Warning: SPOILERS for Batman/Superman #1
The story of Batman/Superman promises to send the heroes into the biggest, and most testing adventure in years. But if fans thought that finding the DC heroes infected with evil was going to be bad, the first pages of the series go much, much further. Not by showing how the heroes could be lost, but how the Justice League was already brutally murdered by their version of Bruce Wayne, before he became The Batman Who Laughs.
Comic book fans didn't need any more reasons to believe that this Batman/Superman story will be important to the DC Universe going forward. Not only has The Batman Who Laughs proven to be a hit with audiences, but his most malicious scheme yet is inherently heartbreaking. Watching as he infects DC's most hopeful hero Shazam is the kind of cruel fans need to see play out. But Issue #1 is a strong reminder of just how quickly things can turn into a living nightmare once the heroes start acting like villains.
Before he was chosen to lead the forces of the Dark Multiverse into the DC Universe fans know and love, The Batman Who Laughs started out almost exactly the same as the prime Batman. The same goes for the rest of his world, his friends, and the rest of the Justice League teammates. Sadly, that may make the opening scene of Batman/Superman #1 all the more tragic. Because once Batman is forced to kill the Joker, and gets a lethal dose of Joker toxin in return, the Justice League he turns against is almost identical to the one DC fans adore. At least they were, before Superman answers Bruce's call to come to the League's Watchtower as quickly as possible... and finds what Bruce has done to them:
Just moments after Superman discovers Wonder Woman choked with her own lasso, Plastic Man stretched to the breaking point and stringing up Flash, Red Tornado eviscerated, and Martian Manhunter having been... who knows, he realizes Bruce set a trap for him, too.
Fans who wish to see this gruesome story play out for themselves do have some entertainment to look forward to. While it may be dark in spirit, the action that breaks out when Batman and Superman fight the evil King Shazam is also one of a kind. How often does Bill Batson get the chance to prove, without a doubt, that Shazam can kick Superman's ass? Readers can check out the official credits and plot synopsis for this debut issue below:
- BATMAN/SUPERMAN #1 (2019)
- Written by: Joshua Williamson
- Art by: David Marquez
- Up in the sky, in the dark of the night, trust no one - for the infected walk among us. Spinning out of the devastating events of THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS, Superman and Batman are together once more in an all-new monthly series - and they're facing a terrifying new threat that could strike from anywhere. The Dark Knight and the Man of Steel must journey into the depths of Gotham City to learn which of their fellow heroes has been transformed into the horrifying horseman of their most dangerous and deranged foe ever. Our heroes will need to fight to survive, but an even more dangerous question lurkes in the shadows: Can Superman and Batman even trust each other?
Batman/Superman #1 is available now from your local comic book shop or direct from DC Comics.