Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #26: Feeling Impish

Not every book on shelves can seamlessly shift from weighty themes like those explored in the previous arc which brought readers back to the world of Kingdom Come, to wacky antics with Imps of the Fifth Dimension, but Batman/Superman: World’s Finest is just that good. While there was an annual to fill in some gaps, Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #26 throws readers right into the fun. As seen in the Batman/Superman: World’s Finest 2024 annual, there is trouble in the Fifth Dimension, and it has found its way to Batman and Superman’s dimension thanks to a mysterious figure and the imp-counterparts of some of DC’s villains. Mark Waid splits the party by pairing Bat-Mite with Superman and Mister Mxyzptlk going with Batman and Robin, which is a lot of fun for readers. The highlights of this issue are easily the magic resistance suit that Bat-Mite gives to Superman, though it is Bat-themed and an intended birthday gift for Batman, and Mxyzptlk makes Robin superpowered. This isn’t the first time Waid and Dan Mora have given readers these awesome ideas and visuals. Batman and Superman merge as one being in an earlier issue and it was as cool as it sounds.

Dan Mora and Tamra Bonvillain’s work together is always a delight to experience. Mora seems to be having an absolute blast with the Imps and their antics. At one point, Parasite and Para-Mite drain the third dimension from Batman, Superman, and Robin and the results are fantastic. Bonvillain’s use of purples, yellows, and greens is incredible as always, and adds a fun dimension to the action surrounding the Imps. In addition to the art, Steve Wands’ lettering does a lot of the work linking the Fifth Dimensional Imps with the heroes of the Third Dimension. They are meant to seem outlandish and ridiculous, but a lot of the lettering does a fantastic job of grounding them.