In Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #27, Bat-Mite and Mxyzptlk must work together to save Batman, Robin, and Superman while averting an imp invasion!
Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #27 main cover by Dan Mora. (Image Credit: DC Comics)
Title: Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #27 – Impossible: Part Two
Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Dan Mora & Travis Mercer
Colors: Tamra Bonvillain
Letters: Steve Wands
Main Cover: Dan Mora
Variant Covers: Jeff Dekal, Ramon Perez & Heron Grant
Release Date: May 21, 2024
Please Note: This comic book review may contain spoilers
Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #27 opens on a dream sequence, one wherein Bat-Mite envisions himself in the title credits of Batman: The Animated Series. It’s a fourth-wall-breaking goof that delightfully segues to Mr. Mxyzptlk trying to wake up Bat-Mite. Mxyzptlk fills Mite, and readers, in on what happened at the end of Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #26. The two took a beating from Parasite and his imp, Paras-Mite.
It’s a vivid opener, and the art and coloring are expressive and vibrant. Parasite and Paras-Mite, especially, are a gruesome twosome that’s both mortifying and beautiful to gaze at.
Wonder Woman enters the fray, battling against Cheetah and her imp. Bat-Mite and Mxyzptlk take this diversion to find Batman, Robin, and Superman, all of whom have been flattened and stuck on a brick wall.
Wonder Woman gets taken out after being told by Cheetah’s imp that this whole battle is a test to find the mightiest champion, who will then do battle against the imps’ master. The Metal Men intervene, dispatching Cheetah only to be confronted by an imp-powered Chemo.
The issue then turns into a who’s who of heroes battling their arch-enemies. Familiar faces adorn the panels, posed and colored fantastically. The action is fast, frenetic, and begging to be made into a series of posters for the wall.
Meanwhile, Bat-Mite manages to free Robin (Dick Grayson), only to be trapped himself on the wall with Batman and Superman. Elsewhere, Supergirl is calling out for Mxyzptlk, though she butchers his name. He corrects her, and it’s now three times Mr. Mxyzptlk has said his own name without zapping back to his home dimension. Does that rule not apply anymore?
On the wall, Bat-Mite manages to communicate with Batman and Superman. The three of them are trapped in the “second dimension,” which looks like the cartoon stylings of Superfriends. It’s a fun nod, allowing the art team to once again dabble in cute Saturday morning references. Somehow, Bat-Mite manages to figure out how to get the heroes and himself free, and they’re blasted into the 6th dimension. It is here, beyond infinite possibility, where the heroes and Bat-Mite find themselves. In a swirl of colors and images, the sixth dimension is where all of time is existing all at once, and, As Bat-Mite points out, it’s where the big bad lives.
Back on prime Earth, the coolest thing is about to happen. Robin, who has been asking to be given powers to fight the imps once more, is overlooked by Mxyzptlk. Instead, Superman’s least-favorite imp singles out Jimmy Olsen, who has been the subject of many transformations in the Golden and Silver Age. What results is an army of Olsens, ranging from elastic powers to werewolf abilities. These Olsens take down imps and villains alike, saving the day rather handily.
While the heroes rejoice, it all culminates into something very bad. The contest ends, and Jimmy Olsen is deemed Earth’s mightiest champion. The arch-villain, known simply as the “imp killer,” threatens to kill Olsen.
For fans of Silver Age World’s Finest comics, this arc is a buffet of colors, zaniness, and fun. It’s a nod to the wild adventures and out-of-nowhere twists that once dominated the superhero genre, and in a way, it’s refreshing in an era where many hero books are obsessed with doom-and-gloom.
That said, there’s a cloyingly sweet taste that’s not unlike eating a whole baby of candy. It’s sweet, tasty, and quite the sugar rush, but once the rush is gone, what’s left? In past issues, Mark Waid, Dan Mora, Tamra Bonvillain, and team have delivered a title that deftly balances both fun and heart. World’s Finest has been a consistently inspiring title, showcasing all of our favorite DC heroes at their best and wrapping stories and arcs with old-fashioned morals and ethics that feel somehow timely again.
While this arc is fun, I’m not feeling those same tugs on the brain that inspire, motivate, and encourage readers to be better humans. And to be honest, I’m missing it this week. Then again, maybe I’m wrong. Maybe it’s best that we, as comic book readers, don’t have the same motif every arc. Those complicated feelings aside, Batman/Superman: World’s Finest is still a roaring, fun time. It’s an artistic masterpiece, full of explosive, page-turning action that is easy to follow, offering delightful bursts of color on each page.
Editor’s Note: DC Comics provided TBU with an advance copy of this comic for review purposes. You can find this comic and help support TBU in the process by purchasing this issue digitally on Amazon or a physical copy of the title through Things From Another World.
