BATMAN/SUPERMAN: WORLDS FINEST #54 (DC COMICS)
Two countries are on the brink of war.
With countless lives hanging in the balance, there’s no room for errors for the World’s Finest. Every pitch and at-bat has to count! It’s the bottom of the nineth & two outs for the heroes!
Wait….are we talking baseball or stopping a global catastrophic event?! Are the Justice League facing the LA Dodgers?!
BATMAN/SUPERMAN: WORLD’S FINEST #54 by Mark Waid, Bruno Frenda, Luis Guerrero & Steve Wands (DC COMICS) presents the wildest baseball game you have ever seen!
Get your peanuts and Cracker Jack ready…It’s time to play ball!
BATMAN/SUPERMAN: WORLD’S FINEST #54 by Mark Waid, Bruno Frenda, Luis Guerrero & Steve Wands (DC COMICS)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
Leave it to Waid to take a wild concept like a supernatural baseball game and make it work! The opening panel is superhero business as usual, watching Bialya and Qurac stand off. When a ghost player crashes the Bat Cave, it moves our heroes into the underworld where they have been selected to play ball. Readers watch as Neron is the architect of this chaos. His words ooze evil intent as he pits the heroes into the game for his mere amusement. Using the countries’ souls as leverage is diabolical. This leads into a fun moment for readers, with a great sub plot for Superman.
Using the motto of “Never meet your heroes”, Superman’s confrontation with his favorite player adds some weight to the stakes. As the game commences, it is clear the heroes have no fair chance to win. Neron’s dialogue cements that feeling as the game progresses. There are some fun moments thrown in. Batman as “Manager” is everything you would expect it to be. This leads into the dramatic finish. Waid throws in some twists before concluding events on a bittersweet note. A great break from the normal super conflicts.
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Frenda steps in for art duties and swings for the fences. A fantastic two page spread showcases the recruited heroes adjusting to the ballfield from Hell. Neron’s maniacal looks counter Superman’s stern stance of Hope. this extends over to the game itself. Meeting his favorite childhood player, Supers’ reaction shows the deflation of a young boy’s vision. It helps to usher in the fun sequence of super powered baseball.
A wild two page spread shows the game in full swing. Batman’s pep talk might have small in shape but provides a turning point needed for the heroes. The following panels become more bold as time slips further away for war. It leads to a climatic closing tot he baseball game via half panel. The fallout comes with more complications as Neron’s response is less than respectful. Readers watch as the final pages tie up some loose threads before leaving on a touching point. The final panel is a gut punch in certain degrees, fitting for a game most played as children.
FINAL GRADE: 8.6
Play Ball! Waid spins a creative take on America’s pastime with supernatural flare. Frenda & the team deliver a double play of action and drama with the art. A fantastic detour from the traditional formula of superhero storytelling.
Let me know your thoughts on BATMAN/SUPERMAN: WORLD’S FINEST #54 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
