Written by: Mark Waid
Art by: Dan Mora
Colors by: Tamra Bonvillain
Letters by: Aditya Bidikar
Cover art by: Dan Mora
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: June 21, 2022
Batman / Superman: World's Finest #4 pits will against will when Batman and Superman are forced to contend with a mind-controlled Green Lantern enhanced with magic. Meanwhile, Supergirl learns the terrible price paid by the Warriors of Ji to trap Nezha the first time.
Was It Good?
Listen, there aren't enough good things to say about this series. Hands down, it's the best comic DC is publishing. That's not a backhanded compliment, by the way. This comic is truly awesome.
Batman / Superman: World's Finest #4 picks up where the last issue left off with Hal Jordan/Green Lantern showing up to deliver a magic-enhanced construct smackdown to the World's Finest, and it's everything your Bronze-Age loving heart could possibly want. Magic is one of Superman's vulnerabilities, so the hits are just as devastating to Superman as Batman. The action is big, loud, and crazy, and every panel seems designed to deliver maximum entertainment.
Once the action gets going, and it looks like Superman and Batman are outclassed by Hal's power, they devise a plan that works. However, some comic purists may find the plan to be a bit of a stretch and the source of many LCS debates in the future.
Regardless of the plan's merits (accuracy?), the net result is a Batman/Superman team-up unlike anything you've ever seen. If you're a Dragonball fan and know what the name "Gotenks" means, you'll know exactly where this is going. The plan is real, and the results are spectacular as the "new" duo are forced to face off against more Leaguers under Kezha's control.
Meanwhile, Supergirl and Robin get the info they need from the Warriors of Ji in the past, and it's not good news. Kara returns to the present just in time to help get Kezha back to the tomb. Unfortunately, she gets to deliver the bad news about what it takes to seal the tomb and a little speed bump encountered on the return trip.
This comic almost defies critiquing because it does everything right. Fantastic art by Mora and Bonvillain splash every page with eye-popping goodness. The dialog and pacing are pitch-perfect. The plot reveals one action-packed, urgent surprise after another. And the ending is a high-stakes, dramatic cliffhanger.
Make sure to listen to our Weekly DC Comics Recap and Review Podcast to hear us talk more about this book. Just look up "Weird Science DC Comics" anywhere you listen to podcasts or click here for podcast links and more: https://campsite.bio/weirdsciencecomics
Bits and Pieces:
Batman / Superman: World's Finest #4 is the master template for everything that's sorely been missing from the Big 2 for years. Big action, big surprises, non-stop wow moments, urgency, drama, and excitement.
9.5/10
Thanks for the kind words. As regards B&S's Hail Mary plan: it's long been established that someone with will power superior to Hal's can control the ring and that it can be controlled from a distance. Between Hal's diminished will power (as stated in the story) and the ring (and, hell, the entire area) being infused with Nezha's magic (again, as stated in the story), it shouldn't be an issue that they're able to control it. Also as is stated in the story, this wasn't the result they were expecting, either, but it's a result of "thinking as one with one thought" combined with magic that creates the merge. Feel free to spread this info far and wide, as I see a lot of fans this morning trying to explain to me how Green Lantern's powers work, which tickles me.
ReplyDeleteI will certainly mention this on our podcast this week to let everyone know
DeleteThank you for taking the time to add your clarification, Mark. I'm sure there's precedent for this Hail Mary, so your creative choice is canonically valid. That said, it always felt like a cheat that a stronger Will could snatch the ring away, as if the ring didn't have a choice around who it selects to be its wearer. For example, you could have a character with indomitable will and still be a wanker. Again, I'm not arguing that your choice breaks canon. The argument is really a little side-eye directed at that part of the ring's history.
DeleteSo can I assume it was the magic enhancements that enabled GL's ring to hold Kid Flash by his boots (which are yellow)?
ReplyDeleteI had to make a judgment call on the ring's limitations--this story's set in the past, but it's not pre-Crisis, exactly, so I ultimately decided that since Hal's vulnerability to yellow and the 24-hour charge cycle haven't been true for almost twenty years now in the real world, more readers would be confused by imposing them rather than keeping with the newer rules. That's why Batman made the yellow brick joke.
DeleteMr. Waid it's a real honor to have you respond to my comment. Yeah I get judgment calls and understand why you made this one with the yellow but I think I'm gonna go with the magic explanation just for my own peace of mind lol. No offense I'm just kinda obsessed with continuity.
DeleteI'm sorry but that explanation for how Bruce and Clark managed to take Hal's ring doesn't click for me and I'm just tired of DC writers using Hal as a villain, even if a brainwashed one, somehow he always ends up being "that guy".
ReplyDeleteOkay. I mean, I can show you every one of the receipts from back issues, but you've made up your mind, and that's cool. Have a great evening!
DeleteIt's not that I "made up my mind already" (thanks for the passive aggressiveness btw), it's just that why is it always Hal? In these last few years he's the one who always somehow gets this treatment and the character has moved past that a long time ago.
Delete