Did Superman just cause an oceanic war because of a kiss? You might think so, but Mark Waid knows how to trick his readers, doesn’t he? Okay, so romantic drama aside, what the heck happens in Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #37? Well, Swamp Thing and the Floronic Man seem to have… merged? And at long last, it seems like Aquaman and Rolan can see eye to eye against a common foe. But that’s quite a lot for one story, so the question is, is this a good conclusion to the story “20,000 Leagues”?
DC
The story moves pretty fast, all things considered. Luckily, the plots seem to intersect in all the right ways. No longer will Batman and Robin be forced to fight a magical ecological monster without help! They have Superman, after all, who works so well with magic! Okay, but actually, the Atlanteans and their magic are perfectly woven into the story as Waid finds a way to show how two leaders are capable of putting aside their differences for the greater good.
This issue actually does a good job of showcasing how the series as a whole has run. We’re introduced to a threat, the stakes get higher until all hope seems lost, and then we see how Batman, Superman, and their Super Friends are able to save the day. Although predictable in nature, this works well considering these Justice Leaguers and future Titans are still getting to know one another, and this is generally their first experience working together. Given that, the story is an enjoyable read that winds up delivering an exciting story with relatively low stakes.
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Artist Adrian Gutierrez and colorist Matt Herms deliver a beautiful story together in this issue. Gutierrez continues to deliver a story with brilliant line work. Through this, the still feels more fluid and each motion is dragged across the page. So, motions like swimming through currents, characters attacking each other, or underwater baseball all feel like they’re being ripped across the page. This works to give the story a more animated nature, which becomes quite enjoyable over the course of the book. Additionally, Matt Herms provides cool and sharp colors to the story that help balance out the nature of the narrative being underwater with a bit of vibrance that provides a hopeful undertone. Altogether, the story is well illustrated.
As a whole, Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #37 closes out a three-issue arc rather strongly. While readers are introduced to the world of Atlantis, Waid finds creative ways to incorporate other noteworthy DC Characters to expand the series’ depth. This issue is a solid conclusion to a fun story where Batman, Robin, and Superman are also exposed to the underwater politics of Atlantis. Altogether, this is a good issue that wraps up this brief arc well.
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