Loss of one of the Worlds' Finest - Worlds' Finest #1

 

Rebirth

Worlds' Finest #1

Cover Date: July 2012

Released: 2nd May 2012

⋅ Writers: Paul Levitz ⋅ Pencilers: George Pérez / Kevin Maguire ⋅

⋅ Inkers: Scott Koblish / Kevin Maguire ⋅

⋅ Colourists: Hi-Fi Design / Rosemary Cheetham ⋅ 

⋅ Letterers: Carlos M. Mangual ⋅ Editors: Wil Moss ⋅ 

 

Whilst I was planning to cover the New 52 this week, I thought it only fair to skip from the earliest comics to cover this issue. The reason being sadly the death of George Pérez this previous weekend (6th May 2022). From all I've heard Mr. Pérez was a lovely man who really seemed to enjoy comic books and their fans. I don't think my word could ever do the man justice, but I'd like to dedicate this to his memory.

Regardless of what you think of the New 52, you have to admire that it wasn't afraid to experiment and try new things. Things like World's Finest. I dipped into the New 52 when it launched but only a few of the comics I kept collection, a fewer to the bitter end. One of them was Earth 2 and the other Worlds' Finest.

We start in Tokyo with Helena burning a passport for one Helena Bertinelli, a fake identity we later find out of Helena Wayne (though she mentions that Bertinelli was a real person). Before she and Kara talk about what identity she should adopt next. This is a reference to a previous Huntress mini-series that ended with Kara picking her friend up to bring her here for this story.

After a splash page image to show the heroes these two women are, Kara in a Supergirl costume and Helena in a Robin costume. Kara explains she's here to buy an R&D company, explaining that in a short time she's become a rich industrialist. They're called away from the Tokyo restaurant after Kara receives a mysterious call.

It seems that the lab in question renamed Starr Lab's after Kara civilian identity, is currently on fire. After something called a Quantum Tunnler (something we'll get back to with Mr. Terrefic) she rushes into the fire to rescue the equipment. After her goes Helena who complains as she changes into her Huntress costume and being the daughter of (her Earths) Greatest Detective quickly works out it was done with incendiary charges.

Kara meanwhile, whom the comics refer to throughout as Karen, is inspecting the damaged Quantum Tunnler something she "borrowed" from Holt (Mr. Terrefic). As a device that would allow the two to get back home. She also notes, using supervision, that one of the radioactive containers has been stolen as well.  

We then get a quick flashback to five years ago (drawn by Maguire) and showing how the two were flung from Earth 2 (where some of this is taken from) and ended up on Earth-Prime. Quickly realizing they're on another Earth they quickly adjust and come up with a plan of action. Deciding they can't trust the heroes here, seeing as on their Earth there was some betrayal from Darkseid's invasion, so Helena borrows some money from this world's Batman (Bruce must use the same passwords on all worlds). Kara uses it to found her own company Starr Enterprises whilst Helena goes all vigilante as Huntress.

Flashing back to now Kara reveals to Helena that she's decided to adopt a new identity, calling herself Power Girl for the first time (at least for this Earth) and reveals a new costume.

Ah, the costume! Personally, I think it's fine, it's nowhere near the worse by any mark. I'm not one that needs the boob window and the use of colours is really nice, it just doesn't grab me like some of the others do. Maybe it's nothing more than I'm used to classic looks, but I have no strong feeling either way.

Power Girl goes flying off, only to be knocked back by a powerful blow from whoever caused all this damage here. We get some lovely moments here showing the friendship of the two women, preparing for the attack by the glowing villain. And on the last page we get the reveal of the villain, someone called Hakkou, The Irradiated Man. Yeah, you wouldn't have heard of him as this series is more or less his only appearance.

I think this issue does a pretty good job of setting up the premise of the comic, and we quickly get a feel of the two characters. Though it carefully takes the whole issue to set up what the characters are doing, Unlike Infinity Inc though, my whipping horse de jour, this is all you need and now the comic can get on telling the story of the two characters trying to achieve their goals. I might have a little bit of nostalgia, for 2012 (a decade gone now!), but I still enjoy this issue now just as I did back then.