[9.1/10] Watching this, I cannot help but wonder why the powers that be at Warner Bros. used *The Dark Knight Returns* as the inspiration for *Batman v. Superman* rather than this. (Don’t get me wrong, *TDKR* is great, but it works much better as a one-off instead of a chapter in an ongoing cinematic universe). The first part of “World’s Finest” is such a great melding of *Batman: The Animated Series*, and *Superman: The Animated Series*, finding good reasons for the villains to collaborate, good clashes of perspective, and good reasons for Bats and Supes to be at odds with one another. The premise is pretty inspired. I love the idea that Joker is low on cash due to being constantly foiled by Batman, and so goes to Lex for a cash infusion with the promise that he can kill the Man of Steel. It makes a strange sort of sense, and I love the dynamic that Joker and Lex have together. Lex’s stuffed shirt genteelness mixed with Joker’s usual zaniness works surprisingly well as a villain cocktail. I particularly like the two of them arguing over whose foil is the bigger fly in the ointment. Even apart from the villain team-up element, this one is just a great Joker showcase. His an Harley’s antics in both Gotham and Metropolis are a hoot. The pair’s ploy at the antique shop, their chauffeur kidnapping with Lex, and their taking over of a local crime den, all have the Looney Tunes-esque joie de vivre that characterizes The Joker’s particular brand of comic menace. Mark Hamill and Arleen Sorkin are a treat as always. But I also like how the episode integrates Bruce Wayne into Metropolis before it integrates Batman. Having Bruce working with Lex on a series of space-exploring robots is a good excuse to get the playboy to Metropolis. Better yet, I like how his arrival sets Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent against one another before it sets their superheroic alter egos against one another based on the sorest spot there could be -- Lois. I wondered if the show was ever really going to follow-up on the seeds of romance it planted in “Brave New Metropolis”, and this is a choice way to do it. I like the notion that Lois is trying to get Superman to take a genuine romantic interest in her, only for him to be constantly called away thanks to the latest crime. That’s contrasted with Bruce landing in town, sweeping her off her feet, and being attentive to her in a way that Superman never is. (Lois’s line about committing a felony being the best way to get Supes’s attention had me in stitches.) But I also enjoy the subtext of all this, that Bruce isn’t necessarily interested in Lois, but actually just trying to get information on Superman by talking to his most frequently rescued friend. There’s another good turn from Lois initially considering Bruce “Gotham Trash” and Batman a maniac, while Clark’s just steamed over Bruce moving in on his territory. As sheer visuals go, this one has plenty of great scenes too. Superman saving Air Force One from hijackers doesn't make much sense, but it’s still a cool sequence to see. And Batman crashing the ceiling of that Metropolis Night Club is a really cool, traditional *B:TAS* sequence, with dark tones, colorful lights, and the Bat framed in shadow and silhouette to emphasize his intimidation. Then comes the first meeting between Batman and Superman and, somehow, the episode finds another gear. Superman trying to stop Bats from interrogating a local mafioso, Bats hip tossing the Man of Steel, only for Supes to then hard charge him, is an eye-brow raising development. It arises naturally though, from the pair’s differences in style, that makes their conflict seem natural rather than contrived. Then it gets personal. I gotta admit, my natural inclination is to root for Batman here, so I like his flex of busting out the fleck of kryptonite, temporarily incapacitating Superman, and basically telling him that he’s not leaving Metropolis until he finds and stops the Joker. Superman using his x-ray vision to peek at Batman’s identity is not only a cool reciprocal flex, but deepens the natural antipathy between the two of them. I also love how Batman returns the favor with one of his trademark tracking bugs, replete with his sarcastic little wave. It’s a meaningful gesture, along with Supes crushing the bug in a move that’s just as potent. All-in-all, this is a great mixture of the two characters, their worlds, and sensibilities. The show comes up with clever reasons for the villains to work together and the heroes to be at odds in both their civilian and superheroic lives. I wish more crossovers, cinematic, big budget, or otherwise, followed the blueprint laid out here.