Welcome back, True Believers! If you enjoyed DC Comics and Marvel Comics’ recent series of crossovers but were wondering where a few red and blue heroes were, then look no further! Today is an exciting day for comic fans, as The Man of Steel and your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (don’t forget the hyphen!) team up to remind us to believe in truth, justice, and responsibility. This crossover comic has a plethora of creative teams, many of which have done work at both of the Big Two companies, to deliver a series of fun stories that you won’t want to miss.
DC/Marvel
First up is the big event – Mark Waid and Jorge Jiménez deliver a story where Superman and Spider-Man team up against Doctor Octopus and Brainiac in “Truth, Justice and Great Responsibility”. This was my most anticipated book due to Mark Waid’s seemingly never-ending comic knowledge and Jorge Jiménez’s spectacular art being more entrancing than any of Zatanna or Wanda’s spells, and the pair do not disappoint. This story is simply breathtaking, offering an exciting twist to two of comics’ greatest rivalries and throughout the story, Waid successfully delivers sprinkles of both heroes’ personalities. Superman is as calm, inspiring, and supportive as ever, whereas Spider-Man is as quippy, intuitive, and determined as readers might expect him to be.
Thanks to Jorge Jiménez and Tomeu Morey, this story is nothing short of a cinematic experience. Jiménez’s electric art helps to add to the pacing of the story by turning action sequences into epic splashes and slower moments into somber sequences. Meanwhile, Morey’s art is a kaleidoscope of color that turns the story into a warm hug from two of comics’ biggest heroes. Altogether, this story is one for the books. And the best part? This creative team gave each of these icons one absolutely ultimate moment of pure heroism if anyone’s looking for a new wallpaper for their phone or desktop. And that’s a Flash Fact. 10/10
DC/Marvel
Following this is “The World’s Finest”, a short story by Tom King and Jim Lee about Lois Lane and Mary Jane Watson, where the two help their partners out of a pickle. While it’d have been nice to have a female author pen the crossover between two of comics’ biggest female icons, Tom King does deliver a nice team-up between the pair. Rather than focusing on how they’re each considered partners in two of comics’ most renown couples, King instead lets them shine independent of their love interest. That said, King’s reputation for odd dialogue once again makes seemingly sweet moments feel a bit clunky and awkward.
Jim Lee and Scott Williams are able to deliver a bombastic story full of beautiful action and warm colors. Altogether, this is a nice story about how much these characters have endured and why their love for their respective partners remains as iconic as it is. 8/10
After this, Christopher Priest and Daniel Sampere give us “Pages”, a meta blast from the past as Superboy Prime and Spider-Man (a la Tom DeFalco Edition) try to find their way through the multiverse. Superboy Prime is having a heck of a time in the spotlight recently. Here, Priest has DC’s favorite fourth-wall breaking sometimes-hero to the pages of Amazing Spider-Man. I’ll be honest, this story could’ve been better. Priest overcomplicated the conflict the pair face a bit too much and before you know it, the story’s over with no definitive ending. That felt like a bit of a letdown. Not to mention, there isn’t much in common between these two heroes, and although there was a lot of potential for Peter to inspire Clark, the landing falls short as Priest leans too far into quips and jokes to maintain a serious plot.
Thankfully, the story is at least beautiful to look at. Daniel Sampere is becoming more and more famous by the year with his spectacular art and seeing how he draws this story only reinforces the layers his art has. While the colors feel a bit too glossy, the story itself still feels like a comforting comic we’d find in our local comic book store. 5/10
What better place to go after the past than to the future? Sean Murphy poses this question as Spider-Man 2099, Superboy, and a special guest star go far BEYOND our imagination’s expectations in “Beyond the Cobwebs of Tomorrow”. Here, a mysterious capeless crusader is chasing down a lead when he runs into this story’s two other leads. Sean Murphy takes the reins on both writing and art in this issue, which helps the story feel more streamlined. Unfortunately, Sean Murphy’s strength lies in having a less limited page space to develop a story. Instead, I found myself having to reread and reread the issue to understand who the narrator is and what the heck is even happening.
