“Signs” of the Apocalypse? Death and destruction are increasing on Earth-2, and only the watchful eye of Batman sees how the patterns fit. Can he persuade Superman to take precautions before the price becomes very personal?
Issue #31 of Worlds’ Finest from DC is a strange book. We get to see Superman and Batman dealing with the worlds satellite falling from the sky, causing massive damage to the major cities around the world with Metropolis taking the brunt of it. The whole thing is told as a flashback from the point-of-view of Lois Lane and we are lead to believe it’s the last account she ever told.
We are in part five in the overall story arc, but writer Paul Levitz does a nice job of grabbing new readers. Oh course, it would behoove anyone to have read the first four parts, but it holds its own as a singular tale. While the writing can come off a little heavy-handed in the pathos department at times, the book does weave an interesting narrative. I enjoyed the Lois Lane aspect and seeing her shine in a book is always a pleasure.
Seeing Catwoman and Robin (mother and daughter in this world) in Gotham is a highlight in the story, even if this Catwoman drives me up the walls. The way she speaks will all the cat references makes the Catwaoman from the 60’s Batman series look like she’s reciting Shakespeare. I chalk this up to being a trait of the character and not the writer, but it just rubbed me the wrong way every time she opened her mouth.
The story does a good job with keeping a good pace, but we don’t see a great deal of story development. If you are new to this book then this will be a good thing, but those that have been following this arc may feel let down. Outside of Superman and Batman saving the world from falling debris we get about two pages that give us a little insight into what the future holds.
Supergirl has a brief interlude with someone (my character knowledge isn’t what it should be) that lays her out and bails through a boom tube. We also see Batman steal some secret Kryptonite while missing the real secret of a baby Val-Zod. It’s not a lot on info, but it gives readers just enough of a taste of what is in store for these heroes.
What doesn’t work really work here is in the art department. Jed Dougherty handles his responsibilities well, but I just don’t see this more cartoon like style fitting well against the somber and darker storytelling that the writer is putting out. The art in and of itself isn’t bad, it just seems like it would be better suited in a lighter, more comical book.
This series as a whole hasn’t been impressing many, but I do like the direction it’s taking. Getting to see the world through the eyes of Lois Lane is fun and knowing that she may be recalling these events near the point of her untimely death adds an extra punch to the proceedings.
While Worlds’ Finest #31 isn’t a great book, it is still a really fun read and has me very interested in finding out what is in store for our plucky reporter. Having skipped this series for a long time this issue has managed to draw be back in for at least one more issue. It’s a good jumping on point and we can recommend it.
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