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tshepiso's Reviews (740)
As a (fairly picky) Superman fan there's nothing more joyful than picking up a Superman comic written by someone who gets the big blue boy scout. So I'm happy to say that so far John Byrne easily joins the hallowed halls of writers that Get It™.
Man of Steel is a reintroduction to Superman and while its beats are familiar (possibly because it was a blueprint for later tellings of Supes' origins) they are well executed. What I most loved about this mini series is how Byrne relishes in character moments. From Martha and Jon to Lois, Lex, and even Lana Lang we get to deeply understand Clark's relationship to the people and the world around him across these 6 issues.
Wholesome moments like Clark crafting his superhero and civilian identity with his parents melted my heart. And character dynamics like Lois one-sided rivalry with Clark after he scoops the story of the century from her add a great texture to his life and relationships in Metropolis. I especially loved Lex's characterization here. Byrne perfectly captures that mix of entitlement and ego that fuels Luthor's hatred of Superman and minor details like his failed pursuit of Lois adds a nice touch of intercoventivity to the world.
Finally what fully sold me on Byrne's iteration for Superman was its final issue. Many writers see Superman as a messiah figure whose alien heritage make him separate from humanity. Byrne in contrast asserts Clark's connection to the people and world that raised him. He's not above humanity he's an inextricable part of it. And that awe inspiring message is so well told I have full confidence that Superman is in good hands under Byrnes pen.
Man of Steel is a reintroduction to Superman and while its beats are familiar (possibly because it was a blueprint for later tellings of Supes' origins) they are well executed. What I most loved about this mini series is how Byrne relishes in character moments. From Martha and Jon to Lois, Lex, and even Lana Lang we get to deeply understand Clark's relationship to the people and the world around him across these 6 issues.
Wholesome moments like Clark crafting his superhero and civilian identity with his parents melted my heart. And character dynamics like Lois one-sided rivalry with Clark after he scoops the story of the century from her add a great texture to his life and relationships in Metropolis. I especially loved Lex's characterization here. Byrne perfectly captures that mix of entitlement and ego that fuels Luthor's hatred of Superman and minor details like his failed pursuit of Lois adds a nice touch of intercoventivity to the world.
Finally what fully sold me on Byrne's iteration for Superman was its final issue. Many writers see Superman as a messiah figure whose alien heritage make him separate from humanity. Byrne in contrast asserts Clark's connection to the people and world that raised him. He's not above humanity he's an inextricable part of it. And that awe inspiring message is so well told I have full confidence that Superman is in good hands under Byrnes pen.
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I didn't expect to be so utterly charmed my Cosmoknights but it blew my socks off. From its lovable cast to the sickenly cool mecha jousts and the tender sapphic romances and the stellar art all of it was exactly my shit.
I'm of two minds about An Unsuitable Heir. At this point I can say with confidence I could never hate a KJ Charles book, her writing is just too charming to ever hate. But I can't deny there was something missing about this final installment in the Sins of the Cities series.
But let's start with the positives. Pen and Mark were as charming as any KJ Charles couple. I appreciated Charles' exploration of disability and especially gender identity through their love story. Charles detailed exploration of non-binary identity and the complexities of gender fluidity through Pen was much appreciated. Seeing someone find an affirming community and express the truest version of themself proudly is always heartwarming to see. And I think the framework of a romance is especially meaningful avenue for this story because we get to see Pen find someone who affirms their gender unconditionally.
My big problem with this story was that Pen and Mark's romance felt secondary to the mystery plot. Our two leads spend significant chunks of the novel in completely different locations and much of our page time was dedicated to either unravelling the tangled web of this inheritance plot or exploring Pen's relationship to the prospect of becoming an earl.
Foregrounding the mystery plot in this book only really served to highlight the weaknesses of its construction. To be fair these weaknesses, like an excessive convolution and being generally unsuspenseful, were present in previous installments. But because those novels were primarily romances I wasn't really bothered by their meh mysteries. An Unsuitable heir in contrast heavily leans on its mystery so its anti-climactic resolution left me cold.
Honestly I don't want to rag on An Unsuitable Heir too much. It honestly had some lovely moments. Pen and Mark were cute. And outside of some minor plot holes that irked me(If all the evidence that Edmund married Emmaline and had a son with her were destroyed wouldn't Edmund's son with his second wife regain his inheritance as the earl rather than Tim) . But outside of that I had fun.
But let's start with the positives. Pen and Mark were as charming as any KJ Charles couple. I appreciated Charles' exploration of disability and especially gender identity through their love story. Charles detailed exploration of non-binary identity and the complexities of gender fluidity through Pen was much appreciated. Seeing someone find an affirming community and express the truest version of themself proudly is always heartwarming to see. And I think the framework of a romance is especially meaningful avenue for this story because we get to see Pen find someone who affirms their gender unconditionally.
My big problem with this story was that Pen and Mark's romance felt secondary to the mystery plot. Our two leads spend significant chunks of the novel in completely different locations and much of our page time was dedicated to either unravelling the tangled web of this inheritance plot or exploring Pen's relationship to the prospect of becoming an earl.
Foregrounding the mystery plot in this book only really served to highlight the weaknesses of its construction. To be fair these weaknesses, like an excessive convolution and being generally unsuspenseful, were present in previous installments. But because those novels were primarily romances I wasn't really bothered by their meh mysteries. An Unsuitable heir in contrast heavily leans on its mystery so its anti-climactic resolution left me cold.
Honestly I don't want to rag on An Unsuitable Heir too much. It honestly had some lovely moments. Pen and Mark were cute. And outside of some minor plot holes that irked me
Another hit from KJ Charles! An Unnatural Vice was a pure delight to read. The story follow the frought romance between Justin Lazarus a conman spiritualist and Nathaniel Roy the self righteous journalist trying to take Justin's industry down.
To be honest I was initially unsure about the romance in An Unnatural Vice. While Charles sold the initial attraction between Justin and Nathaniel incredibly well with these tension fueled scenes between the two she also made very clear that our two protagonists lived on diametrically opposed moral lines. While I was living for the barbs the two threw at each other and the unbelievably hot hate sex they had I was unsure if Charles could sell me on their eventual emotional connection.
To my immense pleasure she did with aplomb. What I love about An Unnatural Vice is that this story deeply and meaningfully engaged with the class difference between our two leads and the moral divides this causes and explores that as a source of conflict between them. I read a fair amount of cross class romances and they rarely if ever meaningfully engage with what that means for the characters. This book is a breath of fresh air in contrast as it specifically challenges Nathaniel, the son of an Archbishop whose never struggled for want of money, to question that his rigid lines of morality come from the fact that he's never been in the position to choose between what's right and survival.
And Charles really breathes life into Justin as a character. When we first meet him he's as unlikable as they come conning a poor mother for the last pennies in her pocket. But as the story unfolds we get to see the layers of his character. Not by simply using his tragic backstory as an excuse for his misdeeds but weaving through the layers of his guilt and pride and ego. The narrative holds space for Justin's fury at the inequity of the world he lives in. His perspective that conning the wealthy to line his pockets is no real harm is given a fair shake.And while Justin ultimately leaves this path behind the narrative never casts aspersions on him for living the way he did but rather takes seriously the mental toll a life spent on the grindstone can have.
But what I most appreciate about this romance is that it's not a simple story about a rich boy diving into the gutters to save the poor immoral lamb trapped in a life of sin. The story takes great pains to assert Justin's agency and demonstrate the way both Nathaniel and Justine save each other. Both Nathaniel and Justin are lost at the beginning of the story and in falling for each other they pull themselves out of the fog cast over both their lives.
I just love these books so much. They flutter in my stomach and live in my heart. If I was in a more critical mood I could probably poke at the construction of the mystery plot but honestly it never bothered me. The convoluted web of the ever deadly mystery of the earldom is a backdrop for these romances and serves the story well heighten the tension and force our leads to where they need to be to fall in love.
I cannot wait for the grand finale where all the overarching mysteries of the series will be solved and I'll get to experience another wonderful romance.
