Review: Batman/Superman World's Finest #45

Batman/Superman World's Finest #45 came out last week and it is hard for me to think this book is almost 4 years old. The format of intermittent adventures from some elsewhen in the past has worked perfectly in giving us fun, entertaining stories reaching into the deep recesses of the DCU with a both a classic feel and a modern sensibility. Time flies!

This issue starts a new arc bringing us a Joker/Luthor team-up, the perfect contrast to our heroes. Throw in a guest star and some nods to some Silver/Bronze age goodness and you have another win. Writer Mark Waid has been walking that tightrope of classic and new for a while and definitely continues to shine. For me, the best part of this set-up issue is that a Lex/Joker team-up would not be an easy alliance. These two would not get along even if they have similar difficulties with heroes.

Adrian Gutierrez remains on art and his scratchy, energized style works very well with this story. An intangible Lex falling through a building? A violent Hawkman lashing out against the villains? A mash-up of Lex/Joker? All those things leans into his strengths and he hits it out of the park.

This is an opening chapter to an arc so we are just starting out here but there is a zaniness to this story already which was refreshing. 

On to the book.

The story starts out with a fantastic semi-splash of our heroes watching a football game pitting the Metropolis Meteors against the Gotham Goliaths. What could be a better showing of the friendship between these two than them getting together to watch a football game? 

I love that Superman has a Meteors shirt on over his costume! And even that small panel of the game reminded me of the famous cover of Superman #264. Love that the color scheme remains the same as that classic story.

The get-together is interrupted when the heroes hear that Lex is trying rob Gotham's STAR Labs of some device that amplifies brainpower. 

But before Lex can get away, he suddenly finds himself intangible, falling through the floors of the building into the Gotham sewers where the Joker awaits.

Lex wants nothing to do with him.. It is very Bronze Age to have a word like 'poltroon' be spat out. Remember when comics taught you vocabulary? But it makes sense that Lex would not cozy up with the Joker.

Gutierrez brings such fun and energy to the pages of Lex tumbling down.

The Joker won't make Lex solid again until he hears a pitch on a crime. So off they head to the Ha-Ha-Hacienda. 

So much to love here. I mean the 'Ha-Ha-Hacienda' is right out of my youth reading comics. And this underground hideout with a Joker-face brick facade is fantastic. 

Why?

Because it has to be an homage to Detective Comics #365, 'The House the Joker Built'! 

What I really like is that the Ha-Ha-Hacienda wasn't in shown in profile like the Detective cover. It is an homage but not a swipe. Perfect.

The Joker's idea? Steal something called the Absorbascon from a museum in Midway City. It purportedly will give someone infinite knowledge. 

Now we know what an Absorbascon. And we know who would have it in Midway City. The Joker at least knows the latter half. He needs Lex to deal with the other stuff ... mainly Hawkman. 

But it is a good hook to get Luthor interested. I do love that Lex knows that the Joker is the Joker. If there is a hint of betrayal, the gloves are off. 

Again, Waid has this magic touch to bring some classic DC into a current story. When was the last time the Absorbascon was a major plot point? The Shadow War of Hawkman? Maybe I missed one somewhere along the way. I don't usually read Hawkman books.

Off we go as the villains use their decorporalizing tech (stolen from Doctor Double X) to slink into the back of the museum to steal the Absorbascon. And surprisingly they are able to hold off Hawkman. Love Luthor's arrogance calling Hawkman a B-lister in comparison to Superman. Love the stylized, angled, over stretched art by Gutierrez in this battle just upping the energy. 

And then they are able to use some property damage and threats to nearby citizens to hold off the World's Finest team who show up as well.

The villains might be escaping but they aren't getting along. 

They both want the Absorbascon. They won't compromise with each other, scrapping against each other in the sky. 

I love that they don't get along and immediately fight rather than some quiet backstab maneuvers back at the hideout. Because they shouldn't get along. 

So they brawl so much they fall to the ground. And between the decorporalizing tech and the Absorbascon they somehow merge. 

They hate each other and they are now in one body. This should be fun to see how a mash-up works and thinks. 

And the design is great. Love the lone wisp of green hair on the head. Love the weird belt buckle which is sort of the Lex-o-suit symbol and sort of a Greek comedy mask. Love power gauntlets next to laughing fish and an acid flower. Insanity.

This issue was a solid opening chapter showing partners who like each other and partners who don't like each other. Great cliffhanger.

Overall grade: B