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Batman/Superman: World's Finest

Batman/Superman: World's Finest, Vol. 1: The Devil Nezha

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The Dark Knight. The Man of Steel. They are the two finest superheroes that the world has ever known...and they're together again in an epic new series from the legendary talents of Mark Waid and Dan Mora!

Get ready, it’s time to soar!

In the not-too-distant past, Superman’s powers are super-charged from a devastating chemical attack by the villain Metallo…and the only ally that the ultra-powerful Man of Tomorrow can turn to in this turbulent hour is Gotham’s own dark vengeance: dynamic duo: Batman and Robin! A nearly fatal burst of power drives Bruce Wayne to his own extreme measures to help his friend…enlisting none other than the Doom Patrol for aid.

From the legendary talents of Mark Waid and Dan Mora, two of the world’s finest superheroes are together again in an epic new comic book experience. Don’t miss the kick-off to next big events in the DCU!

Collecting the critically acclaimed World’s Finest prelude story from Detective Comics #1050 and issues 1-5 of the best-selling Batman/Superman World’s Finest title!

176 pages, Hardcover

First published March 7, 2023

508 people are currently reading
1295 people want to read

About the author

Mark Waid

3,181 books1,270 followers
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.

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5 stars
1,191 (36%)
4 stars
1,479 (45%)
3 stars
519 (15%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 454 reviews
Profile Image for Anne.
4,739 reviews71.2k followers
July 29, 2024
I love these two in World's Finest.
It's kind of that perfect title if you're wanting a comic book comfort read. No stress, just a team-up between friends who always have each other's backs.

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Volume one has Waid introducing the title that he's currently putting his spin on with Batman & Superman already tight-knit friends. Robin & Supergirl come along for the ride and the four of them take on an ancient power that has been recently released.

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The Doom Patrol rides in to help out, Supergirl & Robin have an uncomfortable team-up that doesn't get explained until later issues, and there's a nice cliffhanger at the end to keep you reading.

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Recommended.
Profile Image for Subham.
3,070 reviews103 followers
August 17, 2022
This was so good!

I loved this one as it has the team up of Clark and Bruce set in their early years and we see them go against Ivy and Metallo and then something infecting Clark and then team up with Doom Patrol to cure him, learning the origins of Devil Nezha and then going up against this foe and when it possess-es members of their JL team, how do the worlds finest stop him? Plus Robin and Supergirl travel to Ancient China to team up with Warriors of Ji who stopped this villain ages ago and its relationship in the present!

There is an awesome issue where Superman stops Nezha and a fun concern for Bruce and I love the way Waid writes their friendship, it shows his understanding of the characters and there were fun cameos like from Hal and Billy and its awesome and then a standalone Dick grayson issue where he is trapped in time in some circus in 1890s and the worlds finest have to rescue him and it felt like such a silver age story, I freaking loved it!

Its one of those volumes that will reaffirm your love for these characters! But the main thing is the art by Dan mora who well maybe my fav artist atm! And I highly recommend anything he draws because its just gorgeous!
Profile Image for Jim Ef.
433 reviews104 followers
January 9, 2025
7.8/10
This was a blast.
This book has everything. You have Batman villains, Superman villains, you get to see the Doom Patro. There is a good amount of action, and good amount of jokes and of course you get the team up of Batman & Robin with Superman and Supergirl.

The writing is on point and the art is fantastic.
This felt to me like a Golden/Silver age era type of story, written in a modern way.
Profile Image for Dan.
3,204 reviews10.8k followers
March 23, 2023
Superman, Batman, and associates take on an evil immortal called The Devil Nezha. It says so on hte cover.

Okay, I loved the first issue and held out for the inevitable collection. Well, as you can see by the 3, I was a little underwhelmed. Put down the pitchforks, 3 means I liked it.

So the art by Dan Mora was phenomenal. The coloring by Tamra Bonvillain was understated compared to a lot of coloring I see these days and I dug it.

