Batman/Superman, Volume 2: Game Over

Batman/Superman (2013)

by Greg Pak (Writer), Paul Levitz (Writer), Jae Lee (Illustrator)

The Dark Knight and the Man of Steel uncover a plot by the Toymaster to use a secret, potentially deadly element in his new video game, the characters created by players manifest in real life. The ultimate fighting game results--and a world-wide network of players must team up to create the most powerful, skilled Super Heroes imaginable with one To kill Batman.When Batman and Superman are corned by the Toymaster and Mongul, they are pitted against on another in a battle to the death, with their only hope being the The Worlds' Finest. Batman/Superman #5-9, Annual #1, Worlds' Finest #20-21.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Batman, Superman, Superheroes, Graphic Novels Comics

224 pages, Paperback

Published May 12, 2015

About the author

Greg Pak is an award-winning Korean American comic book writer and filmmaker currently writing "Lawful" for BOOM and "Sam Wilson: Captain America" (with Evan Narcisse) for Marvel. Pak wrote the "Princess Who Saved Herself" children's book and the “Code Monkey Save World” graphic novel based on the songs of Jonathan Coulton and co-wrote (with Fred Van Lente) the acclaimed “Make Comics Like the Pros” how-to book. Pak's other work includes "Planet Hulk," "Darth Vader," "Mech Cadet Yu," "Ronin Island," "Action Comics," and "Magneto Testament."

Reviews

[Jayson]

(B) 75% | More than Satisfactory
Notes: Beautiful but brainless, it's mucho techno-lameness, but painless: though I hate rotating, sideways reading's irritating.

[Anne]

This was weird.
The first two (or three?) issues are sideways.



I found it sort of off-putting because it's an awkward way to hold a hardcover comic book. I mean, it's not like it's all that difficult to turn something to the side, but it got on my nerves after a few issues.
Or maybe I'm just a big whiner-baby?
Anyway, the gist is that Toymaker accidentally invents the World's Deadliest Virtual Reality game.
I enjoyed the banter between the boys, but the story itself was just ok.



In a (sorta) continuation of the gamer story, Batgirl, Supergirl, Red Hood, Krypto, and John Steel show up and help our guys kick some alien butt.
Again, it was an ok story. There were a few memorable moments between Barbara and Steel that made me laugh, and I enjoyed seeing Jason Todd show up and kick a little ass.

Next up was a crossover with the World's Finest aka Power Girl and Huntress. In the last volume I'd read, PG was having some problems controlling her powers, and this seems to be a continuation of that storyline.
They also throw in a character from Earth 2, Vol. 4: The Dark Age. You don't strictly need to read those to understand what's going on...but it wouldn't hurt.

The art is distracting, because Jae Lee isn't the artist for the whole volume. His art sort of pops up in the middle and slaps you around a bit, disappears, comes back for one more kick in the junk, and then leaves.
If you've seen Lee's stuff, you know it doesn't play well with others.
He should have either drawn the whole thing..or nothing. I know that sounds awful, but it gave the book a really odd feel. One minute you're looking at normal characters, and the next you're eyeballing stuff from fairyland.
And, again, I have mixed feeling on how well like his stuff for a superhero comic.

There are stunning moments like this one:



And then stuff like this:


The fuck is that?!
Is he smiling?
Is the yellow alien planning to hug them to death?
I mean, it looks like he's found his Happy Place to me!
And then there's that oddly placed plane, that makes it look like he just farted out a jet.
Nothing about that panel looks like it belongs in a comic book. Nothing.

I like the Batman/Superman stuff, so I hope they don't give up on this title. I'd just like to see something more cohesive and maybe more...fun?

Also reviewed for Shallow Comic Readers

[Gavin]

Oh right, the review part...well...odd.

I still don't get how both Bats and Supes died and became powered/levelled up for a video game scenario where Mongul used humanity as a force of anger to kill the two heroes who save them every week...?

Yet somehow DC fanboys will say a talking sociopathic gun loving raccoon is unrealistic?

Anyhow...that part was dumb, and it wasn't Jae Lee art. It was decent, Brett Booth stuff.

Then we end up with the son of Mongul challenging B&S (I call B&S on this whole scenario) to Warworld? So each must take clan members, Clark takes Kara and Steel...where did he show up from? The Superman books in New 52 are so goddamned confusing, no linear sense or carryover...
Bats gets Red Hood...perfect, and Batgirl volunteers...odd.

So in the fights, Jason and Bruce kick the shit out of people, as do Kara and Clark. Steel and Babs do computer shit and get ignored. Then it gets silly...er.

