WORLD'S FINEST: OUR WORLDS AT WAR #1
"Finale"
Mildly Recommended (6/10)
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DC Comics
Writer: Jeph Loeb
Pencils: Mike Wieringo, Doug Mahnke, Phil Jimenez, Mark Buckingham, Bill SIenkiewicz, Yvel Guichet, Pascual Ferry, Todd Nauck, Duncan Rouleau & Ed McGuinness
Inks: Jose Marzan Jr., Walden Wong, Mark Morales, Wayne Faucher, Bill Sienkiewicz, Dexter Vines, Marlo Alquiza, Lary Stucker, Duncan Rouleau & Cam Smith
Colors: Zylonol Studio
Letters: Comicraft
Editor: Eddie Berganza
Price: $2.95 US/$4.95 CAN |
Though for the most part these Our Worlds ar War specials have fallen flat for me, this one actually captured the sense that the characters really were trying to recover in the aftermath of a war. Still, Loeb assumes that the reader has followed the three-month storyline meticulously, leaving those of us who were only occasional readers out of the loop.
Imperiex and Brainiac-13 have been vanquished, and Apokalips has returned to its home dimension. Earth and its alien allies have triumphed in the war, but at what cost? Queen Hippolyta, Wonder Woman's mother, lies dead, as does Major Sam Lane, father to Lois. Aquaman, his kingdom and Superman's adoptive parents are among the missing. Young Justice is lost on Apokalips, and Batman frets over Robin's fate. The heroes have won, but it doesn't feel like it.
The use of multiple art teams seems appropriate, given the immensity of the crossover. The shift from style to style isn't too jarring, as each change marks a different scene, with a different tone and focus. Sienkiewicz's two-page spread was impressive, and there really wasn't any subpar art to be found in the book at all.
What happened to Ma and Pa Kent? Strange Visitor? Sam Lane? Frank Rock? There are way too many unanswered questions here. One could argue that this was only for those who were really into the crossover, but accessibility is important as well, especially when the publisher puts that coveted "#1" on the cover. I also found the inclusion of the McArthur speech, though perhaps relevant, to be quite intrusive.
Despite my confusion over key plot elements, Loeb offers up a pleasant collection of vignettes, conveying the myriad of ways that people deal with pain and loss. My favorite was easily the drinking session that three members of the original Justice Society have to honor Hippolyta, who served the JSA's Wonder Woman in the 1940s and 50s. It rang true, as that's the sort of thing I'd like my friends to do when my time comes.
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