Batman/Superman #18 (new Comics)

Batman/Superman #18 On Youtube

 

Batman/Superman #18 Recap

In Metropolis, a man is being buried.  His name is Carlos “Chuck” Gutierrez.  He was a laid-off web designer with emphysema and $97 in his bank account.  But every weekend, he dressed up as a superhero and visited the kids at Metropolis City Centre Hospital until a madman shot him with an untraceable, vanishing bullet, just for wearing an “S.”

Superman should be there, but instead he is at his Fortress of Solitude.  The hero is getting desperate, as the world’s greatest detective and the most powerful psychic on the planet can’t find the killer.  He has come to the crystal brain within his fortress, the greatest repository of Kryptonian knowledge and history, for answers.   But the database has been damaged in a recent battle with Brainiac.

Batman/Superman Comics #38 Cont!

As the crystal begins to crack, Supergirl flies in and stops her cousin.  She is angry at Clark for risking the destruction of the database, as the city of Kandor is still missing, and they need the crystal mind to find her people.  Superman agrees as he wants to save everyone, but they soon hear the killer laughing at them.  Clark demands that the killer reveal himself, but the mysterious voice refuses.

Soon Batman contacts Superman, and says that they have a protective spell on this communication channel.  Batman explains that this killer wants to break Superman’s heart, and will next strike at the person who Superman confides in the most, understands the best, and will be most missed when gone forever.

Batman reveals that Lois Lane has told him everything.  About a secret romance between the two.  Superman realizes what is going on and takes off in their direction, while Batman has set up a trap which will trace the source of the next attack.

[Related: Batman Reading Order Checklist]

Superman notes that there was no protective spell and Batman set this whole conversation up to be monitored by the killer.  He planned on baiting the killer into the attacking Lois Lane, and forcing Superman into action regardless of whether he approved of this plan or not.

Batman notes they have incoming targets.  Two of the signals are from Superman and Supergirl heading from the north, while a third races to them from the east.

They arrive, and Superman tries to catch the bullet.  But it is able to avoid Superman’s hands and strike at it’s real target – the real person that Superman will confide in, understand, and miss the most: Batman.

Bruce  is badly injured.  Lois Lane reveals this was a ruse, reminding Superman that she has a boyfriend, while Superman retrieves the bullet, which they are shocked to discover is actually a tiny Kandorian.

The heroes take the Kandorian to a microscopic lab housed by Dr. Ray Palmer, where Supergirl recites a Kryptonian prayer for their lost comrade.  The heroes are still without answers, and though Brainiac is a prime suspect, he was dragged through a black hole and should be on the other side of the universe.

However, Batman’s tracers were able to find the source of the bullet.  The signal was traced to the Black Sand Desert in Iceland, where there is a strange circle of glass two miles across.  The glass absorbs light and blocks radar and cameras.  But they can make something out in the middle, in the shape of a bottle.  They have no idea what going on inside, but Dr. Palmer has a feeling that it is pretty damn horrible…

Batman/Superman Comics #18 Review

Hello and welcome to Comic Island!  My name is Arden, and this is my recap and review of Batman/Superman #18.

So I wasn’t really sure what to make of this comic at first.  At first I was kind of tired of things just being unanswered yet again, and was worried that this was another comic just to draw out the story and bit and drag things out.

[Related: Batman Reading Order Checklist]

But as I thought about it, I actually like this comic.  It’s starting to feel like a good mystery, as we keep getting clues, red herrings, and various potential suspects.  This issue gives us a lot of hints – we know there is some connection to Kandor now, we know the killer does not have access to magic, and the killer is specifically interested in terrorizing Superman.  But we are short of a definitive answer.  That’s actually really good for a mystery comic, and I am still intrigued enough to want to know who the killer is.

So overall I do like this comic, but I’m not sure if I like it enough for a recommendation.  The comic feels cluttered and too full of exposition.  So much time is spent here explaining the story, and I think it gets in the way of a good mystery and solid artwork.

There was also a lot of confusing choices with Lois Lane.  Like, it was weird how they set up a secret relationship, and that turned out not to be real.  For people who aren’t constantly up to date on the romantic status of Superman, it’s bound to be confusing.