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Superman Post-Crisis #14
Superman: Dark Knight over Metropolis
In these stories from the mid-1980s, Superman calls on Batman to help him battle the organized crime family known as Intergang. And as the two super heroes forge their alliance, Superman entrusts Batman with a special weapon: a Kryptonite ring, which the Dark Knight must hide in case the Man of Steel ever loses control of his own other worldly powers!
Collects SUPERMAN #44, ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #466-467, ACTION COMICS #653-654 and ACTION COMICS ANNUAL #1.
Collects SUPERMAN #44, ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #466-467, ACTION COMICS #653-654 and ACTION COMICS ANNUAL #1.
168 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1990
8 people are currently reading
119 people want to read
About the author
John Byrne
2,955 books359 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
John Lindley Byrne is a British-born Canadian-American author and artist of comic books. Since the mid-1970s, Byrne has worked on nearly every major American superhero.
Byrne's better-known work has been on Marvel Comics' X-Men and Fantastic Four and the 1986 relaunch of DC Comics’ Superman franchise. Coming into the comics profession exclusively as a penciler, Byrne began co-plotting the X-Men comics during his tenure on them, and launched his writing career in earnest with Fantastic Four (where he also started inking his own pencils). During the 1990s he produced a number of creator-owned works, including Next Men and Danger Unlimited. He also wrote the first issues of Mike Mignola's Hellboy series and produced a number of Star Trek comics for IDW Publishing.
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
John Lindley Byrne is a British-born Canadian-American author and artist of comic books. Since the mid-1970s, Byrne has worked on nearly every major American superhero.
Byrne's better-known work has been on Marvel Comics' X-Men and Fantastic Four and the 1986 relaunch of DC Comics’ Superman franchise. Coming into the comics profession exclusively as a penciler, Byrne began co-plotting the X-Men comics during his tenure on them, and launched his writing career in earnest with Fantastic Four (where he also started inking his own pencils). During the 1990s he produced a number of creator-owned works, including Next Men and Danger Unlimited. He also wrote the first issues of Mike Mignola's Hellboy series and produced a number of Star Trek comics for IDW Publishing.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
January 17, 2014
Ah, another collection of comics from when I was a young’un. This stuff is pure gold, in my opinion. It’s quite difficult to get hold of specific comics you remember fondly. DC, in particular, isn’t actively re-printing their 80s stuff in collected editions (there are some exceptions, like the Justice League International collections which are still in circulation, and stuff like Grant Morrison’s Animal Man run that is available on the Vertigo imprint).
So, I was extremely excited to get hold of this. Not only does it contain the Dark Knight over Metropolis arc from 1990, it also contains the issue where Hank Henshaw makes his first appearance in a sequence that is either a tribute to, or a parody of, Marvel’s Fantastic Four (take your pick) (Henshaw would later go on to become Cyborg Superman). The real bonus, however, is the inclusion of Action Comics Annual #1 (Skeeter) from 1987, which features Batman and Superman going up against vampires in a small town in South Carolina. It’s an extremely atmospheric romp with some classy retro art (by Art Adams). It’s written by John Byrne, at a time when he was considered Superman royalty, and it alone is worth every cent of admission.
The last three issues, of course, is the actual Dark Knight over Metropolis arc, which sees Batman coming into possession of the Kryptonite ring that used to belong to Lex Luthor. It features some great dialogue, and it’s quite amusing to see Superman’s annoyance at the fact that Batman has so easily surmised his Clark Kent identity. Also featuring here is a character I had all but forgotten about, namely Gangbuster.
The only possible problem (arguably) with this collection is that, with the exception of the last three issues, there isn’t a common thread that holds everything together. Also, if you’re looking to buy this only for Batman, he doesn’t feature in all the stories.
Longtime Superman fans will definitely want this one for their collection!
So, I was extremely excited to get hold of this. Not only does it contain the Dark Knight over Metropolis arc from 1990, it also contains the issue where Hank Henshaw makes his first appearance in a sequence that is either a tribute to, or a parody of, Marvel’s Fantastic Four (take your pick) (Henshaw would later go on to become Cyborg Superman). The real bonus, however, is the inclusion of Action Comics Annual #1 (Skeeter) from 1987, which features Batman and Superman going up against vampires in a small town in South Carolina. It’s an extremely atmospheric romp with some classy retro art (by Art Adams). It’s written by John Byrne, at a time when he was considered Superman royalty, and it alone is worth every cent of admission.
The last three issues, of course, is the actual Dark Knight over Metropolis arc, which sees Batman coming into possession of the Kryptonite ring that used to belong to Lex Luthor. It features some great dialogue, and it’s quite amusing to see Superman’s annoyance at the fact that Batman has so easily surmised his Clark Kent identity. Also featuring here is a character I had all but forgotten about, namely Gangbuster.
The only possible problem (arguably) with this collection is that, with the exception of the last three issues, there isn’t a common thread that holds everything together. Also, if you’re looking to buy this only for Batman, he doesn’t feature in all the stories.
Longtime Superman fans will definitely want this one for their collection!
August 24, 2019
Típica saguita de team-up de los 90, entretenida para leer en un abrir y cerrar de ojos
March 28, 2025
Superman: Dark Knight Over Metropolis
A dead body is discovered in Gotham and in his possession is a radioactive ring and a bus ticket from Metropolis. The Batman must meet Superman to discover the connection, but Clark Kent is busy preparing for Morgan Edge's trial. As the Batman Begins to solve the mystery, Clark realises that the Dark Knight might be a solution to his deepest fear: what if Superman ever lost control?
Some fantastic artwork and a great relaunch of the World's Finest team up, the writers are careful to set out the fundamental differences between Superman and the Batman before homing in on what draws them together.
A dead body is discovered in Gotham and in his possession is a radioactive ring and a bus ticket from Metropolis. The Batman must meet Superman to discover the connection, but Clark Kent is busy preparing for Morgan Edge's trial. As the Batman Begins to solve the mystery, Clark realises that the Dark Knight might be a solution to his deepest fear: what if Superman ever lost control?
Some fantastic artwork and a great relaunch of the World's Finest team up, the writers are careful to set out the fundamental differences between Superman and the Batman before homing in on what draws them together.
February 16, 2014
Nice little crossover tale, as well as a good time capsule of early-ish post-Crisis Superman. Obviously, these issues was collected in anticipation of the upcoming Batman vs. Superman film, but don't hold that against it!
This starts with Action Comics Annual #1 which was already reprinted in Superman: The Man of Steel, Vol. 6. Having read that volume, I skipped this annual this time around. This 1987 tale by John Byrne and Art Adams has no connection to the rest of the stories released in 1990, except that it provides a bit more Superman/Batman team-up value for the reader's $14.95, which I can't complain about (although I got this from the library). I guess it establishes for the reader the still-adversarial relationship from the two, set up in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and canonized with Superman: The Man of Steel, Vol. 1. That said, perhaps the issue from the Man of Steel miniseries (collected in Vol. 1) would've done this more effectively.
The reason that Adventures of Superman #466 was included is less apparent, although very much appreciated. I'd long ago read about Dan Jurgens's dark pastiche of the Fantastic Four's origin, but this was the first chance I'd gotten to appreciate it. Aside from giving us a status update on Lois & Clarks' relationship, though, it doesn't really lead into the Intergang plotline of the main story nor does it have anything to do with Batman. It would be nice to think that it was included to avoid any gap in collections with the Superman: Eradication trade, but that's been out of print for a while, so I doubt it. I guess the introduction of Hank Henshaw, who eventually becomes the Cyborg Superman. That may have been enough to make this issue noteworthy, although without the #468 which comes after this collection, the long-term context of his debut is absent from the volume itself.
Next, we get to Action Comics #653, which is clearly the beginning of the actual "Dark Knight Over Metropolis" storyline even if it's not labeled as such. Aside from the storytelling charms of Jerry Ordway, Roger Stern, Bob McLeod, and (to a slightly lesser extent) the aforementioned Jurgens, the interest here for a DC obsessive is in witnessing both the continuation of Byrne's reinterpretation of Superman, and the beginning attempt to move away from it. After all, this is in particular a continuation, and resolution, of the plotline started way back in Superman Vol. 2 #2 (found in Superman: The Man of Steel, Vol. 2) in which Superman's identity is discovered, sort of, and it prominently stars the mostly-forgotten Jose "Gangbuster" Delgado as well as Cat Grant, who is unrecognizable to anyone who's only encountered her "cougar" caricature in Geoff Johns first Superman run (how unfair that Johns depicted her as the only Daily Planet staffer who'd aged meaningfully since Byrne's run! but I digress).
But it's also a clear attempt to start putting the enmity between Superman and Batman to rest, crystalizing (no pun intended) in the moving (well to me) conclusion, which I won't spoil but will be familiar to anyone who's read much later runs in titles such as JLA, by which point you could almost tell yourself you weren't reading the post-Byrne version of these characters.
At the same time, the once-out-of-fashion conflict between these two heroes is actually more in vogue these days, perhaps not so much with the New 52 itself (as far as I'm aware, I'm a bit behind but also avoided the mess that Superman Vol. 3 has been so far but clearly with this upcoming film. So what once would've been awkward to revisit in collected form back in the late 1990s and the 2000s is now appropriate, even if it does contain all these "un-iconic" characters that DC is so at pains to avoid these days.
Truth be told, the actual Intergang plotline won't win over those without some investment in the characters, the creators, or the history of DC, and I'm probably happier having checked this out than I would've been had I paid full price for it, but as it was it was fairly enjoyable to me. Maybe it would've been nice if Stern could've written his own standalone run, but "mainstream" comics is full of those what-ifs (and I don't mean that Marvel series).
This starts with Action Comics Annual #1 which was already reprinted in Superman: The Man of Steel, Vol. 6. Having read that volume, I skipped this annual this time around. This 1987 tale by John Byrne and Art Adams has no connection to the rest of the stories released in 1990, except that it provides a bit more Superman/Batman team-up value for the reader's $14.95, which I can't complain about (although I got this from the library). I guess it establishes for the reader the still-adversarial relationship from the two, set up in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and canonized with Superman: The Man of Steel, Vol. 1. That said, perhaps the issue from the Man of Steel miniseries (collected in Vol. 1) would've done this more effectively.
The reason that Adventures of Superman #466 was included is less apparent, although very much appreciated. I'd long ago read about Dan Jurgens's dark pastiche of the Fantastic Four's origin, but this was the first chance I'd gotten to appreciate it. Aside from giving us a status update on Lois & Clarks' relationship, though, it doesn't really lead into the Intergang plotline of the main story nor does it have anything to do with Batman. It would be nice to think that it was included to avoid any gap in collections with the Superman: Eradication trade, but that's been out of print for a while, so I doubt it. I guess the introduction of Hank Henshaw, who eventually becomes the Cyborg Superman. That may have been enough to make this issue noteworthy, although without the #468 which comes after this collection, the long-term context of his debut is absent from the volume itself.
