Superman: Balas Rasantes

Superman Elseworlds

by J.M. DeMatteis, Eduardo Barreto (Illustrator)

En el marco de la línea Elseworlds, Otros Mundos, asistimos a la historia de qué hubiese pasado si el último hijo de Krypton hubiese sido recogido por la familia Wayne, y no por los Kents.

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

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Also Credited As:
DeMatteis, John Marc
Ellis, Michael
Lombego, Wally

Bio:
J.M. DeMatteis was a professional musician/singer and rock music journalist before entering comics in the late 70's.

Credits include Spider-Man, Moonshadow, Brooklyn Dreams, Justice League, Abadazad, Hero Squared, the Life and Times of Savior 28.

Created I, Vampire , Creature Commandos, Moonshadow, Hero Squared (co-creator), Abadazad, Stardust Kid, Savior 28 and more.

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh boy mr. stick-up man - are you in for a big surprise - excellent Elseworlds (EW) story that takes Batman (B) and Superman (S) and 'meshes' them together! Would really like to see more of this; would like to see (for example) an EW story where Martian Manhunter (MM) gets a Green Lantern (GL) ring! Sorry to 'fan boy' out on everyone!

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a given we'd see this mashup once the Elseworlds series got rolling. What if Kal-El's ship crashed at Wayne Manor instead of a Kansas farm? The premise starts off strong. Kal-El has been raised as Bruce Wayne, his parents die and Bruce isn't aware of his powers until a break-in occurs at Wayne Manor and Alfred is threatened. Once he finds out his heritage, he creates the Batman suit and starts melting criminals faces off! Batman was way too brutal for my taste. Lex Luthor comes to town and falls into the vat the Joker was meant to. Up to that point, the story was pretty good, but then for some reason, DeMatteis decides to incorporate the entire Superman cast and backstory and things start feeling really contrived. Bruce buys the Gotham Gazette and hires Perry White and Lois Lane to run it. And after one conversation from Lois, Bruce becomes Superman instead. The shift to nonsense in the book was quite noticeable and once the book is skidding out of control, DeMatteis hits the gas instead of pumping the brakes. Still, I really enjoy the Elseworlds concept and think they are all worth a read. Longtime Superman artist Eduardo Barreto provides the art.

[Jesse A · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story. Needed more time, more depth.

[JB · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is why I love Elseworld stories. Superman Speeding Bullets turns the origin story of Superman and Batman on it’s head. Kal-El lands in Gotham City in stead of Kansas, therefor he’s found by the Waynes in stead of the Kents. This means the Waynes never have Bruce (the Bruce Wayne we now at least). Because how do they name baby Kal-El … that’s right, they call him Bruce.

But this doesn’t mean that Batman never gets born. The events of that fateful night were the seed for the Batman gets planted and the actual night were the Batman gets born, do happen, though with some differences from the original events.

I really like the art! And love how they were able to successfully make Superman Batman. And wait until you see what they’ve done with Lex Luthor. Because having Kal-El crash-land in Gotham City doesn’t mean he’ll never meet his arch nemesis.

This Batman has similar crosses to bear as the Batman we all know, but different enough to make it fresh. This is just a great what if story. A "Superman Red Son” for the 90s.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

What if the Waynes found that rocket from Krypton and their son had to watch them die in Crime Alley? That's the premise of this tale by J.M. DeMatteis and Eduardo Barretto.

Is it fun? Not really. Bruce is even a bigger mope this time around after roasting Joe Chill alive with his heat vision. His Batman is an almost inhuman monster until he's tamed by Lois Lane. Lex Luthor being the Joker made me roll my eyes a bit. I realize Super Batman needed someone to fight but it was a little ridiculous. It was worth reading but I wouldn't go out of my way to read it. 3 out of 5 stars.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a truly awesome concept, that's what I love most about this book!!!

Imagine if instead of Jonathan and Marth Kent finding baby Superman in Kansas...Thomas and Martha Wayne find him in Gotham City and raise him as their own. Clark Kent becomes Bruce Wayne only to endure the same hardships and become The Batman himself...EXCEPT WITH SUPERMAN'S POWERS!!! and Lex Luthor becomes The Joker...that's genius!!!.

