REVIEW: Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #11

Batman/ Superman: World’s Finest #11 brings the Boy Thunder saga to a close, but David’s story is far from over. A revelation from the previous issue is confirmed and will change the way you see him. However, the real kicker is that you have seen him before. 

Dan Mora gives us his most explosive and loud cover of the series thus far. It’s all screams and laughter with Boy Thunder, Batman, Superman, and The Joker in the background. David cries out as he seemingly lets his powers get the better of him while Clark and Bruce have the same reaction. The Joker can be seen doing a phantom-like laugh overhead, knowing that he is getting exactly what he wants. 

Jonboy Meyers does double duty with his variant, or rather variant covers. While they don’t appear in the series, he pays homage to the other World’s Finest duo – Power Girl and Huntress. The two variants, each with a respective heroine, connect to form one larger image of them dynamically leaping and flying into action. Meyers has a nice laminated art style with bold lines and smooth textures that fit female characters like a glove. The color tones are subtle with Power Girl having a bright background and Huntress having a darker one. For fans of this duo, these covers must be a pleasant surprise. 

On the topic of female characters, Claire Roe’s variant includes an appearance from one of the greatest of all. You have Wonder Woman looking her fiercest with the Lasso of Truth and a bullet reflecting off her gauntlets. What makes this variant featuring the DC Trinity unique is the mix of art styles. While Superman and Batman in the foreground appear stylized and texturized to comic books of the Bronze Age, Wonder Woman maintains a contemporary appearance. 

World’s Funniest was a fun book and Juni Ba’s variant features the appearance of its two stars – Mr. Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite. The cover itself is styled like a playing card with Superman and Batman as the portrait with the imps messing around in the border. You have got to love the cartoon approach with elements like Superman’s simple blue dot eyes and Batman’s plain white ones covered by his cowl. The blocky hands are always a nice touch too. 

Having rescued David from The Joker, Batman and Superman take him to the Fortress of Solitude for recuperation along with Robin. Well, that and discipline. David crossed the line in narrowly taking The Joker’s life – the one classical rule that superheroes should never break.

It’s at this time when The Key launches a final desperate attack on the Fortress of Solitude. Superman’s base is the ultimate when it comes to secrets and The Key has the superpowers to unlock and use them all. He also brings some lesser-known Silver Age villains that make for great cameos. It’s up to Superman, Robin, and Batman to stop him before he can use David to gain access to the multiverse. He really couldn’t have picked a worst time to wrestle with the Boy Thunder since he’s wrestling with the moral grounds of being a hero. 

This series shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon and it’s thanks to Mark Waid and Dan Mora. The issue is written by Mark Waid, with letters by Steve Wands and Waid’s classical rather than contemporary approach to this comic is a reason why many pick it up every month. The classic Teen Titans, Superman not yet being a father, and Silver Age villains at every turn show that old-school comic antics still has its charm. And, when Waid does do something new it always goes back to the old. Because of this, we have and will see David again – just as Superman said.

We’ve seen Dan Mora perfect the designs of DC’s most recognisable heroes and villains since the first issue with his broad and expressive contemporary art style. In this issue, it’s unique to see Silver Age villains get modern makeovers while still maintaining their original designs. His visual treatment of The Key as the main antagonist is nearly on par with the Batman Who Laughs. Mora also does a really impressive job with a full page featuring David suffering a hallucination from The Key – the liquid texture is very appealing. Tamra Bonvillain’s dominant color tone here is blue thanks to the Fortress. The final page takes on a whole new rustic tone with the new setting as the reader will find out, so we really get to see her range in this issue.

Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #11 is a must-add to your collection if you closely follow the stories and canons of the iconic Mark Waid. Readers from the start knew that the Boy Thunder’s appearance had to mean something and Waid confirms those theories in an unexpected way.