1981 - Superman and Spider-Man

Marvel Treasury Edition #28

Writer: Jim Shooter with plot suggestions by Marv Wolfman

Artists: John Buscema/Joe Sinnott

62 pages

"The Heroes and the Holocaust!" is the second meeting between company flagship characters and a sequel to 1976's "Superman vs the Amazing Spider-Man". Oddly enough, their first meeting isn't even brought up.

It turns out to be an entertaining story. Doctor Doom tries to put the final pieces of his latest diabolical scheme into motion, one of which includes having a rampaging Hulk make his way into downtown Metropolis. The Hulk's rampage draws the attention of Superman who deals with the threat and figures out that Doctor Doom is behind it. He confronts Doom and vows to stop him. In their own seperate ways, Spider-Man and Superman discover Doctor Doom's base of operations in New York City and they team up to prevent the Omega Project from succeeding. Doom escapes to his Latverian Embassy where hides behind his diplomatic immunity.

Wonder Woman and the Hulk kind of just get thrown into the story as their roles aren't integral to the plot, but I can see why they've been included to hype their respective live action TV shows that were big at the time. Yet, there is no advertisement for either show in the issue.

The Parasite doesn't strike me as an upper tier villain so I was curious as to why Shooter didn't bring in Luther or Brainiac to complement Dr. Doom. I'm surprised that DC didn't ask for more of a heavy weight villain to get equal coverage. Doom is easily one of Marvel's grandest villains, but Parasite, come on!

Jim Shooter provides his usual over the top dialog, especially with Doom's soliloquies:

"Once happiness seemed so much closer ... so easily within my grasp! For a darkly handsome gypsy youth ... a dabbler in sorcery, it seemed all roads led to success ... to fulfillment ... even love! Then came the accident which runined my face and my life in one single, searing instant! The paths are less clear now, for a man, whose chief please -- is shattering mirrors!"

Really nice pencilled art by "Big" John Buscema and solid inks by "Jolting" Joe Sinnott. It also seems that the backgrounds were inked by the rest of the Marvel Bullpen with Terry Austin, Klaus Janson, Bob McLeod, Al Milgrom, Steve Leialoha, Walt Simonson, Bob Layton, Joe Rubinstein, and Bob Wiacek lending a hand.

All in all, it wasn't the crossover to end all crossovers, but it did provide some pretty neats scenes: Superman taking on the Hulk, Dr. Doom trying to persuade Superman to join him, and having both Peter Parker and Clark Kent interact in each other workplaces.

Later on in 1981, DC and Marvel would come out with another cross-over featuring the Hulk and Batman and then have the X-Men co-star with the New Teen Titans. This issue is reprinted in Crossover Classics Volume 1 trade paperback which also features "Superman versus. The Amazing Spider-Man", "Batman and The Incredible Hulk", and "The Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans".