Superman/Batman, Vol. 5: The Enemies Among Us

Superman/Batman (12 Volumes Collected Edition)

by Mark Verheiden, Ethan Van Sciver (Illustrator), Matthew Clark (Illustrator)

Comics' most iconic characters join forces in this fantasticnew hardcover collection written by Smallville writer/ Verheiden (Battlestar Galactica) and illustrated by Ethan Van Sciver, the artist of hit series of 2007, GREEN LANTERN: SINESTRO CORPS WAR.

The JLA's Martian Manhunter attacks Batman! The villainous Parasite and Titano return! Superman's allegiances this story involving many of DC's greatest alien heroes, including members of the Green Lantern Corps.

Collecting SUPERMAN/BATMAN #28-33.

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

160 pages, Paperback

First published May 9, 2007

About the author

Mark Verheiden is an American television, movie, and comic book writer. He was a co-executive producer for the television series Falling Skies for DreamWorks Television and the TNT Network.

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main story involves all the aliens on Earth being corrupted into thinking humans are evil. There's also an Earth 2 story featuring Huntress and Power Girl with art by Kevin Maguire. And a story retelling when Batman and Superman discover each other's secret identities by Joe Kelly. Good writing and great art all around.

[Romulus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Miałem dać cztery gwiazdki, ale fabuła zaczęła być ciekawa dopiero na końcu. To jest, jeśli chodzi o konkluzje.

[Kay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read as Superman/Batman, Volume 3.

The first story is a really doofy one where Clark, Lois, & Bruce are all on the same cruse together through the Bermuda Triangle & somehow Bruce and Clark get stuck sharing the same cabin with only one bed available & I swear I've read Romance novels that use the same plot device. It might actually be the stupidest way I've ever seen Clark learn Batman's identity and Bruce learn Superman's identity... Because they have to suit-up onboard because the Triangle opens some kind of temporal hole and out comes the Crime Syndicate (evil versions of "Batman", "Superman" & "Wonder Woman")... And Deathstroke is also on the cruse (of course, cuz why not) with Bruce Wayne as his target. (And then the good version of Deathstroke pops out of the temporal hole & he's literally just Deadpool, wise cracking and ripping off his own arm to beat the Crime Syndicate over the head with it...). And then the issue ends with a billion text boxes on how the action is too epic and too crazy to show us & everything works out. The end.
I think the story is supposed to be funny, but it's just cringe and eyerolls.

The next issue Nevermind, is a one off written by Mark Verheiden: an older Batman and Superman have their minds transported to Power Girl & Huntress and they need to get back to their bodies before their consciousnesses are erased forever. I found the art by Kevin Maguire to be fugly and booby & the story kinda skippable.

The Enemies Among Us by Mark Verheiden was a more interesting story-line, but written kinda stiffly. I liked the take-away at the end (of human and alien cooperation, of Batman and Superman being the model bffs to save the world), but it took a bit of time to get there and I was a little bored.

Altogether this volume gets a 2/2.5 from me :-/

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I would only give it three and a half stars, if I had the option, but it's still very good. I'm not a huge fan of Superman, but you can't help but love him in this one. As always, Batman rocks.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solidly entertaining volume in a very uneven series. This one brings back a number of obscure characters from the past, and has a very Silver-Age feel to the story. It's a bit repetitive, as one character after another attempts a beat-down on our heroes, but there is also some nice internal conflict involving Superman that keeps things interesting. Not bad at all.

[João Batista · Rating 3 out of 5]

O que deu no marciano J'onn J'onzz? De onde vêm todos esses vilões alienígenas atacando a (relutante) dupla ao mesmo tempo? Quando Hal Jordan entra no roteiro, complica ainda mais... A narração aqui se dá por Alfred, com um toque poético até. Desenhos bem convincentes (exceto na conclusão) e uma versão para um Superman verdadeiramente alienígena.

Lex Luthor: Nunca subestime a inteligência natural do eleitorado americano.

*O verbo assistir nunca é usado adequadamente; a expressão é "É HORA de ALGO ACONTECER"; o uso dos porquês poderia ser melhorado também.

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alien vs Humans.

