Worlds' Finest #1

Of all the comics scheduled in DC's Second Wave (the six new titles taking the place of the first six casualities of the New 52) the one I found the most intriguing was Worlds' Finest which centers around two DC heroines with complicated histories. I've got to say I enjoyed almost everything about this first issue from writer Paul Levitz with art by George Perez and Kevin Maguire.

Early on its made clear the Power Girl is the Supergirl from Earth-2 (which keeps to the most recent history of the character pre-New 52) and the Huntress in indeed Helena Wayne, the daughter of Earth-2's Batman (although she's recently been using the name Helena Bertinelli, the Earth-1 Huntress pre-New 52, as a cover). Through an accident both have found themselves trapped on a parallel Earth which already has a Supergirl and Robin (the identity we're told Huntress used on her world).

Worlds' Finest is missing the grim 90's feel which has been far too present in most of the New 52 titles. It's fun! And, aside from an unfortuante new costume for Power Girl, it's really well done.

The opening story shows us that the pair have been trapped on Earth-1 for five years now. Helena has taken the mantle of the Huntress to fight crime while Kara has chosen to build up wealth, power, and advanced technology in an attempt to find a way home. The pair's latest reunion is interrupted when there's a break-in at Starr Enterprises' newest R & D facility. This leads Kara to don her new costume as the pair on the super-villain responsible - The Irradiated Man.

I love the art by Perez which look terrific along with Maguire's flashbacks to the heroes' lives on Earth-2 and Levitz takes two of DC's more complicated character histories and almost effortlessly gives us something that's new but still pays homage to what came before.

This is one of the strongest first issues of any of the New 52. I'm certainly not expecting anything else this good from DC's Second Wave, but if Levitz, Perez, and Maguire can continue to deliver stories this good month and month then Worlds' Finest is quickly going to become one of my favorite DC titles. Best of the week.

[DC, $2.99]