Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #32 is written by Mark Waid and published by DC. Artwork is by Adrián Gutiérrez, colours by Tamra Bonvillain and letters by Steve Wands. Main cover art (left) is by Dan Mora.
Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #32 is available from today, in print and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold. Grab your digital copy from Amazon ComiXology UK right here.
Synopsis
Even the combined might of the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight Detective cannot overcome the reincarnation of the literal wrath of God… sounds like our heroes are going to need some reinforcements. It’s the World’s Finest debut of the Justice League as night falls on the DCU!
Review
With the last issue, we saw the start of a new storyline from Mark Waid that brought the introduction of the World’s Finest Justice League and also brought in a new artist, Adrián Gutiérrez, as Dan Mora has departed. Adrián Gutiérrez fits well with Batman/Superman: World’s Finest, and it doesn’t feel like a drastic change from what we’ve had for 30 issues. For people who missed out on last month’s issue, Eclipso managed to trick Bruce Gordon and found a way to escape, using the Justice League to his advantage, forcing them to get the help of the people who came before.
While it feels nice to get the inclusion of the Justice Society and see members of the Justice League, the lack of Batman and Superman slightly hurts the book, and there are only a few moments throughout the issue where Waid creates shocking moments for the reader that affect our titular characters. That being said, Waid is still telling a great story here, expanding on the early history of the DCU, which is really what World’s Finest is all about at the end of the day.
Adrián Gutiérrez art is very dynamic and feels like such a perfect fit for a storyline that involves magic with characters such as Eclipso, Spectre, and Doctor Fate. His art overlaps panels when displaying the use of magic, and that works well with the current story being told because of how effective and powerful magic is currently in this moment. Batman and Superman have been taken down; if two of your strongest heroes have been neutralised by a certain force, you must depict how powerful that force is, not just with the writing but with its art as well.
As mentioned before, Gutiérrez doesn’t stray too far away with Dan Mora’s art and the style he set in stone for the series. It always felt cartoonish, and reading Batman/Superman: World’s Finest was like watching a cartoon on Saturday morning. It still has that feeling, which is really important to the identity of the comic.
Verdict
Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #32 feels slightly rushed as it nears the conclusion of the ‘Shadows Fall’ storyline. Adrián Gutiérrez provides a dynamic feel to the comic, and Mark Waid matches that with his storytelling and also sticks to the cartoonish style that Dan Mora brought to the series. Will #33 make up for middling second act?
⭐⭐⭐
