Superman & Batman: That Steamy Hot Tub Cover Art is Fueling SuperBat Fandom!
SuperBat Shippers Rejoice! A Hilariously Steamy Moment in Batman/Superman: World's Finest #35
Okay, let's be honest: Superman and Batman are one of the biggest ships in the entire DCU fandom. Even though they're never officially a couple, plenty of moments between these two have sent fan imaginations into overdrive; constantly resulting in massive levels of fan art and fanfiction created online!
Now, prepare for another explosive moment! Batman/Superman: World's Finest #35 (written by Mark Waid, art by Adrián Gutiérrez, and a cover by Dan Mora – dropping January 15th, 2025) is a major new installment of this continuing series, which includes several amazing variant covers; yet there is one that stands above the rest! It is sure to generate more SuperBat fuel.
That cover is by Kris Anka, part of his awesome “Sweater Weather” variant series. It’s… unexpected. Prepare yourselves! It's an awesome illustration highlighting two major characters enjoying each others company, emphasizing the unlikely scenario in which the two are merely hanging out, enjoying the moment together. This illustration, unlike anything previously seen before, provides a lot of memetic material for many online to capitalize on.
Superman & Batman's Totally Unexpected Hot Tub Scene!
Anka’s cover shows Superman and Batman chilling in a glacial pool outside the Fortress of Solitude. Clark’s rocking Superman-themed swim trunks, while Bruce (still in his cowl!), is enjoying a more casual relaxing swim. The insanely creative part? Superman's heat vision turns this icy bath into a super-heated hot tub. Steam's rising everywhere– literally the steamiest moment these two ever had in the comics. And there’s hilarious irony. We see two totally badass heroes looking oddly ridiculous and totally unheroic, creating intense yet humorously un-serious imagery and showing a different dynamic between the characters: a rare sight, highlighting just those two iconic heroes engaging in a completely unexpected event.
But there is more. Millennials and Gen Z-ers will see something funnier due to its resemblance to that classic Vine: two dudes chilling, super far apart in a hot tub— and that classic, iconic narrator line (“Two bros, chilling in the hot tub, five feet apart ‘cause they’re not gay”). This added pop culture detail adds extra hilarity to a scene initially seen as completely random.
A Win for SuperBat Shippers (or Just Funny Friends)?
While this could simply be Superman and Batman relaxing; this artwork is amazing. Fans interpret it through romantic lenses. It is not usual for viewers to see Bruce and Clark hanging out in their bathing suits. Seeing their bond outside their hero lives – it screams that important, subtle subtext. That alone makes for the perfect SuperBat fanart. It generates immense speculation online.
Conclusion: Anticipation Soars For Batman/Superman: World's Finest #35
The simple yet insanely clever cover has done exactly its intended job. It really builds that amazing anticipation for this next chapter in this ongoing series and for the entirety of this amazing new story arc which builds intense excitement.
This is important and illustrates the incredible and surprisingly intense ways the series’ developers understand that specific aspect regarding its target audience’s interests and demands. That totally surprising scene promises a different, unusual chapter in the legendary bond between two of the most iconic DC superheroes– and those online, especially those part of the dedicated SuperBat shippers–have much to expect in what’s expected to be an absolute showstopper when this issues releases! Those images will likely remain online for years.