It started off weird, with characters acting way out of character. But once you get some answers, find out what's happening, it all starts to click. Seeing Superman take as long as he did to succumb to these "aliens" and their brainwashing made so much sense. The fights were pretty epic, with multiple brutal moments. I also really enjoyed the reasoning behind it, and it didn't feel contrived. This overall was pretty great fun.

A 4 out of 5.

[Javi · Rating 3 out of 5]

La historia de siempre. Trae algunos adversarios clásicos pero de forma anecdótica. Demasiados personajes solo nombrados con cero trascendencia. Entretiene, pero también se enreda demasiado en el diálogo para lo simple que acaba siendo.

[Rik · Rating 2 out of 5]

More and more the series is just Superman and Batman taking turns temporarily going dark so the other has to fight them. The story was mildly better than the previous few arcs but it was again stuffed with tonnes of characters for single fights. Promising 1st issue or so and then it's just dull.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

An alien force attempts to turn all aliens on Earth against the planet, and Superman and Batman must stop them. The main problem? Superman is an alien himself.

Not my favorite arc as I felt it dragged a little in places, but still pretty good.

[Lavinia Neves · Rating 3 out of 5]

A arte do quadrinho é incrível, mas não curti a retratação do Batman. Talvez eu esteja errada, mas acho que ele não iria ter pego aquela pedra pra escapar do apocalipse alienígena. Talvez eu que não tenha entendido, mas não curti muito isso :/

[rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a bit out of place in the series. the pacing was weird.

[Keith Ansaldo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story, mediocre art. If not for the story I’d have dropped it already.

[Andrew Alvis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely great stuff, nuff said! 👍

[mayleh · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️3.5

[Liz.Loki · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE POWER OF SUPERBAT SAVED THE WORLD they're so crazy! This was so good, I enjoyed the plot and how the friendship between Bruce and Clark was written SO MUCH

[Alex Lolos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Batman is a superhero that you know you're always going to enjoy watching or reading about. Superman/Batman enemies among us, the world's greatest detective didn't disappoint. Along with him, was his most famous counterpart, Superman. With these two in a comic book filled with an elaborate plot, action, and enjoyment, what could go wrong? The writer of this story, Mark Verheiden, did an amazing job at keeping you on the edge throughout. He combines betrayal and trust in a breathtaking fashion. These two heroes first are allies, trying to fight the alien forces that are brainwashing the Earth, but when Superman gets brainwashed, he betrays Batman, thus beginning a rivalry. Verheiden also brings us outstanding writing by making us feel like something may finally have gone the right away, until something else comes up. When Superman is no longer brainwashed, immediately Batman is brain washed, and we are left with yet another sticky situation.

If there is one thing wrong with this story, it is the simple way that all of Earth's heroes are cured of their brainwash. The aliens that forced this upon them just kind of abandoned ship after Superman gave one inspirational speech. You'd think that after having an elaborate plan to save the world, you don't just give up that easily. But like all amazing pieces of work, it is impossible to be flawless, and we see that with this ending. Besides that though, we are taken into a world where superheroes are looked up to, and believed to exist, and our writer makes us feel like we are right there with Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, and others. This story is a prime example on why comic books are looked at with such praise in America. They are adventurous, well written, amazing pieces of work, and we are provided with one here.

[Natlyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story of all alien superheroes turning against humans was a good one decently told. Verheiden even has Batman make a huge sacrifice and trust in Superman. Yet, it didn't quite work for me. And with the total buy-in that I have for the S-B friendship, I should have loved this, but I just cannot see Batman sacrificing himself this way and Verheiden didn't make me believe it.

The affirmation of the Supes/Bats friendship seemed tacked on (rather than the way Loeb seemed to make it more integrated—or perhaps the word I want is prominent) and the resolution of the main story seemed a bit … Well, I know the trope of one person standing up and making a difference is what superhero comics are based on, but this ending seemed really anticlimactic and perhaps trite is the word I'm looking for. All in all though, it is a good effort. Unfortunately, Verheiden is not Loeb and I don't think I'm interested in this title is Loeb is writing it.

[Christian Oliverio · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're a simple person who sees Superman and Batman fighting a lot of bad guys and good guys and are happy, then you'll like this one.