Next, we get to Action Comics #653, which is clearly the beginning of the actual "Dark Knight Over Metropolis" storyline even if it's not labeled as such. Aside from the storytelling charms of Jerry Ordway, Roger Stern, Bob McLeod, and (to a slightly lesser extent) the aforementioned Jurgens, the interest here for a DC obsessive is in witnessing both the continuation of Byrne's reinterpretation of Superman, and the beginning attempt to move away from it. After all, this is in particular a continuation, and resolution, of the plotline started way back in Superman Vol. 2 #2 (found in Superman: The Man of Steel, Vol. 2) in which Superman's identity is discovered, sort of, and it prominently stars the mostly-forgotten Jose "Gangbuster" Delgado as well as Cat Grant, who is unrecognizable to anyone who's only encountered her "cougar" caricature in Geoff Johns first Superman run (how unfair that Johns depicted her as the only Daily Planet staffer who'd aged meaningfully since Byrne's run! but I digress).
But it's also a clear attempt to start putting the enmity between Superman and Batman to rest, crystalizing (no pun intended) in the moving (well to me) conclusion, which I won't spoil but will be familiar to anyone who's read much later runs in titles such as JLA, by which point you could almost tell yourself you weren't reading the post-Byrne version of these characters.
At the same time, the once-out-of-fashion conflict between these two heroes is actually more in vogue these days, perhaps not so much with the New 52 itself (as far as I'm aware, I'm a bit behind but also avoided the mess that Superman Vol. 3 has been so far but clearly with this upcoming film. So what once would've been awkward to revisit in collected form back in the late 1990s and the 2000s is now appropriate, even if it does contain all these "un-iconic" characters that DC is so at pains to avoid these days.
Truth be told, the actual Intergang plotline won't win over those without some investment in the characters, the creators, or the history of DC, and I'm probably happier having checked this out than I would've been had I paid full price for it, but as it was it was fairly enjoyable to me. Maybe it would've been nice if Stern could've written his own standalone run, but "mainstream" comics is full of those what-ifs (and I don't mean that Marvel series).
August 18, 2013
I've read this as the original comic issues, and this is one of my favorite Superman/Batman stories so far. I'm glad it's going to be collected in to a trade paperback, because it's really good. The art is good, although not yet as good as in the 90s comics, and I suppose the TPB edition will be re-colored which will be a plus.
The main story about the missing kryptonite ring is really good and has some very awesome moments, especially at the end, also, the two main hero characters are written perfectly. to get a better understanding of the background of Superman's and Batman's relationship, you might want to read Man of Steel #3 (Nov 1986) by John Byrne (first meeting between Supes and Bats in this continuity) and Adventures of Superman #440 (May 1988) (Bats and Supes reveal that they know each others identities). There were a few more of Sup/Bats crossover issues before the 'DK Over Metropolis' arc, but these two are the most necessary to read, if you're interested in the rest, check them at this list: Complete Superman reading order (post-Crisis pre-Flashpoint)
The Superman Annual #1 is probably added to this trade as a filler, because it's completely unrelated to the 'DK Over Metropolis' story arc, in fact, it was published a couple of years earlier. It has Batman and Superman fighting vampires in a small town, but the story is not really good and the two heroes meet only at the very end of the story and exchange only a few sentences. Man of Steel #3 would have been a much better addition here instead.
In short, if you're a Bats & Supes fan, you must read this.
The main story about the missing kryptonite ring is really good and has some very awesome moments, especially at the end, also, the two main hero characters are written perfectly. to get a better understanding of the background of Superman's and Batman's relationship, you might want to read Man of Steel #3 (Nov 1986) by John Byrne (first meeting between Supes and Bats in this continuity) and Adventures of Superman #440 (May 1988) (Bats and Supes reveal that they know each others identities). There were a few more of Sup/Bats crossover issues before the 'DK Over Metropolis' arc, but these two are the most necessary to read, if you're interested in the rest, check them at this list: Complete Superman reading order (post-Crisis pre-Flashpoint)
The Superman Annual #1 is probably added to this trade as a filler, because it's completely unrelated to the 'DK Over Metropolis' story arc, in fact, it was published a couple of years earlier. It has Batman and Superman fighting vampires in a small town, but the story is not really good and the two heroes meet only at the very end of the story and exchange only a few sentences. Man of Steel #3 would have been a much better addition here instead.
