99th out of 284 books
—
445 voters
Enemies & Allies
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....more
Sputnik silently circles in the skies above the fabled cities of the United States as danger lurks in the Earth's darkest corners....more
Hardcover, 336 pages
Published
May 5th 2009
by William Morrow
(first published 2009)
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Picked up an ARC at a library conference and ripped through it on the plane home. I haven't read much (any?) Anderson, although I know of him, but I have read loads of Batman stories. Overall, it was a light, enjoyable read suitable for a plane or the beach but it didn't do anything really all that special. In fact, one can easily find elements straight from Golden Age, The New Frontier, and Watchmen and I felt a little disappointed at that. Still, if it falls in your hands, it's not a bad way t...more
Enemies and Allies is a re-imagining of the first meeting of comic books icons Batman and Superman. The action takes placed in the 1950's which mirrors their first funnybook meeting in 1952. The era is exploited for its plot potential as cold war paranoia, UFO hysteria and the emerging military-industrial complex are components of greedy businessman Lex Luthor's plot to achieve global domination or at least clear a huge profit foe LuthorCorp.
Since the mid 1980's there have been multiple retellin...more
Since the mid 1980's there have been multiple retellin...more
ENEMIES & ALLIES takes us back to the Cold War, a setting the Batman and Superman will always feel natural in. Thankfully, this book contains nothing about the reverse course (aka what I was studying while I read the book). The focus is on Gotham, Metropolis, a gulag, and a Caribbean island. What connects these places? The machinations of Lex Luthor.
Since Lex is the big bad, most of the focus is on Superman. This makes me a little sad as the Batman and his rogues' gallery own my heart, but i...more
I have to say that I was sorely disappointed by this cookie cutter approach to the iconic characters of Superman and Batman.
There was no depth to the characters whatsoever. As an avid superhero enthusiast, I was expecting a lot more from this novel.
I did enjoy the setting, but there was more attention to detail with brands of soda and the cost of things in that era than I felt were used in regards to the origin stories of our heroes, even when they reflected on how they came to be where they wer...more
There was no depth to the characters whatsoever. As an avid superhero enthusiast, I was expecting a lot more from this novel.
I did enjoy the setting, but there was more attention to detail with brands of soda and the cost of things in that era than I felt were used in regards to the origin stories of our heroes, even when they reflected on how they came to be where they wer...more
I'm not really sure why there's yet to be a successful novel written about Superman or Batman. I suppose it's that there's this preconceived idea of them and no novelist has ever found a way to incorporate that image and make it original at the same time. This book was pretty humdrum, with superficial Batman and Superman characteristics. It tells the tale of Batman and Superman crossing paths because of Lex Luthor's evil plan to take over the world. When they first meet, both are suspicious of e...more
Anderson brings fans of Superman and Batman back to the 1950s to present the story of the frist time they worked together. It is a time where the Cold War and the Communist Scare are primary on people's minds. Bruce Wayne is in the early years of his career when he is focusing on the corruption among Gotham City's government and the gangster lords. Clark Kent has just started up at the Daily Planet and is enjoying getting to know Lois Lane.
Lex Luther takes center stage as his various projects in...more
Lex Luther takes center stage as his various projects in...more
I had high hopes for this title because I thought it had such great appeal. After all, a vast portion of the world's population knows about Superman and Batman, and stories with clear-cut good v. evil themes do well.
It only took 20 pages, though, before Anderson said, "Clark knew he wasn't in Kansas anymore."
Bruce Wayne's introduction was also campy, introducing himself to Clark and Jimmy Olsen as "Wayne. Bruce Wayne," and then going on to talk about how fabulous Ian Fleming's James Bond is.
The...more
It only took 20 pages, though, before Anderson said, "Clark knew he wasn't in Kansas anymore."
Bruce Wayne's introduction was also campy, introducing himself to Clark and Jimmy Olsen as "Wayne. Bruce Wayne," and then going on to talk about how fabulous Ian Fleming's James Bond is.
