Batman/Superman: World's Finest, Vol. 3: Elementary

Batman/Superman: World's Finest

by Mark Waid, Dan Mora (Artist), Emanuela Lupacchino (Penciller)

Mark Waid and Dan Mora continue to craft instantly classic stories featuring the Caped Crusader and the Man of Steel. These two superstar creators are tackling the biggest superheroes ever conceived in the third volume of their run on Batman/ World’s Finest! Up first in this collection, a date between Robin… and Supergirl?!? What could go right?

In the pages of World’s Finest, Batman, Robin, and Superman have traversed some of the DCU’s most iconic locations and teamed up with the likes of the Teen Titans, Doom Patrol, and Supergirl, but none of that will prepare them as they must go across the globe in search of Rex Mason, a.k.a. Metamorpho, the Element Man! The World’s Finest Strangest Adventure begins here!

Collects Batman/ World’s Finest (2022) issues 12 – 17.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Batman, Superman, Superheroes, Comic Book

176 pages, Hardcover

First published March 12, 2024

About the author

Mark Waid (born March 21, 1962 in Hueytown, Alabama) is an American comic book writer. He is best known for his eight-year run as writer of the DC Comics' title The Flash, as well as his scripting of the limited series Kingdom Come and Superman: Birthright, and his work on Marvel Comics' Captain America.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally we find out what happened between Supergirl and Robin.
Very cute issue.



Ok.
Metamorpho is the number one suspect in the murder of his girlfriend's father, the evil billionaire Simon Stagg, who was initially responsible for his transformation into a superfreakhero.
You know, due to trying to have him killed and all.



Or at least he was the number one suspect until Jimmy Olsen uncovered a trail that led right to Bruce Wayne's doorstep.
So now the clock is ticking for Superman and Robin to clear his name.



But what is actually going on here?
And can the Metal Men and Doom Patrol help figure it all out?
Well, who cares?! Those are some cool cameos!



I really like how fun this title is. Makes it easy to pick up each issue and sort of fall into a comfortable bubble of superhero hijinks.
Recommended.

[Jim Ef · Rating 4 out of 5]

7.8/10

Three volumes in and the quality hasn't dropped. Both writing and art are still great. Issue 12, the first on this volume, is absolutely fantastic, i won't say more to not spoil the fun. And fun is definitely something that Waid and Mora deliver with the series.

Can't wait to see what's next.

[Molly™☺ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whilst it continues to look great, there are only really a few standout moments, with this being one of the weakest arcs so far. The moments that work jump excitedly off the page, but the rest is just good. It remains a cheesy, feel-good comic amongst much of its darker comrades and will still tickle that itch for those who just want something fun and carefree.

actual rating: 3.5 stars

[Oscar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second date for Supergirl and Robin? Really good series!

[Khurram · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good enjoyable book. Good artwork and a good story, but the only problem I have with the book it it felt a bit too rushed towards the end, especially.

The first story was the actual "bad date" between Robin (Dick Grayson) and Supergirl. This has been alluded to a told in part over the last 3 volumes of Batman & Superman. So here it is, the date in full. Can we get over this now?

What starts as a locked room murder turns into a worldwide crisis. What is scary is how close to this we are in the real world right now. This is not just a job for Batman and Superman. Everyone will need to be called in for this one. It's a huge guest stars list in this book.

One of the problems with so many guest stars as well as the main characters it us difficult to give everyone or any really a proper chance to shine. This is part of the reason why this book felt so rushed for me. The book finishes with a varient cover gallery.

[Mia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining mystery with amazing Dan Mora amazing art.

[Rory Wilding · Rating 4 out of 5]

Following the intensity of the “Strange Visitor” arc, which will continue when creators Mark Waid and Dan Mora return to the alternate world of Kingdom Come, Batman/Superman: World’s Finest soften the brakes with an issue that answers one of the ongoing threads from this series: What’s the deal with Robin and Supergirl?

As Batman and Superman hear the story from their young proteges about how their first and only date went spectacularly wrong, this is the closest you’re going to get with Waid domesticising his superheroes without having to go dark and cynical. With Emanuela Lupacchino on pencils and Wade Von Grawbader and Norm Rapmund on inks, issue #12 plays out more like a romantic comedy with a lot of visual gags. Whilst the issue is just a fun excuse to answer a lingering question that was going on the series, it hopefully opens the door to Robin and Supergirl’s relationship to grow.

And now onto the main course as murder has taken place in Metropolis and it looks like a job for Batman and Superman. When Simon Stagg is found dead, suspicion falls upon Rex Mason, since Stagg was responsible for turning him into Metamorpho out of spite after catching him in a relationship with his daughter Sapphire Stagg. However, as the World’s Finest delve deeper into the mystery, the rise of artificial intelligence becomes a global threat, which is oddly relevant in our current climate.

