It's definitely set during the early years of Batman's career. Gordon is still a police captain and Moench references Batman: Year One. Bruce completes the first model of the Batmobile during the storyline, but it's a pretty sleek looking design from Gulacy. 

Interesting. It's also interesting to see how other media were involved in the mythos of comic book characters. Like I know kryptonite originated on a radio show.

I miss Busiek. It's too bad health problems or whatever have cut his production so much.

I read the Superman: The Man of Steel vol. 5 TPB reprinting Superman #9-11 (excluding the "Metropolis 900 Mi" back-up story from #9), Action Comics #592-593, and Adventures of Superman #432-435. I might have more detailed comments with regard to individual later in shax's post-Crisis Superman thread.

I think it's a shame that the back-up was omitted for some reason. It was an interesting way to show what a dirtbag Lex Luthor is in a smaller, more human story. At least that's my recollection from reading it years ago. The Joker story in #9 is anti-climactic, because Joker doesn't seem like a real thread to Supes, in spite of somehow having a nuke. Byrne also draws an unexpectedly caricature-ish Joker. I like both Superman #10 and #11. The former has a lot of tension in how Superman's loss of control of his power will turn out and a villain who comes across as a legitimate threat. The part that smashes the suspension of disbelief is how we're told that there's no way to pin this on Luthor, when there's pretty solid evidence that could be developed. Byrne twists himself into a pretzel with weird arguments about untouchable Lex is. Superman #11 also has a real sense of danger mixes with absurdity in how Mr. Myxzptlk bends reality. I was scared for Lois even though I know how this turns out.

Action Comics #592-593 is the infamous Sleez/Barda/Mister Miracle story. The main purpose of the two-parter seems to be for Byrne to work weird fan fic type kink into actual published Superman comics. Why would someone who was supposedly once a trusted lieutenant have such a pervy, small-minded plot. But I can't work up any outrage over the story. First, it's a comic book. Byrne didn't have any actual human beings subjected to sex crimes under mind control. Second, the type of thing that I think ruins a character is stuff that alters them out-of-character so it makes them unusable as the heroes they are. In other words, it's not having a villain mistreat the hero; it's stuff like turning a hero into a villain for kicks or retconning out of existence interesting parts of their backstory. Plus, aside from the Sleez thing, Byrne continues to have great storytelling abilities. One of the exciting scenes is Mister Miracle . . . opening a door. That's magic. Also, there's a very jarring panel-to-panel transition in #593 which is actually an absolutely brilliant way to depict Scott Free's expertise as an escape artist.

Adventures of Superman continues to operate as a very different title from the two Byrne books. We get Superman involved in more realistic, street level action in this title. Adventures #432-434 is the gang war storyline. We get the debut of Gangbuster. He's an interesting character, but this amateur, powerless newbie is fighting alongside Superman emphasizes how hard it is to make the stakes serious. Jerry White (Perry's son) is in constant danger, but Jerry is so unlikely that it's hard to care. In that way, the main stakes are worrying how bad Perry would feel if something were to happen to his son. I also think that like Byrne, Wolfman doesn't do enough to make Luthor's ability to command impunity seem plausible.

But it's fascinating how aside from their different approaches, several of the elements Byrne and Wolfman share come across very differently in their respective titles. A notable example in this volume is Cat Grant. Until now, she's most just hung out in Adventures (think Deb Whitman in Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man). But Byrne suddenly seems to be working Cat into the mix. Wolfman has been portraying Cat as a three-dimensional person who could plausible attract Clark on a deeper level. Byrne portrays her more as a superficial sexpot who serves a foil for Lois Lane. Another small difference is that while Luthor's eyebrows look black most of the time, there's an attempt in one issue of Adventures to make them red.

I've read almost none of the Adventures issues prior to this binge, but I'm guessing this may be the end of Wolfman's time on the book. Both #434 and #435 look like tying up loses ends of either subplots Wolfman wanted the ownership to finish or maybe Byrne wasn't interested in. First, a path is provided possibly to write Cat out of the book. Second, #435 seems to conclude the of the Circle, also bringing the two new forgettable members of the Fearsome Five into the Circle mythos. In previous appearances, the Circle seemed weird in a bad way, like they didn't fit or there was no plan. The conclusion isn't any more satisfying. We get no real payoff or explanation. It's as if the dictate was "tie up this subplot in a way that has no importance or consequences going forward." The door is left slightly open, but in the slightest manner that could be readily ignore. Of course, I could be wrong.

One of my all-time fave Flash issues, maybe #1 actually

Isn't it called Shattered Image? Image United seems to have been a half-finished series from 2009.