The...more
Kevin J. Anderson brings readers a fun and exciting read with Enemies and Allies. This book takes and incorporates two of the best superheroes and pits them together to fight a mutual enemy...Lex Luther.
Lex Luther is constructing a nuclear reactor that could destroy the world. It seems that while building this reactor that he has discovered Superman's weakness to Kryptonite. The funny thing is that Lex doesn't know he possess in his hands the very thing that could bring down Superman. Lex Luthe...more
Lex Luther is constructing a nuclear reactor that could destroy the world. It seems that while building this reactor that he has discovered Superman's weakness to Kryptonite. The funny thing is that Lex doesn't know he possess in his hands the very thing that could bring down Superman. Lex Luthe...more
Well, I bought this book expecting an exciting, but not exactly earth imploding plot about the friendship between Batman and Superman. Well, that's kinda what I got.
If you are a passing fan, you know the characters, just not that well, then this is the book for you. If not, well don't expect something completely new.
The plot is pretty straight forward. Batman and Superman meet, misunderstandings ensue, then the two of them decide to join up to fight Luthor. Not much to write home about. Honestly...more
If you are a passing fan, you know the characters, just not that well, then this is the book for you. If not, well don't expect something completely new.
The plot is pretty straight forward. Batman and Superman meet, misunderstandings ensue, then the two of them decide to join up to fight Luthor. Not much to write home about. Honestly...more
I really liked this book. Sorry. Bad beginning, but I wasn't sure how to begin, and four stars is labeled "really liked it"...Okay cheesy. But it makes me smile. :)
Anderson does a good job with these characters. I've never read novelizations of either Superman or Batman, and generally avoid such (my few experiences having been less than memorable). I found the setting of the novel in the fifties interesting. It works well, but especially with DC and Marvel's attempts to keep their characters sim...more
Anderson does a good job with these characters. I've never read novelizations of either Superman or Batman, and generally avoid such (my few experiences having been less than memorable). I found the setting of the novel in the fifties interesting. It works well, but especially with DC and Marvel's attempts to keep their characters sim...more
As a big KJA fan, I was disappointed. It was just too lightweight. At page 200 nothing had even happened yet! Most of the book was background and skirmishes that set up the "big conflict" that never really happened. Yes, Batman and Superman finally met. I enjoyed that they were suspicious of each others' actions and motives, it made a lot of sense. But there is very little action or substance to the book, it was like cotton candy. The only thing that makes sense to me is if it is the start of a...more
Solid 3 out of 5 for this book. It's an odd but interesting view of Superman & Batman (who apparently both start their careers in the mid 50s. I'm guessing Mr Anderson is going for a Silver Age start date for the characters, which is kind of hard to do since there never was an "official" Silver Age start date for the characters. They, and Wonder Woman, were published non stop from the introduction to the present day. Minus publicity stunts of the 90s and since then, natch) The book has a goo...more
Superman is an alien from the planet Krypton. His parents knew that their planet would be destroyed so they sent him in a space craft hoping their son would make it to Earth and live a good life. Superman learns that he has special powers. He has X-Ray vision, super strength, he can even fly. Being the good man that his human parents raised him to be, he uses these powers to help humanity.
Batman became an orphan at a young age. His parents were gunned down in an alley right before his eyes. He d...more
Sep 02, 2009
Adam
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Preteen/early teen boys; rabid comic book fans
Shelves:
fantasy
Superman and Batman are far more than just comic characters. They are icons, modern myths. They have been through so many incarnations in so many media that people who have never picked up a comic book can tell you who they are. And in those many incarnations, both characters have developed great depth, so I find it odd that Anderson's book does very little to plumb those depths.
That's not to say this isn't an enjoyable story, but know what you're getting when you pick it up. Great literature i...more
That's not to say this isn't an enjoyable story, but know what you're getting when you pick it up. Great literature i...more
This book is a great addition to the legend of Superman, and now Batman as well. It would appear that Kevin J. Anderson has found yet another series in which to add to wonderfully.