The only story really worth it (other than the few moments of truth between Jason and Bruce) is the one where Huntess and Power Girl run into,B and S.
Except, they're from Earth 2 and they know different versions...

So um ya, then it gets stupid...again...shocker.

Art once again saves the day.

[Shannon]

Didn't really appreciate the sentiment that gamers who play violent video games = violent people.

Also, even not knowing a single thing about releasing video games it should be easy to surmise that alpha testing comes before beta.



Jae Lee's art style has really grown on me though. Bad thing is I read this simultaneously with Worlds' Finest, Vol. 4: First Contact because the story goes back and forth (annoyingly) between both volumes and it was actually super jarring to go from Lee's art to another artist's. Lee's is just so unique and I think it really fits the Bat-Fam's series because it just looks ... darker. More menacing.

This page in particular really made me wish he did more Batman comics:


The Batman/Superman story was good after the ridiculous Game Over story, but I ended up liking seeing them with Huntress/Power Girl more.

[Shannon]

Batman and Superman deal with not only an invasion (in which they call in for help) but superheroes from other Earths and an overpowering villain in the background.

Those who know about Earth 1 and 2 will appreciate some of the references.

[Murat]

İlk bölümdeki çizimlerin hatırına 2.5 ⭐

[James DeSantis]

I'll be honest this was looking to go down as really bad. The first arc was by far the worse. It starts off with people playing video games, but instead of games, they put these nano robot thingys inside superman, batman, and so on to control them as video game characters. Once past that we have a kind of cool story where Moguel (think that's how spell it) son comes to earth but instead of destroying it wants to battle for the right. So Superman/Supergirl/Steel and Batman/Batgirl/Redhood team up but instead have to fight each other. It's a fun little team up and something different.

We then have a arc about Superman and Batman dealing with Earth 2 Kara (Powergirl) and Batman's daughter who is Huntress in that Earth. They must face off against the undercover bad guy who is preparing to open a portal of sorts to the world where the old superman/batman were in Volume 1.

What I liked: Really enjoyed the arc with the battle royal. Some really fun fights, solid arts, and quick paced storyline (think just two issues). I also dug the whole earth 2 connection again. It was so cool to watch Batman and his daughter from another reality team up. Def a highlight. Also this Superman/Batman still not trusting each other 100% is compelling and interesting compared to the old ways.

What I didn't like: The first arc was really awful. Sadly it takes up like 1/3rd of the book too. This almost made me not want to continue. Also the ending of the book was kind of mehish and very superheroish.

Overall another fun volume. I just really dig Superman/Batman together. They're funny and their distrust makes for some really interesting moments. I would recommend this to fans of both to try it out.

[Stewart Tame]

I've now read the first two volumes of this series, and I have to say that I’m more impressed by the art than the writing.

So we're dealing with a guy who calls himself the Toymaster. The name recalls Superman’s classic foe, the Toyman, but the Toymaster isn't necessarily a bad guy. He's a super rich, hotshot game and toy designer who's ready to beta test a new game, and, because his new system runs on nanites and handwavium, his game has real life consequences, much to the consternation of Batman and Superman. It turns out that someone else is behind the Toymaster’s tech, and they're using him for their own ends. Repercussions from this adventure lead our heroes to Warworld and a teamup with Power Girl and the Huntress among others.

I understand Clarke’s Law--”Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic,” and all that--but the Toymaster’s game really pushes at the limits. Yes, we do get some fun scenes from the concept, but there have got to be better ways of getting there than magic nanites. Heck, I’d almost like it better if they’d had archeologists unearth Merlin’s magic dice or something. It would have been more believable. I know Greg Pak is supposed to be a hot writer and all, but I’m not really seeing it on display here. Story-wise, this is pretty average work, nothing that would have been out of place in World's Finest circa 1975 or 1980 or so.

Jae Lee’s art is worth taking a second look at. Lovely stuff, though a bit more flash than substance. Still, very pretty.

On the whole, not recommended, but I suppose you could do worse.

[Steve]

Not a bad story, but took a while to figure out how the various issues in this volume tied together, especially after the first. The artwork was okay, but part of it was really disjointed and the characters didn't look like themselves. Reminded me of Mike Mignola's artwork.

[Joshua Adam Bain]

Wow what a let down.

After the first volume I wasn't sold on the series, but I was definitely keen to read more. This fell straight on its face from the get go. After a terrible story with Mogul and his "commuter game" arc it was off to a very rocky start. Then it's followed by a tale of his son, who I can't remember his name, but oh well it was a crap story anyway. Lastly we get a crossover with Worlds Finest, that should be enough to put you off right? Yep, it sure turned me off. Not only were the stories crap, but the art was forever changing. I loved Jae Lees art in the last volume, but there are only a few issues in here that he has drawn.

