Another month, another excellent issue of Batman/Superman World's Finest!
World's Finest #14 continues to storyline exclaimed on the cover - Who Killed Simon Stagg! This issue does a great job pushing the storyline forward with a lot of revelations explaining away much of the mysteries here but leaving a few out there. I think a few visual clues are out there for future issues so I'll let you know my thoughts in the main review.
Writer Mark Waid is just giving me comic comfort food with this title. These are straight-forward, entertaining super-hero stories set in the 'Elsewhen' of the DCU. So with a young Dick Grayson still acting as Robin and Batman wearing a yellow oval on his chest, we see Batman and Superman investigating the death of Stagg. With Bruce Wayne as the main suspect, Bruce is a little hampered so it is up to Superman and Robin to do the digging. Throw in Metamorpho, the Metal Men, a classic JLA villain, a good murder mystery, and enough DC ephemera to keep this longtime fan happy and this title continues to shine.
I mean, read that last paragraph. That's what comics should be like.
I haven't even mentioned Dan Mora's art which just continues to sizzle. Waid is putting him to work on this book throwing all the craziness of old DC into this book. The action is spot on with a panel of Superman in this issue just iconic and perfect. But it is the smaller stuff, the heroic poses of the heroes or the joy just oozing out of Robin that makes this even more spectacular. Just fantastic.
Everyone should be reading this book. Everyone.
On to the details.
If Clark and Jimmy are saying Bruce Wayne is a killer and Batman is shelved because Bruce is under scrutiny, then it is up to Superman to clear Bruce's name. Bruce says Superman will need a detective to help him.
Bruce Wayne has been tagged as the prime suspect in the murder of Simon Stagg. The person responsible for this theory? Jimmy Olsen.
Batman in the Batcave is talking about it with Superman who is in his Fortress. Batman is rather irked that Superman would let that story get to press. After all, as Clark couldn't he have squashed this. Of course, Clark says he couldn't. As Clark, he's a journalist. Jimmy's research is sound. And he can't just wave it away as Superman.
What I love about this conversation is that while it unfolds, the comic wanders through the Fortress and the Cave. Waid lets us see all the goodies that old timers love. Kandor is there. We see Superman robots (more on this later). In the cave, we see the giant penny, multiple Batmobiles, and this shogun armor.
This is classic DCU. These things should be there.
Superman says he found one.
This is my favorite panel in the book. Superman didn't ask The Elongated Man, or The Question, or Slam Bradley to help him in his investigation. He ask Robin. Perfect.
The thumbs up and smile from Superman? Perfect.
A joyous Dick flipping into the room for no good reason, smiling like a fool? Perfect.
The Legion of Doom HQ on the giant monitor? Perfect.
Perfection.
You might remember that Metamorpho was also framed in the death of Stagg. Metamorpho is irate to the point of being unhinged, and is looking up his rogues to see if they have set him up.
Things get wonkier when Oliver Queen contacts Bruce Wayne asking to buy AI IP from Wayne Enterprises. That doesn't sound like something Ollie would want. This doesn't sound like Ollie. Queen looks crazed.
Bruce makes other phone calls. We hear how he calls Mr. Jupiter, Ted Kord, and Steve Dayton and they all are acting weird. Old timers like me know that Steve Dayton is the 5th richest man in the DCU. Mr. Jupiter bankrolled the Titans in the 70s. Waid just effortlessly lays these DCU foundation bricks into the mix. I know these guys. I appreciate them. Folks who don't can head to Google or not and the story will roll on.
Again, Waid dives into the deep end of the DCU. I am sure he hasn't made these people up. They probably are true Metamorpho rogues. But Doc Dread? Stingaree? El Matanzas?
I remember how giddy I was when Waid through in Ferlin Nyxly into an issue of this book. Hard core Metamorpho fans must be ecstatic! Deep cuts!
Metamorpho is in Nicaragua battling El Matanzas and his robot armyalready, tearing the place up.
Superman and Robin fly in to calm Rex and end the threat.
Nothing says Superman more than him punching the head of a giant robot!
Just an iconic panel and pose!
Reminded me of Supergirl punching the head off of Brimstone in the old JLU cartoon.
At Stagg's funeral, Clark discovers the 'corpse' is an advanced android.
Batman has discovered that all the billionaires he talked to are probably androids too and are sending tons of money to shell company owned by Professor Ivo.
This is another 'comfort food' villain for me. Ivo, the creator of Amazo. But Waid gives us a new wrinkle. These androids are acting too human for an Ivo creation. So willingly or unwillingly, Doc Magnus' responsometer tech is being used too.
