The Devil Nezha opening arc concludes in Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #5. This arc did a perfect job of entertaining while getting you ready for the upcoming Batman vs. Robin by Mark Waid. This series seemed like a risky book, but Mark Waid and Dan Mora did a solid job while also getting you to wonder about Robin’s fate (from the last issue), just how powerful Nezha is, and which other DC characters can appear in this book.
Starting with the cover by Dan Mora, I love how the heroes are coming at the reader, all proud and victorious. You can see the smiles and smirks, along with Superman, holding Nezha by the neck with one hand. They look so triumphant, and this cover radiates heroics nicely. You can even see Supergirl and Robin celebrating the victory. As I said in last issue’s review, Dan Mora needs to be on an event comic so he can showcase even more of the DC Universe.
As you can read in the issue, the heroes find a fantastic way to put Nezha back in his prison, and the creative team does a great job with the experience for the readers. The main element that stuck out to me was the characters’ attitudes; they were positive. This is a Batman and Superman who are partners and rely on each other. They read each other and can predict each other’s moves, which comes in clutch with how Mark Waid ends the story. Mark is an expert on DC characters, and I am thrilled he is back in this universe.
Mark and Dan have created a fresh take on DC Comics that they feel like hopeful characters with exciting adventures. I am looking forward to the next issue that will hopefully resolve Robin’s missing-in-time adventure and look forward to the next arc of Boy Thunder. I am glad these two creators will stay with the book as they craft super gratifying stories. I know the main DC Universe is going through a Dark Crisis, but this is helping to build what could be a great version of the DCU that should also be a template for potential movies.
Dan and Mark have found a way to make these and other heroes shine. In this arc, the Doom Patrol is presented as a great group of interesting heroes. I’ve never seen the HBO show, but this appearance makes me want to watch and experience it myself. I feel that when this is collected, I could use this as a great example of how vital these heroes are and why they are called the World’s Finest.
One more hero in this creative all-star team is Tamra Bonvillain. Her colors on these pages highlight the great attributes of these heroes that Dan and Mark are presenting. Tamra does a great job of finding a way to illuminate the hope and emotions of these characters while they face great evil in the darkness. There is a panel with Batman, Elasti-Girl, Negative Man, and Robotman where they are facing Nezha, and it is just a perfect example of what these heroes rise to stop. I hope this creative team gets to share their magic with others in the DC offices.
The World’s Finest vs. the Devil Nezha concludes, but this series does a fantastic job of getting you to want to stick around for the next arc and wanting to see what future fallout will be. Waid, Mora, and the rest of the creative crew have made an optimistic version of the DCU that is so encouraging!
Join the AIPT Patreon
Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:
- ❌ Remove all ads on the website
- 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
- 📗 Access to our monthly book club
- 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
- 💥 And more!
You must be logged in to post a comment.