Superman Unchained is back after another lengthy absence. At this point we might as well get used to delays as Scott Snyder and Jim Lee approach the climax of their story. As self-contained as this series is, the delays don’t make a huge amount of difference as far as the story goes (assuming you can remember the events that transpired in the previous six chapters). Unchained is still a solid entry in a franchise whose prospects have grown much brighter in recent months.

The cover may say “Superman,” but Batman factors into this issue almost as much as the Man of Steel. In another context that might have been cause for annoyance. After all, Scott Snyder spends plenty of time exploring the Dark Knight’s adventures on Batman and Batman Eternal. But this is a take on Batman we don’t generally see in those books. This is Batman as the trickster god a la Grant Morrison’s Justice League. Batman and his toys are larger-than-life here, allowing him to keep pace with super-beings of near limitless power. So if Batman winds up stealing the show from Superman at several points in this issue, dodging Wraith’s attacks and unleashing his Bat-arsenal in creative and explosive ways, it’s hard to complain.

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