Review: Batman/Superman World's Finest #39

Batman/Superman World's Finest #39 came out last week, part four of the We Are Yesterday storyline that Mark Waid is weaving through several titles.

While the prior chapters have focused mostly on the plot of the villains (past incarnations of the Legion of Doom heading to the present to wreak some havoc), this issue lingers on our heroes and how time travel can befuddle the mind. This series' main characters - Superman, Batman, and Robin - are flip-flopped. World's Finest is in some else-when past. Our World's Finest crew is shunted to the present DCU. And the current versions - Superman, Batman, and Nightwing - is sent back in time to the title's timeline. It lets Waid have a little fun. Our Bronze Agey heroes have to deal with current times and some eye-opening changes.

I will admit, I liked this issue a lot, laughing out loud a couple of time. One page in particular made really chuckle. This felt almost like a character issue in this plot driven arc and that was fine with me.

Clayton Henry is on art and brings his smooth work to the pages. I was grateful for changes in Batman's costume in the different times to ground me on who I was reading. Solid stuff.

Let's dive in.

DC Comics September 2025 Solicits

The full DC solicits for August 2025 came out a bit ago and they sure do highlight that this is the Summer of Superman. There is a lot going on this month and both Superman and Supergirl get a lot of coverage.  Heck, I think I even saw a Kandorian Nightwing on the cover of Nightwing!

The whole month's solicits are viewable here:
https://aiptcomics.com/2025/05/16/full-august-2025-dc-comics-solicitations/

There is a lot to unpack so let's dive right in.

SUPERGIRL #4
Written by SOPHIE CAMPBELL
Art and cover by SOPHIE CAMPBELL
Variant covers by STANLEY “ARTGERM” LAU and EJIKURE
1:25 variant cover by AMY REEDER

In the aftermath of escaped Kandorian Lesla-Lar’s rampage through town, Supergirl learns there’s more to Midvale than meets the eye when Lena drags her to a secret club she never knew existed. Midvale, like her alter ego, may seem mild-mannered, but there’s something special about it. Out from under Superman’s watchful eye, Kara is ready to let loose no matter the disastrous consequences!

Great to see Amy reeder back on covers, even if it is the expensive variant.

As for Midvale being something special, given Sophie Campbell's love of Supergirl history, perhaps she is rolling in a 'Leesburg is over a Hellmouth' feel to this incarnation.

Love the cover. As usual, a feast for a Supergirl fan. Decay from Daring New! Someone who clearly is Wanda Five from the 70s series. And Lena looks so goth she could be Nasty from All-Star Superman!

Can't wait to read!

Review: Superman Unlimited #1

I am back from vacation and so catching up on reviews, the most prominent one being Superman Unlimited #1, written by Dan Slott with art by Rafael Alburquerque. This is the first newly titled,  planned monthly Superman book in a while and signals the beginning of the Summer of Superman, tied into the release of the upcoming movie. 

We have known from solicits for some time that Slott's plan was to have a storyline with an abundance of Kryptonite suddenly being on Earth. We saw what I thought was a prologue in the  FCBD DC All-In #1 book from Free Comic Book day. But it turns out that those 10 pages are reprinted here, the beginning of an over-sized first issue. So click that link to remind yourself about that story and the changes Slott is bringing to the supporting cast. 

I will remind people that this 'new status quo' of excessive Kryptonite can't last. So I think this is probably some backdoor re-imagining of the Kryptonite Nevermore storyline from the 70s. The facsimile of that story's first part, Superman #233, being recently released made me pause. The introduction of a new Edge family member is another nod given Morgan Edge first appeared in that earlier arc.

But I think Slott does an interesting thing with his first issue here. Yes, we see the giant Kryptonite meteor plummeting to Earth. And in the end, there is a lot of Green K on the ground. But the bulk of this issue is a sort of primer on Superman's history. Given pre-Crisis, Byrne's era, the New 52, Rebirth, and all the other soft reboots, it is hard to know what is and isn't canon. Slott gives us a decent timeline here and pulls from the Golden Age to the Donner films to give us this story. Hey, it's a number one and might be someone's first Superman story. Why not fill in some background?

