Superman/Batman #78
November 18th, 2010 Posted by Esther Inglis-ArkellSuperman/Batman is a spotty book. It veers in and out of continuity in the most over-the-top ways possible. It pairs up two characters based pretty much entirely on their selling power. It incorporates elseworlds, dreams, hallucinations, and retcons. It hasn’t had a steady creative team in years.
I still love it, and issue #78 is the exact reason why I love it. It’s written by Joe and Jack Kelly, and it’s about two little boys spinning out that old chestnut, “Who would win in a fight?” That hasn’t been original in decades. And the execution? Deliberately juvenile, with Batman and Superman spouting words that only kids would say.
I love that, too. The comic is just plain fun. It’s entertaining. It doesn’t throw in any misery. And there’s a Kirby-writing-the-hairies feel to the way the Kellys write the kid’s dialog. The comic is more fun than Batman Inc. It’s much more fun than Batman: The Return. It’s more fun than Power Girl. And in the end, when the kids go home and it pans up to show the heroes listening in on them, you get the feeling that the heroes were having fun, too.
And Superman would totally win. Come on, people.