Ok, so Bendis isn’t hitting home runs with Superman, but by adding Batman into the mix, Joshua Williamson has cooked up a really solid Super-Team-Up.

Let’s break this down.

What am I talking about? Batman/Superman #1
Written by Joshua Williamson
Art by David Marquez
Cover by David Marquez, Variant cover by: Leinil Yu

The pitch: Supes and Bats must hunt down The Batman Who Laughs as he plots to take kill/infect/destroy/poison/defeat/turn all the other Super-heroes of the DC Universe.

Is It Worth $3.99? Yes, for the first time in a while, something with an “S” on yet is worth the cover price.

One of the hardest parts of writing a Superman/Batman team up is the banter (both internal and spoken) that plays off the differences in the characters. This comparison has been going on since these two first run into each-other since a promotional issue of the New York World’s Fair Comics #1 in 1939 and later in their own team comic World’s Best Comics #1 in 1941. Coming up on a century soon, these capes have been teaming up and comparing themselves to each other, so it’s hard to find any new ground or territory to stake out for a new series.

And yet, Williamson has mined some great moments to illustrate how these heroes are both opposites and the same. Clark is a reporter at heart; while Batman is the world’s greatest detective- both use deductive reasoning and question sources, cite facts, and trust instinct.

While Batman disappears before Gordon can turn around once he has the info he needs, Superman stays to reassure before taking to the sky.

I’m not a fan of The Batman Who Laughs in the original Metal series, but since then he’s grown on me and he is used sparingly, but to perfection in this issue. Setting up a villain, a plot, and a series that is a sure fire hit.

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