Rafael Alburquerque's art just seems rougher than I remember it being in the past. There is sort of a lack of polish that I associate with his name. It is still solid art, especially given that story covers basically all of Superman's history. 

On to the book.

Back Issue Box: Action Comics #281

The new Supergirl #1 has hit the racks including a new Lesla Lar, a character that writer/artist Sophie Campbell hinted would be returning when the book was first announced.

Today I look at Action Comics #281 as I continue my look at the first storyline pitting Supergirl against Lesla Lar, the story leading into Supergirl finally being revealed to the world at last in Action Comics #285.

I've covered the first two parts here and here in which Lesla Lar, a brilliant but jealous scientist in Kandor basically demolishes Supergirl's life. In short order she depowers Kara, brainwashes our hero into thinking she is Lar, and then swaps places with her on Earth. Lar then teams up with Luthor with the ultimate plan to kill Superman and Lex and rule the world. And frankly, she has been doing a fantastic job of all of it, only being temporarily derailed.

This issue continues that arc and that sort of happenstance. Lar swaps places, moves ahead with her plans, and is temporarily detained by ... get ready ... Krypto! Writer Jerry Siegel and artist Jim Mooney craft a completely bonkers story with the Lar plot taking up the front half of the story, including Kara thinking she's Lesla and then playing Kara in a Kandorian made movie. (Seriously, the identity swaps and plot turns in this whole multi-issue story are just pure Silver Age insanity.) 

But it is the back-half that seems both out of synch with this story and yet completely in line with these early Action tales. Supergirl travels back in time and saves a town in early America from all sorts of natural disasters. It has nothing to do with the Lar story and feels almost like inventory pages. It also is exactly the type of  'guardian angel' story that dominated Supergirl's stories here. 

Jim Mooney flourishes here, especially in the story in the past as he gets to put Supergirl through her paces. And his panel composition is great.

So let's read this story!

Review: Action Comics #1086

Action Comics #1086 came out last week, the finale of the quick G.Willow Wilson/Gavin Guidry story and the end of the 'Superman Superstars' brief imprint on the title. 

Perhaps with the excitement around the Supergirl book, this issue was bound to sort of fall flat. But after reading it, I was struck with the fact that I had no idea what the point of the story was. Was this a 'climate change' story? A 'AI is scary' story? A 'look .. killer whales with frickin' lasers' silly story? A 'Superman is weary' story? All of it? Not enough of any?

Part of the problem is the villain of the piece and the conflict that comes from it. What is Kilg%re hoping to get out of this? Is he just a robot? Did he really think a big robot was the right way to fight Superman? Did his machine thinking really fail him as badly as it does? Without the understanding of the goals of the villain, I felt a bit lost.

And the ending, of a rather defeated and emotionally exhausted Superman, also felt tacked on and out of the blue.

Gavin Guidry brings his cleans style to the art and has some fun with the sillier parts of the story, like robot killer whales. 

But in the end, this 'Superman Superstars' mini-imprint ends with a whimper. Outside of the Waid Phantom Zone story, I think they all were a bit lackluster.

On to the details.

Supergirl #1 References and Homages

I reviewed Supergirl #1 last week when it came out and I was very impressed with how writer/artist Sophie Campbell created a story of a young hero, finding her way in the world, fighting for what's right, while realizing the presence of Superman in her life as a daunting inspiration. Supergirl was warm and funny and eager to help. 

But the book was a deep dive into Supergirl's history as well. This Kara seems to have lived the lives of all the prior iterations of Supergirl. There was a lot of historical nods to Supergirl's history from her first appearance to her last title.

I thought it might be fun to showcase the ones that I saw. (I will admit that I won't focus too much on Lar-On who was a big part of the last series, including Supergirl becoming his friend. 

When Lar-On is considered 'too big' to showcase, you know what is included must be subtle or deep cuts!

For me, it somehow showed me that Sophie Campbell cares about the character, enough to sow these seeds of Kara's life.

I mentioned most of these in the review but there so many I thought they deserved a closer look. So let's dive in, looking at the nods as the appeared in order in the issue, and recognizing all the eras Campbell threw into the mix.

