Comic Review: Batman/Superman (2019-) #16

Batman/Superman #16

DC Comics

Writer: Gene Luen Yang

Artists: Ivan Reis, Danny Miki

Batman/Superman is a book that I generally tend to put into a certain kind of box. I think of it as a team-up book, where Batman and Superman come together to battle an enemy that requires both the characters’ strengths. This issue, regardless of what may come next, proves my assumptions wrong and delivers an issue that is entirely unique and unexpected.

This is not your standard issue of a DC comic book. The narrative is literally split into two halves, with the top half of the page (for just about the entire issue) portraying Superman’s story, and the bottom Batman’s. Right off the bat, it informs you that you can read them concurrently or one at a time just depending on your preference. After reading it twice using both methods, I feel that it’s in your best interest to read them at the same time as they’re presented on the page. This is due to the fact that, without trying to spoil anything, the stories do intersect in an unexpected way. Moreover, the two paths follow similar story beats and structure while highlighting the different worlds the characters operate in, which makes for an interesting dichotomy. That dichotomy is generally what Batman/Superman titles live and die on, but I’ve never seen it represented in such a unique way. It’s not coming directly from the mouths of either character; it’s delivered entirely through the issue’s presentation.

Setting the split-narrative gimmick aside, the stories themselves when taken as their own pieces are also delightful. They harken back to the Golden/Silver Ages in such a way that’s only somewhat hokey and instead comes across as earnest. It’s the little things that sell it, like Batman and Robin referring to each other as “Batman” and “Robin” in spoken dialogue, when these days it’s always “Bruce” and “Dick”. Maybe this doesn’t seem like a big deal, but given the rarity of this kind of thing these days, it truly does mark a difference in tone. Additionally, the stories feel, for lack of a better word, classic. Classic in such a way that if you looked at it purely in terms of story beats, rather than presentation, then it could pass for a story from the ’60s or ’70s. Maybe I’ve just felt nostalgic lately, but this kind of book reminds me how much I miss the simplicity of Ages gone by.

Ivan Reis, after consistently surprising me on his Superman run with Bendis, continues to show himself up. His page layouts in this book are baffling, while still feeling completely natural to read. He splits his panels with film reels rather than gutters, and it only adds to the book’s old-timey feel as well as its original premise. He takes no shortcuts, and his work loses no steam despite requiring essentially double the work. The character work and action are equally stellar and elevate the premise the book sets out to achieve.

The ending does leave the future of the series in question. I don’t fully understand the implications of it and it has me wondering if this split narrative will even continue past this single issue. I do want to see the book continue with its experimental ways, but if this issue is the end of the gimmick, then I’ll consider it a success anyway. The future of the book could wind up more traditional, and if that is the case then I have faith enough in the creative team to make it interesting in other ways.

Batman/Superman #16 manages to impress me both from both a nostalgic and critical point of view. The split-narrative works when taken as a single piece, as well as when taken as separate stories. Ivan Reis’ art is frankly some of his best in a pool of work that already astounds. I don’t know where we go from here, but I do know it’s worth keeping an eye on.