Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #24: Closure

It’s not every day that a beloved storyline is revisited and sticks the landing, but Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #24 does just that. The current arc “ Return to Kingdom Come” saw Mark Waid return to his iconic 1996 miniseries and infuse it with his current work on Batman/Superman: World’s Finest. The current series has been a fan-favorite for nearly 25 issues, so luckily Waid, with the help of Dan Mora’s art, Tamra Bonvillain’s coloring, and Steve Wands’ lettering, earned the trust and goodwill of readers leading up to this arc. In the end, this arc doesn’t change the meaning or impact of Kingdom Come, but it does add another layer for fans who want more. At the time of the original series, Magog was an analog for the wave of new characters brought on by the popularity of artists like Rob Liefeld and was there to be everything Superman wasn’t. With World’s Finest, Waid was able to plant the seeds of Magog’s origin with the inclusion of David, The Boy Thunder, linking Superman even more to the character. 

Dan Mora and Tamra Bonvillain’s work on this issue is some of their best work together yet. The level of detail and scale is incredible. Both artists’ talents are front and center on page one with an amazing page showing Darkseid and some classic heroes. Mora captures some amazing facial expressions with an especially menacing Darkseid. This issue is near nonstop action and Mora and Bonvillain haven’t disappointed yet, but there is something about this issue that just raises the stakes. The heroes take quite a beating from Darkseid and the art does an incredible job showing that. Superman and Batman have never looked better being beaten up. This issue also features a stunning appearance from The Spectre that would make Alex Ross proud. Mora has such a distinct style but has continuously shown his talent at replicating iconic looks. It is as if Ross stepped in to add his final touch.