Talking about Batman/ Superman: World’s Finest

In the spirit of trying new things, I wanted to start a new series of blog posts here where I talk a little (or a lot) about what I’ve been reading lately. These won’t necessarily be about new series every time, moreso just things that I’d like to speak my mind about here and there. As I try something new by writing this post, perhaps I can convince you to give something a shot you wouldn’t otherwise try!

As for today, I wanted to talk about what might be my favorite series hitting shelves each month as of right now; Batman/Superman: World’s Finest, written by Mark Waid. As someone who reads a lot of books each week, you start to notice which ones make their way to the top of the stack when its time to get through it. Consistently, this book has been my first read of the week each time a new issue comes out, and it’s honestly surprising to see so few people reading it each month. Let me share with you what’s so fine about World’s Finest!

The thing that’s so interesting about World’s Finest is that its very premise is something that you don’t see too often in mainstream comic continuities; it shows you some of Batman and Superman’s earliest adventures with each other, in the spirit of the first book to don that name back in the 1960s. It shows you a reimagining of a certain era of DC’s publishing history; a period during the silver and bronze age where Dick Grayson was the only Robin, and characters like the Doom Patrol, Metal Men and Metamorpho would regularly make appearances alongside the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight. I’m a big continuity junkie, so I love it when a writer is bold enough to jump back in time and have some fun.

What’s more is that it brings that status quo that those characters inhabited at that time into the modern day, imagining a world that looks less like the 1960s and more like the 2020s. Now it’s commonplace to see Batman and Robin communicating over wireless earpieces, and the 3rd major story arc of the book tackles conflicts as cutting edge as AI. The convincing characterization that Mark Waid gives every hero that appears in this book really sells you on the idea that these characters and stories are timeless, and really could take place during any era of human history. Besides, it never made much sense to imagine that Batman is as canonically as old as his book have been around; saying he would be over the hill would be an understatement!

Let’s talk about Mark Waid for a moment, as if he was a writer who needed an introduction in the first place. Mark Waid is one of the most talented comic book writers in the industry today, and anyone who’s followed DC books for the last 30 years already knows this. If you aren’t aware, Waid is responsible for writing what might be one of the most treasured mini-series that DC has ever published; Kingdom Come.

This book dared to make a profound statement about the state of the comic book industry at a time when it seemed like everything was flipped on its head. By telling a story that challenged the status quo of violent, edgy and brooding superheroes of the 1990s, it became a timeless classic that reinforced why the old guard of the DC pantheon will ultimately outlive us all. Also, it’s worth mentioning that the 2nd major story arc of the book has some clever ties into the world Waid established in Kingdom Come, and the less I say about that, the more impactful it’ll be when you actually read it!

While I could write a whole post (maybe multiple) about how good Kingdom Come is, I really just wanted to use it illustrate that Waid is one of only a few writers in the industry who really understands what makes Superman and Batman such great characters. Instead of viewing them as polar opposites, two sides of a coin, Waid’s version of DC’s big two are more akin to peanut butter and jelly; great on their own, but something much better when put together.

As a matter of fact, everything that Mark Waid is writing at DC right now is a home run in my eyes. Shazam, World’s Finest: Teen Titans, and Superman: the Last Days of Lex Luthor have all been stellar reads, and I hope that people give them the attention they deserve.

To end things, I just want to add that this book just straight up has moments that any comic book fan would classify as awesome. Batman, Superman and Green Lantern fusing together to create a new, amalgamated superhero? How does that even work? Do I care? How about Batman wearing mech armor made out of every member of the Metal Men? It’s got that too! Sometimes, it’s the simple things that really do it for me.