Collecting some of the slower years of the Superman/Batman series....
How can you not enjoy a tale about DC's two greatest icons? One mortal, one practically a god. One a hopeful boy scout, one a dark cynical vigilante. They certainly make for an interesting dynamic, and the Superman/Batman series started off with a bang but it has regressed in recent months and Superman/Batman Volume 6: Torment probably collects what could be deemed the "Slow Years" of this promising new series by DC.

Torment starts with a simple crime in Gotham involving some of Batman's most famous foes: Killer Croc and Scarecrow. After Gotham's hoodlums steal the property of Lex Luthor, Superman is forced to team up with Batman to find out why this new Lex Luthor secret project is so valuable. In the process of unraveling the mystery, Superman starts to lose his sanity and Batman discovers that this plot is much larger than meets the eye as it eventually leads back to Apokolips and Darkseid.

After Batman teleports to the source of this mystery, we discover that Darkseid did not inherit all of his former powers after Superman brought him back from the Source Wall. (See previous Superman/Batman stories.) Determined to bring himself back to his former glory, he schemes with his follower Desaad to steal Highfather's staff. Meanwhile, Superman is for all intents and purposes a vegetable, and Batman must battles forces out of his element, teaming up with Bekka, the wife of Orion, in a matchup that alludes to a possible romance if they just had a few minutes alone together.

It all sounds cool on paper, but it's a slow read at times and not one of the better Superman/Batman collections, although it does lay some important groundwork for the recent Death of the New Gods series. Apparently, Dustin Nguyen decided that his version of Superman would look like a mirror-image of Brandon Routh in Superman Returns, including a vest and tie Clark Kent. Combined with what feels like an out-of-place insertion of Scarecrow, you sometimes wonder if the writer and artist are promoting recent films with Superman and Batman as much as they are this new series.

I wouldn't give up on the Superman/Batman series yet. Even though Volume 6: Torment continues the downward spiral of the series, the recent K. Chapter storyline that follows the issues collected in this TPB has shown some promise. Hopefully, the series regains its form instead of forcing us to move on to the upcoming weekly, Trinity, which combines Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman.

More like a lead-in towards things to come
Since its inception, the Superman/Batman series has had it's up's and down's, and in this installment, writer Alan Burnett gets his turn on the title. This time around, Superman and Batman are headed to Apokolips to take on Darkseid and his minions, with ramifications that lead into the Death of the New Gods mini-series, Countdown, and of course, Final Crisis. Yes, it's a long road to these mega-events indeed, and while Burnett manages to provide a thorough and sometimes entertaining narrative, the story as a whole just comes off as more of a lead-in to the aforementioned events than anything else. That being said, Torment is a lot better than the past few installments to come before it, so fans are lible to get more enjoyment out of this too. Dustin Nguyen provides some nice pencil work to boot; all of which adds up to Torment being worth a look if you're a fan of either character or are following the road to Final Crisis.

A prelude of things to come
It is currently quite in vogue to bash this comic just for its' very existence. "Do we really need a Superman/Batman teamup book?" is the litany voiced ad nauseum on internet messageboards. The chorus of complaints has reached an even higher pitch with the recent announcement of the new weekly series Trinity. Fortunately not all fans dance to the beat of the same drummer, as some of us prefer to judge stories on their own individual merits and not just by their premise. On this particular trade we welcome the writing talents of Alan Burnett, well known for his work on the DC animated universe. His intriguing tale takes our intrepid heroes on a perilous journey to Apokolips to battle Darkseid and Desaad, whose conclusion will set the stage and have severe ramifications for the DCU in the upcoming months. The story encompasses much of the New Gods lore, including the recent loss of Darkseid's Omega powers and the relationship that the Source Wall and Highfather's staff have to that. Along the way Batman is introduced and unintentionally seduced by Orion's beautiful wife Bekka, who is literally a sex goddess with some very powerful pheromones. This subtext is explored further as he reflects on his life and the sacrifices of love and passion that he has made for the sake of his full time mission as Batman. We also see the long overdue pairing of Desaad with the Scarecrow, a match truly made in Hell, although the Scarecrow is once again reduced to being someone's punching bag. Will DC please finally remove the kick me sign from behind his back. The trade ends on a tantalizing cliffhanger which directly segues into the Death of the New Gods storyline that is currently concluding. On the artistic side Burnett is ably assisted by the increasingly growing in stature presence of Dustin Nguyen. In a previous review of his work, I compared his illustrations to Jack Kirby's, so it is fitting irony that he would be involved in a story featuring many of Jack's greatest creations. After reading this solid effort, here's hoping that Alan Burnett follows in the same footsteps as Paul Dini, who has successfully made the transition from the animated DCU to the comics medium, and has a lengthy and stellar run himself.