REVIEW: Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #49

It looks like our adventure on Earth-3 won’t be a big multi-issue story with Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #49. However, it’s still an adventure in the belly of the beast and makes for a worthy follow up to what #48 was setting up. After DC Studios’ Superman, Superman vs. Ultraman feels so much better.

Dan Mora’s cover pits Batman and Superman against their Earth-3 counterparts –they’re not doing too great. The Crime Syndicate hasn’t been a big threat since Forever Evil with other appearances being more or less cameos. Seeing them have the upper hand on any hero from Earth-1 is a vast improvement. Ultraman really should have more of a dark suit that Superman’s. More often than not they wear similar shades of blue, so it helps to add variety with Owlman’s suit being so drastically different. We also have a new side watermark for the series by the labeling featuring our heroes.

Nathan Szerdy references a much earlier issue form this series –the first one-shot featuring Robin and Supergirl on their date. Here, it goes down much better and probably how Dick was envisioning it. There’s some fun details too like the silhouettes of Batman and Catwoman in the background and the waiter just oozing of DCAU Alfred influence. Like the rest of Szerdy’s work, it’s all very photogenic.

Karl Kerschl’s variant is a cover in motion with Superman flying alongside Batman and Robin on their motorcycles. The drifting effects and the glaring lights make an atmospheric nightlife-like image. A lot the vehicles in Batman’s arsenal tend to be over-the-top, but these bikes have the right amount of subtly.

Adrian Gutierrez and Dan Mora also have available variant as well as a special symbol variant which features the symbol from the 2000 comic series by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness.

It turns out what Earth-3’s Magnus Labs was holding onto was Batman and Superman, who were displaced to the alternate Earth after a fight with Brainiac. He had just discovered the multiverse, and as we know from events like Convergence, that’s a really bad thing. That’s a story for another day as Ultraman, Owlman, and Superwoman continue securing the lab before interrogating them. But Earth-3’s Riddler comes in to free them. It looks like Owlman didn’t kill him in the previous issue, merely mutated in a vat of acid like a true comic book character. He takes them to the ruined Gotham City to a S.T.A.R. Labs branch to locate the portal Brainiac opened above the planet. It doesn’t take long for Ultraman and Owlman to figure out they escaped.

Riddler takes Batman and Superman to meet the heroic Toyman, Scarecrow, Mad Hatter, Catwoman, and Silver Banshee for help finding their way home. In order to distract Ultraman and Owlman, the heroes stage a breakout at Arkham Asylum while Superman and Batman go to the Gotham S.T.A.R Labs with only a matter of time before the Riddler finds them their way back. However, Superman hears the cries of the heroes when they get into trouble against the Earth-3 villains. Superman being Superman, rushes over to help. Even weakened by the planet’s strange inverse sun, he still packs a punch. But will it be enough?

Mark Waid, with Mark Russell, shifts the focus back over to our heroes after Ultraman and Owlman were given the spotlight last issue. In fact, it didn’t seem like Batman and Superman were going to appear in it. Seeing them at the very end was actually a surprise. Despite this being the first time Batman and Superman are meeting their doubles, there’s very little reflective interaction for coming face-to-face with your evil self. It’s really been more about the novelty of having everything inversed. Waid also gets you thinking about future stipulations that go beyond the story like what will Brainiac do now that he’s discovered the multiverse, and where happens to Superwoman with what she has going on? The crazy part is that there are DC stories that already answer them. Letters are by Steve Wands.

Marcus To immediately lets you know that he is a valid artist with the classic design of Brainiac in the beginning, with his pink shirt and all. I love how in comics classical looks are meant to convey the past. With Batman back at S.T.A.R Labs, we get panels of Superman vs. the three founding Crime Syndicate members –eye lasers, super punches, the whole nine yards. That would be the highlight of the issue, Superman answer calls for help on a world where they don’t seem to make difference. Colors are by Tamra Bonvillain.

(8/10) Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #49 pulls a fast one by concluding the Earth-3 story that most readers thought would be longer, at least beyond two issues. Still, it makes for a good pull with some callbacks (or rather call forwards to future DC stories) and valiant Superman action.