World’s Finest has always been my favorite DC title because of the incredible work from the core creative team. However, this annual features different creators, although Mora did contribute the cover and Waid collaborated with Cullen Bunn on the first story. So, is World’s Finest still worth reading with different creators behind it? Let’s find out.
This annual is an anthology with four stories from different creative teams. The first story, “Imperiled,” co-written by Waid and Bunn, features expressive and cute art by Edwin Galmon, with vibrant colors from Loughridge. The artwork is chaotic but easy to follow, with Bat-Mite and his friends darting across the panels. However, the plot and characterizations in this story are not very interesting. It’s mainly a bunch of chibi versions of the JLA having nonsensical conversations, with villains appearing to create more chaos. It feels like a quick teaser for the next story arc rather than a complete story. Score: 4/10.
The second story, “Ties That Bind,” follows Metamorpho after the events of the main World’s Finest series. The artwork by Travis Mercer is more in line with what you would expect from a superhero comic, with kinetic and action-packed visuals. However, the writing feels rushed, with barely enough room for character development or plot progression. The story touches on Metamorpho’s relationship with his dad but doesn’t explore it fully. It’s an okay adventure, but nothing remarkable. Score: 6/10.
“Sting Like A Bee” presents a simple and wholesome story about Bumblebee’s origin. It’s nice to see an origin that doesn’t involve dark and emo themes, but it doesn’t delve deep into what it means to be a superhero. The story feels rushed, with little room for theme development. The art by Rosi Kämpe has some rough edges but captures the character of Karen well. Score: 6/10.
The final story, “Time Check,” features art by Jorge Fornes, which is the highlight of the entire issue. The character designs, panel layouts, and psychedelic action are meticulously crafted. However, the writing falls short in terms of character exploration and a clear objective for the main characters. It can be confusing due to the limited pages. Nevertheless, Fornes’ art makes it worth the read. Score: 7/10.
Overall, this annual is skippable. The first story lacks substance, the second and third stories lack room for development, and the last story is visually stunning but lacks clarity. I would only recommend this to die-hard fans of Jorge Fornes or World’s Finest completionists. Others are better off waiting for the next monthly issue of the main series. Total Score: 6/10.
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