100 Greatest Superhero Stories Ever
By Steve Lam
Screen Capture from Superman: The Animated Series Season 2, Episode 18: “World’s Finest, Part 3”
#72. Superman: The Animated Series Season 2, Episode 16–18: “World’s Finest”
Medium
Animated Television Series
Release Date
October 4, 1997
Credits
Director: Toshihiko Masuda
Writers: Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Stan Berkowitz, Rich Fogel, Steve Gerber
Cast: Tim Daly as Clark Kent / Superman, Dana Delany as Lois Lane, Kevin Conroy as Bruce Wayne / Batman, Mark Hamill as The Joker, Clancy Brown as Lex Luthor, Arleen Sorkin as Dr. Harleen Quinzel / Harley Quinn, Lisa Edelstein as Mercy Graves, Bob Hastings as Commissioner Jim Gordon, Efrem Zimbalist Jr. as Alfred Pennyworth, Joseph Bologna as Dan Turpin, Robert Costanzo as Harvey Bullock, George Dzundza as Perry White, Lauren Tom as Angela Chen, Brad Garrett as Bibbo
The Reason It’s Great
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice wouldn’t even make it on this list of greatest superhero stories if we allowed up to 1000 stories. Yes, that’s pretty harsh criticism—and I myself am a hardcore DC fan. However, there is a Superman/Batman first meeting story that does it make it to our rankings. It’s the three-episode story arc in the second season of Superman: The Animatied Series—a show set in the DC Animated Universe.
The first meeting between the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight is anything but smooth. The tension and animosity between the two is so bad that it also spills over to their alter egos—Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne. That’s perfectly fine and dandy because the episode handles it with aplomb. Both pursue justice, but use different styles of execution. Though they dislike each other, the two respect each other and come to an understanding.
The three episodes also stay true to Batman’s and Superman’s characterizations—with Batman being a top-notch detective who doesn’t act brash or recklessly. Superman, the ever patient do-gooder, is also written well. What’s also great about this story is that it also has the heroes’ own arch-enemies—Lex Luthor and the Joker—joining forces.
“World’s Finest” has everything a Superman/Batman team-up should be. And any future live-action endeavor should look at this story as a template. You don’t need to have a gloomy Superman and a murderous Batman finally getting along due to the realization that both their mothers are named “Martha.”