The story itself is nothing special but team-ups like this usually have flimsy stories anyway so that's not really a big deal. I think my main problem with this story was the tone of the dialog. It's quippy as hell and gets rid of any sense of jeopardy. There are a lot of cool moments but super heroes making quips while allegedly fighting for their lives seriously gets on my nerves. Sure, I know none of the money makers are going to die but at least make me think they might for a few seconds.

Three stars. As always, your mileage may vary. If you love quippy dialog, you'll probably enjoy this more than I did. And I did enjoy it, just not enough to want to read further installments.

Profile Image for Ray.
Author 19 books434 followers
June 13, 2024
Mark Waid has still got it, although I must admit I'm a little lost on current DC continuity (has there been a Doom Patrol reboot, is the Robin in this Damien? Or wait, does this take place in the past?)

And I generally don't love a magic-based villain, with mind control. That being said, Waid crafts a good introduction to this series by using the plot to guest star many famous heroes and villains. The art by Dan MOra, by the way, is cool as hell reminiscent of Greg Capullo.

As usual with these teamup books, it's more of a Superman story fighting end of the world threats while having Batman gets the sales. That is not a criticism at all
Profile Image for Khurram.
2,361 reviews6,691 followers
August 3, 2025
A good Batman and Superman story. Amazing artwork on the hardcover on both sides. I liked that there were cameos from the other big names in the DC universe, but the story concentrated on the main characters.

Villains are switching opponents. Heroes and heroines are being attacked by villains who are not their usual rouges gallery, or the villains have had a huge magical upgrade. Superman, Batman, and Doom Petrol go on the offensive whilst Super-girl and Robin need to do some research from the past.

I think all the characters had their moments to shine. The story was good, I did like that there was a creditable threat to Superman. I also like that it links into the upcoming Batman series. The book finishes with a cover gallery that includes a full-page variant of covers.
Profile Image for Molly™☺.
969 reviews108 followers
April 1, 2023
A very accessible Batman & Superman comic, it's not bogged down by continuity and is instead allowed to be as wacky and good ol' fashioned fun as it wants to be. With a great selection of primary and secondary characters, this is a true, cheesy superhero experience that tells a simple yet charming story.
Profile Image for Sean Gibson.
Author 7 books6,116 followers
April 1, 2024
Mark Waid and Dan Mora? You really can't go wrong.
Profile Image for Paul.
2,777 reviews20 followers
September 17, 2024
This book was just so much fun! A really exciting adventure with an all-star cast (it’s not just Bats & Supes) that doesn’t let up the pace for a second.

Dan Mora’s artwork was better in this than the Detective Comics stuff I read recently and almost as good as his stellar work on ‘Once & Future’. Great stuff!
Profile Image for Oscar.
640 reviews44 followers
July 30, 2025
Pretty good volume.
Profile Image for Rory Wilding.
800 reviews29 followers
January 12, 2024
Reading the first volume of Batman/Superman: World's Finest, I was reminded of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, a movie that should have been epic as it was the first live-action outing to feature DC’s most iconic superheroes. Despite its titular premise where their first encounter is one of confrontation, but eventually they must put aside their differences to fight a greater evil, the movie was not the fun romp that many hoped. If you want something that feels more in the line of Super Friends, this current series of World's Finest will lighten your mood.

The World’s Finest title has been around since 1941 as the publisher has released in variations over the decades, though it usually centres on the partnership between the Man of Steel and the Caped Crusader. Being a non-cynical writer and an enthusiast towards anything Silver Age, Mark Waid embraces that partnership, with various superheroes popping up along the way, even some obscure ones.

It's worth noting that this comic isn’t tied in with the current runs of the Batman and Superman comics as World’s Finest takes place in “the not-too-distant past”, as evidenced with Dick Grayson as Robin back then, as well as Alfred still alive. The story opens with Superman, Batman and Robin confront Metallo and Poison Ivy, leading to Superman receives a devastating chemical attack, in which his powers becoming super-charged. As Batman seeks the help of the Doom Patrol, all the heroes learn of the new threat known as “The Devil Nezha”.

