An Epic Beat-down: Superman #679

It's a fair bet that, if you read a lot of comics, you probably like stories in which incredibly powerful beings punch the living daylights out of each other. I know I do. Subtle plotting, brilliant dialogue, and complex stories are also great, but you can't go wrong with an occasional epic beat-down. Superman #679 gives readers an epic tussle in more ways than one.

I admit that I'm not a regular reader of the Big Blue One's adventures, but I think it is pretty rare for him to come up against an enemy that, pound for pound and punch for punch, is more than a match for him. Superman's battle in this issue is epic in scale, because he's up against an actual epic figure: Atlas the Titan. Somehow, Atlas has been pulled from the distant past and set on conquering Metropolis. Naturally, Superman ends up in his way, but Atlas is unimpressed by Earth's mightiest champion.

Not only does the Titan seem to be more than a physical match for Supes, he has some mysterious allies lurking in the background. When Supergirl arrives on the scene to help, some shadowy military types, with some serious resources at their disposal, act to take her out of the equation. Of course, Superman has some allies of his own. Jimmy and Lois begin to notice that someone is manipulating events behind the scenes, and a few other heroes arrive as backup. Atlas dispatches all comers without breaking a sweat, but the last page reveals one awesome Super-ally who is not to be trifled with. You might even say he's Superman's best friend...

Despite the fact that Superman #679 is part three of this story, writer James Robinson and penciller Renato Guedes offer up everything you need to jump right in and enjoy the action. Offering up a true clash of titans, this issue's epic brouhaha is one you won't want to miss. It has high stakes, intense action, tragic consequences, and a final page that will really make you want the next issue. All that, plus a snazzy (If somewhat spoilerific) painted cover!

Check out Superman #679 while you can! Unlike Superman, you have nothing to lose. It's Four Color Fantasies' guaranteed Book of the Week! You'll believe a man can fly, and then get the steaming bejeezus kicked out of him.

Clever story, outstanding art: The Brave and the Bold #16

Everybody loves a wacky team-up! Whether you're talking Felix and Oscar, Daffy and Bugs, Chan and Tucker, or Spidey and the Torch, putting together two characters who really shouldn't ever be in the same room is always pure comedy gold. And, honestly, you'd be hard pessed to find two characters more unlikely to team-up than the stars of The Brave and the Bold #16: Superman and Catwoman. (Though I'd love to see a Foolkiller/Aunt May team-up someday!)

In this issue, Batman is mysteriously "out of town" (Is he just hanging out at the beach? Can he do that?) so he asks his big, blue, boyscout buddy to keep an eye on Gotham for him while he's away. It's bad enough when your friends ask you to feed their cat, I don't know where Bats gets off asking someone to take care of a whole city for him. Anyway, Superman dutifully shows up when Commissioner Gordon signals and, like the polite young fella he is, offers to help out with the massive underworld auction taking place in Gotham. (It seems to me that the "World's Greatest Detective" knew this gig would be a hassle and decided to let someone else deal with it, while he kicked back in his little Bat Swim Trunks. Probably wasn't enough grim lurking in it for him. I'm just sayin'.)

Anyway, Supes is on the case and quickly bumps into the lovely Ms. Selina "Catwoman" Kyle, who has also taken an interest in this auction. She also quickly takes an interest in Superman's huge pecs and his buns of steel. In no time at all, Catwoman has Superman wrapped around her dainty, feminine wiles, and has him playing dress-up as they infiltrate the auction. They're hoping to bid on a map to a mysterious cave in the area, a map that seems to have Batman's enemies worked into quite a lather...

This stand-alone, done-in-one, issue, by Mark Waid and Scott Kolins, has a clever story, outstanding art, and plenty of grin-worthy moments. If you're looking for a break from all the grim n' gritty event comics out there this summer, you definitely don't want to miss The Brave and the Bold #16 starring Superman and Catwoman. It's fun, it's guaranteed, and it's the best team-up you'll see until we get that She-Hulk/Tigra book I keep dreaming about.