DC Comics 2015
Written by Len Wein
Penciled by Denys Cowan
Embellished by Bill Sienkiewcz
Coloured by Chris Sotomayor & Felix Serrano
Even with a dream team of creators such as this I wouldn’t have picked this up if it didn’t star Earth 2’s Dick Grayson and Helena Wayne. Getting to see Dick in that Hybrid Batman/Robin costume yes the ugly one, I do like his grown up Robin one, and being the dynamic duo with the Huntress under Len’s guidance how can you turn that down? This really is a dream team too I mean Denys and Bill on this too turning the interiors into a true flashback and it’s incredibly delightful to see!
So to be honest Dick and Helena didn’t have to be stuck in Metropolis they could have been in their native Gotham for this story to be just as effective. They mention the rest of the JSA but really since we don’t see them what real difference would it had made and I mean so many people in one city fighting to save it so the odds are increased? It just means round two of this ridiculous fight club keeps this version of Metropolis’ hope alive.
Aside from the madness of this whole Convergence nonsense this was a great story. Len addresses the hybrid costume and the banter between Dick and Helena is that of brother and sister and it’s fantastic! Seriously we do get more characterization than bargained for and not just by these two but about Earth-30’s Russian Superman as well. This makes me wonder how which Earth’s and which characters from that Earth were paired off against each other, granted this Superman vs. Batman but it’s darn close yet the Batman’s protege’s aren’t Batman as we hear from both of them and I’m not sure they can win a fight with someone of this magnitude.
Let’s forget all about the absurdity because Len really gets to the heart of these characters and Helena’s brashness and impulsiveness is a breath of fresh air and Dick’s level headedness in the way he faces everything including his own demons well it just brings back the whole feel that the characters have left in the void of the Crisis on Infinite Earths. I also love that Superman is Superman regardless of where he grows up and his love of the people he defends isn’t dependent on setting but of those who raised him and while his Earth never really got that much exploration Len’s doing him much justice here.
With continuity being thrown out the window and the multiverse back in play here’s hoping that the actions we see here aren’t set in stone and that Detective Comics can be a place where Earth 2’s Batman Family can have their future stories told. This team should be brought back time and again for their adventures because this embodies everything good about the characters involved and the Huntress no one has been able to recapture since.
Then of course there’s the interior artwork here which really is remarkable. So expressive and unique it stands out from the crowd and touches a nerve in the soul as if navigates the soft and tender to the hard edged action. This whole issue showcases and era of comics past that is still relevant and impactful as it ever was.