In short, if you're a Bats & Supes fan, you must read this.
August 21, 2017
It has been difficult for DC to figure out how to maintain the Superman and Batman friendship following the "Crisis on Infinite Earths" story line. They seem to have found their stride though, by making Batman the detective who can figure out the clues that Superman cannot. Not a big fan of the Kryptonite ring though, but we'll see how it goes.
March 28, 2015
The first story was phenomenal.. the rest were ok. 4 stars for the first story.
January 8, 2023
Being a Superman title, I was unaware of Superman: Dark Knight Over Metropolis until I saw this in another person’s Batman collection.
This book starts with Action Comics Annual 1, a vampire story written by John Byrne and illustrated by Art Adams. Several murders occurred in Gotham City, and Batman’s investigation led him to North Carolina. Batman does not know Superman’s real identity yet, so he asks Clark Kent to deliver his request for assistance to Superman. This story was decent, and it highlights Superman’s weakness to magic.
The following story, Superman 466, is written and illustrated by Dan Jurgens. This story felt like a Fantastic Four origin story as it involves a ship crashing to Earth and the four passengers inside the ship, one of which is Hank Henshaw, develop powers because of the radiation. What I enjoyed the most were the backstories. Apparently, Perry White’s wife is mad at Clark because Clark resigned from his job. Meanwhile, Clark wants to take his relationship with Lois Lane to the next level. Intergang leader Bruno Mannheim is also in this story. We will see more of him in the Dark Knight Over Metropolis story arc. These backstories make me want to read more Superman stories.
Action Comics 653, written by Roger Stern and illustrated by Bob McLeod, sets up the Dark Knight Over Metropolis story arc. Upon learning that Superman went own of town, Mannheim convenes the Council of War to discuss the trial of Morgan Edge, one of Intergang’s former officers, where Cat Grant is a witness. Meanwhile, one of Lex Luthor’s former employees successfully verifies that Clark Kent is Superman using Luthor’s Kryptonite ring.
The last story arc is the three-issue (Superman 44, Adventures of Superman 467, and Action Comics 654) Dark Knight Over Metropolis story. The first two issues were written by and illustrated by Jerry Ordway, while the last issue was written by Roger Stern and illustrated by Bob McLeod. I like how the writers used news articles to get the readers up to speed with what is happening in the Morgan Edge trial and the role that Cat Grant plays in the case. Mannheim wants to abduct Cat Grant to manipulate her testimony. Meanwhile, Superman is worried that Luthor knows his identity when he finds out that the woman who possessed the Kryptonite ring used to be Luthor’s employee. Batman does not tell Superman that he has it (typical Batman). This is Batman’s first time encountering Kryptonite. This is also the first time Bruce Wayne and Lex Luthor meet. They meet at a ball hosted by Lex Luthor, which Intergang attacks.
I am not the biggest fan of Superman. I prefer street-level heroes more, but I am glad this book is a part of my Batman collection. The Dark Knight Over Metropolis is a great story. I love how it ended. Superman entrusts Batman with the Kryptonite ring even though he acknowledges that he and Batman are not friends because he knows that Batman might need the ring one day to stop him (typical Superman). This is a definitive Batman/Superman story.
Chronology: Read this after The Man of Steel 3 (collected in Batman vs. Superman: The Greatest Battles) as Action Comics Annual Vol 1 refers the what happened in The Man of Steel 3.
My Batman Collected Editions Instagram page
This book starts with Action Comics Annual 1, a vampire story written by John Byrne and illustrated by Art Adams. Several murders occurred in Gotham City, and Batman’s investigation led him to North Carolina. Batman does not know Superman’s real identity yet, so he asks Clark Kent to deliver his request for assistance to Superman. This story was decent, and it highlights Superman’s weakness to magic.
