Review: ‘Batman/Superman World’s Finest’ #18

I haven’t been able to keep up with Mark Waid’s series as much as I’d like to, but I decided to jump back in with BATMAN/SUPER WORLD’S FINEST #18 as it was teased to retell the story of the first meeting between DC’s iconic duo. Throughout this series, Waid has consistently shown the ability to take moments of these two characters’ lives we’re all familiar with and add in a new layer that keeps them fresh and entertaining and he does so again with what may be one of the most consequential moments in DC Comic history.

Unlike many of the storylines that have revisited this first meeting between the Caped Crusader and the Man of Steel, Waid doesn’t spend too much time with a detective story where the two are trying to find out each other’s identity. It’s revealed pretty quickly and in a clever way that pays homage to each character’s typical behavior from past meetings without belaboring things. Throughout their first mission together, Waid gives us some fun dialogue between the two that’s equal parts macho masculinity and mutual respect/admiration.

Travis Moore takes over from Dan Mora on art on this issue (and will also be handling art duties for the conclusion in the next issue) and does a phenomenal job paying respect to Golden Age themes while keeping the characters looking crisp and modern. This may be a weird compliment to give, but I really like the way Moore draws faces. There is a human quality to the expressions and emotions on the page that you don’t always get in comics. It was extra-apparent in his Riddler designs where he had to convey a sense of distress that is palpable due to the facial cues.

Tamra Bonvillain on colors and Steve Wands on lettering add a beautiful bow to the wonderful package Waid and Moore created with their writing and drawings. Bonvillain’s colors pop of the page and there’s a slight hue to them that makes it feel like you’re picking up an old comic book that’s aged a bit since you last read it. A Batman and Superman story wouldn’t be complete without sound effects popping up during moments of action and Wands’ style works superbly.

Overall, this was a thoroughly enjoyable read and the artwork is top-notch. The big bad reveal was a legitimate surprise and I’m excited to see how Waid concludes the story in the next chapter given this issue’s cliffhanger. It’s a testament to the full creative team’s talents how well the concept of returning to past moments has lived up this long into the series’ run and it shows no signs of slowing down.

Rating: 10/10