Superman/Batman, Vol. 8: Finest Worlds

Superman/Batman (12 Volumes Collected Edition)

by Michael Green, Mike Johnson, Rags Morales (Illustrator)

Collecting three titanic tales from SUPERMAN/BATMAN #50-56! First up, it's the untold story of how Superman's dad and Batman's father had a fateful meeting many years ago! Then, the Li'I League is on the scene as miniature versions of the JLA find their way into the DCU! It's up to Superman, Batman and their peers to keep the tykes from destroying everything in their path. And in the third story, The Man of Steel's powers find a new home in the body of The Dark Knight. Now Batman possesses incredible Kryptonian abilities while Superman stands powerless. How will they adjust physically and psychologically to these bizarre changes? And will Batman's new absolute powers corrupt him absolutely?

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

192 pages, Hardcover

First published June 9, 2009

About the author

Michael Green is an American television and film writer, as well as a comic book scripter. Green grew up in Mamaroneck, New York.

Green has been a contributor for Superman/Batman. He will also co-write a Green Lantern movie with Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim, set for release in 2011. He wrote the six-issue story arc "Lovers and Madmen" for Batman Confidential.
Green was a producer and writer on Everwood and Heroes.

Green is the creator and writer of Kings, an NBC drama based on the biblical story of King David but set in an alternate present. Kings premiered on 15 March 2009 but was cancelled soon after. The remainder of season 1 (thirteen episodes) was shown in the summer of 2009.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Contains several fun stories about Superman and Batman. Nothing too deep, but I enjoyed them.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Collects 3 different stories. The first featured a meeting between Thomas Wayve and Jor-El. It was a bit far-fetched. Then Mr. Mxyzptlk sends a cartoon version of the Justice League to our Earth. This was a lot of fun and had heart. The best of the 3 stories. Finally magic happens and Batman gains Superman's powers. It was just alright.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad. There was one story featuring a "Lil Justice League" that ended up too dark to fit the story, but overall this was a fairly dark volume altogether. This series has been good throughout, but hasn't really excelled.

[Kristian Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty great!

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this review and more on my blog.

Worlds Finest collects issues #50 – #56.

I feel like this is the type of graphic novel storyline that I have enjoyed the most. We follow both Batman and Superman over 3 different storylines that were all equally as enjoyable and informative about their characters.

The first story is around Bruce Wayne and Jor-El and how they met a few months before Kal-El and Bruce Wayne were born. I found this very interesting the Superman and Batman were semi destined to know each other and it added a nice depth to both them and their fathers.

The second story was when miniature version of the Justice League make there way into the universe. I found it very funny as to how each character interacted with a mini version of themselves and made them realise how fortunate they are to be themselves.

The third story is the most interesting, with Batman somehow managing to steal Superman powers! How this third story plays out was a tad predictable for me as I somehow understood how Batman would approach it and thus continue on, but none the less I was at times pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable and relatable aspects of this story was.

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read as Superman/Batman, Volume 5.

The Fathers by Michael Green & Mike Johnson was fun. A little "wow, that's too coincidental, even for fiction", but still fun. (It was a little special in that this story Jor-El got to choose a new home for Kal & chose Earth after speaking with Thomas Wayne.)

Li'l Leagures by Michael Green & Mike Johnson was fun, but a little busy. Instead of focusing on the relationships between the full-sized "regular" heroes and the Li'l Leaguers (who were very cute), the story added too much by introducing the Li'l villains too. It then became a group story, and while it was fun/fine, it wasn't the best.
The ending was pretty sad for a bunch of Li'l heroes whose tragic origin stories included Thomas & Martha Wayne *being pushed to the ground*, and Jor-El & Lana sending their baby away from *the great rains & getting wet*, this was pretty intense.
Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite are, as always, the worst.

Super/Bat also by Michael Green & Mike Johnson was enjoyable on the whole. It started off with Superman & Batman being BFFs, and Superman covering Gotham while Bruce Wayne is away in Metropolis, as BFFs do. ;)
There's a two-page side by side of them in each other's respective cities, and I love those fun Superman/Batman juxtapositions. Honestly, that's why I love these stories.
Anyway, there's a whole thing with a magic amulet and Silver Banchee (and of course Batman knows Gaelic!), and just like that Batman now has Superman's powers, leaving Superman powerless!
The story was a cool "what if Batman had Superman's powers" Elseword's type story for a minute until we discover there are downsides to the amulet's magic & Batman is now a little cray-cray/out of control. He can't stop/won't stop. Not to eat or sleep, and he ends up fighting the whole JL because he's so driven/scary in the pursuit of stopping ALL crime and saving EVERYONE all the time everywhere. A manic Bat with superpowers is a scary thing.
While it was a cool story, I would have liked to read the "what if" without the magical instability/mania & just seen Batman at work trying to control (and maybe hate) his newfound strength, instead of punching a hole through Bane & hurting Dick and Selina because he lost his mind. (Though, I kinda do love a Nightwing vs. Batman fight no matter how upsetting or hurtful. (● ´□` )♡)

Volume rating about 3/3.5

[Dale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Art by Ed Benes, Rafael Albuquerque, Rags Morales, and John Dell.
Published in 2010 by DC Comics.

There are three stories in this collection.

Story #1. "The Fathers"

The weakest of the three. A piece of Kryptonian technology is found in a farm field near Smallville. It comes to life for a few seconds and triggers a reaction in the Batcave. It turns out that the Caped Crusader and the Man of Steel have a previously unknown connection...

I rate this story 3 stars out of 5.

Story #2. "Lil' Leaguers"

Worlds collide in this one. Smaller, more childlike versions of all of your favorite DC superheroes and supervillains enter the Superman / Batman world. Their world is literally smaller and weapons don't really hurt each other in that world. In fact, their universe is just a much more pleasant place on every level.

The page where Superman and Batman meet their miniature selves is quite amusing. Lil' Batman and big Batman do not get along and mayhem ensues. Soon, they have to work together to round up Lil' Lex Luthor as he leads an all-star team of small supervillains. They are interested in acquiring technology that will actually be effective back in their world.

I rate this story 5 stars out of 5. I would gladly read another story with the Lil' Justice League.

Story #3. "Superbat"

While fighting the Silver Banshee, Batman and Superman get blasted. Due to a magic amulet, Batman slowly gets Superman's powers as Superman slowly becomes a regular person. But, what does Batman do once he literally cannot be stopped?

Nightwing features prominently in this one. The art is also excellent in this story.

I rate this story 4 stars out of 5.

****

I enjoy this series. I very much like the "thought bubbles" that this series features. They are the internal monologue of both Batman and Superman as they think about one another. They are allies, maybe even friends. But, they certainly don't think the same way about many things.

There are three stories in this collection. I rated them 3 stars, 5 stars and 4 stars. 3 + 5 + 4 = 12. 12 stars divided by 3 stories = 4 stars.

I rate this collection 4 stars out of 5.

See all of my reviews of DC Comics-related works here: https://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/sear...

[Silverscarf · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had bought a single issue from the SuperBat story line collected in here a while ago, and after rereading it recently I wanted to get this from the library to finally read the whole story. It was an enjoyable collection, nothing too spectacular, but just lighter than most of the comics DC tends to put out now, and it was refreshing. The first issue of this collection is actually about how Jor-El and Bruce's father met each other before Krypton exploded and Jor-El meeting Bruce's father was a big part of the reason why he sent Clark to Earth instead of somewhere else. The next story is a two-parter called Lil Leaguers and that was kind of fun, all the Justice League meets versions of themselves from another Earth where it's sort of a Kid-ish world where nothing truly bad happens. Then the rest of the collection is the SuperBat story. I'll admit it was not quite as good as I wanted it to be, it focuses a lot on Batman and what he does with Clark's powers, namely trying to stop all crime all around the globe, and finding whole new ways to terrify not only criminals but also his friends. I kind of wished there was a little bit more about how Clark would be dealing with losing that part of himself. But overall it was a decent story, probably better than at least half of what DC has put out lately. Overall this was a nice enough collection, though hard to find, I almost bought a newer collected edition for $22, thankfully I didn't, I think that if I really had paid that much instead of getting it from the library I would have been a little disappointed, but overall it was a fun read.

[Tony Laplume · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, about twenty years back, and this is hard to remember because he’s best known, now, for the Marvel work that never defined him but was his last regular gig in comics, Jeph Loeb was the king of comics. There were his Batman comics with Tim Sale, his time leading the Superman line, and then, to cap it off, Superman/Batman, an update on the classics World’s Finest team ups. The trademark was the contrasting captions between the two.

Because it was a hot seller DC couldn’t just end it when Loeb left the title. So then we reached the point where it delivered material like Finest Worlds, which isn’t terrible, but isn’t so far removed from generic. People forget that DC was still basically continuing the stories begun in the wake of the Crisis reboot, even if comics like Loeb’s Superman had suggested a break. Things had kind of played out. All the material here is riffing on familiar ground, and sticking to the Loeb captioning scheme…

For me, it’s a single panel in the last collected issue, the conclusion to “Superbat” (Batman gets to be a gigantic jerk with no repercussions! or something like that!), a rare glimpse of Bloodwynd, a character from the ‘90s I have an oversized affinity for and still like to catch up with. No lines! But at least his mask is depicted accurately (sadly not always a given)!

