightfully or not, for the ill-conceived Pamela Anderson body double for Kristin Kreuk’s shower scene on Smallville earlier this season.)

And the Source Wall?!?! * groan * Can you say cop out, boys and girls?

As for Turner, while his ubiquitous covers are generally pleasing to the eye, his interior work is sloppy and repetitive. All of his women look the same – busty and button-nosed, differentiated only by their costumes – and his page layouts strike me as someone more interested in impressing himself than in telling a coherent story.

Thumbs down!

Written by Guy LeCharles Gonzalez

Guy LeCharles Gonzalez is the Chief Content Officer for LibraryPass, and former publisher & marketing director for Writer’s Digest. Previously, he was also project lead for the Panorama Project; director, content strategy & audience development for Library Journal & School Library Journal; and founding director of programming & business development for the original Digital Book World.