It has been a while since the last time the Revolution has reviewed an issue of Superman/Batman. The time I picked up this title was the Lil’ Justice League arc which was a very fun story. And while I enjoyed that small arc I just have not been interested in picking up this title until now. From the premise of Mash Up I expect that we could at least get a little fun from this two issue arc that combines the Justice League and Titans members into one character.
Creative Team
Writers: Michael Green & Mike Johnson
Artist: Francis Manapul
Story: 6 Night Girls out of 10
Art: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Overall: 7 Night Girls out of 10
Synopsis: We begin with Batman swinging through a city that he says he does not recognize. He then lands in an alley and is surrounded by a SWAT team. Just as they fire Superman comes in and blocks all of the bullets with his body. Superman then grabs Batman and they fly away from the SWAT team just as soon as Commissioner White comes in and tells his team to withdraw.
Superman and Batman are then seen having a conversation about how they do not recognize the city they are in and recognize that the Daily Planet building is called the Metropolis Police Station
and that Gotham Gazette is now Daily Gazette. Before they can finish their conversation the Justice Titans, made up of Night Lantern, Donna Wonder, Flash, Star Canary, Hawk Beast, and Aquaborg, find them and ask them what they are doing.
Before they can answer the Justice Titans attack Superman and Batman. As they fight Hawk Beast throws his mace at Superman but he dodges the attack and the mace hits a nearby helicopter. Superman quickly flies off and catches the helicopter and saves the pilot before he can crash. The Justice Titans stop fighting and decide to let Superman and Batman talk.
The scene then shifts to Justice Tower the headquarters of the Justice Titans were Superman and Batman explain to the team their current situation and how each member of the Justice Titans is an amalgam of heroes from their world. The Justice Titans then reveal their real names with Night Lantern called Hal Grayson, Star Canary going by that name, Aquaborg called Arthur Stone, Donna Wonder called Diana Troy, Hawk Beast called Gar Katar, and Flash called Wally Allen. As they finish introducing themselves Terranado walks in and is introduced to Superman and Batman. Batman then is about to reveal that the Terra from his world was actually a traitor but is stopped by Superman before he can say that.
All of a sudden the Tower gets a Code Alpha alert from S.T.A.Rkham. As they fly to S.T.A.Rkham in the J-Jet Batman mentions to NightLantern, who is the pilot and says he is an Air Force Vet, he has very different relationships with the two people he is an amalgam off.
We then shift to S.T.A.Rkham were Doomstroke is destroying the whole building. Before Doomstroke can kill one of the workers of S.T.A.Rkham the Justice Titans with Superman and Batman stop him and they start fighting it out. During the fight Doomstroke mentions that he has already killed the Teen Legion and the Infinity Society and he is ready to kill the Justice Titans next. The Justice Titans then start to dominate the fight with Doomstroke and as it looks like he is about to lose Doomstroke cuts off one of Terranado’s arms which makes her faint.
Superman then comes in and starts hammering Doomstroke. Just before he loses the fight Doomstroke retreats and before Superman chases after Doomstroke Night Lantern stops him and says that they need to treat Terranado’s wounds first. As they leave Batman picks up a piece of Doomstroke’s body that broke off during the fight to analyze.
The issue ends with Doomstroke being reprimanded by his boss in an office. As Doomstroke mentions he faced off against someone with an S on their chest his boss laughs it off and says he will make them pay and reveals that he is Lex Joker.
Commentary
The Good: Superman/Batman #60 was a nice elseworld story that many fans will enjoy 
especially for those fans that have not read many elseworld stories. I will admit that I am one of those fans that has not really read many elseworld/What if? stories so I don’t know if there has been a story that combined the Justice League and Titans heroes into almagam and I like the different combinations of the DCU characters.
My favorite was Night Lantern who is a combination of Nightwing and Green Lantern. I always wanted to see Dick Grayson as a Green Lantern as I thought it would be a good fit for the character. I also liked seeing Batman’s reaction to Night Lantern as he shares very opposite relationships with both characters. I kind of hope that we see Batman and Night Lantern team-up in the next issue just to see how Batman reacts to working with someone that is a combination of the person he trust the most and also trust the least.
I also look forward to seeing is what other amalgam of villains we will be seeing in the next issue as Lex Joker hinted that he would send out villains after the Justice Titans and Superman and Batman.
I am interested to see what Green and Johnson are going to be doing with Terra, or I should say Terranado, as it seems that they are setting her up to betray the Justice Titans in the next issue
just like the Terra from Superman and Batman’s world.
Francis Manapul provide plenty of good artwork and gives an example of how his artwork in Adventure Comics will look like when that is released. I especially like the fight scene between the Justice Titans and Doomstroke. It was a quick pace fight with no slow moments.
The Bad: While this was a fun elseworld story Mash Up is by no means a very deep story. So for those looking for a very detailed story will be disappointed.
Also other than Night Lantern, Doomstroke, and Lex Joker the characters from this world don’t get much dialogue for the reader to get a handle of what personality traits each of the Justice Titans have from the amalgams that they are off. Other than learning the real names of each Justice Titan we don’t get much more information about them.
Overall: While Superman/Batman #60 was not a very deep issue it was still a fun elseworld story that is a nice change off pace from what is currently going on with the rest of the DCU. I look forward to the second, and final, part of this story in the next issue.
