REVIEW: ‘Superman/Spider-Man’ Issue 1

Superman/Spider-Man Issue 1 is published by DC Comics and written by Mark Waid, art by Jorge Jiménez, colors by Tomeu Morey, and letters by Tom Napolitano.

Superman and Spider-Man tackle a city in chaos as Doc Ock and Brainiac work together.

There are also backup stories throughout the issue. A Lois Lane and Mary Jane story is written by Tom King, with pencils by Jim Lee, inks by Scott Williams, colors by Alex Sinclair, and letters by Pat Brosseau. Superboy-Prime and Spider-Man have a crossover written by Christopher Priest, with art by Daniel Sampere, colors by Alejandro Sánchez, and letters by Willie Schubert. A Superboy and Spider-Man 2099 story is written and illustrated by Sean Murphy, with colors by Simon Gough and letters by Andworld Design.

A Jimmy Olsen and Carnage meetup is written by Matt Fraction, with art by Steve Lieber, colors by Nathan Fairbairn, and letters by Clayton Cowles. Jonathan Kent and Uncle Ben also share a story written by Jeff Lemire, with art by Rafa Sandoval, colors by Ulises Areola, and letters by Becca Carey.

A debate between the Daily Bugle and the Daily Planet is written by Greg Rucka, art by Nicola Scott, colors by Marcelo Maiolo, and letters by Ariana Maher. And, finally, a Power Girl and Punisher story is written by Gail Simone, art by Bélen Ortega, colors by Jordie Bellaire, and letters by Lucas Gattoni.

The main story is a brilliant fusion of the two universes, with a history already stitched in from the start. Peter Parker and Clark Kent are working together, already knowing about each other’s secret lives. Here, Metropolis and New York are part of the same world. Superman/Spider-Man Issue 1 is fast-paced, launching into action from the start. It’s a flurry of activity, bouncing between car crashes, burning buildings, and other chaos caused by Kryptonite-infused radio waves. It weakens Superman and even disrupts Spider-Man.

The story’s pace flows superbly, hurtling through Metropolis like a speeding bullet. It also genuinely feels like a team-up between Superman and Spider-Man, too. They work alongside each other, combine powers, and even swap villains by the end. By the story’s climax, there is a genuine threat of peril and an incredibly hopeful and wholesome energy as they strive to survive and succeed.

The chemistry between Clark and Peter is fantastic in Superman/Spider-Man Issue 1. Set in a time when Peter Parker is still a struggling photographer for the Daily Bugle, the duo makes for a terrific journalistic team. They aren’t friends, but they’re comfortable with each other.

They also work well together, signaling that this isn’t their first team-up. When coming up with theories as to what’s happening, the heroes can finish each other’s sentences, and only need a single word to know where the other will go in a crisis.

Superman routinely serves as an older, mentor figure to Spidey, helping him focus and providing him with strength. They tangle with Doc Ock and Brainiac, who also weirdly make a good couple. Doc Ock’s constant obsession with being the smartest person on Earth makes him the perfect partner for a super-intelligent being like Brainiac.

The art is gorgeous. Jiménez excels at both characters, especially Spider-Man. After so long illustrating Batman, it’s nice to see him give a Marvel hero a shot. The size difference between the two is brilliant, with Spider-Man being smaller and slighter than the Kryptonian powerhouse. The posture and body language are also sensational. Superman flies straight like an arrow, and even when standing still, his cape helps take up space and makes him look even bigger.

Meanwhile, Spider-Man is web-swinging with his limbs outspread. Even when sitting down, he sprawls out and looks thin compared to the man next to him. In their civilian guises, their personalities shine through. Clark looks like the more put-together, grown-up version of Peter. He’s been doing every part of his life for longer. Superman slips out of his clothes with ease, whilst Peter wrestles with his shoes and Spandex.

The constant, enthralling movement delivers exciting variety. Both heroes swoop in to help in their own ways, moving like they have been partners for a long time. They can move separately or combine in unique ways that look amazing. The villains look terrific, too. There’s such a disparity between an older scientist with tentacles and an alien in a spaceship shaped like a skull. And there’s also a redesign that makes Otto actually dangerous to the Man of Steel.

