In this review of Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #52, Travis Morgan lays down the law in Skartaris prompting Batman to go solo on a perilous rescue mission, while Tyrant Rex shows why he rarely has to pay out pension plans to his minions.
Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #52 main cover by Dan Mora (DC Comics)
BATMAN/SUPERMAN: WORLD’S FINEST #52
Written by MARK WAID
Art by ADRIÁN GUTIÉRREZ
Main Cover: DAN MORA
Variant Covers: DAVIDE PARATORE, ADRIÁN GUTIÉRREZ, DAN MORA
Page Count: 32 pages
Release Date: 6/17/26
This review contains spoilers
Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #52 begins as Warlord (Travis Morgan) recounts how the wounded Tyrant Rex (former military pilot Randall Kreitzer) arrived in Skartaris and soon gained powerful magic after turning on his rescuers. The jury is out on whether this behavior was always part of Kreitzer or unleashed by the accident.
Always the tactician, Batman immediately gets on Morgan’s bad side by trying to assume command (more by reflex than rudeness), but the Dark Knight quickly relents and takes off to rescue Superman on his own, leaving Robin with Morgan and his allies.
Meanwhile, Kreitzer tortures Superman with magic (and apparently has sinister plans for The Man of Steel). Later Kreitzer vanquishes a pair of minions who fail to complete a mysterious quest to his satisfaction. Batman springs into action attempting to tranquilize the tyrant, and while Kreitzer is formidable enough to handle the Dark Knight on his own, Kreitzer cannot help but showcase his latest foot soldier: an entranced Superman.
Back at Warlord’s camp, Morgan studies a map of Skartaris and discovers that Kreitzer is searching for an ancient Atlantean stronghold full of advanced technology that could threaten potentially Earth as well as Skartaris.
Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #52 ends as the camp is attacked by Kreitzer’s minions who now possess Superman’s powers. The heroes scatter into the jungle as it is revealed that Batman has also fallen under the sway of Tyrant Rex.
Superman is not in a good place with all of this magic… (DC Comics)
Analysis
Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #52 is an enjoyable enough installment, recapping the plot for new readers, moving the story forward while also providing fun character interactions and some decent action, but the issue as a whole, doesn’t quite reach the high bar this series typically achieves. Writer Mark Waid as usual, gets right to the action while providing necessary exposition that doesn’t bog down the story.
Travis Morgan updates Batman and Robin to Randall Kreitzer’s dangerous arrival and his subsequent reign of terror across the Skartaris (as well as the Atlantean connection to the region), while Tyrant Rex is the other character receiving the majority of the focus in Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #52. Batman has a few good lines and some cool action, but his frontal assault against Kreitzer is brutally short-lived.
Robin’s awkward interactions with Morgan and his freedom fighters are amusing, but not quite on par with a typical issue of World’s Finest. Meanwhile poor Superman goes from suffering torture at Kreitzer’s hands to becoming his mindless thrall.
Kreitzer’s unpleasant magical siphoning of (or replicating?) Superman’s powers is an arduous and horrific sequence, from Superman’s look of agony to the gleeful expressions of Kreitzer’s minions, to Kreitzer himself witnessing the ordeal (an impressive, imposing and well-rendered sequence by series artist Adrian Gutierrez).
Gutierrez also provides some dazzling action (Batman in the jungle) and drama (that shocking full page Superman torture scene) while providing a bit of spectacle (the Atlanteans) and levity (mostly Robin). The flying super-powered minion attack is spectacularly staged, while colorist Luis Gurrero provides a lush, warm palette for the jungle scenes, as well as some darker and cooler tones for Tyrant Rex.
Final Thoughts
Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #52 works well enough as a smaller piece of the larger story puzzle, but this issue feels more sleight than Waid’s typical multi-part arcs. The art and color are a standout though, while the script is informative and fun, if a bit thin.
