HOLLYWOOD—Fans of the comic book universe have been eagerly awaiting this movie ever since it was announced nearly 2 years ago that Batman would do battle against Superman. Technically, the flick is a sequel to “Man of Steel” which not many were fans of (am I one of the rare ones who actually enjoyed this flick?). Well, the wait is over because “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” has arrived and DC Comics are about to give the Marvel Universe a run for its money.

The biggest question that has left fans pandering for months is just what would take place that would place titans: Batman aka Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) against Superman aka Clark Kent (Henry Cavill)? The narrative is a tense one, and I’d rather not spoil all the exact details to viewers, but let’s just say the idea of Superman being a being that has brought chaos to Earth, does not bold well with Bruce who travels to Metropolis to deliver a stern warning to Mr. Kent. Plain and simple, egos are involved for two alpha males.

What our caped crusader soon discovers is that Superman might be his biggest foe to date, because all that gadgetry utilized in the past doesn’t have that much of an impact on this superhuman.

Many are well aware that “Dawn of Justice” sets the stage for the inevitable “Justice League” flick which is slated to arrive in 2017. Yeah, that’s not too far away, which explains why so much is being totted for this flick to be a success. We don’t just have Batman and Superman, we get the introduction of female badass Diana Prince aka Wonder Woman portrayed by Gal Gadot. Not only is Gadot gorgeous, this woman perfectly fits the role and brings all the nuances and a new flair to a character that so many remember from the earlier comics and the TV series. Prince catches the eye of Mr. Wayne and those glimpses of romance are sprinkled throughout the movie.

Her arrival also ushers in the cameos or brief appearances of other characters whose roles will be expanded in the near future: Aquaman (Jason Momoa), The Flash (Ezra Miller) and Cyborg (Ray Fisher). Also returning players include Amy Adams as Lois Lane and Clark’s love interest and Laurence Fishburne as Perry White; Lois and Clark’s boss at the Daily Planet.

The first thing that some could argue about “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” is there is such an overload of characters that it distracts from the narrative, but that isn’t the case here. Writers Chris Terrio and David S. Goyer have carefully planned out the narrative so we don’t have those exhaustive moments of unnecessary scenes or dialogue that loses interest from the spectator. Director Zack Snyder takes on crafting such a universe that is quite immersive for the audience to visualize Metropolis and Gotham City utilizing the cities of Detroit and Chicago as backdrops.

Being a native of Michigan, I absolutely pinpointed a ton of scenes with iconic landmarks that provide a bit of a glee for me. While some have complained that the running time (which clocks in at around 2 hours and 30 minutes) is a bit long,  to be honest that is not really a long flick. I’ve seen superhero flicks that clocked in close to 3 hours and they were nowhere close to being as entertaining and enthralling as this movie.

Considering it’s a battle of two titans, the level of action, fist-punching, explosions and epic battles is unlike anything I can say has been captured on the big screen in the comic book universe. We’ve seen fights, but what Snyder cooks up between these favorites is so much fun, as a viewer you don’t want it to end. Cavill is near perfection as the golden, boy-next door, undercover hero, while Affleck I must admit I was not sold in the beginning, but realizing this Batman is a bit older, groggier and wiser, (sorry I’m a fan of Christian Bale), but Affleck brings a Batman that has not really been seen before by fans, so it’s a nice diversion.

Now a character, we can’t forget to talk about is Lex Luthor portrayed by Jesse Eisenberg. He brings quirkiness to this villain that is a double-edged sword; he can be fun to watch at times, but also a bit annoying. The level of manic he presents attempts to capture ‘The Joker,’ but is a far cry away. Eisenberg definitely is an actor who fully immerses himself into every role he takes on.

“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” is a worthy comic book flick that does its best to weave the tale of two titans who most would never expect to meet. Is it the greatest comic book flick of all-time, no, but it certainly is quite entertaining, which is what I expect from this genre of film which has exploded into the mainstream.