Book Review: Enemies and Allies

"Enemies and Allies" by Kevin J. Anderson is a sort of a "nerd" book. I mean that in a good way. As you can probably tell from the picture, it is a book in which Batman and Superman team up for the betterment of America. Right up my alley, but probably not for everyone. I owe this one to my wife as well...I never would have known about this book if not for her.

"Enemies and Allies" is set in mid 1950's America. The era of Sputnik, McCarthy and the cold war. Gotham City has a vigilante that has been roaming the streets stopping criminals for the last year and a half. The police want him arrested and the public doesn't know what to make of him. The Batman is a mystery to everyone. In Metropolis, a new hero from another planet has emerged. He's doing incredible things, and everyone wants to know more about him.

In the midst of these 2 emerging story lines, Kevin J. Anderson weaves a story that brings to the 2 iconic Super Heroes together, against a common enemy...Lex Luthor. Luthor is bent on controlling as much of the world as he can, and wants to be seen as the real hero. To stop him, the 2 heroes have to overcome their initial distrust of each other. Neither man knows what to make of the other, or his methods, and their initial contact does nothing to improve this.

This story is really well done from a character standpoint. As a Batman fan, first and foremost, I thought this portrayal was perfect. Batman is dark and mysterious. He keeps mostly to the shadows and avoids the public spotlight. He is a brilliant strategist relying on nothing more than his skills and gadgetry to get the job done. Superman is portrayed as the hero of all heroes. He charges in, with no regard for his own safety, to save the day. He says and does all the right things and the people love him for it.

This story has everything the typical Batman/Superman stories have, including Batman saving Superman, so that Superman can save the world. This seems to happen in all Batman/Superman stories, but the way it occurs in this book is different and tops all the others I've seen or read.

If you are a fan of either Batman or Superman, you won't be disappointed by "Enemies and Allies."