Practice?
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist: Max Raynor
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: November 25, 2020
I have enjoyed this AI/Moonbase/Composite Batman/Superman story because of it's goofy Silver Age feel. It has let me overlook some of the unexplained nonsense going on with hopes of getting a crazy whack funking ending this month. Do we get that? Let's find out...
The last issue ended with Composite Batman/Superman heading off to Earth to learn about being a villain... by becoming one! That sounds like a whole bunch of fun right there, but unfortunatley, Joshua Williamson doesn't dive into the fun pool here and instead has Superman psychoanalyze the robot until it all comes down to daddy issues.
To make matters worse, we barely get to see any of the robot villains fighting Batman, Steel, and Batwoman either. Instead, Batman puts on a VR headset and enters the matrix thanks to Steel. Just like Superman, Batman analyses the AI before containing it and storing it away in the Batcave.
Of course, Williamson makes sure to get the "Superman is great!" and "Batman is great!" bits that are par for the course with this series, but we could and should have gotten so much more here. Steel and Batwoman end up being plot devices more than characters, and by the end, you know that Batman hasn't learned his lesson and will fuck up again. Eye guarantee it!
I enjoyed the art, especially when Max Raynor was allowed to have some fun, but that's my biggest disappointment here; those times were fewer than they should have been.
Bits and Pieces:
Batman and Superman save the day once again, but the fun promised from the previous issues felt wasted. Joshua Williamson seemed more concerned about getting things wrapped than taking advantage of his setup, and we got a forgettable story because of it. I liked the art, but it couldn't save this from being a middle of the road affair.
6.0/10
Hah, I see what you did there. Yeah, this story did have me excited when it first started, but this last issue killed it for me. I hate how A.I. villains keep getting watered down to "daddy issues" by writers these days. Like you said, whatever fun this issue could've had was cut short once Batman and Superman split up. At the end of the day it's like most DC titles: cool art, mediocre story.
ReplyDeleteyea, it's a shame because i was having a lot of fun with this... glad you got the AI joke!
Delete