Batman/Superman [2019] #8 - DC Comics

BATMAN/SUPERMAN No. 8, May 2020

Neatly bookended with a surprisingly touching look at Dru-Zod’s childhood and his father’s desire to ensure the Kryptonian understands just why “Kandor is an important part of the House of Zod’s past”, Joshua Williamson’s action-packed adventure inside Issue Eight of “Batman/Superman” probably had its 38,236 readers wondering just how Superman’s arch-enemy was ever going to be stopped by this comic’s titular characters, considering he had already successfully resurrected the miniaturised metropolis’ long-dead inhabitants using one of Ra's al Ghul’s Lazarus Pits. Indeed, backed by an entire city’s super-powered population presumably grateful to the “distinguished soldier” for bringing them back to life, there arguably doesn’t look like there is much either Clark Kent’s alter-ego or Batman can now do against the insane intergalactic general except flee the Lost Temple of Quetzalcoatl, taking an enraged founder of the League of Assassins with them; “Kandor lives! No longer will your legacy be captivity and death!”

Fortunately however, the California-born writer’s narrative is far from so straightforward, and instead of depicting Zod’s moment of triumph, rather provides a sense-shattering action sequence involving the numerous, fly-sized Kryptonians frenziedly attacking all four of the Lazarus Chamber’s occupants, including their aghast saviour. True, such a response from those freshly reanimated by the restorative chemical pool arguably wouldn’t come as much of surprise to those bibliophiles familiar with the immortality of the Demon's Head. But the ensuing chaos as hundreds of tiny ‘supermen’ project their fiery eye-beams and freezing breath at this comic’s flabberghasted protagonists makes for a truly enthralling experience, especially when a number of the shrunken sadists painfully enter Ra's al Ghul’s ear…

To make matters even more complicated though, rather than regret his actions, the American author has Zod attempt to desperately defend his homicidal brethren against the centuries-old Egyptian and his plan to kill all his crazed people courtesy of “an ultraviolet-light grenade that replicates the effects of a Red Sun” and a specially synthesised Kryptonite blade. Dynamically-drawn by artist Nick Derington, this battle between two of “DC Comics” greatest super-villains is utterly riveting, even though it soon becomes blatantly obvious just how badly out-matched Talia al Ghul’s father actually is when confronted by an increasingly irate General Zod.

Writer: Joshua Williamson, Artist: Nick Derington, and Colorist: Dave McCaig