REVIEW: Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #37
What we all expected to be Ronal’s villain arc in Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #37 turns out to be anything but as Floronic Man seizes near-control of the Green through Swamp Thing. It’s nice in that regard, to be surprised by the author, but it may have made for a more interesting story in the long run. But this story is a short run, so it wraps up as best as it can, bringing it all back to Aquaman.
Dan Mora gives Batman and Superman some armor upgrades for the final charge with Aquaman and Storm. Batman’s is an illegitimately good suit design like he made in anticipation of fighting Black Manta. Superman with armor is almost always redundant, but it never fails to look cool.
Mora also continues the series tradition of a celebrity cameo variant cover this month around. This one features all-star restauranter Guy Fieri – another highly drawable celebrity based on his likeness alone. Like everything he’s in, it’s all about personality and this variant captures it perfectly with homage to his show.
Series artist Adrian Gutierrez gives us a sort of sequel to his variant cover last month with Batman meeting Dick Grayson for the first time. Now, he fights alongside him as Robin – with his debut comic in the suit from the 1940s in the background. Having both variants side by side is a natural progression. It makes you wonder if the next one will be him leaving him as Nightwing.
Two other Superman and Batman-featured variant covers are available this month from Dan Panosian and Yasmin Putri.
In the last issue, Lori lets her emotions get the better of her and kisses Clark (the fate of 1000 women in DC) and it seems like Ronal is going to become the new antagonist of the story as his differences with Aquaman seem to come to a boil as well as becoming distant to Lori.
Ronal was a Silver-Age adventurer when before he was king of Tritonis, a role he inherited after the death of his father. He would welcome a new one with open arms, but his people expect a lot like him – like Arthur and Poseidonis. Now ready to really save the people of Atlantis, the two kings and queens leap into battle with the World’s Finest to expel the Floronic Man from the sea once and for all.
Again, it was a big surprise that Mark Waid didn’t make Ronal go villain even for a moment with the way the last issue ended with Lori and Superman’s kiss. Instead, he uses this pain to make the reader feel more for him and as a gateway into the rest of his story. While his role as king may be reluctant, but his marriage with Lori was not. It’s a better direction for the story but at the expense of any real twists happening during the final battle. Waid could write an Aquaman series with this Atlantis cast because it seems like Ronal could be a cool parallel. As always, Superman remains the faithful boy scout while Batman and Robin stay hyper-focused on the mission. Letters are by Steve Wands.
Adrian Gutierrez and colourist Matt Herms brings the Floronic Man to one of his highest levels of power in this final showdown of an issue with non-stop action until it is finally resolved. After three issues with him as a regular artist, Gutiérrez does have the same level of expression as Mora and spoils us Superman fans here with plenty of Clark using tons of his powers here.
(8/10) Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #37 rounds it back to Aquaman for some arc closure with a tale of two kings that gets us to care about this Atlantis cast, who are worthy of their own series within the Aquaman mainline.