The following story, Superman 466, is written and illustrated by Dan Jurgens. This story felt like a Fantastic Four origin story as it involves a ship crashing to Earth and the four passengers inside the ship, one of which is Hank Henshaw, develop powers because of the radiation. What I enjoyed the most were the backstories. Apparently, Perry White’s wife is mad at Clark because Clark resigned from his job. Meanwhile, Clark wants to take his relationship with Lois Lane to the next level. Intergang leader Bruno Mannheim is also in this story. We will see more of him in the Dark Knight Over Metropolis story arc. These backstories make me want to read more Superman stories.
Action Comics 653, written by Roger Stern and illustrated by Bob McLeod, sets up the Dark Knight Over Metropolis story arc. Upon learning that Superman went own of town, Mannheim convenes the Council of War to discuss the trial of Morgan Edge, one of Intergang’s former officers, where Cat Grant is a witness. Meanwhile, one of Lex Luthor’s former employees successfully verifies that Clark Kent is Superman using Luthor’s Kryptonite ring.
The last story arc is the three-issue (Superman 44, Adventures of Superman 467, and Action Comics 654) Dark Knight Over Metropolis story. The first two issues were written by and illustrated by Jerry Ordway, while the last issue was written by Roger Stern and illustrated by Bob McLeod. I like how the writers used news articles to get the readers up to speed with what is happening in the Morgan Edge trial and the role that Cat Grant plays in the case. Mannheim wants to abduct Cat Grant to manipulate her testimony. Meanwhile, Superman is worried that Luthor knows his identity when he finds out that the woman who possessed the Kryptonite ring used to be Luthor’s employee. Batman does not tell Superman that he has it (typical Batman). This is Batman’s first time encountering Kryptonite. This is also the first time Bruce Wayne and Lex Luthor meet. They meet at a ball hosted by Lex Luthor, which Intergang attacks.
I am not the biggest fan of Superman. I prefer street-level heroes more, but I am glad this book is a part of my Batman collection. The Dark Knight Over Metropolis is a great story. I love how it ended. Superman entrusts Batman with the Kryptonite ring even though he acknowledges that he and Batman are not friends because he knows that Batman might need the ring one day to stop him (typical Superman). This is a definitive Batman/Superman story.
Chronology: Read this after The Man of Steel 3 (collected in Batman vs. Superman: The Greatest Battles) as Action Comics Annual Vol 1 refers the what happened in The Man of Steel 3.
My Batman Collected Editions Instagram page
September 28, 2017
I ordered this while I was on a big Superman kick. And, yes, this was a pretty good collection, especially since it highlighted Superman and Batman at a time when they were still trying to figure each other out. The first comic, being vampire-based, was a nice creepy read--especially with Halloween season nearly here. The comic that was basically DC's darker re-imagining of Marvel's Fantastic Four was also a fascinating little romp into a much more realistic and tragic what-if. The actual storyline advertised on the cover--"Dark Knight over Metropolis" didn't happen until about three issues in. But the other stories supplied some nice background. And that main story was pretty solid, with lots of underlying threads woven together to make good mystery with some nice action. I particularly liked the ending, when Superman gave Batman the Kryptonite ring. I'd heard that moment referenced in other comics, so it was nice to actually read the comic from which it came. All in all, this is worth having on a your "to-read" list if you're a fan of the Man of Steel.
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July 7, 2019Algumas histórias em que Batman e Superman se cruzaram em Metropolis, a maior parte delas num longo arco detalhando um combate contra uma máfia criminosa que ameaça a cidade. A história mais interessante é Skeeter, com argumento de John Byrne e ilustração de Art Adams. Numa cidadezinha do interior profundo do sul dos Estados Unidos, os dois personagens icónicos da DC envolvem-se num misterioso surto de vampirismo, aparentemente ligado a uma jovem adolescente. Que, na verdade, é uma vampira centenária, imortalizada como adolescente. Uma aventura em que, por pouco, o grande Super-homem quase se transforma em vampiro.