Like Grant Morrison, someone is also interested in re-contextualising DC’s history, Waid isn’t interested in domesticising superheroes such as exploring their personal lives. The stories he wants to tell is the costumed heroes going out in outlandish adventures. There is certainly an element of throwing everything in the kitchen sink with various superheroes and supervillains thrown in, but the story never loses track of the central friendship between the titular heroes, who generally care for each other and know each other enough about how to get out a certain situation.

Since Waid is leaning into those Silver Age sensibilities, there is a heavy dose of magic and science-fiction that is loose and crazy, leading to some fun situations, such as Doctor Caulder of the Doom Patrol performing surgery using tools made of green Kryptonite. My favourite set-piece is the double act of Supergirl and Robin, both of which can’t get along with each other, going back in time through a time barrier that Supergirl uses her x-ray vision to track down a McGuffin’s entire history. The dynamic between these two young characters is one of the most exciting aspects to see more of during this comic.

With so much content thrown in each of the five issues, not least with the new devilish antagonist Nezha, artist Dan Mora is having an absolute blast here. Embracing a classic look of these iconic characters, Mora’s modern, clean line-work presents kinetic set-pieces where there is a variety of superpowers, whilst not afraid of presenting new territories for the characters to go to, including a Dragon Ball Z-styled fusion, which is absurdly fun.

Having not read any new Mark Waid comic since his terrific Daredevil run, reading the first volume of Batman/Superman: World's Finest felt like a wonderful re-acquaintance as Waid and Dan Mora presents an enjoyably modern spin on classical adventures that showcase the friendship between Superman and Batman.
Profile Image for Rod Brown.
7,342 reviews281 followers
March 28, 2023
I'd have been real excited about this when I was 12, I think. But now it's just a bunch of superhero team-up nonsense. It doesn't help that the time and characters are all sort of fuzzy and vague due to this being set in a retro past similar to the DC Universe before Crisis on Infinite Earths unleashed a tidal wave of retcons.

It's a simpler time when Superman and Batman like each other without reservations and Dick Grayson is the only Robin a Batman needs. The Doom Patrol are seen as weird outsiders, but they're not Grant Morrison weird.

It's superhero comfort food for old guys like me, I suppose, but I have old comics from that era in the basement already and wasn't in the mood for more of the same-old-same-old today.
Profile Image for Diz.
1,860 reviews138 followers
June 18, 2024
There were some things that I liked about this and some things that I didn't. The thing that I liked most about it is that the Doom Patrol plays a large role in this volume. It's always nice to see the Doom Patrol get some love. The thing that I liked the least about it is that a lot of the combat in this centers around mind-controlled characters. It's kind of hard to get into combat scenes when one side doesn't really have any other motivation for fighting other than that they are being mind controlled.
Profile Image for Robert.
2,190 reviews148 followers
April 3, 2023
Much as advertised, just a fun celebration of the intersection of the Bat- and Superfamilies that gives both title characters ample chances to shine. I will definitely continue reading the series to discover

Profile Image for Drew Canole.
3,159 reviews43 followers
April 17, 2023
A wild tale with Robin and Supergirl time-travelling. Superman and Batman teaming up with the Doom Patrol. And the whole gang trying to take down some ancient evil wizard dude named Devil Nezha who seems to know everyone's weakness.

It's over the top wacky action the whole time and Dan Mora's artwork is great throughout.
Profile Image for Bill Riggs.
927 reviews16 followers
March 20, 2024
What fun team up of Batman, Superman and the Doom Patrol! It’s nice to see Batman and Superman interacting friends and not always at odds with each other. I’m definitely looking forward to future volumes in this series.
Profile Image for Peter Looles.
299 reviews6 followers
August 13, 2023
Batman/Superman: World's Finest Vol. 1: The Devil Nezha

After a weird robot man, powered by Kryptonite, injects a red kryptonite cocktail in Superman, he starts transforming randomly. Batman with Robin try to control him, but they are unable to find a way to stop his bizarre transformations, so they take him to the Doom Patrol, seeking for medical help. After Superman is brought back to a stable condition, they find out that this was the doing of the devil Nezha. A devil from ancient China, who's seeking global domination. So, Robin and Supergirl go back in time, to see how he was defeated at the time, while Batman and Superman try to help the other superheroes who are fighting with his minions.
This was truly great! The whole comic was very funny and tremendously enjoyable. It combines the fun of vintage Batman/Superman comics, with the seriousness and quality of Mark Waid's work. Of course, it's not as dark as "Kingdom Come", in any way possible, but it also has some darker elements. Mostly though, it's a very fun comic. Mark Waid is a writer who truly understands his characters and that's very obvious in comics like this, where he uses their personalities to create great comedy. For example, Robin is a great comedic relief, but Mark Waid is able to make even Batman seem funny, without feeling like he's acting out of character. To me that's very impressive, making a serious character funny, without changing the fundamentals of his personality. In general, the writing in this comic is great. The dialogues are very clever, the story is great and Mark Waid uses the strengths and the weaknesses of the characters to make the story more interesting. The story is very high fantasy, but it works perfectly with the style and the atmosphere. Also, the choice of a villain who uses magic is very smart, since one of Superman's weaknesses is magic, so this raises the stakes, as well as the reader's interest in the story. Furthermore, it's great to see how well Batman and Superman work together, by combining their strengths, as well as how Robin and Supergirl collaborate, despite the very heavy and possibly erotic atmosphere that surrounds them.
The artwork, by Dan Mora, fits perfectly with this comic. It's cartoony, but also serious, it's fun to read and it's truly amazing. The fundamentals of good comic art are all there, even if they are wrapped with a cartoony exterior. The page structure, the use of perspective and the line work are all great. Also, the facial expressions are amazing. That works perfectly with the comedic aspects of this comic and it enhances them.
Overall, this was one of the most fun modern superhero comics I've read and I can't wait to read the next volumes.
9.5/10
Profile Image for Machiavelli.
791 reviews19 followers
April 17, 2025
This was fun… and unlike my last two Superman reads, had a better plot, that was consistent throughout, to me made it flow better, and this was just old-school fun
Profile Image for Bradley.
1,188 reviews11 followers
March 18, 2024
I like this comic. I do want to highlight one thought that’s bothered me for a while. World’s Finest provides a great example for this question.

Why is it so difficult to establish new heroes or villains?

There’s no success or failure here. Is it up to us the readers or the stubbornness of authors? Both? I was wondering the same thing reading Batman Beyond (which has the benefit of creating one-shot villains in the future anyway).
There’s a lot to enjoy ! Here’s my list.

- The Batman and Superman relationship is a joy to witness. It’s like the sun and a crescent moon.
- The addition of Robin and Supergirl, plus additional heroes that don’t usually play in the same courtyard.
- Robin and Supergirl gave me a genuine smile with their interactions.
- Superman’s worldview and optimism (the encounter with a certain magician comes to mind)
- Overall fun with what ifs (even while some sent me the wrong way…)
- Easy to pick up. Maybe some DC background and you’re good to go.
- The comic keeps your attention and explores various paths.
- I enjoyed the art style!

Overall I don't wanna complain too much. It's not without flaws. I felt one staring me in the full in the face at the end. I'm in a good mood or the comic speaks for itself. :)
Profile Image for Jeffrey Schulte.
88 reviews
March 28, 2023
This was so fun!

Man, if you grew up in the age of 2000s DC animated shows you're gonna love this. It's a concept we've seen many times before. Immortal enemy from the past comes back to rule the world, mwahahahaaa!! Yeah, that bullshit. I don't why this worked for me but it was amazing. I missed reading the dynamic between Batman and Superman.

It's nothing special. But if you're looking for just a fun hour to kill, Mark Waid certainly delivered.

ALSO THAT ARTWORK! Holy shit, man! Batmans suit was awesome. A modernized blast from the past. I loved it!

7.8/10 it was amazing
Profile Image for Ross.
1,543 reviews
September 19, 2022
Mark Waid knows his Silver Age DC. Wow!

