REVIEW: Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #54
In the most Silver Age-inspired of this series so far, Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #54 asks the bold questions, what if Superman and Batman play baseball with demons in Hell to prevent a war? It’s dumb, it’s fun, and it even has its moments.
Dan Mora’s cover actually pays homage to a Silver Age illustration of Superman, Batman, and Robin playing baseball –I actually have it on a shirt. The perspective and set up with the ball and bat are all the same here with Mora save for Robin being replaced with Etrigan. The best part is this is no exaggeration or cinematic cover –this is actually what happens.
Adrian Gutierrez’s variant continues the baseball theming and includes Robin this time around. Batman is batting here while Superman is the catcher –with a really cool custom helmet. It looks like Batman’s grappler is exploding in his utility belt –at least that’s what I’m seeing it as. The baseball pattern is cool too, feels very Americana.
Bill Sienkiewicz gives us this series’ special The Dark Knight Returns 40th Anniversary, capturing the hulking mass that is Frank Miller’s Batman with a beautiful watercolor-like texture. I like how Carrie Kelley as Robin is the light to the darkness of Batman.
Another great variant comes from Miguel Mercado –smooth, bold, and somewhat retro feeling. It must be the older Batsuit.
Batman and Superman find that two countries have suddenly declared war on each other. Given how sudden it was, something is definitely not right. This is confirmed when the ghost of Steet Wensler, a professional baseball plater, takes them to Neron’s Underworld realm. Like how living people pray, so do demons –and they’re praying for death and destruction on Earth. The war between Bialya and Qurac would unleash just that like any other conflict. But Neron can get them to stop, Superman, Batman, and the many other heroes that were brought along with them must play and win a game of baseball against Hell’s best players.
During the game, Steet has an arc of sorts. Clark once looked up to him as a kid, having his trading card at all. But a series of bad life decisions landed him in the underworld when he died. What’s more is that these demons are playing full contact and in what world is Hell going to play fair with home field advantage? Our heroes must rally and proof that hope even exists in a place where it’s abandoned.
Mark Waid is actually one of the creators of Neron, so we can say with 100% certainty that he would do something like this. He’s beaten a lot like Mxyzptlk, not through force but through contests and challenges. Despite the simple Silver Age story, I really like what Waid does here. I like the idea of war being something that demons pray for (because that’s totally what it is). Steet’s story is the human factor that gives this mindless fun a point –one that Superman plays a major and worthy role in. Waid also breaks out some lesser-known heroes as opposed to just Justice Leaguers for this issue –we even get an appearance from G.I. Robot! Letters are by Steve Wands.
Bruno Frenda takes over as artist for this issue with colors by Luis Guerrero. His art meshes well with Mora’s and Gutierrez’s with subtle differences. There is a lot going on in this issue, and to his credit, Frenda manages to squeeze seven innings into two-page spread of panels. I guess that would be something I’d change about this issue –more pages for a more in-depth play-by-play.
(8/10) Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #54 is dumb, silly, Silver Age fun that actually has some good (and significant) things to say in the little standalone story it offers.
