Review: Batman/Superman World's Finest #23

Batman/Superman World's Finest #23 came out last week, the penultimate chapter of the Kingdom Come storyline Mark Waid has been crafting. And therein lies the conundrum, one I have trumpeted throughout the arc.

Mark Waid and Alex Ross created Kingdom Come back in 1996. It is a masterpiece, an Elseworld's possible future, a sacred comic text. I love Kingdom Come, one of those stories that I go to and reread frequently. 

Now in World's Finest, the Earth-0 World's Finest head to that world and have a rollicking adventure, exposing the world to the multiverse, fighting their doppelgangers, and battling Gog. 

How can this story have taken place and the events of Kingdom Come unfold the way it did? Can such a major incursion from the multiverse, a discussion about Magog's origins, and a cliffhanger with a major DC baddie not impact that story-telling?

Now, in and of itself, this story is fun. The plot twist that Waid brings to Gog is great and completely unexpected. Seeing our World's Finest pairs team up to fight the big bad is fun and cool. And that cliffhanger! Add to the the standard excellent Dan Mora art and you have a winner.

Mora brings in some Earth-22 sensibility to an action packed fight issue. What I like the best is his warping his lines and stylizing his art as the madness increases. Brilliant stuff.

Still ... how can Kingdom Come remain Kingdom Come? Is some time travel erasure in our future?

On to the book.

Last month we learned that Gog wants the Earth-22 heroes to attack Apokolips. But it's a suicide mission. 

This month we learn that Gog, one of the old gods, had a mission to keep this Earth away from the Multiverse. But when Thunder Boy crossed over, that mission was over.

Pretty interesting that Waid is continuing to lean into Morrison's Multiverse map. I have to be honest, I didn't know that was still around. Is it still *the* map?

The double World's Finest teams show up with the Batmen taking on Magog and the Supermen taking on Gog. 

As the fight goes on, it is clear that Gog is insane.  Mora does a great job showing it by making the art blurrier, shakier, and crazier.

In this panel, look how crazed Gog is, shaking in rage so blurred,  and screaming how he wants to die so he can go to Valhalla. He is insane.

Meanwhile, the Batmen are trying to talk Brian into joining the good guys. 

How great is it that Waid continues to hammer home that Superman is the inspiration that Magog needs. Superman knew Brian could be a great hero ... and Superman never lies. So fantastic.

I also like the sort of wide-eyed look on Magog's face in that second panel. Almost like a mix of realization that Superman might have been right, maybe even some shame there. And the small font as he whispers 'that's not true' ... sort of cementing that maybe he doesn't have the conviction he once did.

Shaking off the mental nudge of Gog, Magog brings the heroes who were mobilizing for Apokolips to fight the true villain. 

Look I had to include a portion of this great double splash by Mora. Check out the Kingdom Come designs for Green Lantern, Hawkman, and Wonder Woman. Spectacular!

And then the big twist!

Batman realizes that Gog's power to remove free will makes him the Anti-Life Equation.

With a boom tube open and Darkseid on the other side, Batman knows they have to stop this. Darkseid can't get the Anti-Life Equation. 

Now that is a pretty good twist. The anti-life equation has been a true emotional formula in the past. It has been a living being before way back in Cosmic Odyssey. Here Gog, a survivor of a sort of Ragnarok, is the embodiment of it.

It's great that Waid is really reaching out to the depths of DC here.

And again look at this crazy panel work by Mora. Just powerful.

Who can stop Gog?

This is a job for Supermen!

I love simple, powerful moments like these. I grew up with the 'this is a job for Superman' catchphrase. What could be cooler than 2 of them?

The Anti-Life equation twist was wild. 

The cliffhanger is better.

It's a boom tube, a passage. Who thought Darkseid would just sit on the other side waiting for the army to invade. 

So Darkseid arrives ... and the Anti-Life equation is there for the taking.

A Dan Mora Darkseid is scary. Strong, regal, scary.

So I liked the way this story unfolded.

But how can I read Kingdom Come normally if this is in that world's history? I guess I need to wait it out.

This remains one of the best comics on the market. People should be reading it. It is old school comic entertainment, respectful to the characters. 

Overall grade: B