Overall it's an average book full to the brim of average stories and average art. If your looking for something engaging you might want to look elsewhere!

[Jesse A]

Not the best New 52 title but an interesting change of pace type.

[Michael Church]

Well...this happened. There's a combination of the standard Batman/Superman content, an Annual story, and World's Finest. The first three issues were pretty weak with a story about the Toymaster. This actually set up all of the stories which had no really believable premise. Even by comic book standards. And the first few issues were sideways. It's a novel idea, but doesn't work well in the trade.

The annual was interesting, but a bit random. Steel suddenly shows up. I didn't even know he was a thing in the New 52, apparently because I'm not reading Action Comics. Otherwise, it's a nice continuation of the previous arc, without needing to be too tied to it. It's a little quick and rushed feeling with the whole tournament thing coming off as very strange.

Then the last arc crosses over with World's Finest in a way that makes a lot of sense, especially after Volume 1 of Batman/Superman. Of course, the WF issues included are a different level of quality than B/S. I got pretty fed up with Huntress and Power Girl constantly comparing Batman and Superman to the Earth 2 versions. It just got old and sounded redundant and ignorant. I guess it could fit, but the author kept doing it in the dumbest situations. It also had a set up where you really need to be reading Earth 2 as well. I am, I just hate when they force you to read a whole slew of titles.

The art is also a mixed bag. Brett Booth has a style that I like, but it is a far cry from Jae Lee. I liked both of their issues, but it was a drastic change. Then the artist for WF was more similar to Booth, but had awkwardly shiny moments, which may have been more on the colorist.

Overall, I enjoyed this, but it was a far cry from the absolutely amazing first volume. I'd keep with it, but it does make me worry the first outing may have been a one hit wonder.

[Anchorpete]

Alright, so this book can get five stars based on the Jae Lee art alone. Actually, let me correct that, this book gets five stars based on a specific panel that Jae lee drew- the panel itself is shaped like the Bat Symbol and it features the Red Hood and Batgirl, with images of the worst moments of their life looming large, and disturbing in the background. That is the reason why I read comics. It is what separates them from film or novels.
The storytelling is pretty great as well. This book uses the same gimmick from the Superman/Batman book the Jeff Loeb wrote years ago. It features narration from both Batman and Superman, constantly referring to each other as "Clark" and "Bruce" as they predict what the other is going to do, and why. This, is yet another reason why the book should get five stars. It is a real tragedy that this kind of narration that shows the friendship between these two icons will never be represented in the live action movies. Oh well, at least we have books like this.

[chvang]

First two issues (where Mongul uses harnesses the rage of gamers to destroy the world) is the sort of cringe-inducing shit that makes me embarrassed to say I read comics.

Hope the rest of the book is better; the artwork definitely is.

Nope, it doesn't get better. The next villain is the son of Mongul, out to avenge his death. There are better graphic novels on which to spend your time. Pass.

But I really like the artwork and the stunning use of colors.

First book of the year to be abandoned. Skimmed the rest of the book; looks stunning, but little hope the story or dialogue will get better, although Powergirl's act of self-sacrifice might have some redeeming value--the writers probably wrung a story out of that (although judging from their work so far, I may be giving them too much credit).

[Robert]

It took me 5 weeks to finish this slim volume, during which time I checked out dozens of others, which kind of tells its own tale.
The thing is I like Jae Lee's art, it gives the comic reader something different, especially in the fairly artistically homogeneous DC-verse, but the catch for this title comes when other more conventional artists sub in and out, creating a visually jarring mishmash. With a "parallel universe"-based story line this uninspiring the art should at least stay the main attraction, something I can't say for this volume. Disappointing, to say the least, after the relatively strong start in the first volume.

[Jonathan Roberts]

So I made no small stink about how much I did not like the first volume of this series mainly because of the art and this one got worse. But this time it was not Lee's fault but a dumb sideways series of issues and some other poor artwork toward the end. But what really sucks is that unlike the first version of superman/batman by Loeb, this iteration is just not very good and it is not fun at all. A convoluted multi-verse story that just lost my attention. So no volume three for me. Sorry guys

[Dan]

The first half with the video game and Warworld was ok. But the second part with Power Girl and Huntress really made this great. Wonder if this same artist also worked on the Dark Tower prequels because it was a similar style. Interesting learning Power Girls origin.

[Sean Kennedy]

It's criminal that a comic book containing both Batman and Superman be this boring.