I love Eduardo Barreto's art! His layouts are amazing with a style I can really appreciate and find inspiring! It was a great story too, very well written!. I kind of feel like they took small elements from the 1989 Batman movie (dialogue, actions of characters, etc.)...but I'm cool with that. And I did not like the way they ended it, but I'll let that slide and still give it five stars cause it was awesome.

DC should turn this into one of their animated films!!!

[Blindzider · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is actually a reread for me. I purchased this way back when it came out. Recently someone recommended it to me so I dug it out of my boxes.

DeMatteis has always had a gift for getting into the heads of the characters, truly making the reader understand their motivations and how they are feeling. Primarily knowing him from his Spectacular Spider-Man run, this alternate take on the origin of Superman is filled with pathos as a young Kal El is found and raised by the Waynes. His journey through the pain and guilt of their deaths is evident and their resolution sets him on the more well known path of Superman.

For a relatively short story, it packs a punch, and is imaginative and satisfying.

[Ryan Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

What if the Waynes found the crashed Kryptonian pod instead of the Kents? What if Clark Kent was Bruce Wayne instead and still stood helplessly by as his earth parents were slaughtered? What if Superman... was Batman? What if Lex Luthor fell victim to an accident and became the Joker?

This is one of those fun re-imaginings that made Elseworlds so much fun in the '90s. Not all of them were good (in fact, most weren't) but this one really is a gem.

[Little Timmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good mixing of the Batman and Superman stories. Recommended

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad little story; it certainly had a great concept; but the execution was a little lacking and the concept wasn’t as well explored as it could have been. The art was OK but nothing special. It felt more like a random issue of ‘What If - ?’ than an Elseworlds graphic novel.

[Verba Non Res · Rating 3 out of 5]

Releyéndolo ahora es un elseworld bastante flojo, pero en su momento este supo ser uno de mis cómics favoritos. Era muy chico cuando me lo regalaron, y tenía mis nociones básicas de Batman y de Superman, pero no sabía nada sobre continuidades, historias alternativas ni universos paralelos. Tampoco sabía de pastiches, ni de crossovers. Este cómic me hizo conocer todo eso, y también me dio una idea inmediata, dramática, de las posibilidades infinitas de la ficción. De eso se trata en parte, para mí, el género de los superhéroes; de dejar atrás toda limitación, todo convencionalismo y hasta todo sentido del ridículo a la hora de contar una historia.

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[Bryan Worra · Rating 2 out of 5]

It tries to accomplish a great deal within its format as an elseworlds one-shot. This would have benefited greatly if the editors at the time had had the courage to support the project beyond the quick lip-service it was ultimately given. It would be good to one day revisit the premise and explore it in its full range and potential.

[Eddie B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

What if Superman's ship landed in Gotham, not in Metropolis?
An amazing elseworlds story. Extremely underrated.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

"How something as simple as a shifting wind current might have carried that rocket anywhere in the world". Lois Lane

Much like the theme from Superman Red Son (I'm guessing as I have never read it, just know the idea behind it) the idea here is what if the rocket carrying an infant Kal El hadn't landed in Metropolis? What if it landed in Gotham? What if he became Batman?

The Rocket is discovered by Thomas and Martha Wayne, and the infant brought up as Bruce Wayne. A familiar fate befalls Bruce's parents. This is where things start to differ.

To quote Lex Luthor "Metropolis is too shiny and clean. Too decent and kind. But here even the buildings reflect the rot of the human soul".

This is an interesting look at what makes the man. His nature, his surroundings, or a combination of the two. I won't give anything away about the outcome of this or the plot in general. The only thing I will say is, I feel this book could have been a lot better had the author delved deeper into both. This book is far too brief for a subject that and story that given another hundred plus pages could have been great.

[Fugo Feedback · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oootra reversión más de íconos superheróicos. En este caso, qué habría pasado si Kal-El hubiese sido criado como Bruce Wayne. Creo que me gustó lo suficiente como para no arrepentirme de su compra. Lo tengo en la edición de Editorial Vid que viene junto a "Superman: Kal". Si lo releo quizás se gane su correspondiente reseña.