October 4, 2025
Such a fun team-up
I think it’s biggest issue is that it is DEEPLY engrained into Superman's books' continuity. You will be a little confused as to what’s going on and who certain key characters are if you didn’t at least read Byrne's run. And even then characters like José Delgado have undergone a pretty massive change since that run.
But overall, it’s a fun little story that mixes in the best elements of both characters into a pretty well paced and exciting mostly self-contained story!
I think it’s biggest issue is that it is DEEPLY engrained into Superman's books' continuity. You will be a little confused as to what’s going on and who certain key characters are if you didn’t at least read Byrne's run. And even then characters like José Delgado have undergone a pretty massive change since that run.
But overall, it’s a fun little story that mixes in the best elements of both characters into a pretty well paced and exciting mostly self-contained story!
October 6, 2018
Gran cómic de estilo detectivesco, con un guion muy sólido y un final muy trascendente en el devenir del universo DC.
November 12, 2013
This was a great time for Superman. Four years after the post- crisis reboot, spearheaded by John Byrne. The first story is written by Byrne and drawn by Arthur Adams, who was at this time verly clearly Byrne influenced in his drawing style. It is, surprisingly the weakest story in the book, and unrelated to the others stories, which build upon each other, as successive issues often do.
After this first, silly, story from Action Comics Annual #1 (1987), in which Supes and Bats team up to rid a small town of it's menacing vampire, you get a story of Supes trying to help a group of astronauts who crash land a space shuttle after some radiation experiments go terribly wrong.
Then you get the real meat of the book: a four issue arc, the last three of which feature Batman, from May and June 1990, concerning Luthor's kryptonite ring, a woman who has figured out Clark Kent is Superman and Intergang's efforts to take out Clark, Lois and Cat Grant, before they testify at a trial against one of their operators. Really seminal stuff in the post crisis history - when Superman learns he can trust Batman.
After this first, silly, story from Action Comics Annual #1 (1987), in which Supes and Bats team up to rid a small town of it's menacing vampire, you get a story of Supes trying to help a group of astronauts who crash land a space shuttle after some radiation experiments go terribly wrong.
Then you get the real meat of the book: a four issue arc, the last three of which feature Batman, from May and June 1990, concerning Luthor's kryptonite ring, a woman who has figured out Clark Kent is Superman and Intergang's efforts to take out Clark, Lois and Cat Grant, before they testify at a trial against one of their operators. Really seminal stuff in the post crisis history - when Superman learns he can trust Batman.
March 26, 2016
Proof that Batman and Superman can meet and not try to kill each other or cause massive amounts of collateral damage. Written shortly after DC's company-wide reboot in 1986, these stories offer some of the earliest meetings between the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight in the new continuity. After a one-off story involving vampires--in which Superman is so concerned about killing that he has to fall back on vampire lore to tell the difference between the actual undead and innocent living people who are simply under the thrall of a vampire instead of just, y'know, snapping a bunch of necks for the hell of it--we move on to the meat of the story involving Intergang's attempts to stop the trial of Morgan Edge. Cat Grant, who is now probably best known for her appearance on Supergirl, features heavily in the plot, as does the still-fresh-and-new romance between Clark Kent and Lois Lane.
While I'm not a fan of some of the clunkier narrative devices that were still being used in comics in the early- to mid-eighties, you can't beat the lighter tone of these stories.
While I'm not a fan of some of the clunkier narrative devices that were still being used in comics in the early- to mid-eighties, you can't beat the lighter tone of these stories.
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November 4, 2014When a woman confronts Clark Kent in a graveyard brandishing a ring made of kryptonite she forces the Man of Steel to confess his secret identity. When the same ring turns up weeks later in a frsf homeless man's possession in Gotham City, Batman traces the man's recent trip to Metropolis. There the Dark Knight joins forces with Superman to uncover the ring's past and the identity of the cemetery assailant.