If you’re well-versed in DC’s history, Waid is certainly re-treading old ground with Metamorpho’s arc, and whilst Jimmy Olsen helps Clark Kent when investigating Stagg’s murder for the Daily Planet, Olsen concludes that Bruce Wayne becomes a chief suspect, another plot-point which has been done numerous times. Although this creates an internal conflict between Clark and Bruce, in how the rules of a reporter can damage the skills of the World’s Greatest Detective, the story progresses quickly with the war with A.I.

One of the best aspects of World’s Finest is that it doesn’t have to worry the current continuity of the DC universe as despite its titular heroes who have plenty to do, Waid embraces the universe’s cast of thousands, whether it is Wonder Woman, Green Arrow or even obscure ones like the Challengers of the Unknown. From this point, Waid should just be writing the Justice League as he knows these characters so well. Whilst the storytelling here mostly comprises the many heroes fighting a variety of robotic characters from DC’s history, artist Dan Mora sure makes the action look amazing, especially when it takes a somewhat anime approach when Batman wears an armoured suit made of the Metal Men themselves.

Whilst this doesn’t reach the heights of the previous volumes, Batman/Superman: World’s Finest remains the most fun comic that DC is currently publishing, even if the story here is predominately superheroes having a slugfest with an army of robots.

[Bill Riggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another action packed volumes stuffed full of guest stars, including just about every DC robot and artificial intelligence. Billionaires kidnapped, robots running amok, what more could you want?

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another solid entry, this opens with Robin and Supergirl going on a date. The mismatched pair end up getting on each other's nerves, which makes for some fun dialog and situations. Then the main story of the death of Simon Stagg was just a lot of fun. Waid brings in Metamorpho, the Metal Men, and pretty much every machine powered superhero in DC's tool box. Very nostalgic but loads of fun.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another breezy, super "comic book-y" adventure from Mark Waid, though this third volume seems relatively unrelated to the previous two. Instead of following on from the multiverse stuff we saw in the previous volume, we're solving a murder mystery. A mean old corporate bigwig is killed and his bodyguard (who just happens to be an element based superhero) is the primary suspect.

Twist! He didn't do it! It was actually a robot who borrowed the elemental guy's powers - and a host of others to boot. The big reveal felt a bit flat to me - I think this whole volume relied on your knowledge of long-past foes for the Justice League. Still, there's action aplenty and a mostly engaging mystery. Not the finest World's Finest, but still pretty good.

[John Reubers · Rating 2 out of 5]

The weakest arc in this series.

[Xavi (NarraTea) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did Mark Waid write such a good story that now I’m forced to read Action Comics? Yep.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

This continues to be one of the most entertaining comicbooks I’m reading; second only to Tom Taylor’s Nightwing, perhaps. Huge amounts of old school superhero fun.

4.3 stars, rounded down.

[Himanshu Karmacharya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series has been amazing so far! Mark Waid and Dan Mora are an amazing creative force.

[Ignacio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Waid lleva esta serie a la categoría de "gran evento" de mediados de los 90 en DC, ese cruce menor con los superhéroes enfrentados a una amenaza común que no tenía grandes implicaciones más allá de presentar un villano o superhéroe, o dar una pequeña sacudida a una cabecera en concreto. En este caso la amenaza viene desde los personajes mecánicos del universo DC, alguien que se sirve de Metamorfo para implicar a Bruce Wayne en un asesinato. La excusa para ir trayendo villanos y héroes en oleadas, el pie para que Mora haga de las suyas, a lo grande. Al final nada cambia, todo vuelve a la casilla de origen, pero da un poco lo mismo; he disfrutado de la acción y algún momento de preguntarme cómo se saldría del carrusel.

[Machiavelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun team-up…

[Lukas Deicke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing Artwork and cool story. This Volume knows what it wants to be and it does so in excellence!

[emma ☆°｡⋆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great introduction to Metamorpho. I wish I had read this before watching the Superman movie. It would have been fun to know who he was beforehand.

Other than that, it felt a little stale to recycle a bad guy and make an upgraded version of Amazo.

[Erin Jochum · Rating 5 out of 5]

not nearly enough Batgirl. But I love a good Superbat team up.

[Adam Fisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars.
When a rich industrialist goes missing, all signs seem to point towards Metamorpho, but neither Superman or Batman thinks he did it. What unfolds is kind of a mess involving not only two redundant new villains: Ultramorpho (who can turn into any element, not just the ones in his body, which obviously leads to Kryptonite) and Newmazo (an upgrade of Amazo, who can not only replicate the powers of those around him, but also their levels of intelligence).
Two other things I want to say about this Volume:
1) Can we please get some stories in comics that are PRO AI, and not just all the negativity towards AI we've been getting lately?
2) The awkward date story with Robin and Supergirl is worth reading this whole Volume for. LOL

Overall, not bad, but not great either.

