This limited series was recently adapted into an animated feature which I have yet to see. Say what you like about Warner Bros. strategy for creating a "DC Cinematic Universe" - the fact remains that they've been working overtime when it comes to cartoons. I saw the "Flashpoint Paradox" cartoon not long ago, and I was surprised by its level of quality.
In "Public Enemies," Superman and Batman team up to foil a plan by President Lex Luthor. Jeph Loeb tries very hard to draw parallels between the two heroes, and to provide situations in which their abilities compliment one another. Loeb certainly shows a lot of versatility as a comic book writer, and what one sees in "Public Enemies" is VERY different from Loeb's work on "Red Hulk" or "The Long Halloween."
I'm not a huge fan of Ed McGuinness's art. He is obviously very competent, but I can't help but compare him to Tim Sale, who drew the introductory chapter to this series. I realize that comparing Sale and McGuinness is like comparing apples to oranges, but I can't help but think that McGuinness sacrifices style for the sake of technique, where Sale is all about style. In the long run, I think, style wins.
I'm also wondering if Zack Snyder has read this comic. Given that "Batman Vs. Superman" is now (officially) in the works, series such as this one might well provide a template for any script based on the two characters. The Justice League and supervillains could easily be excised from the plot, and what you'd be left with is a solid drama about two heroes learning to work together as a duo. This, in turn, would set up the future "Justice League" quite nicely.
I've never understood the appeal of the Red Hulk. In a way I get it - he's big, he's red, he's angry, and he's smart - but in another way he doesn't seem all that different from the "intelligent" or even "funny" hulks seen before. Back when Peter David was giving us a whole pantheon of hulks, the Red Hulk would have been beside the point. He would have been irrelevant.
Times change I guess. After the conclusion of "World War Hulk" (a great smashup), this Red Hulk appears, and heroes such as Iron Man, She-Hulk, and Thor must contend with the threat he poses. By the end of this TPB, the good ol' Green Hulk inevitably appears, the predictable occurs, and everyone goes on about their business as if the world hadn't almost ended (again).
Wikipedia tells me that Marvel also created a Red She-Hulk, and that this Red She-Hulk squared off against the original Green She-Hulk, who was not originally green but rather pink. I suppose that in time we'll see a Blue Hulk, or maybe an Orange Hulk, to compliment the Grey, Green, and Red Hulks already in existence. Perhaps Marvel could build the whole thing up into a gigantic "Battle of the Rainbow Hulk" event, thus giving the comic book world its first homosexual monster superhero.
That would be cool. I think.
Brought to you by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, the creative team behind "Batman: the Long Halloween," this TPB details Catwoman's exploits in Italy.
The story is minimal, but nuanced in a way that most comic books aren't. The art is great, but this will come as no surprise to anyone who's seen Sale's artwork elsewhere. And while not as good as "Long Halloween," it's nice to see someone other than Batman get the spotlight for a while. Catwoman is a great character, and I enjoyed the way in which she employs both sex and violence to achieve her ends.