[Trike]

The writing on this was a bit too meta-twee for me. Then there’s the art, which is just all over the place. Plus half the book is sideways, which is that cutesy thing they do when they’re out of decent ideas. (Looking at you, Absolute Batman: The Court of Owls.) This didn’t do it for me, clearly.

[JoRead]

Ok, I'm no expert when it comes to comics. I read what I like and mostly, I read to entertain myself. I can appreciate the art and the effort the writers put in a comic book but there are times that even I can say that a little more effort could have been put in a story. First of all I will say I'm not fan of the revamp edition of the DC world. Why the DC decided to launch the New 52s is beyond me. I don't like it. I don't know why they did it. I want my old DC characters back. Period. That said I was ready to take a chance of the new story line because why not? After all, they are beloved characters that have stood the test of time over and over again.
The graphics/designs of this story were not my favorite. But again, I will blame it on the take of The New 52, not on the artists. Then the story took some turns that were very childish, and I get that comics are still aimed to a very specific audience, but really? I wanted to love it, but there are too many silly things in the story that I just cannot overlook and that made me go "excuse me, whaat?" that 3 1/2 is my rating for this one.

[Ricky Ganci]

I loved having Brett Booth join in on pencils, and the variety and quality of the artwork throughout the entire volume was memorably diverse. Jae Lee returns to form on his contributions, and as always, the insane level of detail that Kenneth Rocafort brings with him adds a photographic quality to the entire story.

I also enjoyed the over-the-top stories, but the book was a bit strange in the telling. I'm all for a good allegory or social commentary, but the structure of the volume in its wildness got away from me a bit as I struggled to determine which threads of previous plots were continuing and which were resolved.

It's a different look at Superman and Batman than the other books that DC is offering right now, but Jae Lee keeps the fun alive in this good-looking but uneven collection.

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library)]

The Good: Two of the best-known comic book superheroes team up once again to save our planet from unthinkable evil! With fun artwork, plenty of action, and great narration, there's plenty to like about these comics. Even other DC Comics favorites such as Wonder Woman, Supergirl, and Power Girl make appearances. All good, except...

The Bad: The makers felt the need to add a little too much profanity into the mix; it was especially unnecessary to have Superman utter such words. Also, one superheroine's outfit is a bit too buxom, if you know what I mean.

Conclusion: I've been devouring comics like crazy lately, and most of them have been at least somewhat good. While not the best superhero saga I've read, this is definitely fun stuff. Content issues aside, I enjoyed this one.

Score: 4/5

[Quentin Wallace]

So far this series isnt blowing me away. Some of the art is from Jae Lee, and as usual the art is gorgeous. Brett Booth did some of the art, and that was nice as well.

The stories leave a little to be desired. We get to see the heroes battle Mongol, as well as the Son of Mongol. The Mongol storyline is a little weird though with some kind of online game being used to control the heroes as they fight. The concept just lost me. The son of Mongol battle was slightly better, just because it was a more traditional fight.

The other storyline was a crossover between Earth One and Earth Two, and it was ok but still not my favorite.

Overall, not bad but not that good either.

[Angela]

People are playing video games pretending to be Batman and Superman. Only problem is that the real Batman and Superman are being controlled by them.

A fun but very short story. The ending did feel a bit rushed. A good read.

[✩]

Best part is when red hood and supergirl come in.

[Blindzider]

The initial three-part story is straight forward: heroes fight, then team-up to beat-up the bad guy. But how Pak goes about it is a little more interesting, taking our society's obsession with games and gaming. Some of it is a little hand-waving, but it makes good fodder for discussion. The entire arc is drawn by Brett Booth in "widescreen" where the book has to be turned sideways.

The remainder of the volume shows the first hints that the stories in Vol. 1 weren't stand-alone. A plot thread is carried through while Bats and Supes deal with alternate universe relatives. I'm still finding Pak's writing to be a tad confusing on some of the details but you do get more fantastic Jae Lee art (although not in every issue.)

[Ivy]

5 stars

Nice to have Batman and Superman in another comic together. Also nice to see Supergirl, Steel, Batgirl, and Red Hood. Hope to see more Batman/Superman adventures.

Can't wait to read Batman/Superman, Volume 3: Second Chance!!!

[Münevver]

Hiro Okamura <3

[SarahKat]

Jae Lee's art will never disappoint. The stories in this were okay. The gaming one was interesting. As was Huntress and Power Girl. I wish I had read the first one closer to when I read this one.

[Carolina]

A bad start, but it gets better. Unfortunately, it doesn’t keep up.