REVIEW: Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #27
Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #27 brings us an inter-dimensional crime scene investigation while the heroes on Earth contend with a cartoonish onslaught of imps resembling every villain of DC. As it would happen Doom-Mite is very much like Brainiac in Convergence, holding a contest of champions with Earth’s heroes. In this issue, that contest comes to a shocking end.
Dan Mora doesn’t need a background for his amazing, crowded covers. We’ve seen the machine cast of DC in a past cover, now get ready for the Legion of Doom-Mites. You have all the imp-equivalents of Batman and Superman’s rogues in all their small and cartoonishly deformed glory. My personal favorites have to be Lex Luthor and The Riddler. Even Legion of Doom members Sinestro, Grodd, Scarecrow, and Captain Cold have been imp-tized. Meanwhile, Batman and Superman looked more annoyed than intimated by them.
All the variant covers are Batman and Superman-centric. When it comes to uniqueness, Keron Grant’s variant cover wins in that department. The poses, costumes, and background of Gotham City or Metropolis have been done several times and will continue to be done some more. What sets them apart is the artist’s style and Grant has a cool, dark one that feels like a painting with the textures. This one is appropriately set in Gotham City.
Ramon Perez does the classic Batman in Gotham during the night and Superman in Metropolis during the day juxtaposition with his variant. The art deco of the Daily Planet and neo-gothic gargoyle are as timeless as the heroes associated with them. Perez’s art style almost has a classic comic feel to it from afar, especially with the handling of Superman.
Another great Batman and Superman variant is available from Jeff Dekal with all the classic elements along with a unique bold style. Bats with Batman and doves with Superman are another classic element seen on their covers. Superman really does act like a beacon of light on this cover while Batman sinks into the darkness of the background.
Things were not going great for Batman, Superman, and Robin in Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #27 considering the last time we left them, they were turned into 2-D wall art by the Parasite and his imp double, or fan-mites as they are called. Mr. Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite rally just as Wonder Woman falls to Cheetah and her fan-mite and other heroes are warped to the scene to face their villains and respective imps. The Metal Men take on Chemo, Aquaman is summoned to fight Black Manta, Green Arrow is against Merlyn, and Firestorm fights Killer Frost. Supergirl has also been fighting Hercules. Meanwhile, Lois Lane and Jimmy cover the whole thing for the Daily Planet.
Bat-Mite is able to free Robin from the Second Dimension but is trapped with Batman and Superman. From there, they are able to crossover into the Sixth Dimension – separate from the Fifth Dimension where imps come from. It’s here where the imp-killer of Doom-Mite came from, a place where he’s all-powerful, but ultimately alone. Attacking Earth and the Fifth Dimension is just a way to prove his superiority. This gives Batman an idea. Back on Earth and thanks to Mxyzptlk, the imp invasion comes to a stop as a victor is crowned thanks to an unlikely (or likely as Mxyzptlk explained it) hero, or heroes.
Mark Waid continues to show why he was so worthy of that Eisner nomination for this year with this series. In fact, all of his current work for DC appears to come out of the pages of this series. Superheroes fighting in a contest arranged by a higher power is a classic staple from the Silver Age and there are plenty of Easter Eggs related to that packed in this issue. It’s amazing how Waid has never headed a Crisis event in DC. Bat-Mite and Mr. Mxyzptlk make a surprisingly good World’s Finest of their own as they go on damage control while Batman and Superman continue to make sense of everything.
The best part of this issue is what Dan Mora, as well as Travis Mercer, do visually. For starters, you have Justice League action with Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and Green Arrow being given at least two panels each. Seeing all the fan-mites compared to their respective DC villain has been a fun treat. The Second Dimension that Bat-Mite, Batman, and Superman find themselves in spins the panels every which way while the characters are drawn like it’s an episode of Superfriends. Doom-Mite is also a trip to look at with his blacklight colors. Of course, the payoff is the last four pages of the issue for all the Superman fans who have kept up since the Silver Age. Colors are done by Tamra Bonvillain.
(10/10) Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #27 brings the contest that began in the last issue to a close in just as chaotic a matter as it began. Bat-Mite and Mr. Mxyzptlk are beginning to come off as the main protagonists of this arc as they do anything to increase the odds in our heroes’ and Earth’s favor. If there is a big “if” to Doom-Mite’s endgame, it has yet to be revealed.
