Written by: Mark Waid
Art by: Dan Mora
Colors by: Tamra Bonvillain
Letters by: Steve Wands
Cover art by: Dan Mora (cover A)
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: December 19, 2023
Batman / Superman: World's Finest #22 forces Superman and Batman to kneel before Gog when the World's Finest are captured by the Justice Battalion before they scuttle Gog's master plan.
Is Batman / Superman: World's Finest #22 Good?
Now we're cooking with Kryptonite gas. Batman / Superman: World's Finest #22 gets to the heart of the matter when Mark Waid informs the World's Finest about Gog's origin, his motivations, his plans, and where David, ala Thunderman, factors in. Fans of Kingdom Come will recognize this issue as the worthy prequel that it is. When last we left Batman and Superman, their reunion with (a now older) David went badly.
David codenamed Thunderman, turned on his former friends and called reinforcements to capture those whom David named assassins. Now, the collection of Gog's Earth heroes, the Justice Battalion, combine their might to capture Batman and Superman before bringing them before Gog.
During the meeting, Gog orders the heroes imprisoned, but the meeting reveals enough tidbits to lead to the truth of Gog's intentions, especially when the heroes are placed in a cell with Metron of the New Gods. Gog's Batman, still his world's greatest detective, gets suspicious about David's story, leading to a team-up between the World's Finest on both worlds.
I regularly harp on the idea that every comic should have one big idea. Waid, to his credit, gives you several in this issue. Chief among them is a brief history of Gog and the motivations behind his plan of destruction. With shocking efficiency, Waid tells you everything you need to know about Gog, how Magog came to be, Gog's plan, and why he's pursuing it. In one fell swoop, you get all that information with world-threatening stakes and a ticking clock to boot.
What's great about Batman / Superman: World's Finest #22? Practically everything is great in this issue. You get quick pacing, plenty of meat on the story bone, drama for days, and fantastic art courtesy of Dan Mora.
What's not so great about Batman / Superman: World's Finest #22? I'm sure Kingdom Come purists may find one or two nitpicks with how well this story dovetails into that previous work. The nitpicks aren't enough to throw the story off, but the transition isn't 100% seamless. That said, David as Thunderman gives Waid an out because this version of Earth could be an alternate version where Kingdom Come occurs, so some creative license may be acceptable.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
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Bits and Pieces:
Batman / Superman: World's Finest #22 is the bee's knees. Waid delivers an action-packed issue with wow moments, interesting story reveals, and fast pacing for a worthy prequel to Kingdom Come. As a bonus, Dan Mora's art is spectacular.
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