Mark Waid finally makes his return for DC's Batman/Superman: World's Finest

Batman/Superman: World's Finest #20 will see veteran comic book writer Mark Waid make a triumphant comeback to the DC Universe. In the much-awaited five-story arc titled Heir to the Kingdom, Batman and Superman will be joined by their gritty counterparts from the iconic Kingdom Come storyline.

More characters from their homeworld and Earth-22 will accompany the duo in this arc, revisiting the legendary 1996 story. Mark Waid will be working with an outstanding roster, including Dan Mora, Tamra Bonvillain, and Steve Wands, to bring this epic narrative to life, according to an official announcement from DC.

This thrilling voyage through the world of earth-22 explores how the altered counterparts of our favorite heroes came to be and also offers a continuation of character arcs from Kingdom Come. The storyline is set to begin with The Golden Calf, the first installment of the arc.

Original cover by Dan Mora for issue #20 (Image via DC)

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Batman/Superman: World's Finest will revisit the apocalyptic world of Kingdom Come

Mark Waid wrote the groundbreaking Kingdom Come mini-series with the legendary illustrator Alex Ross in 1996. In an exclusive interview with CBR, he expressed his delight about returning to this historic world in Batman/Superman: World's Finest, which, as he claimed, also functions as a prequel of sorts.

Mark Waid also discussed the reasons for his return and motivations. He said there is a lot of it because this (the arc) isn't really a sequel but more of a prequel.

"We do flash-forward a few pages into post-Kingdom Come, just to set up the world, but most of this is taking place in the before-times in an area of time somewhere between the World's Finest era and now in the DCU, This provides us the ability to examine every single character from the Kingdom Come Universe, as well as how they vary from our own characters and how they grew to be the characters we know today.“

Kingdom Come is recognized for its innovative narrative, grand scope, and magnificent illustrations. It is a four-issue classic Elseworld mini-series that Mark Waid co-authored with artist Alex Ross with his photo-realistic artworks. It still has an impact on superhero comics to this day, and thus, Batman/Superman: World's Finest return to this iconic world will be a must-read event for DC fans.

Batman and Superman are not the only heroes returning from the alternate Earth-22. The preview indicates appearances from Boy Thunder, a new protégé of Superman, and the war-hungry Wonder Woman from the Kingdom Come series. Boy Thunder, revealed to be David Sikela, is a character that Superman has taken under his wing as a sidekick.

But a surprising discovery from recent issues of Batman/Superman: World's Finest has surfaced: Sikela will eventually grow up to be Magog, the infamous antihero from the original Kingdom Come saga.

Fans were shocked by this information, which suggests that Mark Waid has been planning this grand arc in his head for some time. This information promises that the much-awaited tale will have even more depth and complexity.

Batman/Superman: World's Finest #20, which will be released on October 17, 2023, is already available for pre-order. The issue's main cover was created by series artist Dan Mora, while various outstanding artists, including Bjorn Barends, David Nakayama, Chrissie Zullo, and Daniel Sampere, created alternative covers.

Fans might also look forward to a foil-embossed alternative cover featuring the infamous Magog's helmet from the Kingdom Come series.