REVIEW: Batman/Superman #16

Batman/Superman #16 is finally here and kicks off their first adventure outside of The Future State event. With a stellar creative team behind it, I have been really looking forward to getting stuck into this new arc!

But before we get into the issue itself, let’s take a look at the covers. The standard cover is by Ivan Reis, with inks by Danny Miki and colours by Sabine Rich and it is fantastic! I am so glad to see Reis back drawing Superman, and seeing this new (well old) suit design really put a smile on my face. The detail is great here, as are the stances and poses that each of the heroes take. The colours go a really long way to really separate the two worlds featured on this cover and in this issue; Metropolis and Gotham.

The variant cover is by Greg Smallwood and it is absolutely stunning! This feels like a really classic version of both Superman and Batman and has a real golden age feel to it, which I love. I love the texture detail, the positioning of the pair and also the beautiful golden shine that wraps over them. I cannot fault this piece in any way, it is gorgeous, and I would absolutely love to own this as a huge print on my wall.

First of all, Batman/Superman #16 is very unique in the way that it is written, in fact I don’t think I’ve ever seen this before. There are technically two stories by writer Gene Luen Yang, and you can either read them simultaneously or read one and come back to the other. At a first glance this confused me a little, but once I got a few pages into it, it was easy to follow and very exciting. I chose to read the two simultaneously and I am assuming that these two very different stories take place at the same time and lead up to the same outcome.

There is a Superman story titled ‘The World Of Tomorrow’ and a Batman story titled ‘The World Of The Knight’, and both have real a classic and retro feel to it. It instantly hit me with a wave of nostalgia, as this is not the comics and portrayal of the characters we tend to get now. Yang clearly has a firm grasp on who both Superman and Batman are as characters, and showcases some really great and quintessential moments, which I really enjoyed.

Yang has expertly combined the two worlds of Metropolis and Gotham. It’s really great to see some of these characters interact with one another, because it’s not often we see Alfred and Lois in a panel together, let alone some of the surprises we face in this issue with regards to character and villain reveals! I adored the numerous changes that were made to both Superman and Batman’s back stories and also supporting characters, that made it really feel like two elseworld stories, which I am a huge fan of. Not only that but there were several times where my jaw hit the floor with regards to some of these changes, it really adds a shock factor as well as pure entertainment. I really hope we get to see more of these worlds.

The interior artwork is by Ivan Reis and I cannot tell you how good it is to see him back to drawing Superman again. His work in the Superman series was fantastic, and instantly put him as one of my favourite Superman artists of all time. Yep, that’s how much I love his work. Well, the artwork in this issue did not disappoint, there are some excellent moments in terms of action that just look fantastic and I love his take on each and every character in this issue. That can be said especially for Superman, I love that Superman suit design and seeing one of my favourite artists bring it to life really put a smile on my face. The colours and use of inking and shading by Danny Miki and Sabine Rich really goes a long way to show the reader just how different the pair are in terms of personality, character and background. It really helps separate these two stories to keep the narrative clear, which again is expertly done.

Batman/Superman #16 is a fun issue that really plays around with the backstories we know about these characters. With excellent writing and impeccable artwork, this is a fresh take on established characters and is a fantastic and exciting opening to a brand new story arc.

Haven’t picked up your copy of Batman/Superman #16 yet? You can get the standard cover by Ivan Reis here (UK), or here (US).

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