Plus, when did Superman and Batman meet? Was Clark still in college when he became Superman, and Batman was already around?

In the comic continuity? Yeeps. Not sure... too much continuity.

Well, unless they changed it again Post-Crisis...which they may well have done...

Bats and Supes first meet Post-Crisis in John Byrne's "Man of Steel" mini-series (#3 IIRC). Supes flies to Gotham to capture Batman because he doesn't much approve of Batman's "vigilantism" *coughpotkettleblackcough*. Bats outwits Supes fairly handily while they team up to capture the lamest villainess ever, a "deadly thief" type named Magpie.

The main point of this issue was to set up the adversarial-but-grudging-respect attitude between Bats and Supes that prevails to this day. Other than the bits where Bats mentally outperforms and generally pimp-slaps the shit out of Supes, it's an "eh" story.

One interesting thing that SA's question brings up, though, is...did Clark go to college? In the John Byrne re-telling, Clark leaves Smallville after high-school (and telling Lana "Yo, I can fly an' junk!" Meh.) and spends a couple years doing "angel of mercy" stuff anonymously around the world before he's caught on tape saving a crashing space-plane with Lois aboard. Right after that he snags his job at the Planet. But...while he was off being an anonymous do-gooder, did he manage to go to college?

If anyone knows...

Other than the bits where Bats mentally outperforms and generally pimp-slaps the shit out of Supes, it's an "eh" story.

I love that. Bats doesn't think too highly of Clark's brain, and prefers him naive. That way, Clark will never see it coming when Bruce has to kill his alien ass (which I'm pretty sure Bats considers not a question of if, but when....).

So, I read a random smattering of DC TPBs this weekend (the selections were based solely on what the library had):

Wonder Woman: The Hiketeia (she beats up on Batman in this one)
New Teen Titans -- Terror of Trigon
Batman: Year One
Batgirl: Silent Running (this is Batgirl III, and it's a little freaky to me, plus, it's the first time I've really thought that the Batman is a great big prick)

Next up:

Batman: The Killing Joke
Batgirl: A Knight Alone

And I'm waiting on:

Robin: Year One
Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying

I love that. Bats doesn't think too highly of Clark's brain, and prefers him naive. That way, Clark will never see it coming when Bruce has to kill his alien ass (which I'm pretty sure Bats considers not a question of if, but when....).

Hell yeah.

You and I, Sean, have discussed this at length IRL, but I will state here that, in my opinion, the ONLY reason Bats is in the JLA is to keep all them SooperDoods in line.

In the "Tower of Babel" (?) story arc, I thought it was extremely lame of Ra's al Ghul to so nicely use Batman's non-lethal "protocols" to take out the JLA. I think Ra's would use the lethal ones.

And I know Bats has lethal protocols for all the members of the League.

Yes, yes...Bats doesn't kill. Sure. Fine. Except...he readily took on the responsibility of killing Supes when Supes handed him the green K.

That's Batman's primary purpose in the League. To sit in the shadows and quietly remind all them god-like bein's that, should they get too uppity, he'll kill them deader'n Elvis.

Batman: The Killing Joke

That is one of the greatest Bat stories ever told. And is also the source for the generally accepted origin story of the Joker (though the Joker is most certainly an unreliable narrator, and says so while relating the tale).

Oh, I dunno... I tend to think that Bats has great respect for Superman, although he's not blinded by the big giant S on his manly alien chest. They bicker. They snipe. They make a really awesome tag team.

Then again, I'm a little biased. Stuff like The Batman/Superman Movie and Loeb's current Superman/Batman run tend to make me go all Batz'N'Supez4Evah!!!!!!!1!

Ahem.

Batman: The Killing Joke

That is one of the greatest Bat stories ever told. And is also the source for the generally accepted origin story of the Joker (though the Joker is most certainly an unreliable narrator, and says so while relating the tale).

Also: Origin of Oracle.

Hee. Say that five times fast.

As to the origin of the Joker, Alan Moore has said that he doesn't know. He picked that potential origin and is of the opinion that it may be as fictitious as, say, the Joker being an alien prince from another dimension. Moore doesn't know and, equally as important, the Joker doesn't know. Or care.

Then again, I'm a little biased. Stuff like The Batman/Superman Movie and Loeb's current Superman/Batman run tend to make me go all Batz'N'Supez4Evah!!!!!!!1!

Karl Kesel's "World's Finest" was also a fantastic Bats/Supes story.

Karl Kesel's "World's Finest" was also a fantastic Bats/Supes story.

Yes, I enjoyed that one. Although... Bat-mite? I mean... BAT-MITE?!

Clark met the mermaid girl in college.