THIS WEEK: The latest DC and Marvel crossover one-shot is here with Superman/Spider-Man #1! Plus, a bonus review as Ryan North and Gavin Guidry begin their run as creative team on The Flash!
Note: the reviews below may contain spoilers. If you want quick, spoiler-free buy/pass recommendations on the comics in question, check out the bottom of the article for our final verdict.
Superman/Spider-Man #1
Writers: Mark Waid, Tom King, Christopher Priest, Sean Murphy, Matt Fraction, Jeff Lemire, Greg Rucka, and Gail Simone
Artists: Jorge Jiménez, Jim Lee & Scott Williams, Daniel Sampere, Sean Murphy, Steve Lieber, Rafa Sandoval, Nicola Scott, and Belén Ortega
Colorists: Tomeu Morey, Alex Sinclair, Alejandro Sánchez, Simon Gough, Nathan Fairbairn, Ulises Arreola, Marcelo Maiolo, and Jordie Bellaire
Letterers: Tom Napolitano, Pat Brosseau, Willie Schubert, Andworld Design, Clayton Cowles, Becca Carey, Ariana Maher, and Lucas Gattoni
Cover Artist: Jorge Jiménez
DC and Marvel are back at it again with another round of crossovers. This time around they’re marking the 50th anniversary of their first one, 1976’s Superman vs. The Amazing Spider-Man, with a pair of brand-new one-shots starring the publisher’s two marquee characters. DC’s out of the gate first, and this week’s Superman/Spider-Man #1 adds to the grand tradition of intercompany crossovers with a wide variety of stories that’s sure to have something for everyone.
The issue’s main feature, “Truth, Justice, and Great Responsibility,” comes from writer Mark Waid and artists Jorge Jiménez, Tomeu Morey, and Tom Napolitano, and it’s a prime example of classic superhero comics. No time is wasted on introductions as Superman and Spider-Man, presented here as if they’re old friends both in and out of costume, take on a pairing of villains that’s a no-brainer of a team-up. Waid’s dialogue is sharp as a tack, his characterization for the story’s four major players coming through with laser-focus, not a word wasted.
Jiménez and Morey continue to demonstrate why they’re one of the top artistic teams in comics. Jiménez’s Spider-Man is as gangly and flexible as he’s ever been before, his Superman strong and imposing without being overly intimidating. Morey’s colors are bright and evocative, drawing readers into the lush detail of Jiménez’s linework. Tom Napolitano’s lettering serves the story well, and get to show off a bit at times, particularly as characters ‘glitch’ in and out of mind control throughout the story. Waid, Jiménez, and co. are firmly in the pocket here, doing what they do best, and it’s a blast. I only wish it had been longer.
The issue’s backup stories are an eclectic assortment of pairings that are both natural and unexpected. Most of them are more focused on character dynamics than on action, to varying degrees of success. The first one out of the gate, “The World’s Finest,” is a Lois Lane and Mary Jane team-up by Tom King, Jim Lee, Scott Williams, and Alex Sinclair. That might be the weakest of the backup stories, with Lois and MJ essentially running down a compare-and-contrast list of their lives while their super-powered partners fight a Sentinel in the background. Longtime fans will probably enjoy getting to see Lee draw one of his most famous Marvel co-creations again, though.
From there things get weird, with a pair of team-ups that just start to get going right when they end. Priest, Daniel Sampere, Alejandro Sánchez, and Willie Schubert’s Superboy-Prime/Spider-Man (black-suited variety) pairing, “Pages,” has both time travel and Prime’s metafictional self-awareness to contend with, and while there’s at least one good twist to it the story ends abruptly before anything is satisfyingly resolved. “Beyond the Cobwebs of Tomorrow,” Sean Murphy, Simon Gough, and Andworld Design’s Superboy/Spider-Man 2099 story, basically takes its full length to introduce the characters to each other before they set off together for a joint adventure that we’ll likely never get to see. Both stories leave the readers wanting more, but not necessarily in a good way.
