Guys? Guys! You can stop looking. I found 'im!
Oh, hey there. Just calling off the search. Missing person case, but he was found, safe and sound. It was Jeph Loeb, you see. The guy who wrote Batman: The Long Halloween and some great Superman stories back in 1999. I loved his work, but I haven't been able to find him as of late. Sure, there was a report that he was writing the current Batman stint, illustrated by Jim Lee, but it was clear it wasn't the same guy. That book lacked the mature and complex perspective on classic characters that made him a favorite.
But this week, Loeb finally turned up, handling the writing chores on the new Superman/Batman series, a 21st century take on the classic World's Finest Comics series that teamed DC's two best known -- and most profitable -- characters. Loeb's script explores the parallels and differences that exist between these two archetypes, and he does so with a first-person narrative approach that examines them as men, not larger-than-life demigods in the DC Universe.
John Corben, the cyborg known as Metallo, goes on a rampage at S.T.A.R. Labs in Metropolis, and preictably, it attracts the attention of another man of steel. Corben's desperation and strange behavior presents a mystery, and the trail leads Superman to Gotham City. There, the Batman is delving into a mystery of his own, but the sudden appearance of his Justice League ally creates a clash of methods that threatens to put an end to both heroes.
One might expect the more cartoony tone of McGuinness's artwork to work against the more mature qualities in Loeb's script, but one would be wrong. He captures Superman's majesty, power and purity with ease, but his take on the Batman is deliciously dark. He brings a stunning array of detail to the backgrounds, and he carefully maintains a visual contrast between the two title characters, matching the dichotomies in the script. Most of all, McGuinness's work is just fun. He boasts a Bruce Timm influence here, especially in his depiction of Metallo, who looks more like his animated counterpart of the 1990s.
Loeb has crafted a story that not only will delight longtime fans of the title characters and of the writer's work, but one that new readers -- younger readers -- can appreciate as well. He opens the issue with a retelling of the Man of Steel's and the Dark Knight's origins, and they're presented in a such a way that young and old can enjoy them.
Did I really need to read the heroes' origins again? Of course not, but there's so much more to be found in that parallel sequence. Loeb explores what divides these two men, what makes them such opposites, even though they pursue a common goal. Superman's story is about sacrifice and hope, while the Batman's is about loss and cynicism. Loeb continues to examine those differences throughout the issue, and it transforms what is, on the surface, a generic super-hero story into something completely riveting.
