Superman/Batman #75

Who would've thought such a tandem that is constantly referred to as the World's Finest achieved a very rare pinnacle? As Superman/Batman turns 75 issues strong, it does so on the very year that DC Comics turns 75 years strong as well. The brainchild of Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness has seen many wonderful contributions take effect from or to this comic. Even the annuals manage to maintain that same level of splendor with revitalized concepts of stories past that featured the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight. So, without further ado, grab your capes, wear your cowls, and join me as I review to you, Superman/Batman #75.
 

The Good

This society of writers and artists who contributed to this issue is nothing short of magnificent and astounding. Paul Levitz and Jerry Ordway start off with a continuation to their previous story arc that started in Issue #72, but with the bonus of including the Legion of Super-Heroes into the story. The interaction of Batman surprising all of the Legion members was a very refreshing touch. The fight scenes were short, but they were also pleasant to look at, even in its brief stay.After that, the contributions really come to shine, with Steven T. Seagle making a wonderful parody of his Vertigo book It's a Bird, followed with Billy Tucci's delightful take on children playing as Superman and Batman. To summarize, every contribution that followed, from Adam Hughes' wonderful art and writing, to J.T. Krul and Francis Manapul's collaboration,  Peter Tomasi adding a wonderful perspective on how Superman and Batman can be a great bonding tool for parents and their children, Duncan Rouleau's amazing segment on the canines Ace and Krypto, the all-star duo of Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo's lighter take on Joker and Lex Luthor, and David Finch's amazing debut as a writer in a DC Comics segment, by further working on the future of the World's Finest, every single person that contributed to this issue definitely gave their best, if not their definite all to make the quality of this issue. In a nutshell, this issue has the quality and the appeal to make a great 75th issue for a book that proves to be a renewed tradition in DC Comics. 

The Bad

The only gripe that this issue warrants is that with so many wonderful contributions, it proved to be too short. Not that this is a bad attribute, mind you, but it would've definitely benefited from having more than just two pages. One example of this is the Night and Day segment by Michael Green and Mike Johnson. The wonderful art segment that American Vampire's own Rafael Albuquerque deserved to be expanded, at least by one more page, to further continue on to the tragedy that Lil' Batman endured at the end of the Lil' Leaguers storyline. A same type of attention can be said to the infinitely wonderful 2-page story made by David Finch, but that would be asking for a lot out of 56 pages. The 27 pages that the Paul Levitz story took in this issue, while it was a good closure for his arc in Superman/Batman, it honestly felt like an obligatory plug-in to his work on his currently ongoing Legion of Super-Heroes monthly and his work on Adventure Comics. And another small gripe this issue warrants, is in its solicitation. The solicitation clearly says that Joe Kelly would be contributing in this issue, when it's clearly not true. That, in itself, provides some head-scratching, to say the least.
 

The Verdict

Superman/Batman #75 is basically a celebration of the World's Finest duo, and the contributions bestowed upon this issue, manages to touch on the aspects that both Batman and Superman have managed to impact with their selfless heroism. This issue's contributions not only manage to reflect that aspect, but also manages to amaze the reader with its visual splendor, personified by Francis Manapul's wonderful interior panels, that look even better without coloring, and great short stories, such as Finch's take on the possible future version of the World's Finest, without often sacrificing quality. For as anniversary issues go, this issue had its small share of shortcomings, but it was outweighed by the overall quality of the book. In summary, this issue is definitely worth a read, if not an outright buy. Pick this issue up, it will immediately please the eyes. 4.5/5 GREAT BUY