This makes for my biggest complaint: despite Murphy’s long history writing Bruce Wayne, his voice for the character feels completely wrong here. Maybe it’s because it’s a futuristic version of him, but he felt completely out of character. And it’s pretty unclear what purpose Superboy served in this issue aside from… showing up. While things come together in the end and make for an exciting concept, it’s one that doesn’t come to fruition in this story. Instead, we get left with a bit of a cliffhanger that feels lackluster given its potential. However, the art is quite sharp, and Murphy’s sharp and jagged linework helps intensify the gothic feel of this future. 3/10
DC/Marvel
Matt Fraction may be making waves over in Batman, but we can’t forget his number one pal, Jimmy Olsen in “Jimmy Con Carnage”. Here, Matt Fraction and Steve Lieber have Jimmy face off against that loser named Carnage. Yeah, he doesn’t stand a freakin’ chance. Poor Carnage. Right? Off the bat, this story is hilarious. Rather than delving into the complicated romantic epic of Peter Parker, Fraction simply has both Mary Jane Watson and Felicia Hardy present. Nope. Don’t ask questions. Just go with it, otherwise you’ll find yourself wondering whether it’s time for Peter Parker to grow up. That said, Fraction’s story is enjoyable due to its humor and bluntness. Additionally, Steve Liber and Nathan Fairbairn’s artwork helps turn this story into a shocking and humorous comic. 10/10
Jeff Lemire and Rafa Sandoval’s “The Bridge” feels like an early Father’s Day present. Lemire and Sandoval have Pa Kent and Uncle Ben remind readers where Supes and Spidey got their sense of heroism from. Lemire was the perfect pick for this story, and its reflective nature on these two character’s impact is very moving. Additionally, Rafa Sandoval and Ulises Arreola turn this story into a somber memoir for the two late father-figures. While the coloring took away some of the depth from Sandoval’s linework, it still was a visually endearing story. Altogether, this is another endearing story that is worth checking out. 7/10
DC/Marvel
Getting winded yet? Well, get some water and circle back for “Bias”, a showdown between The Daily Planet and The Daily Bugle by Greg Rucka and Nicola Scott. You’ve probably heard a writer say that the city is a character all its own, and Greg Rucka runs with that concept here. Lois Lane and J. Jonah Jameson (or J.J.J.) have a verbal sparring match that is as intense as any of the televised debates you’ve probably witnessed. Rucka poses the question of what the media is meant to present. It’s a very poignant topic that reminds readers how political comics are capable of being. I think what made this more compelling is despite the topic’s relevance, Rucka focuses things on superheroes. There are not enough pages for Rucka to deliver a political message that’ll wow people, but there is enough to remind us why we love our caped crusaders.
While Nicola Scott’s art is relatively timeless, I still find the linework she uses for faces to be a bit disjointed, and causes a few panels to feel Frankenstein-ed. However, I do think that Marcelo Maiolo’s colors salvage things here. Instead of focusing on how peculiar some pages look, the script and colors help pivot readers towards appreciate the concept behind this story from its distractions. 8/10
Closing out this crossover special is a “Blind Date” between Power Girl and The Punisher. Gail Simone and Belén Ortega show us what risks lie in going on blind dates these days. I’ll admit, this story was the one I was most perplexed by. After all, Power Girl and The Punisher don’t exactly seem to be the crossover we’d expect. But in true Gail Simone fashion, I was SO wrong. This story was a great way to end this oversized comic. It’s funny, just meta enough for a chuckle or two, and has a sprinkle of introspection on these characters that maybe, just maybe, these two characters might gain a few more fans after reading this.
And Belén Ortega? Wow. As always, she is absolutely underrated. This story has brilliant linework that helps add to the whimsy and grit that somehow coexist in these pages. And Jordan Bellaire only elevates the ambiance of this story. Altogether, this was a cute one-shot reminding readers how even the quirkiest of characters can find something to have in common. 10/10
Altogether, this story is definitely worth reading. I mean, how often do we see crossovers like these? While some fall below the bar, more of them exceed all expectations. Not only that, but this is the best crossover thus far in DC and Marvel’s recent series of collaborations. Altogether, this is in my opinion the best crossover between DC Comics and Marvel Comics so far.
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