The Batman-Superman Movie - World's Finest (1997) • An Part 002

**The Batman-Superman Movie - World's Finest (1997) • An Part 002** is .

## Continuity

* Batman's and Superman's next encounters before be part of the Justice League happen subsequently in the episodes "Knight Time" and "The Demon Reborn".
* Wayne Enterprises' brief partnership with LexCorp is later found, in the episode "Knight Time", to have allowed Brainiac to infect Wayne's computers, after having done so to LexCorp's in "Stolen Memories" (see also "Ghost in the Machine").
* The long term effects of Kryptonite radiation on humans is further explored in *Justice League* episode "Injustice For All", when Luthor is diagnosed with an incurable form of blood cancer as a result of carrying Kryptonite around with him for years. Luthor also tells Joker that he wants nothing to do with him, when Joker reappears in that episode.
* It is revealed in *Justice League*, "Tabula Rasa," that Batman carries a piece of Kryptonite in his utility belt at all times, as "insurance." Since he does not contract Kryptonite poisoning, it can be presumed that, after learning about the deaths of the Laughing Dragon's previous owners, he knows enough to keep it sealed in a lead-lined container that blocks its radiation.
* Lois and Bruce have a brief reunion in "The Demon Reborn", where Lois reveals to Bruce she was having second thoughts about her relationship with him and there were several times that she had almost picked up the phone. Unfortunately, she was talking to herself, because, as usual, Batman had already disappeared.
* Superman claims he heard Batman was "crazy". In "The Last Son of Krypton", Martha Kent previously referred to Batman as "that nut in Gotham City".

## Background-Information

### Production notes

* In part three, when the larger Wayne/Lex T-7 hits Superman with the Gatling gun, there's an explosion that is reused footage from a scene of "My Girl", in which Mr. Eelan blows a vat of hot lead off its support.
* Because the Laughing Dragon was carved (approximately) thirty years before the events of this episode, it can be deduced that Superman/Clark Kent is at least 30 and possibly older (going by Earth years, as Kryptonians physically age much more slowly than humans do, as shown in "The Call", where Superman is in his 80s but appears in his 50s).

### Production inconsistencies

* This is the first time Batman's "Jet-wing" is seen and seems to be a new sight for the Joker. Its first chronological appearance, however, is in the flashbacks of the *The New Batman Adventures* episode "Old Wounds" where Joker was the present villain.
* When Superman breaks into LexCorp's chemical plant to confront the Joker for the first time, the last ceiling he crashes through already has a hole in it before he enters.

### Trivia

* The title is a reference to *World's Finest Comics*, an anthology comic which often featured the team of Superman and Batman after their first meeting in *Superman #76*. Prior to that, the comic had simply printed Batman and Superman in separate, unrelated stories.
* When Luthor tells The Joker that he can't be connected to Superman's death, he responds "Oh, you'll be Mr. Clean." Mr. Clean is a soap brand that features a bald man in its logo.
* The Joker offers Lois a scoop he calls "The Death of Superman"; this was a major storyline in the comics about Superman's supposed death at the hands of Doomsday.
* Batman and Joker's involvement in this episode bear strong similarities to the movie *Batman: Mask of the Phantasm*: Joker is supposed to be paid to stop the show's hero (though his position on the deal is reversed), Bruce's love interest (both played by Dana Delany) is used to get to the show's hero and discovers he is Batman, and Joker is nearly killed in a giant explosion caused by what he was using to fight the hero(es) at the end.
* Tim Daly narrowly beat Kevin Conroy for the role of Joe Hackett on the TV series *Wings*, before Conroy was cast in *Batman: The Animated Series*. This is the first time that Daly and Conroy have worked together since then.
* Batman taking out the second round of Joker's goons in the Lexcorp warehouse strongly resembles the *Batman: The Animated Series* intro in that Batman dodges the bullets the same way and disarms both goons with a single batarang.
* Batman's confrontation with Lex Luthor in *Batman* #573 strongly resembles their first face to mask meeting in Part II in that Lex wakes up frightened by the "fright mask" in front of him and realizes that Batman will have to be dealt with and tells Mercy to contact Bane, who was working for them at the time. In the comic, however, Batman renders Mercy unconscious before waking Lex and tells Luthor that she shouldn't bother attacking him from behind.
* The Joker's line about Superman being "more powerful than a locomotive" is taken from to the Fleischer cartoons of the 1940s.
* Joker's comments Lex's limo has "rich Corinthian leather"; a reference to Ricardo Montalban's 1975 commercial for the Chrysler Cordoba.
* Harley Quinn's disguise as Mercy Graves is similar to her chauffeur disguise in the *Batman: The Animated Series* episode "Joker's Favor".
* Harley Quinn calls Lex "Mr. L", which is an alias Luthor often used in Superman's early Post-Crisis comics, the first time being in *The Man of Steel* *#2*.
* Bruce asking Lois if there's some "special signal" to call Superman and her responding that he's not like Batman is likely a reference to the Bat-signal, which was actually imitated by Luminus in "Solar Power" to signal Superman. Superman's signature signalling device appears later in "Superman's Pal" when he gives a signal watch to Jimmy Olsen.
* Because it aired in the evening as a special presentation, this episode won a Prime-Time Emmy Award. TMS are very proud of this, and display the Emmy in their lobby.
* Unlike other episodes where Joker seemingly perishes, Batman actually implies that Joker had died on the Lexwing, where Batman says in reply to Harley Quinn calling out her pet name to the Clown Prince of Crime "At this point, he probably is [pudding]."
* The comic book adaptation of this contains an extra moment on Page 26 where Bruce mentions to Alfred how he believes that Superman doesn't understand the problem of using brute strength against a foe with a warped mind like The Joker.