I’ve had an off again, on again relationship with this title over the last few years.  Last month, I was compelled to pick up the title because it was written by Joe Casey, whose writing style is perfect for superhero comics, and because it was drawn by one of my new favorite artists, Adrian Syaf.  Needless to say, this title does not disappoint.

This title has taken an interesting direction.  Instead of focusing on the characters in their current states, it has shifted to filling in gaps left by previous events from DCs recent past.  What is so elegant about the way that Joe Casey is writing the book is that despite never having read Our Worlds at War, I still am able to follow what’s going on in the title.  This is a fun, classic Batman/Superman team-up as they work to take down a major threat.  It’s been well paced and clear with some fun moments.  This issue was a solid addition and was a nice issue to set up the bigger action to come.

The standout for this issue though has to be the art by Adrian Syaf.  He is such a great talent.  I first took notice of him with his work on a Blackest Night tie-in, and as he’s grown over these few months, it’s no wonder that he’s now going to be the regular artist on the newest Green Lantern book.  This guy can draw!  His page composure is dynamic and exciting, and he has the big splash page mastered.  It’s a real treat to see his storytelling style.  One of my favorite little touches is the way he draws Bruce Wayne.  It’s subtle, but Bruce’s hair sort of curves on both sides of his head, giving him very very slight points that look like his cowl.  It’s a very nuanced approach that I really dig.  I can’t say enough at just how awesome the art is in this book!