Cover Art of Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #48 - Written by Mark Waid, with art by Marcus To and colors by Tamra Bonvillain. Cover Art by Dan Mora.
“This idiot thought it would be wise to taunt me.”
Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #48 begins with… stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but… the Wayne family in an alleyway outside the Monarch Theater. As a thug approaches the Waynes, Thomas goes for his gun and clicks the trigger, only to horrifically realize it is not loaded. The thug guns the Waynes down, but this is not Batman’s story. This is not Bruce Wayne. This kid took the bullets out of his father's gun. This kid made a deal with the thug to give him half of the inheritance money. This kid’s name is Thomas Wayne Jr., also known as Owlman.
What opens with a horrific act of violence only escalates as Owlman and Ultraman, the Earth-3 doppelgängers of the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel, take center stage in Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #48: Day for Night, Part One. Mark Waid crafts a tale of violence across Earth-3, as the dastardly duo search for something of immense power that was discovered by S.T.A.R. Labs. Guest artist Marcus To is a welcome addition to this issue, and his art hit a home run for me, featuring colors from World’s Finest stalwart, Tamra Bonvillain. This was a fun first half of the two-issue arc; let’s get into it.
Spoiler Warning now in effect for Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #48.
On the Trail of a S.T.A.R Labs Mystery…
From the confines of the alleyway in Gotham, we jump ahead twenty years to see Ultraman terrorizing the citizens of Metropolis while Owlman chases down the Riddler at Gothamforge Steel. The Crime Syndicate, as we know it, does not exist yet. We get a quick reminder of just how unlike Owlman and Batman are when Ultraman arrives at Gothamforge Steel and watches Owlman kick the Riddler through a metal fence and into a vat of molten steel. The way Owlman kills without a hint of regret is yet another reinforcement of how different he is from Batman, and how different the world is that shaped him to be this way.
Owlman then discusses an opportunity for the duo to possibly “level up” in their world, if they can get their hands on this item of "incalculable value and power” that S.T.A.R. Labs has found. Owlman reveals that one of his Talons, which is Earth-3’s version of Robin, got him the intel on where the item might be. In a small flashback, we see Talon delivering the news to Owlman of Dr. Niles Caulder’s involvement as he dies in Owlman’s arms. Maybe Owlman will finally show some heart and mourn for his fallen ally? Not a chance, as he tells Alfred to go grab another orphan boy from a cage inside the Batcave. Waid does a great job in this initial act of the issue to get readers to understand the cruelty in Owlman’s heart and the lack of any sort of empathy from either Ultraman or Owlman. Earth-3 is a dark world with criminals at its forefront, and Waid does not shy away from showing how cruel it can be.
Before we continue on, there is one other tiny bit of a scene I want to put the spotlight on from this first act of the issue. When Owlman and Ultraman land on the roof across the street from the headquarters of Dr. Caulder and the Doom Syndicate, the next Talon up is already waiting for the duo. He sounds extremely nervous to be there, because he knows just how expendable he is and that once he goes down, and he will go down, the next poor soul is ready to take his place. He tries to offer a simple “Hi, my name is…” to Ultraman, who quickly shuts him down and says, “I really don’t care.”
Superman and Robin have had so many great meetings on Earth Prime, and this little exchange, where Ultraman does not even bother to learn the new Talon’s name because he is that replaceable, hurts that much more when you see what kind of relationship these characters have on another world. This is just a tiny, poignant moment in this great issue.
Ultraman and Owlman take on the Doom Syndiate and the Metal Men
Ultraman and Owlman meet with the Doom Syndicate in their base of operations and learn from Dr. Caulder that he is no longer in possession of the item in question from S.T.A.R. Labs, but he will gladly tell them where it is in exchange for something. The duo opens a case containing the hands of five of the rogues of Central City, still clutching their weapons. Either they are dead, or they are heavily maimed somewhere. Caulder rejects the offer, and the battle is on.
In one of my favorite overall sequences from this issue, Ultraman and Owlman hold nothing back as they decimate the Doom Syndicate piece by piece. There are some wild kills in this sequence, including how Ultraman sends Cliff Steele to his death. Marcus To’s art just pops off the page here. I love the heavy use of shadows throughout this issue, as this is a darker story deserving of this darker style of art, and it really works. To’s art also has great movement to it, making the violence feel incredibly visceral.
I also want to bring attention to the colors of Tamra Bonvillain in this issue. They are not bright or vibrant, but instead, dark and muted. Ultraman’s suit is not the bright blue of Superman, but rather a blue so deep it can almost look black in some panels. The yellow and red of his suit follows the same muted trend. Owlman’s suit features another dark shade of blue.
Even in scenes where there are superhero powers going off, weapons being shot, and explosions occurring, Bonvillain sticks with her muted colored panels. She uses everything from sickly greens to deep blacks to dark reds and oranges. It is a really cool color scheme for this issue, and it is a perfect fit for this adventure on Earth-3. I really like the partnership of Marcus To and Tamra Bonvillain, and I am excited to see more of their version of Earth-3 next issue.
After completely demolishing the Doom Syndicate, Dr. Niles Caulder, who has been left in quite a horrible situation, tells the duo of Ultraman and Owlman that Dr. Will Magnus is in possession of the mysterious S.T.A.R. Labs item. With that information, a trip to visit the Metal Men is on the agenda. Subtlety is not Ultraman and Owlman’s cup of tea, so they bust through the wall of Magnus Robotics while Dr. Magnus is working on one of the Metal Men, Tina. It is not so subtly implied that she is his lover, and no sooner does she try to defend her man than does Ultraman rip through her chest and crush her mechanical heart.
Owlman’s interrogation of Dr. Magnus is cut short when one of the Metal Men, Mercury, begins to incapacitate him. Dr. Magnus has a surprise for Ultraman, as he hurts him with blue kryptonite radiation lamps on two of his robots. It looks like the two villains may have indeed met their match, but you knew it was not going to end well, right? Superwoman, Earth-3’s Lois Lane, answers her husband’s distress call, and not only does she destroy the kryptonite robots, but she also rips Mercury out of the insides of Owlman and obliterates him. More incredible art from Marcus To and great color choices from Tamra Bonvillain give this scene of violence the brutal artistic companion it deserves.
In a final act of desperation, Dr. Magnus makes a run for it and tries to find someone to save him and protect the item he has from S.T.A.R. Labs. To no one’s surprise, he meets an untimely end at the hand of one of Owlman’s owl-rangs. Ultraman, Owlman, and Superwoman gather in front of the room where the item is being kept, and Ultraman rips the door off, revealing none other than the Superman and Batman we know and love chained up inside. How did they get there? Who put them there? How are they going to get home? Issue #49 is already shaping up to be really fun.
Mark Waid’s depictions of Ultraman and Owlman are as menacing as ever, and matched with the shadowy and kinetic art stylings of Marcus To and the moody, muted colors from Tamra Bonvillain, Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #48: Day for Night, Part One is another solid addition to one of DC’s best series.
With the landmark issue #50 and the return of Dan Mora to the World’s Finest universe on the horizon, it has never been a better time for you to jump in and check this book out if you are on the fence about it. Waid has shown he not only has a handle on Superman and Batman, but on their evil counterparts as well. I loved this issue, and you will too.
Rating: 9/10