To be honest I was initially unsure about the romance in An Unnatural Vice. While Charles sold the initial attraction between Justin and Nathaniel incredibly well with these tension fueled scenes between the two she also made very clear that our two protagonists lived on diametrically opposed moral lines. While I was living for the barbs the two threw at each other and the unbelievably hot hate sex they had I was unsure if Charles could sell me on their eventual emotional connection.
To my immense pleasure she did with aplomb. What I love about An Unnatural Vice is that this story deeply and meaningfully engaged with the class difference between our two leads and the moral divides this causes and explores that as a source of conflict between them. I read a fair amount of cross class romances and they rarely if ever meaningfully engage with what that means for the characters. This book is a breath of fresh air in contrast as it specifically challenges Nathaniel, the son of an Archbishop whose never struggled for want of money, to question that his rigid lines of morality come from the fact that he's never been in the position to choose between what's right and survival.
And Charles really breathes life into Justin as a character. When we first meet him he's as unlikable as they come conning a poor mother for the last pennies in her pocket. But as the story unfolds we get to see the layers of his character. Not by simply using his tragic backstory as an excuse for his misdeeds but weaving through the layers of his guilt and pride and ego. The narrative holds space for Justin's fury at the inequity of the world he lives in. His perspective that conning the wealthy to line his pockets is no real harm is given a fair shake.
But what I most appreciate about this romance is that it's not a simple story about a rich boy diving into the gutters to save the poor immoral lamb trapped in a life of sin. The story takes great pains to assert Justin's agency and demonstrate the way both Nathaniel and Justine save each other. Both Nathaniel and Justin are lost at the beginning of the story and in falling for each other they pull themselves out of the fog cast over both their lives.
I just love these books so much. They flutter in my stomach and live in my heart. If I was in a more critical mood I could probably poke at the construction of the mystery plot but honestly it never bothered me. The convoluted web of the ever deadly mystery of the earldom is a backdrop for these romances and serves the story well heighten the tension and force our leads to where they need to be to fall in love.
I cannot wait for the grand finale where all the overarching mysteries of the series will be solved and I'll get to experience another wonderful romance.
Judas was a stunning retelling and reexamination of a biblical story. Jeff Loveness and Jakub Rebelka explore the nature of free will and the potential for redemption through the infamous betrayer, Judas. We see Judas life in the aftermath of his betrayal as he's sent to hell for his sins. Here we explore his bitterness at his place in the narrative and the confluence of events that led him to it.
Jeff Loveness and Jakob Rebelka are a well suited pair to tell this story. Loveness's mythic writing beautifully captures the spirit of such a grand tale. He seamlessly weaves bible quotes in with his own writing which is incredibly impressive and has a particular simple but evocative writing that captures the sweeping emotionality of the tale.
Rebelka's mind blowingly art works in perfect tandm with Loveness prose. Every page of this comic could be framed like a painting. The texture, the expression the framing, the colors, the visual metaphor... all of it works together like a symphony. The sheer scope of the beauty of the art in this book is honestly difficult to articulate but believe me when I say every page was a marvel.
My one gripe with Judas is its ultimate reaffirmation of the paradigms it initially challenged. Its ending was deflating because it concluded that God was, in the end, a benevolent presence whose will need not be challenged. But hey, I'm atheist so the ending might work for the more devout.
But overall Judas is heartbreaking and beautiful and well worth a read. The art alone is worth the price of admission so even if you aren't religious I'd recommend you give it a try.
Jeff Loveness and Jakob Rebelka are a well suited pair to tell this story. Loveness's mythic writing beautifully captures the spirit of such a grand tale. He seamlessly weaves bible quotes in with his own writing which is incredibly impressive and has a particular simple but evocative writing that captures the sweeping emotionality of the tale.
Rebelka's mind blowingly art works in perfect tandm with Loveness prose. Every page of this comic could be framed like a painting. The texture, the expression the framing, the colors, the visual metaphor... all of it works together like a symphony. The sheer scope of the beauty of the art in this book is honestly difficult to articulate but believe me when I say every page was a marvel.