[Rahul Nadella · Rating 2 out of 5]

I cannot say I enjoyed this arc all that much. After really loving Strange Visitor, I was eager to seek out the remaining issues of this series, but this didn't really do it for me. Dan Mora's art remains stellar as always, but this whole robot/AI plotline just bored me.. With Boy Thunder back in the Kingdom Come arc, I think I will like that stuff a lot better. Though this miniseries is everything a superhero comic should be: bright, vibrant, hopeful, scary, and inspiring.

[Justin Partridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

“None of this is an excuse! I can think of a dozen ways around all of this!”

“That’s because you’re Batman. Jim and I, on the other hand, are reporters. That means there are rules we have to follow. Try having job sometime.”

You know how I know Mark Waid’s always gonna get me? He puts the Metal Men AND Ultivac in the same comic. While also hinging an entire locked room murder mystery around Simon Stagg where the prime suspect is…*gasp!* METAMORPHO?! And who is stealing all the DCU’s fat-cats! Tune back into this Silver Age channel to find out.

But seriously, this continues to be fun as hell. I think this one gets slightly dinged for having to set up a lot of ABSOLUTE POWER stuff (an event and it’s tie-ins I STILL have not finished completely; I liked the #1s of the main series and the Origins miniseries, but I’ll get around to it all proper once it’s collected I’m sure).

But Waid and company still keep the book pretty well focused on the Superman/Batman Family and the co-stars therein. While also threading the needle juuuuuust enough that it doesn’t completely feel like JUST a Batman and Superman title, also whILE NOT somehow also feeling like a full on JLA thing? Idk it’s a clever way they are walking with this one, I’m curious if it will sustain itself coming into the Kingdom Come of it all (which is how it originally got on my radar besides just awesome word of mouth marketing for it).

We shall see! Month of M’s! What the f4”4 am I gonna do after March?! We. Shall. See!

[Ali Haji · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is slightly better than Vol two.

Liked Metamorpho and his story, character, and powers. Honestly a chill guy.

Seeing Bruce Wayne getting dissed in the newspapers by Clark and Jim was funny though, especially later when Bruce was calling Clark and just verbally pummeling him because of it.

One of the best things about this volume is the date between Robin and Supergirl, man was it hilarious and so bad that you can't help but feel bad. My boy Robin fumbled the ball real hard, and Supergirl didn't help much.

The Justice League making an appearance and the general cast of characters in this volume was nice.

The final plan to beat NewMazo or however it is spelled was also genius.

[Reece · Rating 5 out of 5]

Waid and Mora continue their silver age romp around the DC universe to great effect. We see what is increasingly scarce in modern Batman stories; actual detective work. He works to his skills while Superman's kindness and empathy work to similar effects.

I could look at Dan Mora's art all day. The colours and lines pop off the page, and every character is unique. There's no "Frank faces" here. Personality can be seen in faces and even body language.

What starts out as the murder of Simon Stagg soon spirals into all out chaos and war that feels like a silver age page turner while also dealing with a very modern-day issue in artificial intelligence.

They bring out the same tricks from previous issues; bringing out a veritable who's who of silver age vigilantes. Taking centre stage in this volume is Metamorpho, the Metal Men, and even Red Tornado gets some play. This is to name just a few of the teams. Even more come in and out of the plot with roles to play, not just bit cameos.

Waid and Mora have taken the baton first picked up by Tom King and Mitch Gerards a few years ago. Bringing life to these characters that have been stuck in a rut for decades. I can't say I've cared for most of these characters or teams before now. Despite characters like the Metal Men and Metamorpho getting some sort of representation in the last 5 years. I look forward to this trend continuing.

[Beckiezra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun volume, many more artists involved, such is the suffering of American comic book fans, but none of them are bad. I think there’s an expectation that you’ll know a lot of the people and be tickled by their appearance in the book, but I am not that familiar with the greater DC universe unless it was in a cartoon and it’s been 20+ years since I watched them. There’s a lot going on but I appreciate how things end up being tied together. We might wonder why robots are out of control when we’re trying to solve a murder and have to wait a year to find out why Supergirl and Robin were cold to each other in the second issue but it’s fun.

[Fernanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

(eu li a versão digital, mas essa edição aqui no goodreads ta sem capa, então fingirei que coloquei a edição certa)

estou rindo muito que o volume que a galera menos gostou foi meu preferido, mas assim, o começo foi perfeito, hilário, maravilhoso e o final foi uma loucura ridícula, com não amar isso?

[Bella · Rating 5 out of 5]

- Superbat being married (and getting kidnapped together) once again
- Supergirl and Robin's bad date was HYSTERICAL
- Bruce flirting with Ollie (several times)
- The world almost ended haha [screams]
- Evil AI uprising felt too real in 2025 ngl
- Stakes were waaay higher this Volume, I enjoyed it more

[Raul Reyes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of wish each issue was a self contained story like the original silver and golden age issues were since I enjoyed issue 12 so much

[Gabriel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another solid team up book with cool curves and new characters

[Keegan Schueler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story is still fun and like the new villain places in this one.