It’s Superman, Batman and Robin fighting dinosaurs and lizard men in the lost world of the Warlord!
I expect you’re sold. If not, I’ll mention there’s a story in here, too. Yes, it’s a slim one to explain why the World’s Finest heroes are in Skartaris, but it’s there. They’re looking for a missing airman.
If you’re familiar with writer/artist Mike Grell’s creation you’ll be wondering if said flyer is Travis Morgan, the man who went native in a hidden land and became the Warlord.
It’s not ‘a Superman thing’ today as Batman and Robin are needed to help the Man of Steel find the precise spot where the men vanished. Which they do, in the shape of a painful barrier where the sky turns black, tossing our heroes to the ground…unfamiliar ground.
As for the locals…
With Superman weakened by magic in the air, the Dynamic Duo need a hand. A hand with a sword.
And that’s about half the book. The action keeps on coming, beautifully drawn by Adrián Gutiérrez and coloured by Luis Guerrero, in big panels, splashes and spreads that have me wishing this was a Treasury Edition. Gutiérrez sells the scale of the monsters, but likewise uses angles to make Travis seem their equal. The scenery is superb too, with artist and colourist totally sympatico. Look at this three-panel sequence, as composition and colouring work together to shift the focus between foreground and background.
This kind of cleverness pops up again and again throughout the issue – keep an eye out, for example, at the colouring as a projectile hits Superman. And elsewhere, the Vertigo-style dolly-zoom as he uses his super-breath.
Words man Waid is on top form, making a very straightforward plotline sing. I’ve never been a fan of Skartaris/Savage Land-set stories, but the script pummels along nicely. I even enjoyed Morgan, thoroughly underwhelmed by his first meeting with superheroes.
And while Batman and Superman have their names in the title, Robin is the star, his quips coming keenly, his reactions delightfully melodramatic.
Setting the words down on paper is Steve Wands, and as ever he lays down the fonts with assurance.
Dan Mora seems to be doing something different on this cover, tweaking his usual style… going for a Walt Simonson-feel, maybe, that man is known for his dinosaurs. And I love that Mora uses every colour in existence.
World’s Finest #51 is huge fun – and I’m not just talking the dinosaurs.
Too Dangerous For a Girl 2 
I’m stoked!
(More once I’ve read it in a week or so.)
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Hear back from you, I hope!
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the page where Warlord intros his allies looked very much like Mike Grell.
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I saw that final image of Morgan in the dark and went straight to the Grand Comic Database to seen where I’d seen it previously. It screams ‘cover’. But could I find it? I could not.
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Warlord is the one series my antipathy for Grell’s art didn’t affect my enjoyment. I see Gutiérrez drew Travis’ loincloth a wee bit bigger than Grell did but you still have to wonder how he attracts all the babes when he can cover what’s important with such little cloth. I’m not the fan of Gutiérrez you are, finding his art to look rushed and not quite finished despite excellent standalone panels and storytelling chops. It doesn’t detract from Waid’s latest awesome adventure for the World’s Finest trio so that’s what matters. I don’t read for the art primarily so it has to be Liefeld level to turn me away from a writer, character, or series.
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Interesting! I never read a single issue, and the Warlord’s many guest appearances haven’t send me running towards them. I do have a trade paperback of the earliest issues somewhere, perhaps I should crack it open!
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I had a full run of Warlord up through Jurgen’s run on the title and I remember enjoying it quite a bit as a kid. I’m not sure how it holds up, but I’d certainly be interesting in taking another look at it. As much as I remember Grell’s artwork, it’s his world-building that stands out for me. And there were soem pretty amazing back up stories in the book.
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Are the wings on Morgan’s helmet supposed to be real feathers? I thought they were metal molded into wing shapes.
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I have no blooming idea, sorry; he does seem to have a bigger wardrobe than most, so maybe it’s his second-best winged helmet?
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Looking forward to this. Years ago I bought up Grell’s original run, and also have the mini he did in the 1990s and the “Warlord” ongoing he wrote/drew like 15 years ago. All highly recommended. Glad Waid is featuring Morgan and have plenty of faith he’s in good hands. I’d also recommend the issues of the “Trinity” series from 2018 in which James Robinson brought Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman to Skartaris. Fun story with great art by Patch Zircher. – Brian
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Gosh Brian, I’d completely forgot that Trinity book, I assumed you were referring to the Busiek/Bagley book. I expect it went out of my head with the Rebirth reality rewrite.
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I think he is referring to the Rebirth-era series that starred Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. It had rotating creator credits, but the final six-issue arc was by James Robinson and was about the titular Trinity in Skartaris searching for Steve Trevor.
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Oh yeah, I know, I had forgotten but I looked it up, I even reviewed the first issue, and this one:
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Oh, man, it’s good to see the Warlord back… and this time, with his supporting cast! I love me some Disco Gladiators.
I started reading Warlord a few years ago, as I realized they were comics DC published when I was a kid that I was mostly unfamiliar with (aside from a couple of Jurgens issues I picked up in the 80s). So they had the rhythms of comics from my childhood, with art from one of my faves back then (particularly on Legion, and later, Jon Sable) — but I hadn’t read any of them! So I grabbed whatever back issues I could find from the cheapie boxes at cons, and presto! Instant nostalgia, mixed with the thrill of the new. I’ve got the first Omnibus now, so I can read them in order and fill in the gaps.
As for this issue, it’s a blast. Gorgeous art from Gutiérrez and Guerrero, and a solid plot from Waid, filled with charm and inventiveness in the script.
By the way, we’re coming up on Warlord Day! Travis Morgan canonically landed in Skartaris on June 16, 1969 (revealed back when DC would put actual years in its books).
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Ah, but would they show a president who wasn’t in shadow?
I really must try that Warlord book, if only to find out where he gets his outfits.
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In a great issue, the two standout moments are the double-page splash of Warlord jumping into the fray while Batman and Robin skid to a halt and Robin meeting Warlord’s friends.
Travis Morgan is one of those characters who appears more-or-less a couple times a year because he’s a favorite among creators. Unfortunately, I don’t think he has an assigned home with any of the three editorial teams, because he (and Skartaris in general) don’t really have great continuity. Characters get killed and pop back up in the next guest appearance, personalities are wildly different, and details of Skartaris constantly shift. I don’t begrudge it a lot, since there are literally thousands of characters to track over hundreds of issues a year. But it is the sort of continuity slips that wouldn’t happen to the Flash or Green Lantern without at least a text bubble explaining it away.
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I wonder if we could No-Prize the comings and goings of Warlord characters by deciding that time doesn’t just move at a different speed within Skartaris, you could cross into it an any time during Warlord’s rule (does he rule, I’ve never actually read him outside of guest appearances?).
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