My one gripe with Judas is its ultimate reaffirmation of the paradigms it initially challenged. Its ending was deflating because it concluded that God was, in the end, a benevolent presence whose will need not be challenged. But hey, I'm atheist so the ending might work for the more devout.
But overall Judas is heartbreaking and beautiful and well worth a read. The art alone is worth the price of admission so even if you aren't religious I'd recommend you give it a try.
It's been a very long time since I read any sort of fantasy book and I'm glad to have reentered the genre with Radiance. This book is the perfect blend of fantasy and romance. Grace Draven merges an infinitely delightful slow burn romance with a surprisingly engaging political fantasy world building and plotting.
As a romance this book did everything it was supposed to. it gave me two lovable leads and a compelling journey as they fell for each other. There's nothing sexier than mutual respect in a romance and Draven delivers that in spades. Brishen and Ildiko are two people trying their best to make an untenable situation work. and seeing them build a relationship trust and mutual admiration was so satisfying.
Honestly as a fantasy book my expectations for Radiance was pretty low. To my surprise there were genuine efforts here to flesh out the world we were in. The Kai as a species were especially fascinating. Their nocturnal nature and relationship with magic was especially interesting. I appreciated how unique and genuinely inhuman they were as a fantasy race. Their culture felt truly alien as Ildiko entered into it and learning more about it kept e hooked. Unfortunately There was some lack of detail and specificity in the political machinations that overall drove the plot, however while I would probably penalize a straight fantasy for this what Draven explores works well enough in service of this romance. Draven's worldbuilding and plotting here was robust and I'm genuinely curious to see where the story goes in the less romance focused sequel.
Overall Radiance was simply a delight. I adored draven approach to romance and the unique world she created for this story.
As a romance this book did everything it was supposed to. it gave me two lovable leads and a compelling journey as they fell for each other. There's nothing sexier than mutual respect in a romance and Draven delivers that in spades. Brishen and Ildiko are two people trying their best to make an untenable situation work. and seeing them build a relationship trust and mutual admiration was so satisfying.
Honestly as a fantasy book my expectations for Radiance was pretty low. To my surprise there were genuine efforts here to flesh out the world we were in. The Kai as a species were especially fascinating. Their nocturnal nature and relationship with magic was especially interesting. I appreciated how unique and genuinely inhuman they were as a fantasy race. Their culture felt truly alien as Ildiko entered into it and learning more about it kept e hooked. Unfortunately There was some lack of detail and specificity in the political machinations that overall drove the plot, however while I would probably penalize a straight fantasy for this what Draven explores works well enough in service of this romance. Draven's worldbuilding and plotting here was robust and I'm genuinely curious to see where the story goes in the less romance focused sequel.
Overall Radiance was simply a delight. I adored draven approach to romance and the unique world she created for this story.
K.J. Charles is quickly becoming a favorite romance author. Her blend of serialized mystery and romance just hits the spot. This book follows Clem Talleyfer the reserved lodging-house keeper with a huge crush on his taxidermist neighbour Rowley Green. We see the two slowly fall for each other until their lives are disrupted by a dead body showing up at Clem's doorstep. The two are wrapped in the mystery while slowly uncovering their feelings for each other.
First of all Clem and Rowley were so sweet throughout this whole novel. They absolutely adored each other from jump and the mutual pining at the beginning of the book was probably my favourite part of the story. I loved seeing the way Rowley saw and listened to Clem by accommodating his neurodivergence with ease. And the way Clem loved Rowley with intensity was beautiful. I especially loved seeing Clem enraptured by Rowley's taxidermy and genuinely invested in his art. They had such an open hearts for each other and it melted my soul.
While the mystery plot that drove the story was interesting on its own merits I think it also paved the way for meaningful character beats well. Seeing Clem grow a spine against his malignant brother, and Rowley learning not to infantilize Clem were really strong character moments. And best of all seeing the two lay down everything for the other and comfort each other after the harrowing events of the story melted my heart.
