Enemies Among Us gives us good and bad moments

books:

	• Superman/Batman Vol. 5: The Enemies Among Us Mark Verheiden, Ethan Van Sciver DC Comics, 2007 - 160 pages view larger image
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Enemies Among Us gives us good and bad moments

Enemies Among Us is a fairly good story arc that begins with Martian Manhunter acting oddly and our two heroes investigating. The uncharacteristic behavior spreads out from there to many DC heroes, and there's lots of plot twists before Batman and Superman save the world. And then they're friends. The end.

If this plot summary sounds abrupt, that's because it's actually a quite complicated plot, and one that can be spoiled fairly easily. Though some of the twists and turns don't work, there's a lot of charm in this volume too. It's narrated by Alfred, whose affection for Batman came through quite nicely. Another thing I found charming was that a lot of Silver Age (~late 50s to early 70s comics) ideas are worked in, but none of it is confusing for people who aren't familiar with comics from back then. I don't really read much Silver Age, but I had no trouble following the aspects of the story that worked in Silver Age elements.

As a Superman fan, I was pleased to see the greater psychological depths this arc tried to give to Superman, examining his alien nature and the oddity of his human appearance. Another thing I really liked was the transition from a few Batman-dominated issues to a Superman-dominated issue, and then the two heroes coming together to save the world together.

Part of the reason I think people were so disappointed with this storyline was the quality of the previous Superman/Batman volumes. The art was good, and I thought it served the story well, particularly since it lent the story some gravity it might not have been able to pull off by itself. The problem of this arc is mostly in the characterization: the Luthor character was disappointingly one-dimensional, and the Superman/Batman friendship strikes an off note several times, particularly the ending. This may be due to the Silver Age tone of Verheiden's run, because the friendship and Luthor seem very misplaced in continuity.

New readers may be a bit confused by this one, and might want to skip it. Take the number of times I mentioned "continuity" as a warning - if you don't have the background to read this, you're less likely to enjoy it. That said, I think this is a decent arc with some interesting aspects, especially for big fans of Superman or Batman, and worth the money.

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...ummm...seriously...its not that bad.

I've really enjoyed this series and, like many of the other reviewers, particularly Loeb's work on it, but I didn't find this book to be the travesty that the others make it out to be. It's really not that bad. I even enjoyed it. I'm kind of shocked by the extremely negative reviews here. It's not my favorite, but...wow...did Mark Verheiden run over your dog or something?
AE

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Must have missed something

I don't understand what all the fuss is about. I've read this volume several times and enjoy it every time. I love these 2 characters together and enjoy any story with them in it. Plenty of action and characters. Good pencils and colors. I found it easier to enjoy than "Vengeance". Quit complaining and enjoy.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3

Comics' most iconic characters join forces in this fantastic new hardcover collection written by Smallville writer/producer Mark Verheiden (Battlestar Galactica) and illustrated by Ethan Van Sciver, the artist of GREEN LANTERN: REBIRTH.

The JLA's Martian Manhunter attacks Batman! The villainous Parasite and Titano return! Superman's allegiances will be tested in this story involving many of DC's greatest alien heroes, including members of the Green Lantern Corps.

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