REVIEW: Batman/Superman #15
Batman/Superman #15 is here and I have to say I really think this is an underrated series, not enough people are talking about it!
But before we get into the issue, let’s take a look at the covers. First up is the standard cover by David Marquez with colours by Alejandro Sanchez. I have to say I adore the two working together, they compliment each others artwork perfectly. The use of colours in this piece in particular is truly phenomenal. We feel the panic on Superman’s face in particular, this is an eye catching piece for sure.
The variant cover is by Travis Charest and my god it is glorious. It perfectly the captures the contrast of these two characters in both tone and personality. I love it. Both of their suits have a really retro and classic look and the sunlight behind The Daily Planet building is absolutely beautiful.
Batman/Superman #15 follows the pair as they try to keep Solomon Grundy calm during an ambush, in order to stop him from exploding and taking down half of the United States and it’s inhabitants.
This issue is literally a race against time and you find yourself reading more and more intensely as it goes on. The story-telling and attention to detail in this issue is phenomenal and there are several moments where you find yourself smiling at the pages. It also highlights some of the little annoyances that people/characters like Batman and Superman find along their way. When I say this I mean they are literally trying to calm Grundy down in order to save his life and countless others, then they are ambushed by a group who want to let him free.
I will admit I’m not sure where this fits in with the rest of the issues in this series, at first I thought it was to do with the Ultra-Humanite when he did something similar to Atomic Skull. That part isn’t really explained. However, this is just a nice story, a tale of two friends, their trust and most importantly their friendship. Writer Joshua Williamson always does a fantastic job of showing how well the pair work together. They bounce of each others weaknesses and strengths and it’s great to see. I love how Williamson shows both of their patterns of thought throughout the issue.
I have to say the final few pages are my favourite. This really is a testament to their friendship, but not only that it is a perfect example of Superman, his compassion and his kindness. He listened to a simple story that Batman told him and took it upon himself to act upon it. It was great to see the pair have a little bit of down-time and yes even smiling, especially when you take into consideration the stress they were under.
The artwork by interior artist Andrei Bressan is excellent, there is so much detail throughout the issue especially when it comes to certain characters and landscapes. I will say that although this is supposed to be months before the current story line, all of the characters do look incredibly young. Whilst it is a breath of fresh air and a slightly different take on the characters, it really makes them look like Damien Wayne and Jonathan Kent to me. I think that is mostly because there is a bit of a playful side to the pair towards the end, which I do still adore.
All in all Batman/Superman #15 is a great issue, but it does have some somber moments too. This is sadly the final issue of Batman/Superman for Joshua Williamson and team, with Gene Luen Yang and Ivan Reis taking over from #16. But Williamson has given us a fantastic and very unique run and I am very excited to see where the new creative team takes these characters.
Haven’t picked up your copy of Batman/Superman #15 yet? You can get the standard cover by David Marquez here (US). Or if you prefer the variant cover by Travis Charest, you can get that here.
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