"Daring Adventures" - Daring New Adventures of Supergirl

Right from the opening text box, we hear about Argo City and being sent to care for Kal.

But we also hear about her 'daring adventures' have taken her into the galaxy.

'Daring adventures' has to be a riff on 'The Daring New Adventures of Supergirl', her second volume of a solo title. 

But wait, there's more.

Review: Supergirl #1 (v8)

Supergirl #1 came out this week, the first new Supergirl solo issue to be on the racks for almost 5 years. And the first Supergirl issue that felt like the Supergirl I love in a long time.

Since the title was announced, writer/artist Sophie Campbell has been saying all the right things. She liked the character. She had read and enjoyed Supergirl's history, especially the Bronze Age. She wanted to bring a warmth to the character, something missing in recent times. She was bringing back Streaky.

All of that shows in this first issue. But there's more than that. There's a respect for the character's history that is evident too.

Grant Morrison's take on Batman was that all the stories happened. It seems like Campbell is a believer of that philosophy here. There are more nods, mentions, and homages to Supergirl's history in this issue than I can count. Moreover, they come from solidly Silver Age, through the bonkers 70s, into the 80s, and right up to the Rebirth era. 

Somehow all of that of that history has to fit into a Supergirl that seems like she is around 17 here. This is a sort of soft reboot, like what Paul Kupperberg did in Daring New Adventures of Supergirl #1 back in the 80s. By making Supergirl younger, it brings back one of the most important historical themes of her character. She's a young hero. She's learning. She is trying to figure out who she is. That sometimes isn't easy when Superman is your cousin. Supergirl questions herself a couple of times here in a way that feels both classic and fresh. 

But she isn't timid or reluctant to act or lacking confidence. She is a complete hero in this book, leaping into action to save people without a second thought, standing up for people who need help. 

That's my Supergirl. Warm, heroic, learning.

I really love Campbell's art, particularly in Jem and The Holograms in the past, and she shines here. She brings a sense of fun and whimsy and pizzazz to the action. The plot and art mesh completely.

Add a mystery and a cliffhanger and you have a winner.

Yes, this might feel like a small step backwards from the 20-something field general we saw by Joshua Williamson and Phillip Kennedy Johnson. But this is a step that historically works. 

It is definitely a huge step away from recent missteps like the catatonic hero of Mariko Tamaki or the depressed, drunk killer in Woman of Tomorrow. 

On to details.

Some Odds And Ends

Just a few quick topics to cover, none big enough to warrant its own post.

We'll start out with the apparent return of corner boxes to DC Superman related comic book covers. (Maybe it'll be for all books?) Of course, they are more well known with Marvel's books in the Bronze Age. But this is a pretty cool.

It looks like Dan Mora is doing all of them, visible here on his Instagram. 

That is one great image of Supergirl! 

I love the return of cover corner boxes!

But wait ... there's more!

Review: Absolute Superman #7

Absolute Superman #7 came out last week and was another interesting look at the Absolute Universe, showing how different this universe's Brainiac is from the one we know from the main DCU. It also once again shows the different take writer Jason Aaron is taking on this Absolute title from books like Batman.

Aaron is doing this complete slow burn on this book, world-building and showing us this world slowly. Last issue was an almost complete flashback issue looking at Smallville and Superman's arrival. This issue is entirely focused on Brainiac. Superman is barely even name-checked. No Superman in a Superman book? 

That isn't to say this book isn't interesting. It is. And it's horrifying. Much of this issue looks like a David Cronenberg movie. Brainiac is a sadist. He is murderous. He is unhinged in a way the robot from Colu has never been. It's terrifying. It also raises as many questions about Brainiac as it answers. There is more to mine here. It even sets up the next big arc and I assume the next Absolute take on a classic villain.

Artist Carmine DiGiandomenico is unleashed in this issue. This is a crazy violent and over-the-top grotesque issue and DiGiandomenico leans in. Don't eat a big lunch before you read this. There is enough vivisection and tissue mutilation in this book to last a year.

I have praised this book for it's slower tempo and building up this world. But even I am starting to wonder if this book is lacking enough Superman to keep my interest 100% focused. I read this book to learn about this Kal. Where is he?

