What do you think?
Rate this book
Superman & Batman: Generations #2
Superman & Batman: Generations 2, An Imaginary Tale
A sequel to the first volume of this series, SUPERMAN & BATMAN: GENERATIONS 2 examines the dynasties of and relationships between the Darknight Detective and the Man of Steel. Taking place over a span of eighty years in an alternate reality, this book chronicles the different heroes and heirs who honor the legacy of Batman and Superman throughout that time. Beginning with their earliest appearances in 1942 and continuing through to the heroics of their grandchildren in 2019, this amazing book features dynamic interpretations of Batman, Superman, Robin, Nightwing, Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Kid Flash, and Green Lantern.
200 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2003
4 people are currently reading
188 people want to read
About the author
John Byrne
2,956 books363 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
October 5, 2014
This book was recommended to me by Amazon and it immediately had my interest. It was strange to think that this three volume set was done in the early 90's because to me it seems like a very bronze age idea. Basically the stories in the Generation saga move forward in real time. So characters like Batman and Superman are allowed to age. It also means that characters are introduced into the story during the same year they first appeared in the comics. I thought this would make a nice addition to small, but growing, bronze age DC books. Unfortunately the books seem to be out of print, so I was unable to purchase them. That turned out to be a bit of a blessing when I was final able to get ahold of the book from the library, since I didn't much care for it.
Well, I won't say I didn't care for it, but everything I like about it, is also something I don't like about it. The concept itself is great, but I didn't like the handling of it. The stories in this book move forward by eleven years every time a new story is started. This is cool because we get to see just what the book promised: Generations. But with the stories chapters being so short, we really don't get much of a chance to get to know the characters before it skips ahead eleven years. Clearly we don't need to be there for every moment of everyone's life in the story, but when you don't know the characters it lessens the impact of the story. For example, one character dies in-between characters and the death is very upsetting. It sets off a series of events which we get to read about. However, since we never really got to know that character, or the relationship they had with other people, it lessens the impact. You don't much care about them, or the killer. I think this format would have been better served if they had made the stories at least 40 pages. Just to give us something to sink our teeth into.
If you are a fan of John Byrne, or the elseworlds line, you might enjoy this book, but otherwise I would say skip it.
Well, I won't say I didn't care for it, but everything I like about it, is also something I don't like about it. The concept itself is great, but I didn't like the handling of it. The stories in this book move forward by eleven years every time a new story is started. This is cool because we get to see just what the book promised: Generations. But with the stories chapters being so short, we really don't get much of a chance to get to know the characters before it skips ahead eleven years. Clearly we don't need to be there for every moment of everyone's life in the story, but when you don't know the characters it lessens the impact of the story. For example, one character dies in-between characters and the death is very upsetting. It sets off a series of events which we get to read about. However, since we never really got to know that character, or the relationship they had with other people, it lessens the impact. You don't much care about them, or the killer. I think this format would have been better served if they had made the stories at least 40 pages. Just to give us something to sink our teeth into.
If you are a fan of John Byrne, or the elseworlds line, you might enjoy this book, but otherwise I would say skip it.
April 12, 2020
Not as strong or as fascinating as the original series, but a fun case of world building and what-ifs. The final chapter sours the batch for me, but overall it is a fun book, even if the pencils aren’t as sharp in this collection.
August 9, 2024
Continuing on from previous Generations, this fills in gaps from previous series and focuses on more heroes other than the Kent and Wayne families. As the years progress (every 11 years inbetween each story) everyone does age, so we see a family legacy and others carry on through time. Good Elseworlds story!
July 17, 2019
Digna secuela del cuento imaginario de John Byrne, en el que se sigue la estela de las familias de Superman y Batman. Con referencias a su primer volumen y el mismo encanto. No deja de ser una historia imaginaria, como las que se hacían antaño, y tener eso claro es la mejor forma de leerla.
July 24, 2020
A charming romp, filled with a love for the legacy of DC's greatest icons. The titular characters' family tree grows significantly-more complex as the issues progress and will confuse those who haven't read the original Generations, but this doesn't detract from the story.
November 27, 2019
3.5 stars
May 24, 2021
A good sequel but not as perfect as the first one!
February 2, 2013
This was a great concept. Imagine Superheroes aging like normal passing on the mantle to the next generation rather than magically remaining artificially young to hold a fickle reading public and corporate executives who love having established commercial properties.
Apparently, this was a sequel to the original Generations book and it attempted to focus on other heroes such as the Green Lantern, the Flash, and Wonder Woman as well as Superman and Batman. The book eight stories set eleven years apart each beginning in 1942.
The first three stories work pretty well but by the 4th some of the weaknesses in concept begin to show. First of all, while the first two stories did pretty well with the concept particularly as we saw Wonder Woman having a child in 1953, the attempts to pay attention to other Justice League characters becomes sporadic at best after the 1960s story. Superman, Batman, and their families take up so much space.
The other big problem was that it felt like, he just didn't have space to do this story right. To do this right, I think you'd need a whole book dedicated to each decade. The way it was, it felt like I'd picked up a book that collected eight random comic books, many of them taken out of the middle out of other story lines. That makes for some frustrating reading.
