A review by trike
Batman/Superman, Volume 1: Cross World by Greg Pak
3.0
The art by Jae Lee is SPECTACULAR. Hands down just gorgeous through and through. The layouts are amazing, everything flows well, a strong use of shape and shadow throughout. Just marvelous.
The main story is fine. I’m sure if I hadn’t read dozens like this over the decades I’d be blown away, but parallel universes and alternate timelines are old hat by this point, especially for these characters. That said, this is a decent version of doppelgängers meeting, all things considered. It assumes the reader has familiarity with all the characters since everyone aside from Clark and Bruce are barely outlines of characters. It’s not a bad assumption because we all know these people by heart, but it does leave the story feeling a bit... insubstantial.
The instigating incident is caused by a reality-hopping trickster who can possess people, and that’s followed by a couple more Macguffins intended to drive the story. Basically the whole enterprise is an excuse to point out that this new reboot features grittier, wilder, younger, badasser versions of Supes and Bats. But my main problem with DC’s constant partial reboots persists, in that I don’t know how much of the past continuity I should carry forward. Sometimes it seems like the answer is “zero”, while sometimes it feels like there’s a ghost image of what’s gone before underneath everything.
The backup story is an origin for Darkseid, which is fine. But the end makes it clear he’s pillaging numerous alternate universes. I thought this version didn’t have that? Beats me. Again, these DC reboots are stupidly confusing, and I’m sure we’re due for yet another one this year.
However, definitely check out the art on this book. Really terrific.
The main story is fine. I’m sure if I hadn’t read dozens like this over the decades I’d be blown away, but parallel universes and alternate timelines are old hat by this point, especially for these characters. That said, this is a decent version of doppelgängers meeting, all things considered. It assumes the reader has familiarity with all the characters since everyone aside from Clark and Bruce are barely outlines of characters. It’s not a bad assumption because we all know these people by heart, but it does leave the story feeling a bit... insubstantial.
The instigating incident is caused by a reality-hopping trickster who can possess people, and that’s followed by a couple more Macguffins intended to drive the story. Basically the whole enterprise is an excuse to point out that this new reboot features grittier, wilder, younger, badasser versions of Supes and Bats. But my main problem with DC’s constant partial reboots persists, in that I don’t know how much of the past continuity I should carry forward. Sometimes it seems like the answer is “zero”, while sometimes it feels like there’s a ghost image of what’s gone before underneath everything.
The backup story is an origin for Darkseid, which is fine. But the end makes it clear he’s pillaging numerous alternate universes. I thought this version didn’t have that? Beats me. Again, these DC reboots are stupidly confusing, and I’m sure we’re due for yet another one this year.
However, definitely check out the art on this book. Really terrific.