No matter what year it is, there’s always one writer who champions comics’ Silver Age, the era that may have been corny at times, but always gave new insights into long-established characters while shining a light on everything that made those characters great. The current holder of that title is Mark Waid, who month after month delivers Silver Age goodness wrapped in a modern aesthetic. Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #45, written by Waid with art by Adrián Gutiérrez and Norm Rapmund, hits just the right notes of nostalgia. It’s like a huge freshly-baked brownie (with the crispy edges!) for DC fans, and especially fans of Superman and Batman.
From an introductory scene where Clark and Bruce enjoy a football game between Metropolis and Gotham (including some smack talking over who’s the better team) to Lex Luthor in trademark green and purple armor raiding S.T.A.R. Labs to another classic DC hero making a surprise entrance and single-handedly battling Luthor and Joker, this issue has it all. Seriously, did Mark Waid read my mind? Because I’ve always wanted to see that specific DC hero battle Lex Luthor one-on-one, and the battle doesn’t disappoint.
As enjoyable as the banter between Batman and Superman is throughout the issue, seeing Luthor and The Joker teaming up again is even better. Waid really drives home the fact that there are no DC characters more opposite than Luthor and “Mr. J”. Luthor’s cold intellectualism and distaste for joking around is a stark contrast to The Joker’s absolute love of anarchy, chaos and doing anything to get a laugh.
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What’s even better is that it’s believable that Luthor would team up with that nutcase again since Joker does something that gives him no choice. Also, there’s an artifact to be stolen that would give the person who possesses it infinite knowledge, and Luthor wants it. The only thing in the universe that Luthor hungers for more than power is knowledge, because doesn’t infinite knowledge equal infinite power?
The art enhances the Silver Age feel, with Adrián Gutiérrez and Norm Rapmund’s work resembling the work of Gil Kane and Jim Aparo in spots and Tamra Bonvillain’s colors vibrantly exploding off the page.
The issue ends on a fantastic, unexpected cliffhanger that guarantees you’ll be counting the minutes until next issue. Amazingly, even after all the years of Luthor and Joker stories, the story feels fresh and I can’t wait to see how Bruce and Clark resolve this one.
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