Batman / Superman: World's Finest #40

Batman/Superman: World's Finest #40 is an immensely enjoyable read. It's an excellent jumping-on point for new readers and a fantastic reminder for long-time fans of why this series continues to be one of the best books on the stands. Waid and Gutierrez have crafted a near-perfect single issue that exemplifies the fun, heart, and heroism that define the “World's Finest” legacy. Read Full Review

A fantastic single issue story that highlights the strengths of our leads, but also their side characters. Read Full Review

This is an incredibly packed issue for only around 20 pages, and it delivers in every way. It's action-packed, it's funny, and it even has some important commentary about the state of alternative media. It's great to see characters like Perry White and Jim Gordon get to play the starring role for a change. Read Full Review

Batman/Superman: Worlds Finest #40 is the most jam-packed and out-of-pocket one-shot in the series. It continues the series tradition of spotlighting supporting characters from Superman and Batmans respective casts, but this time has far more to excite the reader. Read Full Review

Batman/Superman: Worlds Finest #40 is a breather issue with a twistits light on superheroics, heavy on character, and somehow makes late-night satire feel like high-stakes drama. Waid and Mora once again prove that Batman and Superman dont need to throw punches to deliver a knockout. Read Full Review

I had a great time with Batman/Superman: World's Finest #40! Mark Waid knows how to keep your eyes glued to the pages, with the fantastic creative team behind him. Read Full Review

Batman/Superman: World's Finest #40 is the perfect interlude to the next arc that promises some Bizarro action. The creative team has put together an incredibly fun and exciting issue with a simple concept that goes a long way. Mark Waid continues to prove why he is one of the greatest comic book writers by seamlessly combining the lightheartedness of Silver Age comics while still making the plots feel incredibly modern. Read Full Review

Of course, what if Superman was somewhere else? Or couldn't save everyone? A drummed up catastrophe is horrific. So I don't know if I need a story about 'dude-bro' podcasters being smarmy and inciting (Kaiju) violence. But it was punctuated by excellent art and some fun character moments. That Bruce smirk probably kicked this up a notch. Read Full Review

The hooks for Batman/Superman: World's Finest #40 are clear: the inherent fun of having Gordon and Perry do a TV/Podcast interview, and obviously seeing a giant robot fight against a kaiju. The fight itself certainly delivers, with plenty of big pages of exciting action as they duke it out. The problem is that everything else, interview included, feels so rushed that it only barely holds itself together. It's flashy yet superficial action that's can be lots of fun but definitely needs more room to breathe. Read Full Review

motorik

Jun 18, 2025

This was a good isolated story. A pleasant break from Waid's big crossover event.

ResearchReader

Oct 26, 2025

Story was great honestly. I enjoyed pretty much everything thing about it, but mostly because I was able to overlook all the glaring issues in it. Waid is doing everything in the bronze and silver age. That is cool. I love it. But you cannot do a modern day event like podcasting, and 'the bros' yet set it in that era. It makes no sense. If this was current batman and superman then sure, but it isnt. Waid is usually really into the lore and keeping things making sense ect. This is a weird fail in that regards. I really enjoyed Perry and Gordon's interactions though. They make a great team.

Simon DelMonte

Jul 13, 2025

Kind of fluffy, and why not just make the bad guy a talk show host instead of going for something overly contemporary. (A video podcast isn't a podcast, it's just more video!) And if you want to see Jim Gordon and Perry White, much better to read another World's Finest, the one by Dave Gibbons and Steve Rude.

BatSledge

Jun 19, 2025

A rare misfire by Waid for me. Nothing about this story really clicked for me. The story is set in the past, bronze-age adjacent as we’ve seen in this book previously, but the video podcasting gimmick seems pretty contemporary. The out-of-nowhere kaiju Batman super suit that seems to be the size of a skyscraper?! Never seen again to my knowledge. The lame villains. Even the artwork wasn’t up to usual standards. It all reeks of a hastily-written fill-in issue. While I love the occasional one-and-done single issue stories, this one just didn’t work for me.