The most surprising element of the story was the light D/S dynamic Clem and Rowley had in the bedroom. I'm always down for a little kink and I like how this book explored power exchange. Especially because into didn't fall into rote/predictable roles for their characters.
Overall this was a really fun outing reminstent of Courtney Milan's After the Wedding. This is definitely another feather in KJ Charles' cap after the excellent Proper English and I can't wait to read more.
First of all Clem and Rowley were so sweet throughout this whole novel. They absolutely adored each other from jump and the mutual pining at the beginning of the book was probably my favourite part of the story. I loved seeing the way Rowley saw and listened to Clem by accommodating his neurodivergence with ease. And the way Clem loved Rowley with intensity was beautiful. I especially loved seeing Clem enraptured by Rowley's taxidermy and genuinely invested in his art. They had such an open hearts for each other and it melted my soul.
While the mystery plot that drove the story was interesting on its own merits I think it also paved the way for meaningful character beats well. Seeing Clem grow a spine against his malignant brother, and Rowley learning not to infantilize Clem were really strong character moments. And best of all seeing the two lay down everything for the other and comfort each other after the harrowing events of the story melted my heart.
The most surprising element of the story was the light D/S dynamic Clem and Rowley had in the bedroom. I'm always down for a little kink and I like how this book explored power exchange. Especially because into didn't fall into rote/predictable roles for their characters.
Overall this was a really fun outing reminstent of Courtney Milan's After the Wedding. This is definitely another feather in KJ Charles' cap after the excellent Proper English and I can't wait to read more.
Fine Print is very sexy, pretty fun, but very messy. On a structural level this story is unnecessarily convoluted. Half of the volume is a fairly grounded drama about a woman trying and failing to recapture her lost love. The other is a supernatural romp in the underworld filled with succubi lore and immortal rivalries. For almost the entirety of volume 1 these two plots have absolutely nothing to do with each other and the jumps between underworld politics and earthbound character drama were continuously jarring.
Outside of the convoluted structure Stjepan Šejić's storytelling overall frequently wasn't very effective. This is most evident in the parts of the comic focusing on unlucky in love ex-model Lauren. Her sections are overwhelmed by grating and frequently unnecessary narration. The narration was in third person past tense as if Lauren was telling the story to the audience which only added distance between me and the narrative. This was most frustrating because I think Šejić is a great visual storyteller. His ability to capture nuanced emotion through expression and framing made for really solid character moments. Unfortunately those moments were constantly disrupted by garish pink text boxes filled with distracting snark and overwrought melodrama.
I had a bit more fun getting into the lore and politics of the fantastical half of the story. While worldbuilding and exposition was occasionally clunkily delivered I did find the concerns of the succubi and incubi of the underworld interesting. From forbidden love affairs to professional rivalries a lot of the plot threads set up there seemed to have potential for a very fun story.
I would say the main draw for this book is its copious amounts of smut. And I won't lie Šejić is a great artist with a particular talent for drawing hot people in hot situations. If your here for that and forgiving for some jany storytelling I think you'll have a good time.
Though I had my disappointments I'm not writing off Fine Print entirely. A lot of my issues with the story felt like the growing pains of the start of a series so if and when a volume 2 comes out I'll check out what's in store next.
Outside of the convoluted structure Stjepan Šejić's storytelling overall frequently wasn't very effective. This is most evident in the parts of the comic focusing on unlucky in love ex-model Lauren. Her sections are overwhelmed by grating and frequently unnecessary narration. The narration was in third person past tense as if Lauren was telling the story to the audience which only added distance between me and the narrative. This was most frustrating because I think Šejić is a great visual storyteller. His ability to capture nuanced emotion through expression and framing made for really solid character moments. Unfortunately those moments were constantly disrupted by garish pink text boxes filled with distracting snark and overwrought melodrama.
I had a bit more fun getting into the lore and politics of the fantastical half of the story. While worldbuilding and exposition was occasionally clunkily delivered I did find the concerns of the succubi and incubi of the underworld interesting. From forbidden love affairs to professional rivalries a lot of the plot threads set up there seemed to have potential for a very fun story.
