| World's Finest Comics | |
|---|---|
Cover ofWorld's Best Comics #1 (spring 1941). | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| Schedule | Quarterly #1–20 Bimonthly #21–95 and #244–269 Monthly #96–243 and #270–323 |
| Format | Ongoing series |
| Genre | |
| Publication date | spring 1941 – January 1986 |
| No. of issues | 323 |
| Main character(s) | Superman Batman Robin |
| Creative team | |
| Written by | |
| Penciller | |
| Inker | List |
| Collected editions | |
| World's Finest Archives Volume 1 | ISBN 1-56389-488-2 |
| World's Finest Archives Volume 2 | ISBN 1-56389-743-1 |
| World's Finest Archives Volume 3 | ISBN 1-4012-0411-2 |
World's Finest Comics is anAmerican comic book series published byDC Comics from 1941 to 1986. The series was initially titledWorld's Best Comics for its first issue; issue #2 (Summer 1941) switched to the more familiar name.Michael E. Uslan has speculated that this was because DC received acease and desist letter from Better Publications, Inc., who had been publishing a comic book entitledBest Comics since November 1939.[1] Virtually every issue featured DC's two leadingsuperheroes,Superman andBatman, with the earliest issues also featuring Batman's sidekick,Robin.
The idea forWorld's Best Comics #1 originated from the identically formatted 1940New York World's Fair Comics featuring Superman, Batman, and Robin with 96 pages and a cardboard cover.[2][3] The year before there was a similar 1939New York World's Fair Comics featuring Superman but without Batman and Robin becauseBob Kane andBill Finger had not yet created them.
The series was initially a 96-page quarterlyanthology, featuring various DC characters – always including Superman and Batman – in separate stories.[4] Comics historianLes Daniels noted that "pairing Superman and Batman made sense financially, since the two were DC's most popular heroes".[5] When superheroes fell out of vogue in the early 1950s, DC shortened the size of the publication to that of the rest of its output, leaving only enough space for one story; this led to Superman and Batman appearing in the same story together starting withWorld's Finest Comics #71 (July 1954).[6] The title often depicted Batman gaining superpowers as a way to avoid having him be overshadowed by Superman.[7]Lex Luthor and theJoker first joined forces in issue #88 (June 1957).[8] A new supervillain, theComposite Superman, was introduced in #142 (June 1964).[9] The story "The Clash of Cape and Cowl", by writerEdmond Hamilton and artistCurt Swan, inWorld's Finest Comics #153 (Nov. 1965) is the source of anInternet meme in which Batman slaps Robin.[10] Noted Batman artistNeal Adams first drew the character in an interior story in "The Superman-Batman Revenge Squads" in issue #175 (May 1968).[11]
The title briefly featured Superman teaming with heroes other than Batman in the early 1970s beginning with issue #198 (November 1970).[12] That issue featured the first part of a two-issue team-up with theFlash.[13][14] Other characters to appear in the next two years includedRobin,[15]Green Lantern,[16]Aquaman,[17]Wonder Woman,[18] theTeen Titans,[19]Doctor Fate,[20]Hawkman,[21]Green Arrow,[22] theMartian Manhunter,[23] theAtom,[24] and theVigilante.[25]Nick Cardy was the cover artist forWorld's Finest Comics for issues #212–228.[26]Metamorpho was the backup feature in issues #218–220 and #229 after the character had a brief run as the backup inAction Comics.[27]
The series reverted to Superman and Batman team-ups after issue #214, initially with a unique twist, featuring the children they might one day have: Superman Jr. and Batman Jr. These characters, billed as theSuper-Sons, were co-created by writerBob Haney and artistDick Dillin in issue #215 (January 1973).[28] Super-Sons stories alternated with tales of the original Superman and Batman through issue #263, with issues #215–216, 221–222, 224, 228, 230, 231, 233, 238, 242, and 263 featuring the sons.[29] Haney frequently disregardedcontinuity by scripting stories which contradicted DC'scanon or by writing major heroes in an out-of-character fashion.[30] He introduced Batman's older brother, Thomas Wayne Jr., inWorld's Finest Comics #223 (May–June 1974). This story was used as a basis for a plot detail in the "Court of Owls" story arc in 2012.[31] Issues #223 (May–June 1974) to #228 (March–April 1975) of the series were in the100 Page Super Spectacular format.[32]
With issue #244 (April–May 1977),World's Finest Comics became one of the first 80-pageDollar Comics.[33] It featured the Superman and Batman team with back-up features. The number of pages was reduced from 80 to 64 starting with issue #253 (October–November 1978) and reduced to 48 pages with issue #266 (December 1980 – January 1981) which lasted until issue #282 (August 1982).