This was a good story from the '80s featuring a revamped World's Finest when they still have a wary respect for each other. Both of the heroes have not yet reached their full potential at this point in their careers and I like my heroes full strength. But this is a good story to round out the readers' enjoyment of the characters
This was a good story from the '80s featuring a revamped World's Finest when they still have a wary respect for each other. Both of the heroes have not yet reached their full potential at this point in their careers and I like my heroes full strength. But this is a good story to round out the readers' enjoyment of the characters
January 3, 2014
In the mid 1980's, DC 'rebooted' their heroes. In this new version, Batman and Superman are no longer 'Best Buds'...
The 1st story is from 1987, and is a 'stand-alone'. Though they are both in the story, Bats and Supes have only a scene or two together.
The main story here is from 1990. Batman is looking into a murder, and Superman is looking for the owner of a kryptonite ring, who knows he is really Clark Kent.
It is a nice story,and I enjoyed looking back at it. I sometimes get tired of the Batman/Superman feeeling each other out part, but it works here. And the ending is important in terms of storylines down the line....
The 1st story is from 1987, and is a 'stand-alone'. Though they are both in the story, Bats and Supes have only a scene or two together.
The main story here is from 1990. Batman is looking into a murder, and Superman is looking for the owner of a kryptonite ring, who knows he is really Clark Kent.
It is a nice story,and I enjoyed looking back at it. I sometimes get tired of the Batman/Superman feeeling each other out part, but it works here. And the ending is important in terms of storylines down the line....
June 21, 2018
Excellent set of stories. Set some time after the events of the Eradicator storyline. Its great to have Clark and Superman team up to deal with a few things.
Kind of funny that the first story details the World's Finest taking on a Louisiana vampire. That's right, long before Sookie Stackhouse.
Other really cool things involve the final flight of the Excalibur and the death of its crew. Which would lead to something far more twisted... as this is the debut of Hank Henshaw.
But the main story includes a Kryptonite ring and a woman who knew that Clark and Superman were the same person.
Very good stories. B+
Kind of funny that the first story details the World's Finest taking on a Louisiana vampire. That's right, long before Sookie Stackhouse.
Other really cool things involve the final flight of the Excalibur and the death of its crew. Which would lead to something far more twisted... as this is the debut of Hank Henshaw.
But the main story includes a Kryptonite ring and a woman who knew that Clark and Superman were the same person.
Very good stories. B+
April 26, 2015
3.5 Stars.
A fun collection that pairs Batman & Superman in an early 90s tale. Also collects a wacky Bats/Supes adventure featuring a vampire, which is also collected in Man of Steel Vol 6. A treat for Superman fans and Batman completists, but those not raised on comics will find this a non-event.
A fun collection that pairs Batman & Superman in an early 90s tale. Also collects a wacky Bats/Supes adventure featuring a vampire, which is also collected in Man of Steel Vol 6. A treat for Superman fans and Batman completists, but those not raised on comics will find this a non-event.
November 22, 2013
This was interesting. The first story felt more like a Vertigo book; I kept expecting Swamp Thing to show up. The title story was the part that had my attention; Dr. Henshaw before he was Cyborg-Superman, Batman obtaining the Kryptonite ring, Superman's secret exposed. Good stuff.
July 18, 2014
It's fun reading these old stories. This group of stories show Superman and Batman working together to solve a few cases along with trying to stop Intergang from going after Cat Grant. Plus, the romance between Lois and Clark.
October 10, 2013
1989 is mid-80's now?
January 6, 2014
Not a big fan of it.
January 9, 2014
This is a very interesting book. I hope that they use the final dialogue between Superman & Batman in the new movie. It would be amazing!!!
March 9, 2014
Good book not great. Still, nice little crossover story with Superman and Batman. The first story I didn't really enjoy, vampires etc?? Not keen. The rest was good ok.......
July 23, 2015
A fun read.
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