![]() Parenting - a challenge for even the most infallible heroes. ![]() It’s up to Superman and Batman to wrangle them. Set in an “imaginary” universe, the iconic heroes are randomly given children. “The Sons of Superman and Batman,” World’s Finest #154 (1965) In #151, the superheroes are accidentally zapped by an “evolutionary ray” from Krypton, turning them into Super-Caveman and “The Batman of 800,000 A.D.” “What if?” stories were a regular go-to for World’s Finest in the sixties. “The Infinite Evolutions of Batman and Superman,” World’s Finest #151 (1965) Composite Superman turns out to be a janitor at the Superman Museum, having been struck by lighting while cleaning the Legion of Super-Heroes’ trophies and imbued with the heroes’ signature moves - the literal embodiment of “the crossover.” Author Edmond Hamilton introduced Composite Superman - a half-Batman, half-Superman with an array of superpowers - into the mythology. “The Composite Superman!” World’s Finest #142 (1964)Ī staff of science-fiction writers took the superheroes into the realm of psychedelia. Kent is later discovered in Batman’s outfit and Lois Lane writes it off as a silly bit of undercover reporting. To keep the secret safe, Batman switches outfits with Superman. A sloppy bit of heroism leaves Clark Kent’s true identity lingering in the open. In it, the Man of Steel and Caped Crusader battle a gang of goons who obtain a piece of Green Kryptonite. Though the moniker “World’s Finest” was used for the two heroes for a while, they only joined forces in issue 71. “Batman - Double for Superman!” World’s Finest Comics #71 (1954) A competitive friendship is born, as the issue’s front cover suggests: “This is a job for Superman!” “No, this is a job for Batman!” It’s in the process of suiting up that the duo learns of one another’s alter egos. Trouble in paradise is diverted when a diamond thief provokes the two into action. When they arrive, the ship is overbooked, forcing the two to share a cabin - and a bed. It was quite hokey: Both in need of a rest and relaxation, Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent independently vacation on the same cruise. The first true crossover was in a Superman comic. “The Mightiest Team in the World,” Superman #76 (1952) (Though the planned epic manifested itself as a now-infamous Easter egg in the 2007 film I Am Legend.) Now that Snyder is set to bring both heroes together in the same movie, we’ve taken a look back at their long history to figure out what story lines might influence the movie and, more important, to answer the question: How could Batman ever beat Superman? Isn’t that pretty much impossible? Read on. ![]() Superman in 2002, only to abandon the concept in favor of Nolan’s pitch. sounded a fanfare when it hired Troy director Wolfgang Petersen to helm a Batman vs. But it seems almost inevitable in our comic-book-consumed cinema that the two would eventually meet. These American icons have done so in comic books for 70 years and on the big screen for half that time. Superman and Batman can carry their own stories. On the other, Batman, a mere mortal whose most recent incarnations - Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight movies - were both a critical and financial smash. On one side, the Man of Steel, who led his film of the same name to box-office glory last month. At last week’s Comic-Con in San Diego, it was announced that director Zack Snyder would serve as referee for the biggest cinematic superhero battle of our time.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |