Enemies & Allies
Encyclopedia
Enemies & Allies is a novel by American science fiction author Kevin J. Anderson
. The book is set in the 1950s, in the midst of the Cold War
, and follows Superman
and Batman
. Though suspicious of each other, they confront Lex Luthor
who stages an international nuclear conflict and spreads fear of an alien invasion so that he can sell advanced weapons to governments. Themes used in the novel, reflective of the 1950s era, include alien invasion movies, nuclear threats, and Cold War paranoia.
Anderson has significant experience writing supporting novels in established franchises, such as Star Wars and Dune
. He had previously written about Superman in the 2007 novel The Last Days of Krypton. Enemies & Allies was published in May 2009 and met with mixed reviews which noted flat characterization but that it may be entertaining for comic book fans.
characters Batman and Superman. It was written by science fiction author Kevin J. Anderson
who, at the time of publication, was 47 years old and living in Colorado
. He had been writing novels for the past 20 years and had 15 years' experience writing tie-in novels to existing franchises, such as The X-Files and Star Wars. He was best known for his prequel novels in the Dune
franchise with co-author Brian Herbert
. His latest novels in the Dune series were Paul of Dune
, published in September 2008, and The Winds of Dune
, which would be released in August 2009, only several months after releasing Enemies & Allies. He gained experience writing in the comic book format by authoring the 2004–05 six issue miniseries, JSA: Strange Adventures
featuring the Justice Society of America
. He had previously written a novel about the origins of Superman, The Last Days of Krypton published in 2007.
where Batman attempts to thwart a crime but he is being pursued by the police force who consider him a villain. In Metropolis
Superman is seen as a hero as he rescues a sinking passenger boat. Lex Luthor
, head of LuthorCorp, is allying himself with Soviet General Anatoly Ceridov who is mining and experimenting with kryptonite
in Siberia. Luthor intends to stoke fears of an alien invasion and sell anti-alien defenses to world governments. What appears to be an alien spacecraft flies over United States airspace and is confronted by the air force and Superman, but is ultimately stopped by LutherCorp airplanes. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne, Batman's alter-ego, discovers that Lex Luthor is blackmail
ing members of Wayne Enterprises
' board of directors to steal technology designs, allowing him to beat Wayne Enterprises on military contracts. As Batman, Wayne infiltrates Luthor's mansion to gather evidence but also steals Luthor's sample of kryptonite which sets off alarms. Superman and Batman confront each other, suspicious of the other's motives, but both flee as security forces respond to the alarms. Wayne turns his board of directors into double agent
s, having them give faulty technology to Luthor. To demonstrate his defensive capabilities, Luthor has Ceridov launch nuclear missiles from Russia to the US but Luthor's faulty systems fail and Superman stops the missiles.
Eventually, Superman discovers the Soviet kryptonite mine but is defeated by the physiological effects of the material. Batman travels to Siberia to rescue Superman. With both heroes in Siberia Lex Luthor attacks alien ships which had just attacked Metropolis, but are actually his own aircraft staging an alien invasion. Superman and Batman arrive in the middle of the fight and defeat Luther's forces and subdues Luthor who is arrested for treason.
but is non-canon
, similar to an Elseworlds
story. The content is divided into 60 chapters which mostly alternate between the (third person) points-of-view of the two protagonists, Batman/Bruce Wayne and Superman/Clark Kent, though several chapters follow antagonists (Lex Luthor and Soviet General Anatoly Ceridov). While the novel is based on comic book characters, it consists solely of prose. Anderson commented on the difficulty in writing comics as prose stating, "in the comics, several pages of superpowered action can propel the story, but when you read it in a book, it's not quite so interesting. You need more parts to the story..."
Anderson sought to vividly capture the nostalgic feel of the 1950s. In this effort, he used several themes associated with the time period, including alien invasion movies, nuclear threats, Cold War paranoia, and optimism in the future. The review in Kirkus Reviews
was also positive, saying, "this is a refreshing diversion from the grimness of The Dark Knight
or the tedious Superman Returns
. Injects a welcome dose of retro exuberance into the capes-and-tights routine."
Kevin J. Anderson
Kevin J. Anderson is an American science fiction author with over forty bestsellers. He has written spin-off novels for Star Wars, StarCraft, Titan A.E., and The X-Files, and with Brian Herbert is the co-author of the Dune prequels...
. The book is set in the 1950s, in the midst of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, and follows Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
and Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
. Though suspicious of each other, they confront Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
who stages an international nuclear conflict and spreads fear of an alien invasion so that he can sell advanced weapons to governments. Themes used in the novel, reflective of the 1950s era, include alien invasion movies, nuclear threats, and Cold War paranoia.
Anderson has significant experience writing supporting novels in established franchises, such as Star Wars and Dune
Dune (franchise)
Dune is a science fiction franchise which originated with the 1965 novel Dune by Frank Herbert. Considered by many to be the greatest science fiction novel of all time, Dune is frequently cited as the best-selling science fiction novel in history...
. He had previously written about Superman in the 2007 novel The Last Days of Krypton. Enemies & Allies was published in May 2009 and met with mixed reviews which noted flat characterization but that it may be entertaining for comic book fans.
Background
The novel Enemies & Allies uses the DC ComicsDC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
characters Batman and Superman. It was written by science fiction author Kevin J. Anderson
Kevin J. Anderson
Kevin J. Anderson is an American science fiction author with over forty bestsellers. He has written spin-off novels for Star Wars, StarCraft, Titan A.E., and The X-Files, and with Brian Herbert is the co-author of the Dune prequels...
who, at the time of publication, was 47 years old and living in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. He had been writing novels for the past 20 years and had 15 years' experience writing tie-in novels to existing franchises, such as The X-Files and Star Wars. He was best known for his prequel novels in the Dune
Dune (franchise)
Dune is a science fiction franchise which originated with the 1965 novel Dune by Frank Herbert. Considered by many to be the greatest science fiction novel of all time, Dune is frequently cited as the best-selling science fiction novel in history...
franchise with co-author Brian Herbert
Brian Herbert
Brian Patrick Herbert is an American author who lives in Washington state. He is the elder son of science fiction author Frank Herbert....
. His latest novels in the Dune series were Paul of Dune
Paul of Dune
Heroes of Dune is a planned interquel tetralogy of novels by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson set in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. The potential series was initially referred to as Paul of Dune by the authors as early as 2004....
, published in September 2008, and The Winds of Dune
The Winds of Dune
The Winds of Dune is a science fiction novel written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, set in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. Released on August 4, 2009, it is the second book in the Heroes of Dune interquel tetralogy and chronicles events between Frank Herbert's Dune Messiah and...
, which would be released in August 2009, only several months after releasing Enemies & Allies. He gained experience writing in the comic book format by authoring the 2004–05 six issue miniseries, JSA: Strange Adventures
Strange Adventures
Strange Adventures was the title of several American comic books published by DC Comics, most notably a long-running science fiction anthology that began in 1950.-Original series:...
featuring the Justice Society of America
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
. He had previously written a novel about the origins of Superman, The Last Days of Krypton published in 2007.
Plot
The novel begins in Gotham CityGotham City
Gotham City is a fictional U.S. city appearing in DC Comics, best known as the home of Batman. Batman's place of residence was first identified as Gotham City in Batman #4 . Gotham City is strongly inspired by Trenton, Ontario's history, location, atmosphere, and various architectural styles...
where Batman attempts to thwart a crime but he is being pursued by the police force who consider him a villain. In Metropolis
Metropolis (comics)
Metropolis is a fictional city that appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and is the home of Superman. Metropolis first appeared by name in Action Comics #16 ....