Which in some respects is exactly why a lot of comics are read.

[Vicenç Sanz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Parece que en éste número le han cogido el tono a la colección, dando dos historias con las vertientes que ya hemos visto en números anteriores (humor y seriedad) pero haciéndolo bien.

Es curioso que en un par de números con los personajes cartoon hayan conseguido hacerme reír y contarme una historia simpática.

Y más curioso es aún que la trama seria me tuviera enganchado tanto, porque creo que se ha tratado de forma estupenda a los dos personajes cabecera de la colección, y se ha hecho una trama interesante que se desarolla estupendamente (aunque el final sea demasiado predecible).

Éste tomo es una redención de la serie, una muestra de que no está quemada y que con buenas ideas se pueden hacer locuras sin necesidad de cargarse todo lo que rodea a los personajes, de que se pueden tratar bien a Batman y a Superman, tenerlos juntos en una colección y darles una orientación, motivaciones y evolución.

No es un tomo genial, ni una maravilla que os vaya a cambiar la vida, son dos historias muy entretenidas, de una calidad muy alta y que vale la pena leerse a poco que seas fan de los personajes. Además, me da la sensación de que pueden leerse sin necesidad de acercarse a los cincuenta números anteriores (aunque ayuda a conocer el tono en el que se mueven).

Disfrutable, recomendable, pero no imprescindible.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the background story they created for Jor-El and Thomas Wayne - it makes the friendship between these two mean so much more. There wasn't really much of an explaination for why Thomas Wayne never found Clark's capsule when it landed - my first impression was that he was already dead by the time the capsule landed (which means that his death now has a lot of meaning for Clark), however that doesn't really make too much sense as we know that Martha and Lara were pregnant at the same time, Clark was an infant when the Kents found him, and the Waynes were not murdered until Bruce was 8 (or 10 depending on which origin story you read). So there is a bit of a lapse in the logic of why Thomas wouldn't go back to the cornfield where this all happened to search for a spaceship containing an infant or at least keep a tab on any strange events happening in the area . . .

I read this last month so I might have forgotten something that explains that, but if you ignore that issue, the idea is fantastic and I hope they bring it up again and further explore the impact it has on the Batman/Superman dynamic.

[Liz.Loki · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

Three different stories, some I enjoyed more, some less.

The one about Thomas Wayne and Jor-El meeting was meh, it didn't convince me at all.

The one about the little superheroes was funny ngl little Batman was so cute and grumpy, I'll put him in a jar and shake him.

The one about Bruce and Clark switching powers – Bruce getting the super powers and Clark getting the genius mind – was my favourite. It gave the opportunity to explore both characters, Bruce's desire to be everywhere to help people and Clark's wish to live a normal life. It was very interesting and a good read.

[Javi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesante recopilación de historias. Mola ver el estilo cartoon de los mini super héroes, y su inocencia; así como el contrapunto de ve a Batman, un humano, corromperse con el poder infinito de Superman.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably closer to a 3.5. There were definitely some great parts! Some interesting looks into these two characters relationship. However, there were also a few parts where the pacing felt a bit off, as well as some illogical plot points. Great looking art!

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the stories in this issue. I really liked the story when Batman receives Superman's powers

[Rik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, mixture of short stories. One decent, one silly and one pretty good. Typical mixture of filler issues between arcs.

[Worm_on_the_books · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 rounded up to 5

As with the other Batman/Superman comic I have read, this one was again a blast!

[Guido · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recopila una saga de Superman/Batman anterior a los NEw 52 pero con varias versiones alternativas de los personajes. Listado pendiente.

[Dony Grayman · Rating 3 out of 5]

El tomo más cartoony de toda la colección. Creo que nunca tuve ningún issue en ediciones anteriores.

[Jeff Mccarley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Batman gets Superman's powers in this one, but also goes just a liiiiiiiiiiiiitle bit crazy.

It's always so much fun seeing Batman with powers. He's OP while human, but when he gets powers... he just fucks everyone up

[Quinn Rollins · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most interesting current comic books is titled simply Superman/Batman. From its beginning several years ago, the book has attracted intriguing writers and engaging artists, and although the result can be somewhat uneven, it's never boring. The most recent trade paperback is the 9th in the series, and collects issues #50 - 56 of the ongoing comic.

