A new story is going to detail the very first meeting between the Joker and Lex Luthor. Batman/Superman: World’s Finest has already shed light on the earliest days of DC’s greatest heroes. But a new story is about to reveal the circumstances behind the first teamup between the iconic DC villains.
With a new year finally here, DC fans are looking at what lies ahead in the latest batch of solicitations. As the Jungle League debuts and Godzilla and Kong’s crossover with the Justice League races towards its conclusion, Batman/Superman: World’s Finest begins a surprising new arc. This oversized issue celebrates the title’s second anniversary and to honor the occasion, it puts the Joker and Lex Luthor into the spotlight. Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #25 features a lead story that will showcase an ‘unholy alliance’ that details the very first meeting between Batman and Superman’s greatest enemies. The book also teases the next phase of World’s Finest with a story featuring the surprising new antagonist, Doom-Mite.
- Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #25
- Release Date: 3/19/24
- Writer: Mark Waid
- Artist: Dan Mora, Steve Pugh
- Cover Artist: Dan Mora, Steve Pugh
- Variant Cover Artists: Jamal Campbell, Dustin Nguyen, Dave Johnson, Joelle Jones, Alvaro Martinez Bueno, Dan Mora, Christian Ward, Stevan Subic
- Join Batman and Superman as the World’s Finest team celebrates 25 issues of World’s Finest! This oversized special issue takes our heroes around the DCU and beyond—with a special lead story that will at last showcase the first meeting between The Joker and Lex Luthor. The World’s Finest villains form an unholy alliance and will send chills down the spines of the DCU Heroes forevermore! PLUS: Spinning out of the events of the World’s Finest Annual, Doom-Mite strikes and points the way to the next World’s Finest epic!
Joker and Lex Luthor’s First Team-Up Will Finally Be Told
Batman/Superman: World’s Finest has served as a modern look at some of Batman and Superman’s earliest adventures. The series has reexamined pivotal moments in the two heroes’ lives, such as their first meeting and their encounter with the Devil Nezha, the villain behind Batman vs. Robin. The series has also added to the characters’ history with some startling revelations, like Superman’s forgotten sidekick, Boy Thunder, the young hero who grew up to become Kingdom Come’s pivotal character Magog. The series has been so successful, that it received a spin-off title focusing on the earliest lineup of the Teen Titans and their adventures.
While Batman and Superman don’t see eye to eye on everything, they’ve teamed up frequently due to their shared desire for justice and peacekeeping. Lex Luthor and Joker might both be on the side of evil, but rarely do they desire the same thing. Generally, Lex wants Superman dead or defeated to show human superiority over alienkind. Joker’s goals are less defined and all he cares about are committing demented crimes that align with his sick sense of humor. There’s very little that these two have in common, but a story that reveals their first team-up could be an interesting look at their past.
What Will Push the Joker and Lex Luthor Together?
Much like Batman and Superman, Joker and Lex are near opposites of one another. Lex is cold and methodical while Joker is wild and unpredictable. While it doesn’t seem like those two things would work well together, it’s not the worst idea to put them together. It’s something neither Bruce nor Clark would ever see coming and the villains’ partnership could push them to greater heights. Because the story is set in the past, fans obviously don’t have to worry about any real trouble for Batman or Superman. But it will be fascinating all the same to see what kind of damage Joker and Lex Luthor can do together.
Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #25 is available from DC Comics on March 19th.
