Review: Batman/Superman #8 
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist: Nick Derington
Letters: John J. Hill
Colors: Dave McCaig
Reviewed by: Carl Bryan
Summary
Batman/Superman #8 – In the aftermath of “The Infected,” the World’s Finest are in the middle of Ra’s Al Ghul and General Zod with the fate of the bottled city of Kandor hanging in the balance. Who’s right? Who’s wrong? Can the Dark Knight and the Blue Boy Scout be on the same side after this? Find out in the second chapter of a two-part epic featuring the work of artist Nick Derington!
Positives
Joshua Williamson provides a second installment timeout for the World’s Finest as Williamson breaks from The Batman Who Laughs virus storyline.
Motivation seems to be the key to this issue as we don’t see Zod as a conqueror as older stories have him. This is a Zod whose motivation is to preserve Kryptonian history. It would be great for an author to explore how Superman feels about the House of Zod and the House of El…both having remnants and both trying to do what they feel is right for their respective Kryptonian culture.
Zod’s “Pet Cemetary” use of Kandorians is scary…really scary as these are people driven to a Lazarus Pit madness and are so tiny they can infiltrate a person’s body. How Ra’s Al Ghul can survive this attack is beyond me.
I can only imagine that at some point in time, an author is going to take on Kandor and its inhabitants story in some way that sheds more light on their plight, but for now, Williamson does a great job in using the city as a pawn between the two Houses.
Williamson’s scripted banter between Zod, Ra’s Al Ghul and Batman is well crafted and the formality between Al Ghul and Batman is always present. It is amazing that Nick Derington can draw a room that can hold the four egos of the World’s Finest, Zod, and a Demon.
Positives 2.0
While Superman is saving this remnant of Kandor, a very human Batman is on the path to follow Zod and Ra’s while they are engaged in battle. While Ra’s has life giving Lazarus Pits at this disposal, he is no match for Zod.
Superman acknowledges that he could not match the anger Zod is feeling, but that Batman could so relate. The fact that Batman saves Al Ghul from a certain death at the hands of Zod is going to be a set up for the ages.
Well done Mr. Williamson as this is going to have ramifications to both Batman and Superman for some time to come!
Negatives
It’s hard that in this two-issue arc that the whole Batman Who Laughs story line is on pause. That has had so many implications across the DC Universe, but it is fractured. How can everything be dropped for a villain that is so key to what is going on in their lives. While this is not a slam on Williamson, it is definitely a pause to DC in that the audience can keep up. Sew some things up before we move on to a story that can wait a bit!
Verdict
Batman/Superman #7 – Just seeing two iconic villains come face to face with Superman and Batman really in the wings on this one, it just seems right. I don’t like that we have to wait to see what implications this may have for The Batman Who Laughs. With a story line this important, it seems odd to take a bit of a time out. But time will tell how important this story contributes to the demise or rise of The Batman Who Laughs!
