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Overview
As America and the Soviet Union race to build their nuclear stockpiles, two extraordinary heroes must form an uneasy alliance. These studies in opposites—shadow and light—must overcome their distrust of each other to battle evil and injustice.
Sputnik silently circles in the skies above the fabled cities of the United States as danger lurks in the Earth's darkest corners.
In Gotham, the shadowy vigilante known as the Batman haunts Gotham's streets . . . and the police are just as afraid of this Dark Knight as the city's criminals are.
In Metropolis, the notorious Lex Luthor is leveraging international tensions to build LuthorCorp into a military-industrial empire, competing against his business rival Wayne Industries, which is run by Gotham's enigmatic millionaire, Bruce Wayne. Luthor's activities have raised the interest of Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane, who is beginning to realize that Luthor may stop at nothing to achieve success.
At the same time, Clark Kent and Jimmy Olsen are investigating the rumored crash of a flying saucer. Clark is desperate to know if there may be other lost interplanetary visitors on Earth secretly living among them—visitors like himself.
When Batman's and Superman's paths cross, their lives change, and history will never be the same.
Synopsis
As America and the Soviet Union race to build their nuclear stockpiles, two extraordinary heroes must form an uneasy alliance. These studies in opposites shadow and light must overcome their distrust of each other to battle evil and injustice.
Sputnik silently circles in the skies above the fabled cities of the United States as danger lurks in the Earth's darkest corners.
In Gotham, the shadowy vigilante known as the Batman haunts Gotham's streets . . . and the police are just as afraid of this Dark Knight as the city's criminals are.
In Metropolis, the notorious Lex Luthor is leveraging international tensions to build LuthorCorp into a military-industrial empire, competing against his business rival Wayne Industries, which is run by Gotham's enigmatic millionaire, Bruce Wayne. Luthor's activities have raised the interest of Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane, who is beginning to realize that Luthor may stop at nothing to achieve success.
At the same time, Clark Kent and Jimmy Olsen are investigating the rumored crash of a flying saucer. Clark is desperate to know if there may be other lost interplanetary visitors on Earth secretly living among them visitors like himself.
When Batman's and Superman's paths cross, their lives change, and history will never be the same.
Publishers Weekly
Anderson's latest is a hokey, contrived imagining of the first meeting between Batman and Superman, set during the thick of the cold war and hobbled by flat characters and flatter dialogue ("My source was murdered shortly after she spoke with me. That tells me that Luthor must not have wanted her talking"). The two superheroes are initially introduced when Clark Kent interviews Bruce Wayne for a feature in the Daily Planet, and their alter egos cross paths again as Batman and Superman are drawn into Lex Luthor's dastardly scheme for world domination. (It involves the Soviets and "Death-ray transmitters.") To stop it, Batman and Superman embark on a ludicrous globe-trotting mission that's equal parts camp and Forrest Gump. A schlocky mediocrity for die-hard fans only. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Editorials
From Barnes & Noble
This novel answers that nagging question: What would happen if Superman and Batman met? Set in the Cold War fifties, Enemies and Allies places the two ultimate superheroes in the context of the times. Also making appearances are Lex Luthor, Jimmy Olsen, Lois Lane, Alfred Pennyworth and, of course, Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne. Superheroes squared; now in mass-market paperback.
Los Angeles Times
"The X-Files is a true masterpiece. There’s no more challenging series on television, and as a bonus, it’s also brainy fun."Booklist
"Anderson keeps us guessing throughout with cleverplot twists and some intriguing alternate cold war history."Los Angeles Times
“The X-Files is a true masterpiece. There’s no more challenging series on television, and as a bonus, it’s also brainy fun.”Booklist
“Anderson keeps us guessing throughout with cleverplot twists and some intriguing alternate cold war history.”Publishers Weekly
Anderson's latest is a hokey, contrived imagining of the first meeting between Batman and Superman, set during the thick of the cold war and hobbled by flat characters and flatter dialogue ("My source was murdered shortly after she spoke with me. That tells me that Luthor must not have wanted her talking"). The two superheroes are initially introduced when Clark Kent interviews Bruce Wayne for a feature in the Daily Planet, and their alter egos cross paths again as Batman and Superman are drawn into Lex Luthor's dastardly scheme for world domination. (It involves the Soviets and "Death-ray transmitters.") To stop it, Batman and Superman embark on a ludicrous globe-trotting mission that's equal parts camp and Forrest Gump. A schlocky mediocrity for die-hard fans only. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Library Journal
Anderson, best known for his Dune prequels and several other DC superhero novels (The Last Days of Krypton), shows readers what might happen were millionaire playboy Bruce Wayne and small-town newspaper reporter Clark Kent to meet in the midst of the Red Scare 1950s-as both their secret identities and their superhero selves. Wayne comes off as a James Bond clone and Kent as an aw-shucks country boy, which, while mildly true about the alter egos of two of the most famous superheroes in the history of comics, does not begin to give them the depth they deserve. The settings (both Superman's Metropolis and Batman's Gotham City) are well done, and Anderson conveys the imposing feel of the Soviet presence. Still, Anderson's vision of cooperating heroes lacks punch, and when faced with a novel instead of graphics, readers may find that some of the fun has been lost. For DC fans only, though you know that this book will be pushed. [See Prepub Alert, LJ1/09; library marketing.]
—Stacey Rottiers