2003 Comic Book News Archives

Superman/Batman #8

December 23, 2003: Jeph Loeb Talks “Superman/Batman”

Newsarama sat down with writer Jeph Loeb to discuss what's to come in the highly successful "Superman/Batman" series. Here's part of what Jeph had to say...

Q: Generally, what makes Batman and Superman working together, work? The whole is obviously greater than the sum of the parts, so what does each bring to the table that the other lacks?

A: I liken them to Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid. They are two men who are the best at what they do, they just do it differently. I really respect what John Bryne did in Man of Steel, and the influence that Frank Miller had in Dark Knight where they were put at odds, but that was nearly 20 years ago and maybe 10 in DC Universe terms. They've worked together too long -- including the JLA -- to not have found some way to make things work that doesn't have to be always adversarial. They can have conflict -- and they do -- but that doesn't mean they don't trust each other.

A: Well then, how would you describe the relationship between Bruce and Clark? First - is it "Bruce and Clark" in your mind, or is it Batman and Superman? I get the feeling from your stories that these are two men who are friends, rather than "ally nations" working together for the common good that some team-ups can feel like...

A: They are both -- because they are both men. I know that sounds complicated, but Clark is much more about who Superman is and Batman is much more about who Bruce is -- so they approach everything differently. Then, there's all this common ground.

Just little stuff that fascinates me. Here's Batman -- who can't keep a relationship with a woman to save his life -- and he has all these "children" -- Robin, Nightwing, Oracle, Batgirl, Huntress -- he's a father figure to more characters than anyone else in the DCU. Then, there's Superman who is married and has a loving relationship with the same woman for years -- and while he has a bond with Superboy -- the others he really doesn't look after on a day-to-day basis. It's just different for both men.

Read the complete interview at the Newsarama website.



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