I’m really interested to see where Greg Pak’s Batman/Superman goes. Right now, it feels like something surreal, like a dark artist’s idea of a world full of heroes. Part of this is Jae Lee’s artwork, but that’s not the man culprit. Pak is writing this with a very reserved hand, almost as if he was writing a children’s book. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not inferring that his writing is childish, but more that it’s built around an ethereal vibe reminiscent of kids’ books like Harold and The Purple Crayon or Where The Wild Things Are. It’s more a rhythm to Pak’s writing than anything else.
Batman/Superman #3 continues the crashing of two worlds. Superman and Batman from an Earth closer to the original DCU are at odds with young Superman and Batman from the New 52. A demon has incited this crash, hoping to bring some chaos to the universe. As the four stand at odds, Wonder Woman enters the picture, attempting to thwart the demon. In the grips of the magic lasso, the demon reveals that a huge crystal of unspeakable power is being mounted to keep Superman in check. The only person with access to this crystal is Batman. Did the Dark Knight betray his best friend?
Things get a little odd here. Artist Yildiray Cinar steps in to illustrate a flashback. On this other Earth, Clark and Bruce met as children when the Wayne limousine got a flat in Smallville. The two boys bond, beginning a lifelong friendship. It’s a nice touch from Pak, one that allows us to understand that, though it looks much the same, this is not the Earth of the original DCU. Now there’s a new level, a separate world very close to the old one we used to know. Did Batman betray his friend? Who is this demon? How do the New 52 Batman and Superman find a way to coexist? How do they defeat Darkseid? Pak sets up some really solid threads to be solved next issue.
Beats are the key here. Pak’s beats to each page are oddly rigid. There is little emoting, just speaking. Pak uses an economy of words to keep the action moving at a specific pace. Everything here seems like it’s happening in a dream state, which helps keep Batman/Superman just outside the standard continuity. Pak is trying to create something very different, and thus far, he’s succeeding.
Without the art of Jae Lee, Pak’s ideas would be nothing. There is a shadowy darkness to how Lee draws. The edges are soft, the expressions slightly off, as though the characters are sensing something elusive happening just behind what they can see. Lee’s work flows in a way I haven’t seen in many artists. Each panel is a soft work of art, something tiny and exceptional to be marveled at. It matches perfectly to what Pak is writing.
Batman/Superman is a brave new world. A startling interpretation of two comic book icons.
(4.5 Art, 4.5 Story)