[John Yelverton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very freaky graphic novel that definitely turns the whole Superman mythos on its head.

[David Muñoz · Rating 4 out of 5]

You like Batman? You like Superman? You ever wonder what would happen if they were the same person with their origins mixed? Well, don't worry because J.M. Dematteis provides you with just that.

In this one-shot we get the elseworld story on what would’ve happened if Superman, Kal-El, landed in Gotham instead of Smallville. He’s found by the same Martha and Thomas Wayne and is raised as Bruce Wayne. In the same turn of events, his parents are murdered and that is where young Bruce finds out he’s different after his anger unleashes his powers and blasts heat vision. He spends all of his teenage years and even the start of his adulthood, in hiding as he can’t stand the ugliness of what lies outside his manor. He can no longer take it however, and after Alfred shows him the ship he landed in, down in the caves under Wayne Manor, he becomes the Batman. He’s brutal, angry, and violent as this superpowered caped crusader, but it’s when he meets Lois Lane that he tries to change the ways of his heroics. He also must stop Lex Luthor from buying out his company, and in turn “taking over” Gotham. This Luthor however is a bit more looney than the original and it might be due to an explosive accident in one of his plants. It sounds like a lot for a one-shot, but it’s all done, and done right!

J.M. does a fabulous job on delivering a unique twist on two of DC’s most beloved characters. The story does read a bit more as a Batman tale, but I’d say it’s just mainly due to the setting taking place in Gotham. J.M. does a good job of combining the personalities of Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent. There’s also a bit of growing that Bruce needs to do in order to become that true beacon of hope. The story feels really well done in adding a lot of info/plot points but doing it neatly in a one-shot. J.M. packs in a lot but it never feels rushed or sloppy. The ending is also nothing over-the-top, no sort of “giant battle” but it still feels tasteful.

Tagged along for the artwork is Eduardo Barreto and his style feels very familiar to both characters, Superman and Batman that is. The setting of Gotham is pretty well done, but again there are panels that put Bruce in a more “Clark Kent” setting. So it never feels too much of one or the other. I thought his costume design was also pretty neat for this new Batman/Superman, and it makes the cape make more sense haha. Clean inks from him as well that touch up details really well, and the pacing in his art feels super fluent.

Overall; I’d say this is a must read for any fan of either of these characters. I feel like for the time this was a super creative idea and the duo executed really well in my opinion. Also it being a one-shot it feels like a nice quick read that is satisfying on its own but also gets you wondering what its own series could look like. Great stuff all around!

[Marco Antonio di Forelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una premisa interesante la de un Kal-El siendo adoptado por los Wayne en vez de por los Kent, con todo lo que eso conlleva. DeMatteis como guionista es excelso y el dibujo de Eduardo Barreto casi me hacen olvidar que es un tebeo de los 90, esa época en la que decidieron que los globos de pensamiento eran anticuados y ahora todo se narraría por medio de cartuchos y paneles.

De hecho, creo que este Otros Mundos habría dado para una miniserie de cuatro o seis números para desarrollar bien algunos conceptos. Es lo único que lo separa de ser perfecto, aunque igualmente hace un trabajo espléndido en explicar lo más básico de lo que supone el cambio de paradigma para las ciudades de Gotham y Metrópolis.

[Oscar Salas · Rating 3 out of 5]

La premisa es más que interesante: ¿Qué hubiese ocurrido si Kal-El hubiese sido adoptado por los Wayne, y no por los Kent. En otras palabras, si Superman hubiese vivido la vida de Batman. J.M. DeMatteis es un escritor reconocido por sus intentos de profundizar en la psiquis de sus personajes, buscando encontrar sus motivaciones primeras y darles una profundidad poco vista en el género. "El psicoanalista de los cómics" sabe qué cuerdas tocar en este sentido y construye un híbrido entre los dos icónicos personajes de manera coherente y muy correcta, siendo la primera parte del texto una pequeña obra maestra. DeMatteis entiende a la perfección qué es lo que da origen a Batman y lo deconstruye con excelencia. En ese sentido, la lectura es más que valiosa para nunca olvidar cuál es el sentido de un personaje tan "reacondicionado" como es el Hombre Murciélago a tanta moda y capricho de cuanto escritor lo ha tomado.
Lamentablemente, en la segunda parte el libro sigue las reglas de estilo propias del Elseworld, y todo lo interesante comienza a seguir un patrón forzado que lastra la premisa inicial. La regla en cuestión consiste en que no importa cuán trastocado sea el canon, siempre el devenir de la historia tenderá a volver a su matriz original. Entonces, el enemigo siempre será el mismo, y los secundarios, y todo empieza a resultar forzado. La lectura acaba en un punto muerto que deja un extraño sabor de boca, neutral y descafeinado.
Aún así, lo que acaba inclinando favorablemente la balanza es el arte de Eduardo Barreto. A pesar de que su estilo pueda ser repetitivo por su impronta clásica, Barreto muestra su oficio y eficiencia para resolver las exigencias narrativas del guión, entregando algunos momentos de gran inspiración. No hay culpa en decir que el uruguayo es un favorito personal y que es muy satisfactorio dejar que su trabajo hable por él, evitando la loa fácil. Es de esperar que haya una pronta reedición de los trabajos de este gran dibujante.

[Luis Escobedo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great concept poor execution

They had this great idea to combine two heroes so different and mix their worlds, but they ended with a Superman story using some forced elements from the Batman mythos. And what is worse, at the end they completely threw away the Batman's identity to completely transform him into Superman.

It feels like a Superman's fan read a summary of Batman and decided to write a story of Superman without really understanding what makes Batman what he is. What was the point to make this comic? There was so much more that could have been created with this concept, it's really a shame.

[Lars Farabee · Rating 1 out of 5]

An interesting “what if” idea on the origin of Superman that completely wastes the premise (that Kal-El is discovered, not by the Kents, but by Thomas and Martha Wayne and grows up as Bruce Wayne).

Too rushed, too much is skipped, too much left unsaid. It all just feels hollow because of it. If you want this kind of story, read the completely superior “Red Son.”

[Kurt Rocourt · Rating 5 out of 5]

What would happen if Superman became Batman. That's the premise. It's dated now but the story still has something about it that's entertaining.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, sweet. Good.

[Shaun Stanley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Superman: Speeding Bullets is a DC Comics prestige format one-shot comic written by J.M. DeMatteis with art by Eduardo Barreto.

This book is an Elseworlds tale in which Kal-El’s spaceship crash lands on the Wayne Manor estate and discovered by Martha and Thomas Wayne. The couple decide to raise the boy as their own son, Bruce Wayne. Bruce leads a normal, yet spoiled life until the day his parents are brutally murdered in an alley. Raised by the family butler Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce leads a life of indulgence until he discovers he has superpowers one fateful night when a burglar breaks into Wayne Manor. Dedicating his life to fighting the crime of Gotham City, he will be come The Batman.

In a world where Kal-El is not raised by Jonathan and Martha Kent and not learning he has super powers until he is a young man, we get a much more brutal Batman. In this short 48 page comic, Batman uses his laser vision to fry off the face of at least three different criminals. The first half of the book is interesting to see how both the Clark and Bruce we know are merged into this singular person, but starts to fall apart when more of the Superman cast of characters are introduced: Lex, Lois, and Perry White. At this point the book takes off in a sprint and never looks back, most of it being pretty hokey. It would have benefited to being another 24-48 pages longer to flesh out these warped takes on established characters we know so well. I really enjoy Eduardo’s art in this book and his take on the Batman costume, especially with the fully covered cowl that doesn’t leave a mouth/nose opening. All-in-all, it’s a fun look at two of comics most iconic characters.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Elseworlds story in which baby Kal-El's rocket crashes near Gotham and the last son of Krypton is adopted by Thomas and Martha Wayne. However, after his parents are murdered, Bruce Wayne grows into a vengeful vigilante; the Batman. Eventually, though, through he relationship with Lois Lane, newly moved to Gotham, Bruce looks to become a different sort of hero.

