(Image Source: Warner Bros. Discovery)
Many believe the manga Dragon Ball Z was inspired, in part, by Superman. Indeed, there is something of a rivalry between franchise fans as to whether Goku could best the Man of Steel in a fight. Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #46 does not address this question. But it does feature Batman and Superman taking a page from the Super Saiyan playbook.
Written by Mark Waid, with art by Adrián Gutiérrez, Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #46 continues an ongoing battle with Lex Luthor and The Joker. The arch-enemies of Batman and Superman joined forces in the previous issue to steal an alien artifact called The Absorbascon. Created by the hawk-people of Thanagar, the Absorbascon can read the minds of others and impart the information stored in it.
While the villains were able to escape from Hawkman with the Absorbascon, they quickly came to blows over the device. The resulting explosion merged the two villains with the Absorbascon. This created a telepathic being with Joker’s creativity and Luthor’s genius.
(Image Source: DC Comics / Adrián Gutiérrez)
To make matters worse, the explosion knocked Superman and Batman out of phase with reality. This was due to the malfunctioning of a stolen “Phantom Ray” which Joker used to walk through walls. The World’s Finest team could only alter the physical world by working together and focusing. This gave Batman an idea which will be oddly familiar to Dragon Ball Z fans.
What Dragon Ball Z trick did Batman and Superman use?
The heroes summoned Green Lantern Hal Jordan, whose Power Ring allows him to do almost anything he can imagine. Batman explained how, in a previous fight when Jordan was incapacitated, the World’s Finest team used his ring to merge themselves into a single being to fight the demon Zezha. Jordan agreed to give it a try and used his ring to fuse Batman and Superman together to face their merged arch-nemeses.
(Image Source: DC Comics / Adrián Gutiérrez)
The concept of fusing two heroes together to share their strengths is a common one in the Dragon Ball Z manga and anime. Indeed, there are six different methods ranging from alien powers to meditation techniques to bring about such a fusion. Sadly, the World’s Finest team are not required to do a dance to create their fusion. Yet Green Lantern manages to even the playing field in their battle against Joker and Luthor.
Batman / Superman: World’s Finest #46 is now available at comic shops everywhere.
