An old-school Batcopter and the original Teen Titans guest star in Batman/Superman: World's Finest #8

Batman/Superman: World's Finest #8 art
Batman/Superman: World's Finest #8 art (Image credit: Marvel Comics)

As fans of Mark Waid's Batman/Superman: World's Finest know, the series is set in the past but in continuity when Dick Grayson was in the later part of his years as Robin, and the series' tone and spirit are likewise set in the Silver Age.

(And as Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths writer Joshua Williamson just told us, the "bright" tone of the series will reflect the direction the entire DC Universe is going in next year for the Dawn of the DCU).

Batman/Superman: World's Finest #8 cover (Image credit: Marvel Comics)

But while set in the past, the series is also introducing new characters and concepts like the Devil Nezha - who made his debut in the first arc - and is now the main villain of the current-day Batman vs. Robin limited series by Waid.

This month's Batman/Superman: World's Finest #8 continues the story of Boy Thunder, the until-now unknown, secret teen sidekick of Superman.

See where we're going with this?

Like the Devil Nezha, there's likely going to be an explanation as to why Boy Thunder has never been seen, heard from, or ever mentioned in the DCU since Superman, Batman, Supergirl, and Robin, and as the following preview demonstrates, Donna Troy, Wally West, Garth, and Roy Harper all knew of his existence too.

Here's a preview of the issue:

Boy Thunder's story will continue in World's Finest at least until December's Batman/Superman: World's Finest #10, which will deal with some of the fallout of the young superhero's secrets (while also including a variant cover that features a real-world celebrity whose likeness has been censored till release).

But as we say, like the Devil Nezha, is Waid setting up a contemporary story in which the seemingly forgotten Boy Thunder plays a role?

Time will tell, but Batman/Superman: World's Finest #8 goes on sale October 18.

Stay up to date on all the new Batman comics scheduled for release in 2022 and beyond.

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I'm not just the Newsarama founder and editor-in-chief, I'm also a reader. And that reference is just a little bit older than the beginning of my Newsarama journey. I founded what would become the comic book news site in 1996, and except for a brief sojourn at Marvel Comics as its marketing and communications manager in 2003, I've been writing about new comic book titles, creative changes, and occasionally offering my perspective on important industry events and developments for the 25 years since. Despite many changes to Newsarama, my passion for the medium of comic books and the characters makes the last quarter-century (it's crazy to see that in writing) time spent doing what I love most.