Alien heroes, such as Martian Manhunter and the Green Lanterns, start going berserk and attacking everything. So it's up to Superman and Batman to figure out what is making them go rogue and put an end to it! Simple story, lots of fights, and an interesting enemy. I won't go into the bad guy, as it was an interesting concept/reimagining of a classic villain, but I enjoyed the the twist.

We do get to see Batman and Plastic Man team up for a little bit and it was pretty great seeing what is essentially the DC Deadpool (prior to Harley Quinn's reimagining) team up with Batman and just annoy the crap out of him. Otherwise, there isn't much to say about this. Simple story, but enjoyable.

[M · Rating 2 out of 5]

The 5th volume of the Superman/Batman comic series explores xenophobia. An attack by the Martian Manhunter, Titano, Starfire, and Kilowog on both of our heroes sends them both on a path to discover why former friends are acting as enemies. As it turns out, an alien race led by Despero is looking to use the alien heroes to drive out humans and set up shop on the little blue ball of Earth. The great posibility of the xenophobic nature of humanity is sadly lost as the book devolves into pointless one-page punches, kooky Silver-Age revivals (Zook? Anyone? Anyone?), and a final heroic handshake. The true enemies amongst us readers here is the writers' failure to capitalize on the proposed plot.

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Mark Verheiden written trade centers on a bunch of DCU aliens, both heroes and villains, uniting to stage an invasion of Earth. The ideas presented are interesting especially seeing the different approaches by Bruce and Clark. The story worked on a lot of levels but the narrator choice didn't always make sense, there was a surprise silver age character which didn't have any impact on me, and the ending was a little heavy handed. The art started off really strong with Ethan Van Sciver and got progressively less strong. The amount of different artists was a hindrance. Overall this could have been really good but was instead just above average.

[Vivek · Rating 1 out of 5]

What happened to this series?! It used to be one of the best out there when it started, but has been in a steady decline that has recently become a nosedive. This latest arc was embarrassingly bad. The dialog was like something out of a C action movie or chick flick, and the plot was, to put it plainly, dumb. I had half a mind to stop reading half way through, when it was painfully obvious it wasn't going anywhere. The artwork isn't bad, but doesn't make it worth the time, much less the money.

[Chris LaMay-West · Rating 4 out of 5]

Writer Mark Verheiden explains in the afterword how he deliberately sought to evoke the spontaneity and unselfconcious "anything goes" spirit of Silver Age DC. He succeeds beautifully in a way that nevertheless works with the more darkly nuanced storytelling of current comics. All in all, this trade paperback takes you on a ride I can heartily recommend. The rest of my review can be found here:

http://chris-west.blogspot.com/2012/0...

[Jonathan H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this one up at the library just as a "fluff" read—I'd read Superman/Batman: Public Enemies some time ago and thought this looked similar. It turned out to be a pretty fascinating comic even with all the crazy Silver Age heroes and villains that showed up in it. I always love the contrasts between Superman and Batman.

[Jojo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me put it this way, I do like a great alien invasion story like any other but I was a little confused as where the story was heading. At the end it was all worth while, it had a great moral about humanity and about faith. The illustrations were not "my bag" but it was not as bad I previously thought.

[Fugo Feedback]

Supongo que marqué este tomo porque es el que le sigue a lo que llegó a publicar Sticker Design en Argentina. Supongo que lo leeré cuando... La verdad que no tengo ni idea.

UPDATE: Ahora sí tengo idea... Cuando llegue este tomo del coleccionable, de acá a un par de meses.

[Ryan Mishap · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the storyline where someone or something impersonates superheros or villains is a tired one, I always enjoy a tale where Batman has to beat Superman because Superman is a dumb-ass American patriot dupe.

[Steve · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another hit and miss for Superman/Batman. Martian Manhunter attacks Batman! But its just some guy who is copying older versions of heroes and villains. A subpar plot, art was okay. Not a good collection at all.

[Hillingdon Libraries]

Find this book at Hillingdon Libraries

[Virginia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always knew we shouldn't trust those pesky aliens like Superman. *side-eyes* At least I got a big fight between Superman and Batman. :) Good story overall. And the ending was a nice grace note.