The colors stun. The matching red and blue costumes for both Spider-Man and Superman make them fit nicely together on the page, as they move through the sunny, positive Metropolis. Anything negative has a green tinge to it, seen through the eyes of Kryptonite, Doc Ock, or Brainiac. The lettering is beautifully creative, highlighting when Brainiac is interfering with minds whilst remaining easy to read.

The other stories in Superman/Spider-Man Issue 1 are all focused on the supporting cast of Spider-Man and Superman, spanning time periods and even beyond the multiverse. The Lois and MJ story, titled “World’s Finest”, is a fantastic glimpse into what it takes to love a superhero.

Whilst Superman and Spider-Man battle a Sentinel, Lois and MJ are also stuck on the bridge. It’s a great exploration of their histories, trauma, and their own adventures that they’ve been dragged into purely by who they are married to. They are both supportive and highlighted as iconic characters themselves.

“Pages” sees Superboy-Prime drag a black-suited Spider-Man out of his world, with nefarious intentions. With the universes already colliding, it’s only fair that it gets taken to extremes. Like the main story, this tale is fast-paced and energetic, jumping through realities as Spidey chases Prime out of reality. There’s tremendous depth in the dialogue as Spider-Man tries to breach the deranged, self-obsessed mind of Superboy-Prime, who views all characters as fictional figures inside comic books. Sampere’s art is jaw-dropping before and after the walks of reality break down, with classic pages of both companies featuring as Superboy-Prime ounces through.

“Beyond the Cobwebs of Tomorrow” is the best story in the entire anthology. Spider-Man 2099 encounters not only Superboy, but another futuristic DC figure. The fight is entertaining, with a plot that pulls the two heroes into 2039. The twist is just sensational, with the mysterious narrator revealed to be neither of the two fighting. Both Spider-Man and Superboy are dealing with huge mega-corporations that dominate their realities. The art is a beautiful homage to the original Spider-Man 2099 comics, which Superboy complements terrifically. A whole comic could have been made solely around this team-up.

“Jimmy Con Carnage” is a darkly funny story in which an unfortunate Jimmy Olsen runs into the sadistic serial killer Carnage. It’s surprisingly violent with a shocking event at the core of it, and a tale that makes Peter Parker out to be a real jerk.

“The Bridge” is a wonderfully warm and poignant story that recounts a meetup between Uncle Ben and Jonathan Kent, the adopted parents of Peter Parker and Kal-El. It’s a tale that demonstrates the great men who raised the heroes, who were themselves noble, kind, and heroic. They’re humble and pretty similar, and it’s clear to see why both young men grew up with such warm hearts. The art is utterly stunning, depicting two very normal and relatable gentlemen, with an outstanding final splash page.

“Bias” sees Lois Lane engage in a televised debate with J. Jonah Jameson, moderated and hosted by Jack Ryder. It’s exclusively dialogue-based, focusing on how each famous reporter describes and covers the superheroes in their respective cities. Jameson is the loudest and explains his point in a pretty erudite fashion. There are a few glimpses of superheroes, giving Scott the chance to reveal some remarkable art. But she also excels at making the humans and their conversations interesting.

Finally, “Blind Date” combines two characters who are only connected by their love of journaling. Both Power Girl and Frank Castle are targeting the same restaurant for different motives. Karen is on a date whilst Castle is hunting his next prey. It’s again a very funny story, especially when the two interact with others. They couldn’t be more different, visually and in personality, and yet Simone develops a charming chemistry. There’s an intriguing standoff between the very beautiful, pastel Power Girl and the gruff, hardened Castle.

Superman/Spider-Man Issue 1 makes the heart soar. Where the Batman and Deadpool crossovers brought friction between the two companies, this iteration is smooth, warm, and joyful. It features absolute superstar creators in every story, with the most iconic superheroes in history at the helm. It’s not the most complicated of stories, but it’s the exuberance and pace that make it enthralling. The other stories are more in-depth conversations and encounters, showing just how varied both supporting casts have grown since their last crossover.

Superman/Spider-Man Issue 1 is available where comics are sold.