Romeo & Juliet, Sherlock Holmes & Dr. Watson, Captain Kirk & Mr. Spock. There is something about certain pairs of fictional characters that give them worldwide fame, and grant them near-immortality. I have no idea what that mystical, magical ingredient is, but Superman & Batman certainly have it as well.

Undoubtedly the most popular characters ever created in the DC Universe, hundreds (thousands, perhaps?) of tales have been told involving the two of them teaming up against super villains. This particular story is yet another account of how they met for the first time, and were obligated to join forces.  All the major characters (from both Metropolis and Gotham City) are there, as are plenty of obvious foreshadowings of circumstances, characters and criminals to come.

Cleverly, the author sets this version in 1958, just as the Cold War is becoming particularly chilly, and mixes plenty of facts and near-facts into the narrative. Historical figures and known events all become players in the drama that develops between two orphaned and solitary heroes that end up having more in common than either of them initially believed.

This is an enjoyable trip to a pretty obvious destination and requires very little from the reader. A couple of conflicts are truly interesting, but overall, it is fairly predictable stuff. None of the individuals acts out of character, and everyone uses expected dialogue. In fact, certain well-known phrases are annoyingly overused.

Rated: None. Three mild terms are found in the text, all somehow involved with Lois Lane. Huh.