The “World’s Finest” banner for DC Comics has been a long-running entry in their comic book universe, routinely focusing on a team-up featuring the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight. Recently, veteran comic book writer Mark Waid took the opportunity to give the umbrella a fresh coat of paint with both World’s Finest: Batman and Superman and World’s Finest: Teen Titans. With the latter being a mini-series reinventing the earlier stories of the superhero sidekicks, the Titans’ current journey comes to an end and sticks the landing in the process.
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World’s Finest: Teen Titans hasn’t just focused on the interpersonal dynamics of the young superheroes attempting to function as a team, but also thrown some interesting challenges their way. The biggest has been the the arrival of the “Terror Titans,” a group of young “heroes” who aren’t afraid to spill villain blood if the world needs saving. Led by Haywire, the team consists of Toyboy, Ant, and Artemis, as the Teen Titans not only have to fight against an equally powerful band of super-powered beings but their ideology as well that seeks to fight villains on their own level.
Waid has made a name for himself in the comic book world more times than we can count at this point, and he does so once again with Teen Titans. Aside from having an exceptionally solid handle on the young heroes and their characters, Waid is able to present a story that, while traversing some dark territory, still holds onto the light of what makes these characters appealing. It’s an exceptionally tough balance to raise the stakes of a superhero story without making it a “grimdark” affair, but Waid has a very good idea of how to walk this tightrope.
This shines through perhaps most clearly not just in Robin leading his team against the Terror Titans, but also in Dick Grayson’s interaction with Batman. The Dark Knight is a character that led the charge when it came to a “dark era” of superhero stories with the likes of The Dark Knight Returns. Waid has a good understanding of how to keep Bruce Wayne in the shadows, presenting him not only as a scary character, but a fair one. Dick, in his mind, performs one of the biggest betrayals to Bruce that he can think of by revealing his identity to his teammates in an effort to take down the Terror Titans. The eventual result of this sees Batman acting stern but fair. It’s an interesting commentary that goes back to Waid’s solid ability to walk the tightrope of storytelling.
“World’s Finest” as a comic book line feels similar to Marvel’s original Ultimate line, but is arguably more consistent in its execution. Waid has managed to find an amazing balance between the Silver Age sensibility of DC Comics while also interjecting modern aesthetics that feel natural to the story. It’s an extremely adept take that helps to show how each of these characters can shine, adding new attributes that still feel new to each of the Titans.
Of course, a writer isn’t the only one who is making this new take on the Teen Titans, as this final issue sees artists Mike Norton and Emanuela Lupacchino teaming up. Norton handles more of the superhero action heavy lifting here, handling most of the battle between the Teen Titans and Terror Titans, while Lupacchino handles the character moments. I’m ultimately a fan of having a single artist handle a single issue, the two work well in tandem here.
As the title of this review states, World’s Finest lives up to its name when it comes to DC’s superhero roster. Truth be told, I didn’t realize World’s Finest: Teen Titans was a mini-series to start, leaving me heavy-hearted that this issue was its last. However, that’s a great feeling to have when it comes to the impact that a comic book series can have on its readers. Mark Waid truly has created something special with the “World’s Finest” line and I hope that the excellent ending of Teen Titans, and the issues proceeding it, will open the floor to more modern takes on DC’s Silver Age.
Published By DC Comics
On December 12, 2023
Written by Mark Waid
Art by Mike Norton and Emanuel Lupacchino
Colors by Jordie Bellaire
Letters by Steve Wands
Cover by Chris Samnee
