View source for Superman and Batman: World's Funnest

{{short description|2000 comic book}}
{{unreferenced|date=March 2010}}
{{Notability |date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox comic book title
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|image               = WorldsFunnest.jpg
|imagesize           = <!-- default 250 -->
|caption             = Cover art by [[Brian Bolland]]
|schedule            = 
|1shot               = Y
|genre               = [[Superhero]], [[humor]]
|publisher           = [[DC Comics]]
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|main_char_team      = [[Mr. Mxyzptlk]] <br> [[Bat-Mite]]
|writers             = [[Evan Dorkin]]
|artists             = [[#Illustrators|Various]]
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|sort                = Superman and Batman: World's Funnest
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}}

'''''Superman and Batman: World's Funnest''''' is an American single issue [[prestige format]] [[comic book]] published in 2000 by [[DC Comics]]. It was written by [[Evan Dorkin]] and illustrated by many artists. It is an [[Elseworlds]] tale and as such is not considered part of the main DC [[Canon (fiction)|canon]]/[[Continuity (fiction)|continuity]]. Despite the title, [[Batman]] and [[Superman]] play only a small role in the story which stars instead [[Mister Mxyzptlk|Mr. Mxyzptlk]] and [[Bat-Mite]] as the main protagonists. The book pokes fun at many comic book conventions and DC heroes from the [[Golden Age of Comic Books|Golden]] through to the [[Modern Age of Comic Books|Modern]] Ages. Its setting is a multiverse similar to the [[Crisis on Infinite Earths|Pre-''Crisis'']] DCU but also includes references to other Elseworlds tales ([[Kingdom Come (comics)|''Kingdom Come'']] and ''[[Batman: The Dark Knight Returns]]''), the modern DCU, the [[DC Animated Universe|DCAU]] and even pays a visit to ''[[Crisis on Infinite Earths]]''.

==Plot==
The story starts in typical [[Silver Age of Comic Books|Silver Age]] comics series [[World's Finest Comics|''World's Finest'']]-style with [[Superman]], [[Batman]] and [[Robin (comics)|Robin]] handing over the [[supervillain]] team of [[Lex Luthor]] and the [[Joker (character)|Joker]] to the authorities. [[Bat-Mite]] and [[Mister Mxyzptlk]] appear simultaneously, the former to see his hero, Batman, in action, and the latter to torment Superman. As the two imps clash, Superman, Batman, Robin, Luthor, and the Joker are killed, as are all the other heroes who come to their aid (including [[Batwoman]], [[Bette Kane|Bat-Girl]] and [[Supergirl (Kara Zor-El)|Supergirl]], the [[Justice League]] of America, the [[Legion of Super-Pets]], the [[Legion of Super-Heroes (1958 team)|Legion of Super-Heroes]] and the [[Spectre (DC Comics character)|Spectre]]). Their fight eventually consumes the Earth, the universe and even the [[Phantom Zone]].

As all of that reality has been destroyed, Bat-Mite flees to [[Earth-Two]] pursued by Mxyzptlk. Earth-Two is in turn destroyed. The rest of the book follows the formula of each new world they encounter being destroyed in the battle between the two imps, Bat-Mite fleeing and Mxyzptlk pursuing to another world/universe which is then destroyed. In the process they generally mock the characters/comics they encounter, often breaking the [[fourth wall]] and lampooning how seriously people "inside" comics take themselves, given the often unbelievable or silly circumstances they encounter.

Ultimately, having worked their way through to the ''[[Kingdom Come (comics)|Kingdom Come]]'' universe, Mxyzptlk simply throws a "magic bomb" at Bat-Mite who deflects it back with the helmet of ''Kingdom Come''{{'}}s [[Flash (comics)|Flash]] (the only thing that survived). Both are completely exhausted and begin to laugh, admitting that the whole thing has been a lot of fun. They reset reality to the Silver Age beginning, vowing to meet again "next Tuesday". The impression is given that the preceding events are a part of a common recreational activity among magical imps.

