Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #7: A Familiar Tale

So much can be told with three short sentences thanks to Grant Morrison: “Doomed planet. Desperate scientists. Last hope.” However, I wasn’t expecting Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #7 to start this way and depict Gotham City of all places. Mark Waid is certainly having fun with this series and doesn’t try to hide it. Much like Superman’s arrival on Earth, David’s arrival was escaping a doomed planet. Unfortunately, that planet was David’s Earth. Superman, Batman, and Robin are immediately on the case. Waid packs in a lot of heavy moments with David processing what is happening, which can be quite traumatizing. There are also some really nice moments where I think Waid captures Superman and Batman extremely well. David is an interesting character with a twist on a classic origin. I really like the way Robin interacts with him, so I’m looking forward to seeing him interact with the Teen Titans.

Dan Mora returns to art duties after the brilliant Travis Moore worked on the last issue. I am so glad that these incredible artists are working on this book. Mora might be my favorite artist at the moment. Something about it feels so timeless but new and distinct. A style like that is perfect for World’s Finest; it is a series you could pick up at any time. Tamra Bonvillain knows how to make your favorite characters and places look that much better. The opening pages are stunning, and the issue’s colors don’t lose that momentum. With Mora and Bonvillain, I’m constantly thinking, “this is how this is always supposed to look.” It’s safe to say that I’m a fan of both and would love to see them on more books together. They really bring the best out of each other’s already incredible work. Steve Wands’ lettering brings a lot to the table. Mark Waid is an incredible writer who knows these characters and knows how to write them. Wands does some wonderful things with the script. At first glance, some of the choices he makes might not seem like anything special, but the more I read, the more I saw that he is a crucial part of why I love these depictions of these characters. Wands knows exactly how to zero in on each character’s “voice” through Waid’s script.