Mild SPOILERS AHEAD for Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #52!
With Superman in the clutches of Tyrant Rex, Batman, Robin, and Travis Morgan will have to work together to free the vulnerable Man of Steel. Unfortunately, a clash of egos between Warlord and Batman threatens to unravel the ragtag group of freedom fighters before they can even formulate a plan. Will our heroes be able to put aside their differences long enough to bring Superman back into the fold? Or is the Lost Land of Skartaris doomed to fall into the claws of the Tyrannosorcerer?
DC Comics
Let’s get this out of the way right now: Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #52 is just pure, unadulterated Silver Age fun. This is due in large part to Mark Waid’s willingness to embrace the more fantastical elements of the DC Universe. In this issue, Gutierrez provides us with beautiful sequences featuring our heroes engaged in fisticuffs with dinosaur-themed evil forces over the fate of Skartaris. It is, and I mean this in the best way possible, quite literally something straight out of Saturday morning cartoons. All we’re really missing is gorillas riding pterodactyls with harpoon guns. However, Waid’s expert characterization is what truly makes the story stand out.
Picking up immediately after the conclusion of the previous installment, we find Travis Morgan dumping exposition regarding Tyrant Rex. Following his arrival in Skartaris, Kreitzer was changed. It is believed that the crash brought out something dark already inside him. Rather than thank his saviors, he tortured them until they gave him their magic, turning him into an unstoppable sorcerer.
It is during this exposition that Waid does an excellent job echoing Superman’s beautiful character moment from the previous issue which set the narrative on its path. Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #52 finds Batman butting heads with Travis Morgan, the Warlord. It perfectly captures the characterization of both heroes as Batman naturally assumes strategic control over Warlord’s forces, asking, “What does Kreitzer want?” When met with the response, “Power,” the Dark Knight presses Travis’ forces, “Power to what end, through? We need to know.”
Waid has Warlord perfectly punctuate the conversation by asserting his dominance with the clash of sword on stone with a rhetorical, “Who the hell died and made you boss of my domain?” Batman’s muted response is pitch-perfect and drives the conflict forward in a manner that ensures both heroes will learn something before the day is done.
DC Comics
Unfortunately, this sequence also points out a slight problem with Waid’s straightforward narrative: it lacks depth. I think Waid does an excellent job of addressing this problem head-on with Batman’s line of questioning. Additionally, the writer’s world-building for Skartaris precisely establishes the stakes for this conflict beyond the Lost Land should our heroes lose. It does an excellent job playing into the Saturday Morning Cartoon aesthetic that overflows from Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #52.
From here, we bear witness as Tyrant Rex usurps Superman’s powers to distribute them amongst his forces and brings the Man of Tomorrow into the fold. This sequence is expertly crafted by Gutierrez as he embraces the pain and horror of Superman losing his powers. Moreover, Gutierrez’s artwork with Luis Guerrero’s perfectly renders the bingo card of story beats. Witnessing everything from horror to comedy and action as the titular World’s Finest fall to Tyrant Rex, it is impossible to pick out one standout moment from Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #52. However, the two-page spread depicting Tyrant Rex’s now-superpowered forces’ assault on Robin and Morgan’s army is a contender as it demonstrates Gutierrez’s expertise with action sequences.
Additionally, the way in which the artist uses negative space for panels to illustrate action is incredibly cool. Gutierrez’s use of this during Batman’s fight with the corrupt Superman amplifies the action and brutality by reducing details, makes the fight so much more fun to read. Speaking of the corrupted Man of Steel, Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #52’s designs for evil iterations of the World’s Finest with the dinosaur bone armor are just plain amazing. Both designs practically demand that action figures or their likenesses be made yesterday! I hope McFarlane Toys and Mattel have a DeLorean because they would quite literally be printing money with figures of these designs.
Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #52’s is Saturday morning cartoon fun. Although Waid’s narrative lacks depth and demands that we ask the question, “Power to what end?” it oozes with Silver Age spectacle. Thankfully, what the narrative lacks in depth, it more than makes up for with pitch-perfect characterization, world-building, and Gutierrez’s gorgeous artwork. And, most importantly, if you’re anything like me, you’ve been craving some Saturday Morning Cartoon action with your favorite superheroes. Now, where are my Batman and Superman with dinosaur armor!? I need to smash them together.
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