==Worlds/universes==
The worlds/characters they visit include:
* [[Earth-One]] (art by [[Dave Gibbons]])
* [[Phantom Zone|The Phantom Zone]] (art by [[Mike Allred]])
* [[Earth-Two]] (art by [[Sheldon Moldoff]])
* [[Earth-Three]] (art by [[Stuart Immonen]])
* [[Quality Comics|Earth-X]] (art by [[Frank Cho]])
* [[Fawcett Comics|Earth-S]] (art By [[Jaime Hernandez]])
* [[Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew!|Earth-C]] (art by [[Scott Shaw (artist)|Scott Shaw]])
* Our reality (possibly [[Earth Prime#DC Comics|Earth-Prime]]) (photography)
* [[Jack Kirby's Fourth World]], specifically [[Apokolips]] (art by [[David Mazzucchelli]])
* [[Super Friends|The Super Friends]]
* The [[DC Animated Universe|DCAU]] (art by [[Bruce Timm]])
* The Fifth Dimension (Mxyzptlk negates the one condition of his magic, that saying his name backwards will send him back to the Fifth Dimension, by entirely destroying the Fifth Dimension) (art by [[Jim Woodring]]).
* ''[[The Dark Knight Returns]]'' (art by [[Frank Miller (comics)|Frank Miller]])
* The modern [[DC Universe|DCU]] (art by [[Doug Mahnke]])
* ''[[Crisis on Infinite Earths]]'' (art by [[Phil Jimenez]])
* [[Rip Hunter]] (cameo only, art by [[Ty Templeton]])
* The [[Atomic Knights]] (cameo only, art by Ty Templeton)
* DC's [[Western (genre)|Western Heroes]] (cameo only, art by Ty Templeton)
* [[Charlton Comics|Earth-Four]] (cameo only, art by Ty Templeton)
* [[Enemy Ace]] (cameo only, art by Ty Templeton)
* [[Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld|Gemworld]] (cameo only, art by Ty Templeton)
* [[Heaven]] (cameo only, art by Ty Templeton)
* [[Tomahawk (comics)|Tomahawk]] (cameo only, art by Ty Templeton)
* [[Sgt. Rock (comics)|Sgt. Rock]] (cameo only, art by Ty Templeton)
* [[Kamandi|Earth-86]] (cameo only, art by Ty Templeton)
* [[Space Cabbie]] (cameo only, art by Ty Templeton)
* [[Tangent Comics|Tangent]] (cameo only, art by Ty Templeton)
* [['Mazing Man]] (cameo only, art by Ty Templeton)
* [[Sugar and Spike]] (cameo only, art by Ty Templeton)
* [[Stanley and His Monster]] (cameo only, art by Ty Templeton)
* ''[[DC One Million]]'' (cameo only, art by Ty Templeton)
* [[Warlord (DC Comics)|Warlord]] (cameo only, art by Ty Templeton)
* [[Super-Turtle]] (cameo only, art by Ty Templeton)
* [[Inferior Five|Earth-12]] (cameo only, art by Ty Templeton)
* [[OMAC (comics)|O.M.A.C.]] (cameo only, art by Ty Templeton)
* ''[[Batman Beyond]]'' (cameo only, art by Ty Templeton)
* ''[[Kingdom Come (comics)|Kingdom Come]]'' (art by [[Alex Ross]])

==Illustrators==
Illustrators for ''Superman and Batman: World's Funnest'' include:
{{Columns-list|colwidth=30em|
* [[Mike Allred]]
* [[Brian Bolland]]
* [[Frank Cho]]
* [[Dave Gibbons]]
* [[Jaime Hernandez]]
* [[Stuart Immonen]]
* [[Phil Jimenez]]
* [[Doug Mahnke]]
* [[Frank Miller (comics)|Frank Miller]]
* [[Sheldon Moldoff]]
* [[Alex Ross]]
* [[Scott Shaw (artist)|Scott Shaw]]
* [[Ty Templeton]]
* [[Bruce Timm]]
* Scott Lye
}}

==See also==
* [[List of Elseworlds publications]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Superman And Batman: World's Funnest}}
[[Category:Superman titles]]
[[Category:Batman titles]]
[[Category:Elseworlds titles]]
[[Category:DC Comics one-shots]]
[[Category:Harvey Award winners for Best Single Issue or Story]]
[[Category:Superhero comics]]