Review — Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #18 — At the Beginning

Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #18 variant cover, via DC Comics.

Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #18 — Mark Waid, Writer; Travis Moore, Artist; Tamra Bonvillain, Colorist

Ray — 9/10

Ray: This series has always been a flashback, set during the early days of Batman and Superman’s partnership when Dick Grayson and Supergirl were their primary allies. However, for this arc, Waid and guest-artist Travis Moore turn the clock back even further to tell the story of how the heroes first met. As this issue begins, both are still solo crimefighters, with Batman less than a year into his crusade (much to Alfred’s consternation) and Clark still learning to balance his two identities. In different cities, they likely never would have met — if it wasn’t for Riddler’s latest riddles showing up in Kryptonese. That’s enough to pull the two over to each other’s corner, with them briefly teaming up to stop an alliance between Spellbinder and Magpie before having a VERY awkward team-up where Batman proceeds to psychoanalyze Superman and Jim Gordon gets disappeared on by a superhero for a change.

First meeting. Via DC Comics.
A lot of first team-ups between these two have a hostile edge, and while there is a little of that here — Batman is never exactly welcoming to anyone — there’s a core of respect that isn’t always there. Batman figuring out Superman’s secret identity and confronting him seems menacing at first, but it’s only out of desperation due to the rash of mysterious vanishings in Gotham, and he actually reciprocates quickly once he realizes he can trust Superman. While the heroes teaming up is fun, the villain team-up between Riddler and a mysterious face from Superman’s past — but not the one I was expecting — is genuinely intimidating. These two are ruthless foes, one with an incredible intellect and the other with brutal strength, and this issue sets up a brutal trial by fire for the two heroes. It’s amazing how much mileage Waid can get out of a bygone era for these heroes without ever losing momentum.

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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.