This was a love letter to all those Silver Age Batman and Superman teamups. The art is dynamic. The story is a thriller. There's just enough plot interspersed with bigger action scenes to keep you coming back for more. If you're looking for something fun to read, grab this one!

Bonus: Robin and Supergirl have some unfinished business somewhere.
Bonus Bonus: so red Kryptonite pieces act like individual exposures? Yowch..
Profile Image for Nick.
249 reviews
February 23, 2023
Brilliant. Fast paced and non-stop. A little TOO fast past at moments because they don’t really give time for the plot points to sink in before it’s on to the next scene. It is however extremely epic with every turn of the page.
Profile Image for Dakota Morgan.
3,390 reviews53 followers
June 19, 2023
The Devil Nezha ticks all the boxes of a quality comic: action, humor, mythology, and a little pathos. Oh, and a bunch of neat surprises. Oh, oh, OH, and superb artwork (from one of my favorites, Dan Mora, in this case).

The gist is that Batman and Superman (sometime in the past) need to team up to defeat an ancient semi-supernatural warlord who intends to take over the world (who doesn't tho?). But Superman's dealing with a chest full of red kryptonite and Batman's not really equipped to take on a magical superpower. Fortunately, the pair call in Supergirl, Robin, and the Doom Patrol (in low-wackiness mode).

There are some other splendid team-ups in here, but the main duo work together nicely with plenty of charm, humor, and acknowledgment of each other's strengths and weaknesses. I also like how The Devil Nezha doesn't overstay it's welcome, but still manages to go to cosmic lengths in a short time. Certainly intrigued by the teaser for little lost Robin and Lazarus Island - but this volume was an excellent standalone as well.
Profile Image for Fraser Simons.
Author 9 books296 followers
July 27, 2023
I like this enough to bump it up to a 4, I think. There’s a fun little twist at the end I quite liked and the tension leading to the next arc was also good. It’s also really gonzo. Sometimes to the point of incredulity, which is saying something of a superhero comic, but it’s also one of the most fun times I’ve had with a contained arc in quite some time. It also has fantastic art, which helps a lot.
Profile Image for Himanshu Karmacharya.
1,146 reviews113 followers
November 9, 2023
Mark Waid and Dan Mora have gone for the "retro" feel in this story, paying respect not only to the characters but also that era of comic books.

Although the story is not something one would call extraordinary, it is the overall vibe and heart the book offers, that actually makes it stand out.
Author 3 books62 followers
September 14, 2024
This one starts off like every other team-up story but eventually opens up into something a little more interesting and engaging. Not Waid’s finest work, but still very readable.
Profile Image for Philips_comics.
30 reviews5 followers
January 25, 2025
3.5

Batman/Superman: World's Finest Volume 1: The Devil Nezha delivers an entertaining and action-packed adventure that strikes a solid balance between superhero dynamics and supernatural threats. I’d give it a solid 3.5 stars.
This book offers a great mix of action and fun with the classic Batman/Superman buddy cop vibe—lots of witty banter and differing personalities, which always adds a nice touch to their partnership, especially when each of them are willing to go that extra mile to save their pal. The chemistry between the two leads is definitely a highlight, making it easy to enjoy their team-up despite the chaotic, world-ending stakes they face.
The art by Dan Mora is another standout. His clean and dynamic style really brings the story to life, making each page pop with energy. It's an absolute treat to look at, especially during the high-octane action scenes.
The plot is straightforward yet engaging, and there’s enough intrigue to keep you hooked without overwhelming you with backstory.
The supernatural and god-level stakes aren’t usually my thing, but this book managed to pull me in with its fun pacing and interesting character moments. Plus, there's a nice sprinkling of other DC characters that adds some extra depth and excitement. In fact, it sparked my interest in The Doom Patrol, which I’m now eager to check out.
Overall, while this volume doesn’t break new ground, it’s a solid and enjoyable start to the series that’s definitely worth picking up for fans of either the dark night or big blue.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 454 reviews

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