Book Review: ENEMIES AND ALLIES By Kevin J. Anderson *** and a 1\2 out of *****

Enemies and Allies, Kevin J. Anderson's second novel for DC, after the superbly entertaining The Last Days of Krypton, is a clever, serious story about Batman and Superman's first encounter in 1956.

Taking his cue from the works of Frank Miller and Jeph Loeb, both of whom are thanked in the preface, Anderson creates a tale infused with a paranoid, Cold War feel, with the threat of nuclear annihilation looming over the characters. Anderson's depictions of characters, from Superman, to Batman, to Lois Lane, to Jimmy Olsen, are well-crafted and endearing, and the dialogue always rings true. But the main villain, Lex Luthor, comes off as one-dimensional and somewhat cartoonish, which might have to do with his over-the-top plan for world domination. Which brings me to the main fault of the book. Although Anderson brings a depth and a weight to the historical and technical aspects of the story, they don't gel with the Sci-Fi elements, which feel cliched and underdeveloped. This makes the book uneven in tone, as the broad, "Golden Age" comic book aspects seem in constant battle with the solemn tone that Anderson chooses to tell his tale, making Enemies and Allies less fun than it should be.

But fans of Batman and Superman will find a lot to enjoy here, as both heroes are treated with love and care, and Anderson's short chapters make this a fast page-turner, and a good if not very memorable addition to the DC cannon.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2020.

Ahmed Khalifa is a filmmaker and novelist. He is the writer/director of the feature film Wingrave, released on Netflix, and the author of a number of novels and short stories, including the YA horror novel, Beware The Stranger, available on Amazon.