DC's NEW 52 presents: WORLDS' FINEST

As part of the Second Wave of NEW 52,  DC brought us EARTH 2. Now, also as part of the Second Wave, DC presents WORLDS’ FINEST. Right off the bat, you notice the spelling difference in the title. That is because it is not the old WORLD’S FINEST, which (mostly) was a Superman/Batman team-up title. This title follows the adventures of Earth 2’s Robin and Supergirl, who have been exiled on THIS Earth during the Apokolips War. On this Earth, Robin is now The Huntress and Supergirl is now Power Girl.

Right off the bat we learn that The Huntress of OUR universe has apparently been dead for some time and Helena Wayne(yes…she is Earth 2 Batman’s daughter) has been masquerading as Helena Bertinelli and, as we know from her mini-series, has been doing her hero thing as The Huntress for some time. Karen Starr and Helena are having a meal when they race to Starr Industries, which is being besieged by fire. Huntress discovers incendiaries, so we know the fire was arson. The Quantum Tumbler takes the biggest beating. And this was the device Michael Holt, Mr. Terrific, had worked on and Karen Starr had hoped would allow the pair to go back home.
 
Then we flashback to five years ago on Earth 2 when our young heroines, as Supergirl and Robin, got blown into our Universe during their Apokolips War and found themselves here at the birth of the heroes. Karen invests her resources wisely(jhow did she get that money?) and Helena has been using her finances to buy “toys” as she calls them.
 
Back in the present, Karen unveils the costume she designed to make her Power Girl. And the next thing you know, it’s a battle with Hakkou the Irradiated man. That’s not good.
 
I have to admit, I was so depressed after Paul Levitz’ turn on the last few issues of THE HUNTRESS mini-series, that I was convinced I would pick up the first issue and that would be that. But this was much better than I expected! Levitz script is fun and filled with just enough mystery to keep the reader interested. And there are just enough hints to their past(Lois being killed by one of Darkseid’s infiltrators) to make me want to keep reading. Now having George Perez draw the present day sequences and Kevin Maguire handle the art on the flashback sequences also can’t hurt. yeah…I’ll be reading this one for at least the next two or three issues and see how it all works out.

And the mystery woman, now known as Pandora, is in the middle of a panel on page 4.