Batman / Superman #11, “Atomic” conclusion

Batman / Superman

My fellow comicphiles, attend as we discuss Batman / Superman Volume 2, chapter 11, verses 1-32! “Atomic conclusion!”

This is the word according to Joshua Williamson
As envisioned by Clayton Henry

The official plot:

“It’s Superman versus Batman as the deadly machinations of the Ultra-Humanite crash to their end! The Dark Knight has been transformed into a human atomic bomb, all in the name of wiping Superman from the face of the Earth! As Batman struggles against the urge to kill his friend, Superman must undo the damage done and help the other victims of the Ultra-Humanite’s experiments. It’s the thrilling conclusion to “Atomic” that will reverberate across the DC Universe for months to come!”

DC Comics

This is a pretty fair assessment of the story, though I do think that “thrilling” is a flat out lie. The “other victims” is a bit of a stretch too…they get one panel.

Batman Superman
Batman! Please put your shirt on! This isn’t Nerds After Dark!

My Impressions:

  • What is good: There isn’t much. The only real interesting thing is a small revelation about how Atomic Skull came to be a remote detonated bomb.
  • What isn’t so good: The artwork all looked soft. It wasn’t bad, but it definitely had a second tier feel to it.
  • What is bad: The bad guy…a generic smart gorilla. It’s been done. In fact, DC is ripping themselves off with this one. (Yeah, I know it’s all about the brain and just happens to be a gorilla body, but it’s still dumb.) [Editor’s note: Glad I wasn’t the only one that felt this way!]
  • The worst: Batman / Superman literally talk out their actions. Today’s reader doesn’t need every little detail revealed in dialogue. We know what’s up.
batman superman
Finally someone get’s this right!

Notable Appearances/Events:

  • Superman (Kal-El/Clark Kent)
  • Batman (Bruce Wayne)
  • Ultra-Humanite (Gerard Shugel)
  • Atomic Skull (Albert Michaels)

Bottom Line: 1 Stars!

Fanboys and completionist collectors only. Everyone else…skip it!