After those three, though, the rest of the one-shot’s stories are fantastic, starting with “Jimmy Con Carnage,” Matt Fraction, Steve Lieber, Nathan Fairbairn, and Clayton Cowles’s much-anticipated reunion for a team-up between Jimmy Olsen and Carnage. The less said about the plot of this one the better, but from the first panel this story had me howling, and the ending made me laugh so hard I cried. That story was worth the price of admission alone. It’s followed by “The Bridge,” a Pa Kent/Uncle Ben team-up by Jeff Lemire, Rafa Sandoval, Ulises Arreola, and Becca Carey that’s a lovely tribute to Superman and Spider-Man’s adoptive fathers.
Greg Rucka, Nicola Scott, Marcelo Maiolo, and Ariana Maher team for “Bias,” a Daily Planet/Daily Bugle tale that finds Lois Lane and J. Jonah Jameson butting heads on a debate show. Rucka makes an entertaining case for both sides of the argument between the two, and Scott and Maiolo’s visuals are beautiful even when the subject matter is largely a pair of talking heads. The final tale of the issue, Gail Simone, Belén Ortega, Jordie Bellaire, and Lucas Gattoni’s “Blind Date,” is a wild one, pairing Power Girl with The Punisher for the equivalent of a 12:50 AM SNL sketch in the best way. It’s ridiculous, it’s fun, and it’s packed with in-jokes that longtime fans of Simone’s work will appreciate greatly.
As I mentioned in reviewing last year’s Batman/Deadpool one-shot, the appeal of these intercompany crossover titles is seeing characters who would never meet under normal circumstances interacting with each other. There’ve been a few of these renewed DC/Marvel crossovers now, and one might think at this point that it would start to feel old hat. There’s nothing particularly groundbreaking in Superman/Spider-Man #1, but then not every superhero comic needs to redefine the genre. What this book does do is present a collection of stories by creators who, for the most part, know how to put together an entertaining superhero yarn, and who happen to have a bigger toybox with which to play than they normally would. Waid and Jiménez are the perfect team for the issue’s main feature, and the rest of the issue’s stories are appealing in their own unique ways. If they’re going to continue to do crossovers between companies beyond this latest round, hopefully they’re all as well-crafted and enjoyable as this one.
Final Verdict: BUY.
The Flash #31
Writer: Ryan North
Artist: Gavin Guidry
Colorist: Adriano Lucas
Letterer: Buddy Beaudoin
Cover Artists: Gavin Guidry & Giovanna Niro
After adventures that have spanned space, time, and company crossover events, Wally West is finally back home. This week’s The Flash #31 is the debut of a new creative team for the series, and writer Ryan North and artist Gavin Guidry waste no time in reestablishing the fastest man alive as the hero of Central City.
As the current writer of Marvel’s ongoing Fantastic Four series, Ryan North is no stranger to writing superhero families. But while previous runs have focused as much on kids Iris, Jai, and Wade as they have on Wally and Linda, this debut issue puts the focus squarely on Wally. That’s not to say his family don’t play a role at all, as North offers readers jumping onto the series a glimpse of Wally’s homelife, including some entertaining use for his superspeed. North’s Wally is in full dad mode, and it’s utterly delightful. The problem Wally is presented with when he’s in-costume, following a very entertaining encounter with lesser-known rogue Tarpit, is an exceptionally clever one, at first glance unsolvable, and that’s before the promised escalation of the issue’s cliffhanger. After a few years of travel between dimensions, it’s nice to have a challenge for The Flash that’s more grounded.
Gavin Guidry and colorist Adriano Lucas are a fantastic pairing for this book. Guidry’s work is superb, with expressive characters and dynamic, easy-to-follow storytelling. Lucas’s colors complement Guidry’s linework nicely, adding texture and energy to already-lively art. Superspeed lends itself to a lot of entertaining visuals, and there’s no shortage of those in this issue, from Wally attempting to bake a casserole in the Speed Force to his subtly rescue of a child’s ice cream at the park. The exasperation Wally feels throughout the latter half of the issue is also beautifully conveyed on his face and in his body language. Guidry and Lucas’s work is clean and classic, a perfect fit for the tone of North’s script, and right at home in the pantheon of spectacular Flash artists.
The Flash #31 is a strong start to North and Guidry’s run as creative team on the series, and a well-executed jumping-on point for new readers. North and Guidry clearly have a strong grasp of Wally and his family, and the tone they’re striking is instantly evocative of some of the best modern Flash runs. I for one can’t wait to see where they go next as they put Wally through his paces.
Final Verdict: BUY.
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