What is old is new again. That is the early indication of events circling the Justice League. Gorilla Grodd has been revealed as the catalyst of their latest problems.
His manipulations of Air Wave led to a breakdown in the JL’s latest initiative. This became the tip of an evil iceberg. Grodd’s allies in this endeavor have been revealed to be the Legion of Doom!
BATMAN/SUPERMAN: WORLD'S FINEST 2025 ANNUAL #1 by Mark Waid, Christopher Cantwell, Dan McDaid, John Kalisz, Morgan Hampton, Clayton Henry, Neeraj Menon, and Steve Wands breaks down how their involvement spans more time than one may think.
Let’s continue to break down the “We Are Yesterday” crossover!
BATMAN/SUPERMAN: WORLD'S FINEST 2025 ANNUAL #1 by Mark Waid, Christopher Cantwell, Dan McDaid, John Kalisz, Morgan Hampton, Clayton Henry, Neeraj Menon, and Steve Wands (DC COMICS)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
The writing bring out the most unlikely of scenarios. Readers watch as Grodd breaks down each member with pin-point accuracy. Grodd’s insulting of the fellow villains leads to entertaining exchanges. The back and forth between Grodd and Luthor fully illustrates the egos involved. Once cooler heads prevail, the story starts taking its’ final form.
Seeing the classic Legion vs. JL lineups match-up becomes a true treat for fans. The writing indicates how combustible this team truly is. Grodd’s quarterbacking attempts to keep others in check. This ultimately leads into a strong finish. Readers watch as the picture becomes into focus as to how two time periods mesh. It also tips off a new wrinkle in Grodd’s plans. Events are capped off with a solid cliffhanger as a result. This is textbook superhero storytelling.
McDaid and Kalisz kick off events with Grodd’s analyzing the Legion at hand. The full page grid image reveals much and one character’s steals the scene. A two page spread illustrates a frightening picture to the legion. Their reactions are priceless leading into their fight against the league.
The fight at the Flash Museum starts with a strong near full shot of Superman and Bizzaro. Pacing keeps events moving right along into another classic fight. Joker on fear toxin warrants a wild full page image. Other members get their page time in before leading back to Grodd. His scheming comes to fruition and showcases his overconfidence. Events conclude with a very mysterious final panel. Even with prep time, Batman is gonna have a tough time explaining this image.
Hampton, Henry, and Menon construct a superb story about John Stewart. The flashback sequences reinforce his drive into becoming a hero. Turning tragedy into triumph rings through each page. Events conclude with the full emergence of a legendary hero. It ends events in the past by building towards a bright future.
OVERALL GRADE: 8.8
The Legion of Doom’s venture into the future starts with a chaotic & entertaining start. Seeing Grodd’s schemes come into light shines in the writing. McDaid and company craft classic superhero confrontations with the art. The final panel tips off more paradoxes in the mix which is never a bad thing in this crossover.
Let me know in the comments below your thoughts on BATMAN/SUPERMAN: WORLD'S FINEST 2025 ANNUAL #1. Thanks for reading!