Batman/Superman has always been a tenuous tightrope to walk upon: how does one properly manage the balance twixt dark and light that come from the two iconic heroes? Writer Joshua Williamson has come up with the perfect solution in the pages of Batman/Superman #13: rocket them into space at the hands of Brainiac and have them fight an army of robots based on their greatest foes. Sound pretty metal.

In the preceding issue, it’s found that Gotham City and Metropolis are under attack from none other than the new version of the same old genocidal alien robot Brainiac, with Bruce and Clark apparently nowhere to be found. As the other heroes of these beleaguered cities go toe to toe with the maniacal machine’s more terrestrial machinations, the story flips to an unnamed planet where Supes and Bats are worshipped as gods while being forced to tangle with hordes of robotic duplicates of their most famous enemies.

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Set to arrive in October, issue #13 will be the second part of Williamsons story-arc, teaming him with newcomer artist Max Raynor, focusing on a harrowing fight for survival as the two iconic heroes try to untangle what they’re doing on this planet, why they are being simultaneously attacked by robots and worshipped by the native population, presumably also made up of robots, and the nature of Brainiac’s fiendish scheme. According to solicits, the “villain database” of both the costumed heroes has been used by the metallic menace to create a planet designed to kill them.

Williamson’s storytelling philosophy places a high premium on dark themes in order to get message across, and his arcs typically work best at breakneck speed with over-the-top action. Perhaps this new version of Brainiac might give him enough meat to sink his teeth into. Having been resurrected by the Legion of Doom following his latest dismantling, this Brainiac may be the most impenetrable of all in his motivations, though they likely involve killing a large number of people. Combine that with the megalomaniacal automaton’s penchant for designing deathtraps and destructive devices with detailed diabolical adeptness, it appears the duo and their earthbound allies might have to double down.

Will the world’s finest heroes be enough to to take down this mechanical mad man and his army of killer robots? Find out in Batman/Superman #13, on sale October 27th wherever comic books are sold.

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