On to the book.

Review: FCBD All-In 2025

Last weekend was Free Comic Book Day and I was lucky to grab the DC All In FCBD 2025 All Special Edition #1 issue which gave a sneak peek of the upcoming Superman Unlimited book by Dan Slott and Rafael Alburquerque as well as a sort of look into the future of the Absolute Universe with a very very interesting ending. 

Sometimes these FCBD books aren't such a gripping issue. But this one just worked! I was going to get Superman Unlimited regardless but Slott sprinkles in a new character and the main plot point of his first arc. But most importantly, you get a sense of his overall take on Superman which seems to be on target.

But really, the big winner is the Absolute side of things, written by Jeff Lemire with art by Giuseppe Camuncoli.  While it is a quick tour of the three main books in the Universe, it is the ending with a conspiracy board hinting at future events and our first crossover with the main universe that made this sing. 

Great free issue whetting my appetite for more! On to the book!

FCBD 2025

 I'm a big fan of Free Comic Book Day. What could be better than free books from a bunch of companies, promoting their next big thing! When my kids were younger we would all go and they'd grab the books they loved. It's just wonderful promotion for the medium.

I know that the stores don't get the books for free, so I always try to support any store I go to by buying something. 

This year was a little different for me. I knew I was heading to my LCS. They allow 2 free books. Then off to pick up my girl friend to head to a store I had never been to before, The Outer Limits, to check them out (and hit the coffee shop next door). And then from there, off to a newer store, Friar Tuck's. They allowed customers to take 3 free comics.

Quite the day. 

I grabbed a bunch of free books.

Many of these will end up in my work desk to hand to patients needing a comic!

But there's more.

Review: Batman/Superman World's Finest Annual #1

Batman/Superman World's Finest Annual #1 came out this week, the third part of the We Are Yesterday story arc coursing through this book and JLU. The basic story is the villains from the past are time traveling to the future to vex our heroes. This issue gives us the beginning of the villains' plot as Gorilla Grodd puts together his team.

This was a fun issue for a number of reasons. World's Finest is set in the past and has that classic feel. Writers Mark Waid and Christopher Cantwell mix in a lot of Bronze Age fun. First off, the villains have a Super Friends Legion of Doom feel to them. Can't go wrong there. Then, we get the World's Finest team breaking off into three mini-teams to try and stop some villains. That felt like an old school JLA or JLA/JSA crossover stories. Throw in some great guest stars and a new character and this was a bunch of fun.

I also need to point out that this book seems to contradict a primary time travel rule from the Silver and Bronze Age which means our writers are breaking new ground as well as honoring the past.

Dan McDaid is on art and brings a sort of grittiness to the proceedings. I really liked McDaid's work on the recent Kneel Before Zod mini where things were grimy and violent. He then gave a way more polished approach, still as engaging, on the Shazam book. Here the work is appropriately rough to mirror a villainous tone. I don't know if McDaid subtly changes his approach based on the story but it feels that way. I liked his work here for sure. 

On to the book!

Review: Superman The Last Days of Lex Luthor #3

In August 2023, DC released The Last Days of Lex Luthor #1. 

In April 2025, DC released the finale, The Last Days of Lex Luthor #3, the book I am here to review a day. It is interesting that the last 2 chapters came out within a month of each other, but nearly 2 years after the first. 

My philosophical question for the readers is this. Do dramatic delays in a comic release somehow impact your enjoyment of it? I can't help but think that Doomsday Clock might have read better if it came out in a timely fashion. Or if read in one sitting when you aren't wondering when the next chapter is coming out.

I know. Why am I talking Doomsday Clock in a review of this book?

This is a fine Elseworld book. This has an interesting, and I might say controversial, ending. I don't know if I like the ending here. The art by Bryan Hitch and Kevin Nowlan is scintillating. I am glad I bought and read this. From the tour of the DCU to the update of the Luthor origin to the interplay between Lex and Superman, it has been a fun read.

But I really wanted to be blown away by the ending of this book, probably because I have been waiting so long for it. And that is probably unfair of me to have scheduling drama alter my expectations. Of course, the ending falling flat for me is probably as big a reason as any.

On to the book.