It was nice to see the story take place in the old “Glory Days” of the super-heroes in question. A nice blend of the cultural, as well as governmental mistakes of the fifties with a small hint of modern day social boo-boos as well. Not to mention UFO madness.
The characters were fun and filled with the personality that...more
It was nice to see the story take place in the old “Glory Days” of the super-heroes in question. A nice blend of the cultural, as well as governmental mistakes of the fifties with a small hint of modern day social boo-boos as well. Not to mention UFO madness.
The characters were fun and filled with the personality that...more
Back in the '50s, comics were stuck in a kid friendly place. The real world of the '50s was anything but. The rise of rock 'n roll, new ideas, new ways of thinking, and of course new fears were common place in the world that many seen as innocent and quiet. It wasn't really a "leave it to beaver" world. This book takes those ideas of the more realistic '50s, and combines them with two of the most iconic heroes in comics. Superman (the writer calls him by his kryptonian name, Kal-El whenever he's...more
A fun, if fairly shallow little story that takes the tale of Superman meeting Batman and working with each other for the first time and tries to spruce it up a bit. It ended up reading rather like an episode of that old Superman show that had Teri Hatcher and Dean Cain in it. Not bad, just rather basic. Each chapter was a few pages long, which I'm guessing was done to create a feeling of fast paced movement like the actual comics have.
I also found myself unsure of the time period this story was...more
I also found myself unsure of the time period this story was...more
Sep 04, 2011
Jessie Quinn
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Superman fans, diehard DC fans, Golden Age fans
When I saw this at library, I had to pick it up. The writing was uninspiring, but the plot was entertaining enough to keep me reading. Anderson writes the characters as their Golden Age selves, which means if you're looking for a more contemporary, more serious take on Superman and Batman, this isn't the tie-in novel you're looking for.
For an alleged "crossover," Anderson heavily favors the Superman cast. Batman's main contribution to the plot is (view spoiler)...more
For an alleged "crossover," Anderson heavily favors the Superman cast. Batman's main contribution to the plot is (view spoiler)...more
I've always been a fan of Superman so when I stumbled across this book in the library, I decided to give it a chance. And I wasn't disappointed. I thought that there was a bit too much narrative in the beginning and not enough dialogue, but once I got past that part, the story became a page-turner.
It had elements that I love in a story, such as corporate espionage, likeable characters, detestable villains, and a tight plot that made this a page-turner.
Those that are used to seeing Superman and B...more
It had elements that I love in a story, such as corporate espionage, likeable characters, detestable villains, and a tight plot that made this a page-turner.
Those that are used to seeing Superman and B...more
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A solid novel from Kevin Anderson, but nothing spectacular. Set in the 1950s, it explores the first meeting of Batman and Superman and looks at the beginnings of their relationship. I really enjoyed their interaction and even the flashbacks and explorations of the origins of those two super heroes. That part worked really well.
As a novel, though, I felt that the "threat" in this book and the tension and the conflict never really took off. There was never a point in this book where I felt any of...more
As a novel, though, I felt that the "threat" in this book and the tension and the conflict never really took off. There was never a point in this book where I felt any of...more
Enemies and Allies sets forth a comic book thriller set in the early 1950s, creating a weird time frame with both Batman and Superman just a couple of years into their superhero gigs (even though both origins are one or two decades earlier, respectively). They're both still figuring out how to make their own lives work when they both stumble upon a plot involving Lex Luthor, a rogue Communist general, Area 51, unbelievably advanced technology, and, they each believe, the other vigilante. This ma...more
I really enjoyed this for what it was, which was fairly mindless distraction reading. The short chapters zip by, with handy bat or "S" logos on the front of each to let you know whose storyline you're following. I loved the idea of setting Superman and Batman's introduction to each other and to the world as superheroes in the height of the Cold War. None of the other characters have much depth, which is a shame in the case of Lois Lane, since we're in her POV for part of the time. The story is p...more
I had been searching for this book since it came out early May. But alas, the bookstores here did not carry it then. It took me at least a week more before I chanced upon it while it was on bargain.
