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When the Caped Crusader is attacked by one of his oldest and
most powerful allies, the Martian Manhunter, he seeks the
aid of Superman. Soon, Batman and the Man of Steel are being
ambushed by various off-worlders - foes and friends alike
- including the Green Lantern Kilowog, Starfire and Supergirl.
The madness spreads, and the Dark Knight finds himself in
danger even from Superman. Batman must take desperate measures
and make dangerous deals if he is to defeat his once-trusted
Kryptonian friend and save the entire human race...
If just Superman and Batman isn’t enough of a comic-strip
get-together for your liking, then this graphic novel (which
reprints material originally published in Superman/Batman
issues 28-33) could be the book for you. As well as the Dark
Knight and the Man of Steel, it also features appearances
by the Martian Manhunter, Parasite, three different Green
Lanterns and Plastic Man, as well as a plethora of more obscure
heroes and villains, including Titano, Dr Phosphorus and Ultra
the Multi-Alien!
However, don’t believe some versions of this book’s
synopsis that are doing the rounds on press releases and online
stores at the moment. For example, on Amazon.co.uk and on
the press release we received from Titan Books, I read that:
“There’s a new, dynamic duo in town - Power Girl
and the Huntress! Together, these mighty heroines must save
Superman and Batman when an old villain commits one final
act of vengeance... if they can!” This actually describes
events from a story in the recent Supergirl graphic novel
Candor.
As author Mark Verheiden (Co-Executive Producer of Battlestar
Galactica) confesses in his afterword, he has a great
love for the crazy, “anything goes” attitude of
the Silver Age of comic books (which ran from approximately
the late 1950s/early 1960s to the early 1970s), and he has
striven to re-create the spirit of that era in this storyline.
I would say that he has succeeded in that aim. The return
of one pivotal character from days gone by (who shall remain
nameless here) will probably take you completely by surprise,
despite the presence of the Martian Manhunter...
Talking of continuity, I take back what I said about the Fortress
of Solitude in my recent review of Superman
and Batman Versus Aliens and Predator. It appears
that Superman’s hideaway has indeed been relocated to
the Arctic, as is confirmed here by dialogue between Batman
and Plastic Man.
Plot development is rather slow to begin with, and then the
final episode resolves a huge threat to the entire planet
rather summarily. Along the way, though, there’s plenty
of fisticuffs action and visual thrills to enjoy. Ethan Van
Sciver and his fellow artists certainly don’t skive from
their duties as they create some beautiful renderings of the
characters and their Metropolis and Gotham City backdrops.
Enemies Among Us is well worth having among your other
Superman and Batman books.
Richard
McGinlay
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£9.89
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£11.24
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£14.99
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£9.35
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£9.99
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$13.59
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All prices correct at time of going to press.
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