I would say the main draw for this book is its copious amounts of smut. And I won't lie Šejić is a great artist with a particular talent for drawing hot people in hot situations. If your here for that and forgiving for some jany storytelling I think you'll have a good time.
Though I had my disappointments I'm not writing off Fine Print entirely. A lot of my issues with the story felt like the growing pains of the start of a series so if and when a volume 2 comes out I'll check out what's in store next.
Force Multiplied was a good follow up to volume 1 of The Old Guard. One of my major ways this volume really elevated on its predecessor was its art. Specifically the action. There are a lot less gunfights this issue so it felt like Leandro Fernández had more room to whip up inventive action set pieces. It also felt like panels had a lot more room to breath and were lest claustrophobic
I also loved the conflict of this volume more. In Force Multiplied were introduced to Noriko Andy's ex-lover she presumed was dead at sea. Their lovers to enemies dynamic was instantly compelling and I especially love how Noriko used that connection the manipulate Andy.
I will say though while I loved this dynamic I do feel Noriko was under explored as a villain. Her motivations to cause chaos and harm had no real depth and honestly even her feelings of betrayal and abandonment by Andy were dropped too quickly for my liking. Hopefully the eventual third volume in this series takes more time to detail her perspective. Because as much as a love the lovers to enemies ,(view spoiler) stuff there is plenty of room to expand.
I would say the most compelling aspect of the volume was Andy's backstory and how it was used to explore the weight of immortality. The story really sat with her loneliness and her bone deep exhaustion at her life. I raised an eyebrow when they started to get into moral relativism but it was handled (read: rejected) pretty well too.
Overall Force Multiplied is a solid follow up to Opening Fire. Unfortunately the cliffhanger ending and no volume 3 release date on the horizon means I'll be waiting for the ending for a while it seems.
I also loved the conflict of this volume more. In Force Multiplied were introduced to Noriko Andy's ex-lover she presumed was dead at sea. Their lovers to enemies dynamic was instantly compelling and I especially love how Noriko used that connection the manipulate Andy.
I will say though while I loved this dynamic I do feel Noriko was under explored as a villain. Her motivations to cause chaos and harm had no real depth and honestly even her feelings of betrayal and abandonment by Andy were dropped too quickly for my liking. Hopefully the eventual third volume in this series takes more time to detail her perspective. Because as much as a love the lovers to enemies ,(view spoiler) stuff there is plenty of room to expand.
I would say the most compelling aspect of the volume was Andy's backstory and how it was used to explore the weight of immortality. The story really sat with her loneliness and her bone deep exhaustion at her life. I raised an eyebrow when they started to get into moral relativism but it was handled (read: rejected) pretty well too.
Overall Force Multiplied is a solid follow up to Opening Fire. Unfortunately the cliffhanger ending and no volume 3 release date on the horizon means I'll be waiting for the ending for a while it seems.
Superman/Batman: World's Finest
Steve Oliff, Karl Kesel, Steve Rude, Walt Simonson, Dave Gibbons, Bob Kahan
I finally got around to reading World's Finest. It was overall a mixed bag but I'm glad I read it. Firstly, I adore how World's Finest looks. The entire comic is a visual feast. Steve Rude's illustrations are so striking. I love how he (with glorious inks from Karl Kessel) relishes in shadows and silhouette. Rude plays with light brilliantly and their intrinsic understanding of framing and emphasis on iconic spreads was just delightful.
The character design here is also pitch perfect. Superman and Batman come off as almost mythical figures throughout. From Batman's sleek cowl and the iconic grey black yellow to the nostalgic hair swoop and dimpled chin combo on Superman they were definitely going for a more classic look and it works so well.
While I adored World's Finest's art its story wasn't my favourite. As the title suggest it's about Batman and Superman teaming up to stop The Joker and Lex Luthor who have overrun each other's cities. Unfortunately it digresses into an incredibly convoluted scheme by an evil orphanage warden attempting to indoctrinate kids into crime. I found the plot confusingly presented. The connections between characters and ongoing mysteries lacked a necessary clarity. To be honest I didn't even fully understand the plot until I read the liner notes in the back. Further the overall story just felt a little too silly given the prestige tone of the graphic novel.