Thanks to my lofty expectations, I felt that this book fell short. I have to hand it to Kevin Anderson to fit in interesting tidbits of popular culture in the 50's into the novel -- things like the Sputnik, the great comet blast in Russia, Area 51, alien movies, etc. But other than that, it did not de...more
Thanks to my lofty expectations, I felt that this book fell short. I have to hand it to Kevin Anderson to fit in interesting tidbits of popular culture in the 50's into the novel -- things like the Sputnik, the great comet blast in Russia, Area 51, alien movies, etc. But other than that, it did not de...more
For the most part, "Enemies & Allies" is a unique tale of the unexpected uniting of Batman and Superman as reluctant allies. It takes place in an era that encompasses the Cold War, the space race with the USSR and the growing intrigue following the events at Groom Lake. The mix of real world events of the 1950's and superhero lore makes for a potentially gripping narrative. For the most part, the combination works masterfully and keeps the reader at attention. The final conflict between Supe...more
Gotta admit, I've read this book three times now. It's such a quick, easy read, and it's always fun to read about Batman and Superman working together! Overall it's really just a guilty pleasure kind of read, good for a few short hours of distraction. Granted it takes a bit too long for Batman and Superman to actually team up; they spend the majority of the book being distrusting of each other and working separate, if not at odds with one another.
Also sometimes it's a bit shallow, never delving...more
Also sometimes it's a bit shallow, never delving...more
It's the 1950s, communist tensions are at play, Lex Luthor is a successful business magnate and Bruce Wayne is an aimless philanthropic playboy. Clark Kent ends up on the "Dear Jane" column of the Daily Planet but trouble is afoot. Superman, Luthor and Batman are all going to meet each other - but who can trust whom? Will good triumph over evil, or will the world be wiped out when evil's schemes don't quite go according to plan?
Well, you'll have to read to find out :-)
It was an interesting twist...more
Well, you'll have to read to find out :-)
It was an interesting twist...more
At various times in this book Lex Luthor is referred to as the bald man, the bald genius, the bald entrepreneur, and the bald industrialist. The poor guy, he can't escape his pate. And he can't escape the combined fury of Superman and Batman. The two superheroes hook up to put Mr. Clean in the electric chair.
Coda: Batman drives his batmobile for the first time in this book. "Bruce started the ignition process," writes the author, "atomic batteries to power, turbines to speed." Geezers like me wi...more
Coda: Batman drives his batmobile for the first time in this book. "Bruce started the ignition process," writes the author, "atomic batteries to power, turbines to speed." Geezers like me wi...more
A very entertaining read. I was surprised to find it hard to put down, considering the genre, these stories tend to sound the same. However, the author made a very smart decision in placing this story in the 50's, a time when the world was truly on the brink of destruction. Our heroes, Superman & Batman, seemed to fit flawlessly within this period and even our villians, billionaire capitolist Lex Luthor & his communist Russian counterpart blended very well with the factual events & t...more
I found this book in the Clearance section of Half Price Books and I thought for $2 I would give it a try. I haven't ever read a superhero story that wasn't in comic book form. And since I am a big Batman fan I thought it could be a fun read. Anderson's style is easy to read and I got through the book very quickly for me. But I thought the story was a bit slow. I loved how the author changed the history a bit and even made it mirror our own true history. But that is where the liking ended. I tho...more
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Pseudonyms: Gabriel Mesta, K.J. Anderson
He has written spin-off novels for Star Wars, StarCraft, Titan A.E., and The X-Files, and is the co-author of the Dune prequels. His original works include the Saga of Seven Suns series and the Nebula Award-nominated Assemblers of Infinity. He has also written several comic books including the Dark Horse Star Wars collection Tales of the Jedi written in coll...more
More about Kevin J. Anderson...
He has written spin-off novels for Star Wars, StarCraft, Titan A.E., and The X-Files, and is the co-author of the Dune prequels. His original works include the Saga of Seven Suns series and the Nebula Award-nominated Assemblers of Infinity. He has also written several comic books including the Dark Horse Star Wars collection Tales of the Jedi written in coll...more
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