The last story too is a bit of a cheat as it "happens" at the Fortress of Solitude in 2019 but it's Batman and Superman viewing a video of an attempt by Jonathan Kent to prevent the murders of Martha and Thomas Wayne. The story was moving at the time, but the more I think about it, the less sense it makes from a pure human perspective.
In the end, it's a mixed bag. Worth a read from the library or as used book, hard to imagine shelling out coin of the real for a new copy.
Apparently, this was a sequel to the original Generations book and it attempted to focus on other heroes such as the Green Lantern, the Flash, and Wonder Woman as well as Superman and Batman. The book eight stories set eleven years apart each beginning in 1942.
The first three stories work pretty well but by the 4th some of the weaknesses in concept begin to show. First of all, while the first two stories did pretty well with the concept particularly as we saw Wonder Woman having a child in 1953, the attempts to pay attention to other Justice League characters becomes sporadic at best after the 1960s story. Superman, Batman, and their families take up so much space.
The other big problem was that it felt like, he just didn't have space to do this story right. To do this right, I think you'd need a whole book dedicated to each decade. The way it was, it felt like I'd picked up a book that collected eight random comic books, many of them taken out of the middle out of other story lines. That makes for some frustrating reading.
The last story too is a bit of a cheat as it "happens" at the Fortress of Solitude in 2019 but it's Batman and Superman viewing a video of an attempt by Jonathan Kent to prevent the murders of Martha and Thomas Wayne. The story was moving at the time, but the more I think about it, the less sense it makes from a pure human perspective.
In the end, it's a mixed bag. Worth a read from the library or as used book, hard to imagine shelling out coin of the real for a new copy.
April 18, 2017
Same style and writing as Superman & Batman: Generations, An Imaginary Tale, so if you read the first volume, you know what to expect from this one (I wouldn't recommend reading this without reading Vol. 1, because it will be too confusing). This second volume is actually the same story as Generations I, only it fills in additional details about Superman, Batman and their descendants, also introducing Wonder Woman and has more focus on the Justice League.
I really didn't like the first volume, and this second one is only a little better, but then I really don't like any old pre-Crisis DC comics, and these two volumes have dialogues and plots very much like in Silver Age comics. The only part of Generations II that I actually liked was the story with Dick's Batman and Batgirl.
I would only recommend this to John Byrne and/or pre-Crisis DC comics fans and those who liked Generations I. I personally much more prefer Son of Superman as an Elseworlds next generation story.
I really didn't like the first volume, and this second one is only a little better, but then I really don't like any old pre-Crisis DC comics, and these two volumes have dialogues and plots very much like in Silver Age comics. The only part of Generations II that I actually liked was the story with Dick's Batman and Batgirl.
I would only recommend this to John Byrne and/or pre-Crisis DC comics fans and those who liked Generations I. I personally much more prefer Son of Superman as an Elseworlds next generation story.
January 3, 2024
Pretty much that same thing as Superman & Batman: Generations, An Imaginary Tale, but a pretty dark ending to wrap it all up. This volume also opens up the concept to the broader DC pantheon of heroes, so we get some tastes of the lives of Flash, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, the Justice Society of America even the revised origin for the Justice League of America. Clearly Byrne was doing a project that was very enjoyable and entertaining for himself, and those kinds of projects for creative people are usually the best kinds of stories.
September 7, 2008
This sequel to Generations is more of an anthology, telling little stories that fit in between the bigger stories of the first Generations book
It's a nice mix that lets Byrne show us more of this reimagined DC Universe he's created.
Lots of fun with a nice Silver age comic feel to it with some clever twists and turns.
Of all the alternate earth/Elseworlds that DC has done the Generations stories are some of the best.
It's a nice mix that lets Byrne show us more of this reimagined DC Universe he's created.
Lots of fun with a nice Silver age comic feel to it with some clever twists and turns.
Of all the alternate earth/Elseworlds that DC has done the Generations stories are some of the best.
September 15, 2010
Eh, an okay set of interwoven stories that jump 11 years in time between each story, allowing the heroes to age in real time, so that by the time we get to the 70's & 80's Bats & Supes are old men (but they each get to cheat age a bit). Not a favorite, but not horrible - some neat in-jokes and references in this elseworlds title.
July 28, 2007
This is a very cool series set in the world of the Justice League it follows several superheros through their family tree. This is the idea that superheros : Marry; have children and die. It only plays with the storylines from other Justice League stories and just has fun.
July 3, 2012
A sequel to the first Generations book. This is slightly different because it looks at more of the superhuman community. There's little looks at different people throughout the many short stories. There's some nice twists, particularly the Green Lantern and Batman ones. A decent read.
April 18, 2014
As much as I think Bruce Wayne would have made an amazing Foxman, I can't help but notice that sometimes Generations doesn't know when to stop. Loved seeing more background for our other favorites, but desperately need a family tree to keep all of this straight...
Want to read
August 16, 2010Me parece que Generations 1 se editó en cuatro libritos de Norma pero Generations 2 no tiene edición en castellano. Si veo que hay, actualizo.
October 3, 2012
Worth reading for fans of the first Superman & Batman: Generations.
February 12, 2016
Incredible art and story by John Byrne make this one of my favorite Elseworlds books. Highly recommended
January 14, 2011
John Byrne's contribution to DCU shipper fanfic.
Read
August 10, 2011It's a nice addition to the wonderful first series, and gives more background to it!
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews