Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #25 review

Twenty-five issues. How often does a comic book of the high quality we’ve seen in World’s Finest over the last two years manage to continue being published? But here’s writer Mark Waid and guest artist Steve Pugh with an extra-length celebration story and, wouldn’t you know it, it’s thoroughly entertaining.

The surprise is that instead of a team-up between Superman and Batman, we have the classic Lex Luthor and Joker pairing. It’s the first one in the Don’t Think About Continuity Too Much world our heroes inhabit in this series. The title characters aren’t entirely absent, though, starring in a back-up short after kicking off the main story by delivering the Joker to Arkham Asylum.

Unlike Batman and Superman, you’re a comics reader, so entirely unsurprised when a page turn reveals the medic to be none other than Lex Luthor. He’s willing to free the Joker if the Clown Prince of Crime helps him with a project.

Who doesn’t love a good treasure hunt? Soon Luthor and the Joker are inside an abandoned subway station.

Now that’s a familiar train, all Art Deco meets Psychodelia – it’s the one Billy Batson rode for his first meeting with the wizard Shazam. Are the ‘World’s Vilest’ – to quote the story title – about to find themselves tested by the ancient mage?

To find out, read this thoroughly engaging issue. It’s narrated by Luthor, who makes it clear from the off that the Joker’s not his natural partner. The two do, though, try to understand one another.

Every page features terrific character moments, clever gags and neat references to the DCU. As an old fart fanboy I found the script a delight, and I can’t see any impediment to newer readers having a whale of a time too. My favourite piece of writing is when Waid has Lex try to describe the Joker’s heart’s desire – it’s in marked contrast to last week’s Action Comics, in which the Joker’s words to Bizarro were a massive plot point, but we don’t hear them.

My fellow Brit Steve Pugh, a born storyteller, provides the best DC art I’ve seen from him yet, and it’s not like his other work – such as The Flintstones – wasn’t excellent. He seems to especially enjoy drawing Luthor, though, as seen in the Future State Imperious Lex micro series and Superman: Son of Kal-El Annual #1. No artist today draws the sinister slaphead with such barely concealed loathing for those around him, so much side-eye, and here Pugh also makes the Bronze Age super suit fit for a new generation. The manic joy of the Joker is splendid too, and it’s clever how Pugh draws Batman and Superman through their foes’ eyes, sneering and threatening. And wait until you see the creepy creature who ambushes the uneasy allies!

While this tale works as a one-and-done, it seems there’s more story to be told, as Waid doesn’t tell us what the issue’s maguffin is doing in Shazam’s lair, or who the mapmaker was.

My only niggle with the story is that in a climactic scene Lex does something by clenching his fist that hasn’t been set up. I mean, we can make assumptions, but Chekhov’s Glove should always be introduced long before being used.

The colours of Adriano Lucas are, by turns, naturalistic and neon, and make Pugh’s art stand out all the more. A couple of blasts of pure yellow are especially great, not enough colour artists pull out the primaries. As for Steve Wands’ lettering, it’s as praiseworthy as ever, with a particularly clever Joker font – not Arkham Asylum OTT, just suitably skewed.

As anniversary stories go, this is a winner – there’s novelty in the surprise protagonists and fun galore. And if you want a bigger dose of Superman and Batman, Waid is back with regular artist Dan Mora for a prologue to the next big story arc.

Superman is spending time with his friends in the Fortress of Solitude.

Suddenly, he’s warped to the Batcave – and so are the extraterrestrial beasties. There, Batman and Robin are facing an assault by their own souvenirs, with Abraham Lincoln from the legendary giant penny and the robot dinosaur come to life.

Our heroes smell a rat – well, a bat and a hat, in the tiny floating forms of Bat-Mite and Mr Mxyzptlk. They are indeed present, but deny being behind the magical attacks. And we know they’re telling the truth as this short story is a second prologue to Impossible, following the story in Batman/Superman: World’s Finest Annual 2024 #1. This new episode isn’t really necessary, we could have just had the magical mites show up next issue and ask for help, but this was a good time, nonetheless. And I did like the scene in what we used to call Superman’s Interplanetary Zoo – I’d love to actually see a story in which he goes into space and finds new homes for his charges.

Waid’s script is as efficient and peppy as ever, while Mora again demonstrates some of the most dynamic linework in comics today. Tamra Bonvillain employs her understanding of colour theory to great effect, while Wands again places fonts with flair.

Mora’s cover is another winning composition, brilliantly coloured by him.

I enjoyed this issue loads, from beginning to end – issue after issue World’s Finest is superhero comics at its best. Happy Anniversary!