There are three different stories included here, each written by Michael Green and Mike Johnson, but illustrated by different teams of artists:

The Fathers tells a story about Bruce Wayne's father being psychically carried to Krypton, meeting Superman's father Jor-El shortly before that world's destruction. The two fathers of Earth's greatest heroes bond, and Jor-El is comforted to know that his son will eventually find a good home. Batman dismisses the story as wish fulfillment--of course Superman buys it lock, stock and barrel.

Lil' Leaguers was the reason I bought the comic book--the artwork by Rafael Albuquerque portrays a story that has Batman and Superman confronted with child versions of themselves, and then the entire Justice League, and then their worst enemies. Similar in style to Marvel's "Superhero Squad" or DC's "Tiny Titans," it's a fun story that has more depth to it than I expected. And watching (adult) Batman trying to babysit a team of super-powered kids was worth buying the entire book.

Superbat is a story that's been told a few times, but it's both entertaining and thought-provoking here. What if Superman didn't have any powers? And what if Batman had Superman's abilities? Through a magical mishap while chasing a villain, that's exactly what happens. Batman quickly adapts to having a broader range of abilities, but soon becomes his own worst nightmare--a fascist superman, willing to do anything to ensure that justice is done. It's a frightening thought, but an entertaining story.

All three of these stories explore and deepen the relationship between these two heroes. They also highlight the contrast that the two embody in the DC Universe, and why the two together make for such a good team. If you're a fan of Superman or Batman, but you're not really up to speed on the last twenty years of what's happening in DC Comics, these are still enjoyable, standalone stories. What matters is the man beneath the cape and the cowl, and that's unchanged.

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is loaded with creators and storylines and none of them are equal to what has come before. This book has always been about big ideas and that isn’t necessarily the case here. The first story, while having good art throws a horrible retcon connecting Bruce and Clark with no real need to. The second story, while having a bunch of hilariously cute moments, doesn’t have a plot worth caring about. However the Lil’ Leaguers could have their own series. The last story has an interesting concept but there are too many pitfalls for it to come together. There are so many wholes in the plot that any novice comics fan could point out. The art here by Rags Morales is very good though. Overall this collection is pretty random but a good enough to check out.

[Anya · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one wasn't so bad, but maybe my expectations for this series (and Superman/JLA comics) have fallen so low that it doesn't even have to be good anymore. This is the only Superman/Batman comic I've read where Batman plays a major role in the story, which is surprising, these are supposed to be Superman/BATMAN stories, not just JLA. Anyway, better than all the rest I've read, but not so great... the power-switch storyline makes Batman as emotional and unthinkingly reactive as Superman usually is, while Superman suddenly becomes self-reflective and almost intelligent, although no where near as smart as Batman even in his dumbed-down state that he usually is in JLA stories.

[Ryan Mishap · Rating 3 out of 5]

Guess I'm taking a scatter-shot approach to procuring and reading this series but that is no more than the authors are doing, as illustrated by stories involving Supe's and Bat's father meeting and tiny, cute superheroes from another dimension being introduced into our world. They even have a character mention how many issue this would sell. Still, despite the marketing cynicism, they pull off a couple interesting things.

The last story arc involving Batman getting Superman's powers is the strongest.

[Steven Shinder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any story featuring both Batman and Superman is very likely to please, and this one succeeded! Secrets about the fathers of the two titular superheroes are revealed. This is followed by a story that features DC heroes from a less violent dimension in which everyone is smaller. The concluding 4-issue spanning story involves Batman and Superman switching abilities with each other. Readers get to realize how much Batman and Superman really wish that they could be like each other. The artwork is an incredible addition to this astounding volume!

[Jeffrey Jelmeland · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one proved to be a very well put together storyline. I was not super fond of the cartoon characters segment, which is why I didn't give this a full 5 stars, but the rest of the story arc was extremely well done. Ever wonder what Batman would do if he had Superman's powers? Wonder no more! Very well done, and it really gave a look into the minds of the characters, more than making up for the terseness of the prior volume.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading the Superbat segment. Seeing Bruce use Clark's powers was great. Exploring limits, boundaries and morals is one of the best things about comics. And of course, I really loved the mini justice league parts. Do they show up again anywhere else? Other than in Superman/Batman: Search for Kryptonite?

[Trey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A couple of fun reads, including a Thomas Wayne/Jor-El team-up (seriously!), the li'l Leaguers, and a five-issue storyline where Batman gets Superman's powers. This isn't going to win any awards, but I enjoyed it.

[Kevin Izworski · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was fun, but kind of cheesy. The 1st story was OK, and the one with Batman getting Superman's power was kind of. The "squeaky clean" other dimension hero visitor stories was a little painful to read.

[Stan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oops ... not great.