Scans: Justice League 9
Justice League #9: Written by GEOFF JOHNS; Pencils by JIM LEE
I wouldn't say Justice League is my favorite DC title at the moment (that honor still goes to the amazing Demon Knights, with Supergirl and Birds of Prey coming in near the top as well), but since it's the only title with Clark and Bruce in it, I'm not dropping it. Especially when there are scenes like the following, in which Bruce asks a lonely Clark out for lunch. No, really. Well, lunch at Arkham Asylum...
One of the conceits of the issue is showing flashbacks to each character's past, showing the ways in which they feel lonely and isolated. It's pretty heavy-handed, but kind of a sweet way to show that the League means something to each of them beyond just fighting evil. I recommend the whole issue for, among other things, a brief glimpse of what I assume is the first meeting of Hal and Barry (Hal's being manhandled by the police and Barry tries to get them to stop). Below is the main interaction Clark and Bruce have together, and their first lengthy interaction in the "now" of the League since it jumped to the present:
So our first glimpse of Clark and Bruce working together makes clear that--at least in this title, at this time--this Batman isn't the more infamously territorial "Get out of my city" Batman, which is interesting. There's a definite implication that Clark and Bruce know each other well and get along, they may even be friends, although I'd have to see more interactions before I'd be comfortable saying that. They've definitely become two of the closer members of the team in the last five years, though.
Oh, and this is also important for establishing that Superman and Batman know each others' secret identities at this point, something I had assumed would be true but I wasn't sure of...
I wouldn't say Justice League is my favorite DC title at the moment (that honor still goes to the amazing Demon Knights, with Supergirl and Birds of Prey coming in near the top as well), but since it's the only title with Clark and Bruce in it, I'm not dropping it. Especially when there are scenes like the following, in which Bruce asks a lonely Clark out for lunch. No, really. Well, lunch at Arkham Asylum...
One of the conceits of the issue is showing flashbacks to each character's past, showing the ways in which they feel lonely and isolated. It's pretty heavy-handed, but kind of a sweet way to show that the League means something to each of them beyond just fighting evil. I recommend the whole issue for, among other things, a brief glimpse of what I assume is the first meeting of Hal and Barry (Hal's being manhandled by the police and Barry tries to get them to stop). Below is the main interaction Clark and Bruce have together, and their first lengthy interaction in the "now" of the League since it jumped to the present:
So our first glimpse of Clark and Bruce working together makes clear that--at least in this title, at this time--this Batman isn't the more infamously territorial "Get out of my city" Batman, which is interesting. There's a definite implication that Clark and Bruce know each other well and get along, they may even be friends, although I'd have to see more interactions before I'd be comfortable saying that. They've definitely become two of the closer members of the team in the last five years, though.
Oh, and this is also important for establishing that Superman and Batman know each others' secret identities at this point, something I had assumed would be true but I wasn't sure of...