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It’s the end to “Heir to the Kingdom,” and while it’s been an entertaining story, I’ve had my doubts about how the conclusion would turn out. One of the things I was wondering was whether or not Darkseid would get knocked out with (relative) ease, much like Gog in the previous issue, resulting in a cheap ending. So, can the creative team stick the landing? Let’s have a look.
This is a good issue. The creative team makes some great narrative choices that lead to a heartfelt conclusion, but at the same time there’s some stuff here that just isn’t quite working for me. What I think works well, is how the focus is more on the reason why these characters are fighting rather than the fighting itself. For example, David finds a way to save the world, and he truly believes that he’s being heroic. However, he has to kill in order to achieve this goal, and the other heroes vehemently disagree with that, which leads to David being rejected and scolded at. It’s an emotional moment, where even Batman and Superman—who had been trying to help David—turn against him. This conflict gets resolved in this same issue, on the very last page. While it happens a bit too quickly, as there isn’t enough time to sit with the moment and sort of process what the characters are going through before the story ends, I think it’s still a powerful ending to David and Superman’s shared character arc that started back in “Strange Visitor” and now concludes in “Heir to the Kingdom.” The ending is uplifting, ending on a positive note, and I enjoy that.
Yet, what I don’t quite enjoy, is that argument between David and the heroes that happens earlier, after David kills to save the world. The heroes take a hard stance, stating that killing is always wrong, no matter what. Now, I don’t want to get into a discussion about when killing is or isn’t justified, because that’s way beyond the scope of this review, but I do want to point out that David literally only had seconds to act. Batman’s argument about having options and that backup is on the way is a bit silly, because if David had waited a moment longer, Darkseid would have stolen the Anti-Life Equation and the entire universe would have been doomed. Even if the other heroes could have arrived in time to fight Darkseid, I don’t think that would have made much of a difference seeing how Darkseid just wrecks everyone that’s already there—including two Supermen at the same time!
What I dislike more than seeing characters like Batman say silly stuff, is seeing every single hero instantly rejecting David without even taking a second to actually think about what just happened. Especially Superman’s anger seems rather childish to me, even if he does have a change of heart and forgives David at the end. I think Waid is trying to present an interesting moral dilemma in this comic, and perhaps it would have worked if Waid simply had more than about 20 pages to tell his story. But, as it stands, it just falls flat for me.
Despite that criticism, it’s still an enjoyable issue, and a big reason for that is the fantastic artwork by Mora and Bonvillain. It’s action-packed, and we see heroes fighting as hard as they can, ending up battered and bruised. Darkseid looks intimidating and all-powerful, as not even the Supermen’s punches are strong enough to stop him, not even making him flinch. Mora draws him in a relaxed pose, casually walking across the battlefield, stepping on fallen heroes along the way. The action is super easy to follow and Waid allows the art to tell some of the story, particularly the scene where David ends up killing. What’s more, characters’ faces are pitch-perfect, always reflecting the correct emotion in every scene, making them appear so lifelike. Perhaps the only bit of criticism that I have for Mora is that some of the backgrounds are a bit bland as the area in which the fight is taking place is just a barren landscape that we barely get to see at all. However, with the focus mainly being on the characters, and with all the wonderful action on display, I don’t really mind. Lastly, Bonvillain’s colors set a moody and serious tone throughout the book and really make you feel the weight of the situation, and then shift to beautifully nostalgic golds and greens during the final scene. Even if you dislike the scene where the heroes and David argue, the art more than makes up for it.
Recommended if…
- Darkseid is your favorite and most-feared villain.
- You want to see how David’s story comes out.
- Dan Mora and Tamra Bonvillain—the real World’s Finest duo!
Overall: It’s a pretty good ending for “Heir to the Kingdom,” but there’s some wackiness occurring when David and the heroes get mad at each other. Other than that, the book is well-written and well-drawn, and definitely worth checking out if you’ve been reading this arc. But if you are new to this series, I recommend skipping this issue and waiting a month for the next one, as that should provide a nice jumping-on point.
Score: 7.5/10
Disclaimer: DC Comics provided Batman News with a copy of this comic for the purpose of this review.
Announcement: After reviewing comics for Batman News for a total of seven years, I have finally decided that it’s time to move on. Therefore, this is my final review for the foreseeable future. I might be back for a review here or there if I ever feel like it, and I might post an essay or an op-ed style article, but for now I just need a break from comics news. I love working for Batman News, or I wouldn’t have been doing it for seven years. The problem is simply the poor quality of comics that DC has been putting out. It’s become a chore to review any of it—although World’s Finest has been fun, hence I decided to end my review tenure with this title. Moreover, I’m tired of all the rage-bait articles and videos I see elsewhere online; there’s just too much negativity surrounding comics at the moment. Thanks everyone that’s been reading my reviews and thanks to the Batman News Family for having me. My journey here began with a review of a Superman issue, and ends with Batman/Superman, so it feels like it’s all come full circle. Now I’m going to read only what I enjoy, and I’m looking forward to that!
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