I mean, if we have a classic Fortress, classic Batcave, classic Metamorpho, classic JLA villain in this story, why not throw in the Metal Men.
Batman and Rex head to Magnus' factory only to discover the place deserted and the Metal Men melted in vats.
But it is the small moments in this book that make it sing. When they first arrive, we see a sort of Silver Age looking poster of them. I swear that pic looks like a JLGL pin-up. But it is Rex's complaint of Mercury always saying he's liquid at room temperature is hilarious. Indeed ... who cares? Mercury says it ALL THE TIME!!
Rex speaks for all of us.
But it is that connection of the DCU to the readers that makes this book wonderful.
Meanwhile, Superman and Robin head to Ivo's hideout and discover a bunch of half-made androids including a semi-built Bruce Wayne.
Then we meet the new big bad. It is an Amazo/Metamorpho sort of android. But it can mimic any element ... including Kryptonite!
Great cliffhanger.
With so many androids and robots being seen, I can't help but think that those Superman robots we saw at the beginning are going to have a part to play in this story. Perhaps a responsometer for Superman will be placed in the SM Robots making them even more like Superman??
I mean, I have gushed enough. This book feels classic and new. That isn't easy. It looks gorgeous. Mora is hitting it out of the park.
Everyone should be reading this book. Everyone.
Overall grade: A
I think of Stingaree as a Batman villain so does that mean he debuted in Brave & The Bold? Does that mean this series happens on Earth -H?
ReplyDeleteKudos to Waid for remembering the limits to Rex's changes. He's usually just portrayed as being stretchy and shape shifting like Eel O'Brien with no mention of the human body elements.
Aaaaand, now you have me wanting to read about a Waid Ralph Dibny!
My intro to 'The Metal Men' was in BB#74. I couldn't
ReplyDeleteremember much of the story, but I thought it involved
Batman. It does. So I had to pull it out and re-read it;
perhaps this might help me understand their part in this
story. We'll see...
Thanks for comments.
ReplyDeleteNever heard of Stingaree before so I trust your assessment.
And B&B #74! Nice!
This Stingaree isn't the pirate themed Batman villain, but an actual Silver Age Metamorpho villain. https://comicvine.gamespot.com/stingaree/4005-127371/#:~:text=Character%20%C2%BB%20Stingaree%20appears%20in%208%20issues.%20Stingaree,Element%20Girl%27s%20ex-boyfriend%20and%20an%20enemy%20of%20Metamorpho.
ReplyDeleteThis is the best comic DC is currently publishing. Mark Waid seems to be having a lot of fun with it. His new Shazam comic should be just as good.
ReplyDeleteYes, Doc Dread, Stingaree and El Matanzas are all true Metamorpho rogues, appearing in Metamorpho #8 (Doc Dread), #9 (El Matanzas) and #10 (Stingaree), back in the '60s. Stingaree's appearance in Brave and Bold came later.
The original Metamorpho was a fun comic, kind of DC's version of a Marvel comic. Unfortunately, the end came way too soon, as the comic was cancelled after issue #17. I don't know what back issues are going for these days, but they're worth checking out. While some of the early Metamorpho stories have been reprinted here and there, I don't believe those first 17 issues have ever been collected under one cover. If nothing else, DC should put out a trade paperback.
Yeah, I should have Googled instead of going by memory, especially since I don't think I ever read any of rex's original series. I did find that the name Captain Stingaree was foisted on the captain's unhappy creators by editor Schwartz due to a forgotten movie he liked. I doubt it inspired the name for Rex's foe since no highwaymen were apparently involved.
ReplyDeleteI have to make a correction on my comments above. Stingaree appeared just one time, in Metamorpho #10. He never appeared in The Brave and the Bold. I think I got mixed up because Bob Haney wrote both titles.
ReplyDeleteCaptain Stingaree was a Batman villain who first appeared in Detective Comics #460 in 1976.
It might be more useful to list the DCU character's Mark Waid "Doesn't Get" at this point. Because he certainly has excellent insight into Supergirl, Batgirl, Superman, Batman & Robin, Alfred, Jimmy Olsen plus Dozens of Rogues...and he has the storylines to back that insight up...yeah agree with the above poster, this is DC's best monthly floppie period, end of story.
ReplyDeleteI am enjoying this book so much that I've actually had the thought "Geez Bruce Wayne should have been implicated in Simon Stagg's murder year's ago...I mean it's a no-brainer eh??" :)
JF