Elseworlds stories are always hit or miss, with miss being the more common, and are largely dependent on how solid the basic premise is and what the writer actually does with it. Here the idea of Kal-El growing up as Bruce Wayne is so obvious that I'm amazed I've never seen the idea tackled before and, thankfully, Matteis actually explores the premise in interesting ways.

Imagine a version of Batman who doesn't just beat the snot out of criminals but also uses his heat vision to melt their faces. It's interesting to see Kal-El taken down such a dark route, darker even than the original Bruce Wayne's, but its also very cathartic when this version of Bruce retires the Batman and takes on the mantle of Superman instead, showing genuine. character growth in a relatively short book.

I still haven't made up my mind how I feel about the Lex Luthor/Joker mash-up yet, however.

* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *

[Mel LetoToMyJessica]

“Is this what we’ve come to? Has our world become so twisted, so violent, that this is the kind of hero we produce? If it has, then God help us.

“God help the BATMAN most of all.”

A really astute and articulate deconstruction of Batman through Superman; a moral tale of seeking vengeance instead of fostering compassion; the world on the verge of apocalypse, idle hands billionaires’ playthings. Lois Lane’s rejection of Kal-El/Batman registers as a rebuke of Batman in totality; DeMatteis seems to detest Batman in many ways, seeing him as the antithesis of Superman. Kal-El/Bruce’s wealth isolates him, clouds his senses, grants social strength that parallels his powers in terms of godliness, untouchability. Thomas Wayne was no Pa Kent, more a human Jor-El. We see Bruce manipulate his power to torture criminals, menace Gotham—even to get close to Lois, a disquieting moment that feels like a violation. Kal-El is lucky he ended up as Clark Kent. The world is lucky.

How does Batman become Superman? How do you go from scum of the Earth to savior of mankind? Maybe the answer to that question will save reality itself.

[Caleb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I stumbled across this in my collection today and though, "Hey, that sounds like an interesting story. Why haven't I ever read this?" So I did.

The best I can say about it is that it is entertaining and well written all considering. It kept me at least distracted and entertained for half an hour or so. I feel like it could have been so much more than it ended up being though. In trying to mesh Superman into the role of Batman it ends up just transplanting too much of Superman's world into obvious places rather than seeing how he would react to an actual Batman villain or some new villain who comes about because of the change in who Batman/Bruce is in this timeline. Somehow I think that might have been more interesting than what happened here.

Again, I won't call it terrible, but it feels like a cool idea that missed an opportunity or two by going with some obvious choices.

[Karl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good!
A lot of reviews are saying this story could have been longer, and that's totally true. Exploring every nook and cranny of this Elseworld concept could have taken years and would probably have added some great stories to our shelves, but I don't mind the brevity. Tbh digging any deeper might have only shown more cracks. As it stands it's a short book with awesome art that adds just a little more depth to the character of Batman, and shows how rotating just a few dials could change the very core of a character I love.

Batman's best stories are ones that deal with the knife's edge he walks on between justice and brutality, heroism and insanity. Speeding Bullets is a great addition to the philosophy of Batman.

[Legogpk · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is worth reading on premise alone. What if Superman was Batman. It's incredibly thought provoking and in some ways, it lives up to the premise. The main problem becomes the too convenient "I'm from Metropolis but, hey, I'm in Gotham now". Gotham has plenty of already good characters to play off of. Like what would this Elseworlds Superman/Batman do against the actual Joker or how would Commissioner Gordon acted. It just leaves to much wanted.
I know all of this sounds incredibly negative, but I would still recommend it. Speeding Bullets is a quick read, has some very interesting ideas, and while I personally don't like the middle, the beginning and end are actually pretty good.

[Tvrtko Balić · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the concept. I like the execution. But then Lex Luthor appears. But he looks like the Kingpin. And he is also the Joker in a way that makes no sense. And I guess there's Penguin mixed in there as well. The rest of the book is so good, but the villain is so bad, there's no reason to combine villains in a story whose premise is Superman's space ship crashing in a different place and it wasn't even done even slightly good. People have no right to complain about Amalgam Comics when Elseworlds villains like that exist. The book was so close to being so much better. It is disappointing in that respect, but still a pretty cool Elseworlds story.