![]() Superman is called in by the US government to try and reign in a vigilante who eventually comes to run Gotham City using a private army of former gang members. Chaos begins to unfold as Batman confronts both The Mutants’ leader and some of his old foes. ![]() Joker, who’s been in a near catatonic state since Batman quit, gets that old spring in his step upon seeing his rival return. He’s effective, but not without consequences. He dons the cape and cowl again, returning as Batman after 10 years of retirement. And Bruce can’t take any more of this as the police are clearly overwhelmed. Harvey Dent, seemingly cured of his split personality following a Bruce Wayne-funded facial reconstruction surgery, goes off the deep end and holds Gotham hostage. There’s a gang calling themselves The Mutants who essentially run the streets. Of course this is on the list, how could it not be? For the uninitiated, this self-contained, out-of-continuity story takes place in a distant, dystopian future where Batman has retired due to age/health and Gotham City hasn’t exactly faired all that well in his absence. The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller and Klaus Janson These character moments will likely translate over to the screen in a way that builds from conflict to resolution to at least a shaky alliance once the heroes realize who the true villains are. ![]() It also illustrates some of the ulterior motives of Lex Luthor and his lust for power more so than money. Superman and Batman ultimately working together in the film could easily take some cues from this story. Superman and Batman do have some minor conflicting ideas, but this story is one that will illustrate to you why these two are meant to work together, despite any differences they may have. Its plot is not terribly thick, but the character drama and interaction are some of the best you’ll find in any comic story from any era. Not to mention a bunch of villains jumping into the fray to try and collect a $1 billion bounty on Superman’s head, placed by Luthor. ![]() The Justice League is split down the middle and a massive conflict between heroes happens. A warrant for the Man of Steel’s arrest is issued, but Batman knows better than to trust anything Luthor says. The central conflict in this story arises when President Lex Luthor (yes, he’s President of the United States in this story and no you don’t need any more back story than that), claims that a giant Kryptonite meteor headed for Earth is only coming because of Superman. It shows that they have differing methods, but they recognize the same problems and find ways to work together in order to solve them. The inner monologues run juxtaposed to one another and show that while the two have their differences, they are far more alike than either might care to admit. Sure, it’s more of a team-up story than one that highlights the conflict between the two, but you won’t find a better illustration of why Superman and Batman work so well together. Superman/Batman: Public Enemies by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness So which of those stories should you read in order to help you better understand some of the conflict and comradery between these two DC Comics icons? Here are my Top Five picks that you’ll want to check out before (or maybe after) you see Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Batman v Superman is out this weekend, but you might be wondering what kind of history these two characters have together. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |