Mark Waid’s World’s Finest has doubled down on the fusion of Superman and Batman from issue #4, and now Lex and Joker are combined too. Part two of the story kicks off in today’s Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #46, as the series continues to blend high-stakes modern comics with goofy yet fun comic book storytelling. It’s as fun as it is light in what has to be one of the most endearing superhero series ever.
Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #46 opens with Hawkman looking for Batman and Superman. We soon learn they aren’t dead from an explosion, but intangible. They can barely lift a stone, but together? We’re talking full control of themselves, which brings back the now iconic Dan Mora Batman/Superman combo costume. Time is of the essence, we’re reminded, as Joker and Lex are combined and likely to do terrible things to the city.
One of the most fun elements of this issue is how Joker and Lex speak to themselves, yet it’s also a back-and-forth. They aren’t quite fully melded at first, as they take turns speaking. This forces Joker to complete the combo, which leads to a master plan to affect everyone, everywhere. In a slickly drawn montage, we see people getting the notion to kill their spouses or kill themselves, leading to Superman/Batman rushing to their aid.
The story moves at a good clip, eventually setting Superman/Batman on Lex/Joker in a fun fight. Waid plucks at the pros and cons of being combined, like Batman being able to use his fighting skills and take over a body, or a combo helping with kryptonite poisoning. It’s a loony and ridiculous concept well rendered by Adrián Gutiérrez.
The Joker/Lex combo is frightening.
Credit: DC Comics
From the epic reveal of Batman and Superman combining, to the great use of speed lines to show how fast this super duo can be, Gutiérrez keeps the detail high and the superheroics on point. Possibly the best sequence visually is the fight scene, with rain and lightning mixing in with the punching and kicking quite well. Lex/Joker, meanwhile, moves in a way that looks slow and effortless, yet he’s capable of dodging every blow.
Given how only-in-comics the concept is, the cliffhanger may leave some feeling less enthusiastic. It involves their secret identities, which have been revealed to the world so often that it doesn’t seem like the most high-stakes cliffhanger. That said, if you’re having fun with the combo hero-vs-villain stuff, the cliffhanger can certainly fit within your suspension of disbelief already established.
Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #46 is a reminder of how joyful superhero comics can be when creators fully embrace the medium’s inherent weirdness. Waid leans into an “only in comics” premise and commits completely, letting Dan Mora’s iconic fusion designs and Adrián Gutiérrez’s slick action do the heavy lifting. While the cliffhanger may not land equally for everyone, the ride itself is so energetic, creative, and fun that it hardly matters. This series continues to prove why World’s Finest is one of DC’s most consistently charming books.
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