Superman, Batman and Robin have found themselves on the Bizarro World, where a mystery plague is driving the residents un-mad. Having evaded an attack by the hordes of Htrae, the heroes have come across a familiar – but unfamiliar – pair.
The Bizarro heroes explain to Robin that, no, everyone becoming sane by Earth standards isn’t a good thing.
Before the five can pool resources to attack the problem, there’s the small matter of a surprise attack by Bizarro Brainiac with – what else? – an enlarging ray.
While Superman and Bizarro No1 tackle ‘Brainzarro‘, the two Batmen and Robin go looking for a lead on the pandemic, and end up in Uncentral City. By the time they get there, the Supermen are waiting, having neutralised the cod Coluan. They’ve found Ground Zero for the plague, along with a dead extraterrestrial and his journal.
I wasn’t too excited by the first part of this storyline, it was a bit too grim for my taste, I like my Bizarro stories light. Here, though, writer Mark Waid expertly balances gags with the gradual revelation of the true threat – planetary extinction. The physics of Htrae aren’t something that’s come up much down the decades, but it makes perfect sense that the Bizarro World is tearing itself apart.
Perhaps that’s the clue to the story’s conclusion – we’re in Bizarro space, would something observable and predictable actually occur? I guess we’ll find out next month. For now. I love seeing the wacky world through the inexperienced eyes of Robin, with Easter eggs such as the huge rooster where we’d expect a giant dinosaur. The Bizarro World’s Finest team sounding so jolly dignified and sensible even while they’re facing their interior existential crisis tickles me.
Adrián Gutiérrez produces page after page of eye-pleasing art, with plenty of big splashy moments and quieter, yet still impressive, scenes. The opening page, showing Htrae moving through the cosmos, is gorgeous, we get good use of zip-a-tone effects, there’s a memorable Batmobile design…heck, pick a page and you’ll see something splendid.
The colours of Matt Herms are by turn bright and beautiful, murky and moody, while the letters of Steve Wands help the Bizarro World feel fully realised.
Dan Mora’s cover is a lot of fun – great composition, good gag. I don’t think we need the three background heads, though, they’re just good-looking clutter.
My only problem with the issue is that I lose track of the storytelling when Bizarro No1 comes across a giant Bizarro… I’m a veteran translator of Bizarro talk, with a side knowledge of Superbaby speak, but this is over my head.
The old overloaded circuitry bit?
It’s probably just me. I still enjoyed this issue an awful lot. How about you?
Too Dangerous For a Girl 2 
I think there’s only one or two type of Bizarro stories I enjoy.
Those are are played strictly for laughs (like the Gustavo Duarte mini from a few years back) that are most definitely out of continuity or those single issue stories where Bizarro is presented as a sad, misunderstood monster.
Anything that involves any kind of backwards speaking or weird “reversals” doesn’t tend to work for me. That would be the case for the current storyline. I’m enjoying the regular cast of characters. Bruce, Clark and Dick are all on point and reading their chatter back and forth is interesting enough. And the artwork continues to be pleasing to the eye (if too busy or cluttered for my own taste from time to time). The fault in this story isn’t for a lack of trying or talent. Both Waid and Gutierrez are doing good work. It’s just not my jam.
I’ll be happy enough to say goodbye (or hello) to this storyline when it’s all finished and ready for whatever comes next.
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oops! that comment above is mine (Murray)
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Very fair comments. I enjoyed the first Bizarro story, and John Byrne update, so far as tragic, misunderstood creature goes, but after that I prefer the daft version too. That mini you mention was indeed terrific/
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