As Worlds’ Finest comes to an end with issue #32 we get one of the best issues this series has ever scene. Worlds’ Finest was never some magnum opus in the New 52 lineup, but it did stick it out and at time provided us with some pretty good stories. That being said, if you are going to go out, you might as well go out with a bang, and the book does just that. Worlds’ Finest #32 will make you forget about the uneven nature of the series and handles a series finale with care and love.
The end of the Secret History! The death of Lois Lane! Oh yeah, and the invasion begins!
Jed Dougherty does a fantastic weaving two distinct narratives into a single cohesive story. As this issue continues Lois Lane recapping her death, the entire thing is also paralleled by what is happening with Wonder Woman and Batman. At times the narration will be focusing on Lois Lane and her last days, but also mirror other events unknown to her. It’s a nice way to set the story and keep a continuous flow to it all while still showing multiple plot lines.
Batman and Wonder Woman are dealing with a god of Apokolips, the former creating a sword of kryptonite to take on this adversary. While the duo (and those of earth) are not aware of these beings from Apokolips and their origins, they do manage to dispose of this lone god. It’s nothing amazing in how they do it, but the way in which it is presented is quite the shocker.
You see, we already know Lois Lane is going to die, she made mention that see is recounting her final days through the narration. What we don’t know is how that comes to pass, or how she is reflecting on these thoughts after it. The book parallels the killing blow delivered by Batman and Wonder Woman, an event that begins the war with Apokolips, with the way Lois Lane is stabbed while conducting an interview at the Daily Planet, ending her life.
This shows great care with the story as we realize these two major events are connected. The death of Lois Lane marks the ending of the innocence of this world, while the killing of the god of Apokolips signifies a new beginning that leads to the end of this world. This story is a fantastic goodbye to the series and is almost too good to be stuck with this uneven series. If the series could have held all its arcs to this high quality, Worlds’ Finest would have been a major player in the New 52.
From a storytelling perspective the book works, but the art is where things start to unravel. For such a tale of death and destruction we get some almost comic strip style artwork. Visually we never feel the weight of the words on the page and the cartoonish style, especially during the funeral scene leaves you wanting. It manages to take a moment that we’ve been waiting for and turn it into something from the Sunday comics section.
At the end of the day Worlds’ Finest #32 leaves this world behind on a high note. While the art doesn’t quite belong, the story will hit you and leave you feeling some genuine sadness for many of these characters. But the death of Lois Lane isn’t quite the end for her as a character as she continues to narrate the end of the world. The book will leave you with a surprise ending that see Lois Lane the last person to stand against Apokolips and facing a second death with grace and dignity. It’s and ending that makes the book worth a pickup.
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