Our Kryptonite

The feature story of the find Spider-Man and Superman under a pile of rubble following an encounter with Lex Luthor and the Green Goblin as the two attempt to escape as a pumpkin bomb leaking Kryptonite radiation is released further weakening The Man Of Steel.

The banter between the two heroes feels forced at times as Spider-Man cracks his jokes as Superman tries to encourage Peter by asking what is “his Kryptonite” as the two discuss why they do what they do (Spider-Man out of0 guilt). Superman asks him about the watch in his belt (which is revealed in the end )

The twist is that the Kryptonite is being used to weaken Superman so that the Venom symbiote can take Clark as a host ( it is unclear why Lex and Goblin are doing g with this or hope to accomplish other than mass confusion and destruction. Following Superman freeing himself from the symbiote.

Having the two get their families together at the end, although it feels like Lois is missing from the picture

Metropolis Marvels

It’s some Golden Age goodness as these two versions of the titular heroes are after the same baddie, Lex Luthor, who has framed J. Jonah Jamison for some crime where  the punishment is the electric chair. It seems that Peter ” is more into killing Lex than clearing Jonah, luckily Superman is. The story plays well in the time frame and Slott gets extra points for the final panel of Clark breaking the fourth wall with the classic Silver Age wink and Peter’s classic Spidey-Sense half mask.

Identity War

The story from Geoff Johns and Frank Quitely is more a Superman / Marvel Universe story that pays homage to the 1981 Superman and Spider-Man story where  the Hulk knocks out a surprised Silver Age Superman initially but ends in a draw after Superman calms the Hulk down. Johns mixes Mysterio and a Red Lantern ring channeled through the Hulk as the driving part of the story.

Johns uses the trope of the heroes from the two universes fighting each other, but merely as a means to fillout the larger story being told. Though it is Marvel who put out the issue, they let Superman have the last word and let Ben Grimm be the one who needs to learn the moral of the story. Quietly knocks the art out of the park with the style that readers are used to seeing from him and it helps sell the story.

The Wondrous and the Worthy

Though one of the two stories that deviates from the theme of Spider-Man/Superman the Thor (Jane Foster) and Wonder Woman story well-written and does a great job of Amalgamation of the Fourth World and Asgardians.

Aaron packs a lot of action and heart into the few pages of the story along with some well-timed humor when needed to break the tension of the moment. Russell Dauterman’s art flows seamlessly and makes the action jump of the page.

Ghosting

The story from Louise Simonson and Todd Nauck find Steel coming into conflict with The Hobgoblin in a bait-and-switch story where they do a good job of making readers think that Hobgoblin has the upper hand when in fact he is doing exactly what Steel wants him to do. It was a bit of a surprise that Thor shows up to help out in the end but the explanation is one that works within the context of the story being told.

Sweethearts

This story featuring Gwen Stacy and Lana is one of the weaker additions to the issue. While it is meant to be lighthearted and show the similarities between the two and their crushes on Peter and Clark respectively, the story falls flat when compared to the other stories in the issue.

The One Thing…

The contribution from Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli is an exposition heavy and word few pages which never realizes the story that could be told: Brainiac and Dormammu teaming up. Superman steps into the mentor role as Miles is star-struck from being in Superman’s presence. Yes, the two are having a conversation but it makes the story which is just a few pages drag and miss what the story might have been

Remarkable

Remarkable is a brief and tenuous team up of sorts between Ghost Spider and Supergirl. In the few pages Supergirl comes off as a perk to Gwen who is initially looking for an autograph from Superman. Supergirl’s comment about there being “five million heroes with Spider-powers feels a bit off since there are multiple Superboys and Superman’s these days.

As the current Ghost-Spider scribe, Phillips makes sure that Gwen holds her own and does a good job of showing that no matter how much Gwen thinks she ans Supergirl ate different, they in many ways are more alike.

Untitled

The final story is a two-page Jeph Loeb story that finds Spidey sitting on the Brooklyn Bridge think about the loss of Gwen Stacey as Superman stops by. In a true Superman fashion, Supes gives Peter the encouragement he needs to continue the good fight of being a hero.

In the two pages, the connection between the two feels natural, like the two heroes have known each other for a long time. It is interesting to see that Superman is doing the heavy-lifting emotionally since he is the “visiting” property.