Writer: Greg Rucka Artists: Coy Turnbull(p), Dan Davis(i) Publisher: DC
Plot: Cue Scott Joplin's The Entertainer.
What! But--But the adherence to the post Crisis stupid....The Mark Waid agenda? Batman's supposed to be--well, he's not, but you're not supposed to be smart enough to...We've been had, gentle reader, and it's a lot like being had by a voracious red-headed nymphomaniac.
Greg Rucka nails the players almost effortlessly. The escapade doesn't further the divide between Superman, the Big Blue Boy Scout, and that big ol' meanie the Dark Knight. The plot doesn't insult your intelligence, nor does it bear the sting of unwanted angst.
The story though focusing on the triangle of Lois, Bruce and Clark does not scrimp on the ongoing suspicions of Sasha Bordeaux, Bruce's bodyguard. Ms. Bordeaux is a bright woman who because of her job must look past the obvious, and Mr. Rucka does not betray her character.
Coy Turnbull and Dan Davis handle the artwork, and it's hit and miss. I doubt however the team was the original slated for this latest classic showdown. The rushed art excels when depicting animation. Observe for instance page page twelve where you see a slither of inky cape inching around the corner. The scene where Lois trails after the Dark Knight breaks the pace and sets up the joke, then you see a more than shadow of the bat flying in the opposite direction from whence he came. The capper of course is the breeze of Kryptonian red. The artwork's lack is in the detail and consistency of faces, but this spurious planning is balanced by expression and an eye for body language.
