Batman / Superman: World’s Finest #16 // Review
There was a pretty good chance that Robin was about to die. The Batmobile had taken on a life of its own. (Likely part of the AI uprising that had been taking place.) Luckily, Robin has friends who can deal with a ridiculously expensive, runaway, high-performance military-grade automobile. The Flash steps in and saves his life. The two heroes join several others in dealing with some very serious problems in Batman / Superman: World’s Finest #16. Writer Mark Waid continues a large-ensemble story that is dynamically placed on the page by artist Dan Mora. Color illuminates the panels courtesy of colorist Tamra Bonvillain.
The world has gone to hell as AI has taken over. The good news is that Batman is with Superman. The bad news is that they’ve both been captured. If Flash and Robin can’t help rescue them, they may have already lost the war with the AI. They’ll have to put together a plan if they’re going to save the two legends. Any villain or hero who has even a bit of tech on them can be controlled by the AI. It’s going to be a big challenge to keep the tech from taking over entirely. That’s okay: this is the DC Universe. There are a LOT of heroes to go around…
Science fiction has been dealing with this sort of dystopian tech apocalypse for decades. When it pops up in a 2023 World’s Finest story, it’s an expression of cultural anxieties about the emergence of AI that threatens to overtake every aspect of employment. Waid frames the World’s Finest DC heroes against an AI that has a very real chance of taking over the world. It’s an amplification of concerns that continue to plague contemporary consciousness. Waid does a pretty good job of covering the anxiety in a solidly well-constructed script that moves fluidly in and around the margins of the massive DC Universe.
Mora is juggling a lot of different energies with a larger ensemble of superpowered heroes than what typically makes it into an issue of World’s Finest. With the aid of Bonvillain’s depth and radiance, Mora does a respectable job of making sure every different power and skill has an impressive and distinct impact on the page. Mora captures the classic spirit of some iconic heroes and spins it in with a modern tilt. Wonder Woman is powerful and stunning in her classic costume, flying around in an invisible jet. Plastic Man shows up with the awkwardly rubbery grace that makes HIM who he is. Even the Metal Men have their moment on the page.
Waid, Mora, and Bonvillain tell a solidly entertaining narrative in another fun issue of a popular series. It’s too bad that there isn’t a more balanced story being placed on the page. Heroes in peril help out other heroes in peril as AI looks to take over. There’s a lot of action moving around the page.
