Another Multiverse of Madness - Superman / Batman #24 and #25

With a Vengeance! : The Price of Our Sins?

Superman / Batman #24

Cover Date: January 2006

Released: 29th March 2006

⋅ Writers:  ⋅ Pencilers: Ed McGuinness  ⋅ Inkers: Dexter Vines ⋅ 

⋅ Colourists: Dave McCaig ⋅ Letterers: Richard Starkings  ⋅ 

⋅ Editors: Eddie Berganza / Tom Palmer, Jr. ⋅

We're coming into the last two issues of a Six part series that ended up with Batman ending up in a parallel universe, remember we're still a few months from the return of the multiverse so they have to cheat a little here, as we'll find out soon enough!

We start with Superman freeing Darkseid from the Souce Wall, the end of the universe that tends to trap those stupid enough to try and pass through it. Darkseid, being Darkseid has been in this kind of mess before. Also being Darkseid he rewards Superman's rescue, apparently due to the instance of Metron, by embedding Superman in the Source Wall.
Batman on the other hand is having a meeting between Batwoman (no not that one) and Superwoman (also not that one). The two Bat quickly pick up that they feel that they know each other, Bruce even admits that she's very good at this, and they work out each other's identities (somehow). In a nice touch, this world's Batwoman is Helena, because apparently, it's either that or Martha for the Wayne family! Because you can't have a superhero meetup without a mistake fight Superlad shows up knocking Batman out, who seems to be quite a jock in this world. We also learn that Superwoman is a Laurel (not Lara-El though). After a quick discussion in the Batcave, we meet Miss Miracle and Big Bard who are going to help out, as Batman mentioned the need for a Boom Tube, and is definitely not work for Darkseid the Black Queen! In case you've not noticed this Earth, which will one day become Earth-11 (no multiverse yet remember), is a gender-swapped one.

Supergirl, whose reintroduction has been strongly tied to this comic, is dealing with Bizarro who's trying to save Superman from Darkseid's machinations. To this end somehow he's bought together all the Supergirls, who includes Power Girl which is why we're here talking about this comic!

Because we're not done with multiverse quite yet we catch up with Batzarro who has been captured by the Maximums, who are the DC equivalent of the Marvels Ultimates. Because DC has a complicated relationship with Marvel crossovers, with not one but two not!Marvel Universe, Earth-8 the regular not!Marvel and Earth-7 it's Ultimate equivalent (but to hammer a point no multiverse just yet). And if you think this is just a 00s thing, Doctor Multiverse from Infinite Frontier that led to the current (as of writing) Dark Crisis is from Earth-8.

These knock-offs are however not from those universes because we find out they were created by of all people Joker! It seems that he and Mxyzptlk are pitting two teams against each other and that's why Superman and Batman have been bouncing between universes. After Joker plays around with some of the Maximums Batman and the Earth-11 crew turn up and they and the Maximums fight each other, because comics!

We end the comic with Batzarro saving our Batman by taking a bullet, or a Bang! flag at least, from Joker, who dies in Bruce's arm.

With a Vengeance! : Supermen/Batmen

Superman / Batman #25

Cover Date: February 2006

Released: 17th May 2006

⋅ Writers:  ⋅ Pencilers: Ed McGuinness  ⋅ Inkers: Dexter Vines ⋅ 

⋅ Colourists: Dave McCaig ⋅ Letterers: Richard Starkings  ⋅ 

⋅ Editors: Eddie Berganza / Tom Palmer, Jr. ⋅

We start the next issue with this beautiful full-page splash of the various Supergirls, and Power Girl, flying through space. It's lovely how each of them has a distinct flying style that seems to suit their personalities and is a call back to their various previous appearances. They're here to save superman from the Source Wall, something that seems to be much easier for the current Supergirl than for Superman to do something similar (though just how big Darkseid is varies quite a bit so he might just be really dense). The other help by ramming the wall, with all the other Karas going ouch, whilst Pee Gee seems pretty fine!

Kara quickly brings Superman up to speed and we get a splash of the two main foes of this issue, Joker and Mxyie. Calling on the evil versions of Kara, Superboy (who may or may not be Luthor), actual Luthor, and Darkseid. The issue then breaks out into a massive fight, with the Maximals joining in against Batmen's and Supermen's. To add to the chaos more Batmen's and Supermen's join in, all various ones from historic events and a smidge of Elseworlds. To make things even more complex a bored Joker and Myxie combine Superman and batman into Composite Superman/Batman (another callback to a Silver Age character).

Luckily Bizarro is here to sort this all out, getting a blue Kryptonite ring from Batzarro, plugging it into a Phantom Zone projector, and blasting Joker, freeing Joker's real source of power, Bat-Mite! And that is basically the end of the story with everything being reset back to normal.

Oh, and Power Girl gets a line, shows up once in the fight, and that's it! From this and the other appearance, I generally get the impression that he really doesn't like Power Girl and tried there best to minimize her appearance. Though to be fair all of the other Supergirls get little or no time in the fight, it's Batmen's and Supermen's all the way!

Despite this, I really enjoy these issues, though I'm a sucker for multiversal stories. If I could critique one thing after all the other issues of setup we get a lot stuffed into these two issues. I'd like to have more of Batman dealing with the Earth-11 gender-swap equivalents, or the interactions of various Supergirls. For some reason no one seems to want to explore the interactions of Supergirl and Power Girl, being that they're the same person from (almost) different universes.

But it's unfair to judge these issues for what they're not, instead just enjoy the just general fun of mashing all of these toys together!