But outside of the plot this story did have strong thematic weight. Much of World's Finest is an exercise in contrasting Batman and Superman. Visually I think the comic does this beautifully. Metropolis, Gotham and their respective heroes and villains have very distinct aesthetics that Gibbons and Rudin do well to highlight and eventually merge or subvert as the story progresses. The best moments in the comic are the silent parallel panels of the big two. As mentioned before the art is gorgeous and they do a lot of work to put these two characters in conversation without exposition.
But while the story presents aesthetics contrasts between Bat and Supes well I don't think the actual narrative presented does enough to meaningfully engage with their similarities and differences. This book is much more a story about Lex Luthor and the Joker buying orphanages than it is a story about Superman and Batman teaming up. While there are some interesting moments of connection between the two I think the narrative could have done more to engage with its leads and their opposing worldviews and methods.
Another disappointing aspect of the story was how the supporting casts of Batman and Superman were used. Lois especially felt more like a prop to play out a "What if Bruce Wayne dated Lois Lane?" scenario than a meaningful contributor to the story. I mean all their scenes together could be cut out with no meaningful loss. Characters like Commissioner Gordon and Perry White were also paired off in ways that didn't add much to the story or make much sense (like why wouldn't Gordon be liaising with Metropolis' police commissioner rather than the editor of a newspaper). This all made the story feel less thought through and intentional.
But overall World's Finest, despite its flaws, was a worthwhile read. Its visuals alone are worth the price of admission. While I wish the story was stronger and had a little bit more to say about our two leads I'm definitely not mad I read it.
The character design here is also pitch perfect. Superman and Batman come off as almost mythical figures throughout. From Batman's sleek cowl and the iconic grey black yellow to the nostalgic hair swoop and dimpled chin combo on Superman they were definitely going for a more classic look and it works so well.
While I adored World's Finest's art its story wasn't my favourite. As the title suggest it's about Batman and Superman teaming up to stop The Joker and Lex Luthor who have overrun each other's cities. Unfortunately it digresses into an incredibly convoluted scheme by an evil orphanage warden attempting to indoctrinate kids into crime. I found the plot confusingly presented. The connections between characters and ongoing mysteries lacked a necessary clarity. To be honest I didn't even fully understand the plot until I read the liner notes in the back. Further the overall story just felt a little too silly given the prestige tone of the graphic novel.
But outside of the plot this story did have strong thematic weight. Much of World's Finest is an exercise in contrasting Batman and Superman. Visually I think the comic does this beautifully. Metropolis, Gotham and their respective heroes and villains have very distinct aesthetics that Gibbons and Rudin do well to highlight and eventually merge or subvert as the story progresses. The best moments in the comic are the silent parallel panels of the big two. As mentioned before the art is gorgeous and they do a lot of work to put these two characters in conversation without exposition.
But while the story presents aesthetics contrasts between Bat and Supes well I don't think the actual narrative presented does enough to meaningfully engage with their similarities and differences. This book is much more a story about Lex Luthor and the Joker buying orphanages than it is a story about Superman and Batman teaming up. While there are some interesting moments of connection between the two I think the narrative could have done more to engage with its leads and their opposing worldviews and methods.
Another disappointing aspect of the story was how the supporting casts of Batman and Superman were used. Lois especially felt more like a prop to play out a "What if Bruce Wayne dated Lois Lane?" scenario than a meaningful contributor to the story. I mean all their scenes together could be cut out with no meaningful loss. Characters like Commissioner Gordon and Perry White were also paired off in ways that didn't add much to the story or make much sense (like why wouldn't Gordon be liaising with Metropolis' police commissioner rather than the editor of a newspaper). This all made the story feel less thought through and intentional.
But overall World's Finest, despite its flaws, was a worthwhile read. Its visuals alone are worth the price of admission. While I wish the story was stronger and had a little bit more to say about our two leads I'm definitely not mad I read it.