Hunted by Tryant Rex’s quintet of superpowered Dinohorrors, Robin and Travis Morgan will have to put their differences aside if they wish to stop the Dinosorcerer. And the arrival of the brainwashed Batman and Superman on the field threatens to slam the brakes on any momentum gained from recent victories. Will Robin and Morgan’s forces fall victim to the spellbound World’s Finest? Or does Robin have a trick up his sleeve that just might save his friends and Skartaris?
SPOILERS AHEAD for Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #53!
DC Comics
Exploding with cinematic action and excellent character-driven drama, Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #53 is a dino-mite conclusion to “Warlords.” As with prior installments, a large portion of this issue’s success is due to Mark Waid’s understanding of each character. Waid does an excellent job not only of using their ideologies to drive this individual issue’s narrative forward but also of weaving them throughout the overarching narrative. However, as strong as Waid’s work is within these pages, Adrián Gutiérrez’s cinematic artwork may be the true star of the show. The new designs for mind-controlled Superman and Batman live up to the hype, looking just as great in action as they did on the final page of the previous issue.
Opening with a sequence demonstrating Robin’s creativity, we witness the Boy Wonder and Mariah’s takedown of one of Tyrant Rex’s Dinohorrors. Using the enemy’s stolen super hearing against him, Robin presses a hypersonic button on his utility belt, immobilizing the villain so that Mariah can deal the final blow. One of the things I love is Waid’s ability to tie each character’s traits into the overarching narrative to make them meaningful. The writer expertly establishes his focus early on, as Robin says, “Thank you for not outright killing him, Mariah. I don’t cross that line.” This moment is poetic in that it rings true to Robin’s core personality while also rhyming with an earlier sequence where Superman tries to save the dinosaur assailant in Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #51.
Making this moment even more powerful, Waid immediately juxtaposes Robin’s ethics against Travis Morgan’s tactics. Morgan and the rest of his forces encounter the brainwashed Batman and Superman, as well as the Dinohorrors imbued with the rest of Superman’s powers. Although Batman and Superman make quick work of Tara and Machiste, Morgan uses his invisibility to ambush and kill the Dinohorror with X-ray vision. I love how Waid uses this moment to challenge our heroes’ core tenets. Morgan’s methods are just as effective as Robin’s, but at a cost.
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Mark Waid continues to drive this notion home as Travis questions why the spellbound World’s Finest did not kill the rest of his forces. Robin explains that even under Tyrant Rex’s control, “That’s how deep their convictions run.” This is another great example of the writer allowing the character’s principles to drive the drama and make the conflict more personal. This moment promises to have the Boy Wonder’s faith in his friends tested to see if the World’s Finest will remain resolute in their convictions.
Robin and Morgan arrive just in time to see Tyrant Rex set the final stages of his plans in motion. One of the elements that I have loved throughout this story has been Robin’s ingenuity in battle. This sequence is no different as the brainwashed Batman and Superman descend upon the young sidekick. As Robin pleads with the two mentors to come to their senses, he is devastated by a flurry of sword strikes from the World’s Finest. Despite Morgan’s attempts to convince him that this is a fight to the death, Robin is desperate to find a means to save his friends. Finding himself pushed to the literal and metaphorical edge, Robin does the one thing he always has: he leaps.
The Boy Wonder’s faithful gambit pays off as the World’s Finest snap out of it in time to rescue the young sidekick. This moment has resonated more with me each time that I’ve read it. Waid perfectly captures Robin’s hopeful personality and punctuates the story that started with the Man of Steel’s attempt to save a dinosaur with a rewarded leap of faith.
I love how this entire storyline is thematically woven together by the notion of the sanctity of life. Batman and Superman’s “No Kill Rule” has been explored within various media throughout their inception. However, Waid manages to make this feel fresh with the battle with Tyrant Rex on Skartaris. I think a large part of this success is that the ethical conflict comes from their allies as opposed to their enemies this time around. Moreover, I love that Travis learns to appreciate the less lethal ways of dealing with their adversaries.
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Despite Waid’s strong script, Adrián Gutiérrez’s cinematic artwork may be the true star of Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #53. Gutiérrez’s expressive artwork does an excellent job capturing the characters’ reactions and the dynamic action sequences. The spellbound Batman and Superman in dinosaur armor look just as great in action as they did on the final page of the previous issue. Gutiérrez’s artwork has left me clamoring for more of these designs on page as the two titular characters take a backseat to Robin and Morgan for a significant portion of the issue.
Additionally, I love how Adrián uses the white panels with black silhouettes to convey certain sequences. It allows the artist to cleverly depict more brutal actions without going into gory detail. It also provides an excellent punctuation to more detailed sequences, such as the dramatic build-up to the brainwashed heroes’ assault on Robin. However, I think one of the standout sequences for me was Superman’s wind-up to deliver the final blow to Tyrant Rex. In a book full of gorgeous pages, this sequence stands out.
Exploding with cinematic action and excellent character-driven drama, Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #53 is a dino-mite conclusion to “Warlords.” In large part, this issue’s success is due to Mark Waid’s understanding of each character. Waid does an excellent job not only of using their core principles to drive this individual issue’s narrative forward but also of weaving them throughout the overarching narrative. Despite Waid’s strong script, Adrián Gutiérrez’s cinematic artwork may be the true star of the show. Whether it is the full page spread depicting the mind-controlled World’s Finest in dinosaur armor, or Superman’s wind-up punch to stop Tyrant Rex, each page is a feast for the eyes.
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