“Yesterday’s” Comic> The Batman Adventures #25

Nowadays I’m just surprised to see a comic REACH #25. Even when it’s popular.

The Batman Adventures #25

DC Comics (November, 1994)

An attempt is made to bomb a business gathering which includes Bruce Wayne and Lex Luthor vying for a government contract. Clark Kent also happens to be attending (I’m assuming covering for Daily Planet). Superman and Batman stop the bomb but a localized earthquake hits the building while they capture the suspects. Maxie Zeus takes responsibility but it’s really a plan by “Hephestus”, or Lex to be accurate, to sell his robots to the military. With evidence, Batman talks Lex into dropping the bid, which Batman assures Superman Waynetech will also do in the name of fairness. There’s also a series of pin-ups honoring the 25th issue. (Remember when hitting milestones was considered a GOOD thing?

What they got right: Look, it’s Superman and Batman actually getting along as friends. Even the series itself didn’t do that. At best they were on friendly terms since they were both crimefighters. Then there’s the New 52 and a certain movie coming out. Maxie Zeus is always fun, or at least this version is.

What they got wrong: There’s a problem I have with the “Adventures” titles based on the DC Animated Universe and this is the earliest it shows up in my collection. Superman wouldn’t join the DCAU for a few years yet and while they didn’t know that at the time, it means it screws with the continuity since they would meet in the three-part “Worlds Finest” episode of The New Batman/Superman Adventures. And this can’t be put in the same time period because of that problem…namely the “Adventures” comics playing too close to regular DC continuity. This will happen time and again. Superman has the mullet he was sporting after “Death & Return” and Lex has a full head of hair and a beard…which was actually a clone body he was using pretending to be his son. (Long story.) So it’s not only too close to DC continuity instead of DCAU but it doesn’t even get THAT right.

Recommendation: This nitpick wouldn’t be an issue had the DCAU not formed but while it’s an example of a big screw-up of these titles (not just this issue or this series) this was still an enjoyable Batman/Superman team-up story and it’s nice to see them get along as friends instead of barely tolerating each other, if that, like they do today. (They became friends eventually, but not as close as they used to be pre-Crisis or in this story.) Give this one a read.