Superman is seen as a hero as he rescues a sinking passenger boat. Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
, head of LuthorCorp, is allying himself with Soviet General Anatoly Ceridov who is mining and experimenting with kryptonite
Kryptonite
Kryptonite is a fictional material from the Superman mythos —the ore form of a radioactive element from Superman's home planet of Krypton. It is famous for being the ultimate physical weakness of Superman, and the word kryptonite has since become synonymous with an Achilles' heel —the one weakness...
in Siberia. Luthor intends to stoke fears of an alien invasion and sell anti-alien defenses to world governments. What appears to be an alien spacecraft flies over United States airspace and is confronted by the air force and Superman, but is ultimately stopped by LutherCorp airplanes. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne, Batman's alter-ego, discovers that Lex Luthor is blackmail
Blackmail
In common usage, blackmail is a crime involving threats to reveal substantially true or false information about a person to the public, a family member, or associates unless a demand is met. It may be defined as coercion involving threats of physical harm, threat of criminal prosecution, or threats...
ing members of Wayne Enterprises
Wayne Enterprises
Wayne Enterprises is a company in the DC Universe, owned by Bruce Wayne and run by his business manager, Lucius Fox. It was founded by merchant ancestors of the Wayne family in the 17th century as a merchant house, although the company changed when the heir of Judge Solomon Wayne, Alan, utilized...
' board of directors to steal technology designs, allowing him to beat Wayne Enterprises on military contracts. As Batman, Wayne infiltrates Luthor's mansion to gather evidence but also steals Luthor's sample of kryptonite which sets off alarms. Superman and Batman confront each other, suspicious of the other's motives, but both flee as security forces respond to the alarms. Wayne turns his board of directors into double agent
Double agent
A double agent, commonly abbreviated referral of double secret agent, is a counterintelligence term used to designate an employee of a secret service or organization, whose primary aim is to spy on the target organization, but who in fact is a member of that same target organization oneself. They...
s, having them give faulty technology to Luthor. To demonstrate his defensive capabilities, Luthor has Ceridov launch nuclear missiles from Russia to the US but Luthor's faulty systems fail and Superman stops the missiles.
Eventually, Superman discovers the Soviet kryptonite mine but is defeated by the physiological effects of the material. Batman travels to Siberia to rescue Superman. With both heroes in Siberia Lex Luthor attacks alien ships which had just attacked Metropolis, but are actually his own aircraft staging an alien invasion. Superman and Batman arrive in the middle of the fight and defeat Luther's forces and subdues Luthor who is arrested for treason.
Style and themes
The story is set in the DC UniverseDC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
but is non-canon
Canon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
, similar to an Elseworlds
Elseworlds
Elseworlds is the publication imprint for a group of comic books produced by DC Comics that take place outside the company's canon. According to its tagline: "In Elseworlds, heroes are taken from their usual settings and put into strange times and places — some that have existed, and others...
story. The content is divided into 60 chapters which mostly alternate between the (third person) points-of-view of the two protagonists, Batman/Bruce Wayne and Superman/Clark Kent, though several chapters follow antagonists (Lex Luthor and Soviet General Anatoly Ceridov). While the novel is based on comic book characters, it consists solely of prose. Anderson commented on the difficulty in writing comics as prose stating, "in the comics, several pages of superpowered action can propel the story, but when you read it in a book, it's not quite so interesting. You need more parts to the story..."
Anderson sought to vividly capture the nostalgic feel of the 1950s. In this effort, he used several themes associated with the time period, including alien invasion movies, nuclear threats, Cold War paranoia, and optimism in the future. The review in Kirkus Reviews
Kirkus Reviews
Kirkus Reviews is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus . Kirkus serves the book and literary trade sector, including libraries, publishers, literary and film agents, film and TV producers and booksellers. Kirkus Reviews is published on the first and 15th of each month...
was also positive, saying, "this is a refreshing diversion from the grimness of The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight (film)
The Dark Knight is a 2008 superhero film directed, produced and co-written by Christopher Nolan. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, the film is part of Nolan's Batman film series and a sequel to 2005's Batman Begins...
or the tedious Superman Returns
Superman Returns
Superman Returns is a 2006 superhero film directed by Bryan Singer. It is the fifth and final installment in the original Superman film series and serves as a alternate sequel to Superman and Superman II by ignoring the events of Superman III and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace .The film stars...
. Injects a welcome dose of retro exuberance into the capes-and-tights routine."
External links
- Enemies & Allies – HarperCollins
- Kevin J. Anderson – Author's website