| First feature | Second feature | Third feature | Fourth feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| theGreen Arrow[34] #244–259, 261–270, 272–284 | theVigilante #244–248 | Wonder Woman ofEarth-Two #244–250 | theBlack Canary[34] #244–256 |
| theAtom #260 | theCreeper #249–255 | Wonder Woman #251–252 | Black Lightning #257–261 |
| Hawkman #256–259, 261–262, 264–270, 272–277, 279–282 | Shazam! #253–270, 272–282 | Aquaman #262–264 | |
| Adam Strange #263 | theRed Tornado #265–270, 272 | ||
| Plastic Man #273 | |||
| Zatanna #274–278 | |||
| no fourth backup feature #260, 279–282 |
Issue #250 (April–May 1978) combined Superman and Batman with the Green Arrow, the Black Canary, and Wonder Woman into theWorld's Finest Team in a 56-page story.[35] WriterRoy Thomas wrote a book-length story for issue #271 (September 1981) which pieced together all the "first meetings" of Superman and Batman.[36] This issue did not have any backup features. The Hawkman story "Drive Me to the Moon!" in #272 (October 1981) featuredHawkgirl changing her title toHawkwoman.[37] As of issue #283 (September 1982), the series reverted to a standard format title again featuring only Superman and Batmanteam-ups, which continued until the series' cancellation with issue #323 (January 1986). The series reached issue #300 in February 1984. This double-sized anniversary issue was a "jam" featuring a story by writersDavid Anthony Kraft,Mike W. Barr, andMarv Wolfman with art byRoss Andru,Mark Texeira,Sal Amendola, andGeorge Pérez.[38][39]David Mazzucchelli, the artist of the "Batman: Year One" story arc in 1987, first drew Batman in a backup story inWorld's Finest Comics #302 (April 1984).[40] Issue #314 (April 1985) was the last Pre-Crisis issue and the firstCrisis on Infinite Earths appearances of theMonitor and (Lyla) theHarbinger.[41] The series ended with issue #323 (January 1986) by writerJoey Cavalieri and artistJosé Delbo.[42]
A number ofWorld's Finest titles have since appeared:
| Title | Volume | Material collected | Publication date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| World's Finest Archives | 1 | World's Finest Comics #71–85 andSuperman #76 | March 1999 | 978-1563894886[51] |
| 2 | World's Finest Comics #86–101 | January 2002 | 978-1563897436[52] | |
| 3 | World's Finest Comics #102–116 | September 2005 | 978-1-4012-0411-2[53] | |
| Batman: The World's Finest Comics Archives | 1 | Batman stories fromWorld's Finest Comics #1–16 andNew York World's Fair Comics #2 | October 2002 | 978-1563898198[54] |
| 2 | Batman stories fromWorld's Finest Comics #17–32 | January 2005 | 978-1-4012-0163-0[55] | |
| Superman: The World's Finest Comics Archives | 1 | Superman stories fromWorld's Finest Comics #1–16 andNew York World's Fair Comics #1–2 | September 2004 | 978-1-4012-0151-7[56] |
| 2 | Superman stories fromWorld's Finest Comics #17–32 | November 2009 | 978-1-4012-2470-7[57] | |
| Showcase Presents World's Finest | 1 | World's Finest Comics #71–111 andSuperman #76 | October 2007 | 978-1-4012-1697-9[58] |
| 2 | World's Finest Comics #112–145 | October 2008 | 978-1-4012-1981-9[59] | |
| 3 | World's Finest Comics #146–160, #162–169, #171–173 | March 2010 | 978-1-4012-2585-8[60] | |
| 4 | World's Finest Comics #174–178, #180–187, #189–196, #198–202 | November 2012 | 978-1-4012-3736-3[61] | |
| Batman in the Fifties | 1 | Batman #59, 62–63, 81, 92, 105, 113–114, 121–122, 128;Detective Comics #156, 168, 185, 187, 215–216, 233, 235–236, 241, 244, 252, 257, 269;World’s Finest Comics #81, 89 | September 2021 | 978-1779509505 |
| Superman/Batman: The Greatest Stories Ever Told | 1 | Superman #76,World’s Finest Comics #88, 142, 159, 176, 207;The Man of Steel #3,Batman & Superman: World’s Finest #7;Superman/Batman Secret Files 2003, Annual 1 | March 2007 | 978-1-4012-1227-8 |
| The Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told | 1 | Detective Comics #31-32, 211, 235, 345, 404, 429, 437, 442, 457, 474, 482, 500;Batman #1, 25, 47, 61, 156, 234, 250, 312;1001 Umbrellas of the Penguin,Star-Spangled Comics #124,World’s Finest Comics #94,DC Special Series #15,The Brave and the Bold #197 | 1988 | 0930289-39-0 |
| Showcase PresentsGreen Arrow | 1 | Green Arrow stories fromWorld's Finest Comics #95–140 | January 2006 | 978-1-4012-0785-4[62] |
| Showcase PresentsAquaman | 2 | Aquaman stories fromWorld's Finest Comics #130–133, 135, 137 and 139 | January 2008 | 978-1-4012-1712-9[63] |
| Superman:The Bottle City of Kandor | 1 | Action Comics #242, 245;Superman’s Girl Friend, Lois Lane #21, 76, 78;Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #53, 69;Superman #158, 338;The Superman Family #194,World’s Finest Comics #143 | October 2007 | 978-1-4012-1465-4 |
| DC's Greatest Imaginary Stories | 1 | Captain Marvel Adventures #66,Batman #127, 151;Superman’s Girl Friend, Lois Lane #19, 51;Superman #149, 166;Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #57,The Flash #128,World’s Finest Comics #172 | September 2005 | 978-1-4012-0534-8 |
| 2 | Batman #122, 131, 135, 145, 154, 159, 163, 300;World's Finest Comics #153,Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #89 | June 2010 | 978-1-4012-2725-8 | |
| Superman vs. theFlash | 1 | Superman #199,The Flash #175,World's Finest Comics #198–199, andDC Comics Presents #1–2 | May 2005 | 978-1-4012-0456-3[64] |
| World's Finest: Guardians of Earth | 1 | Superman team-up stories fromWorld's Finest Comics #198-214 | March 2020 | 978-1-77950-178-3 |
| Tales of the Batman:Len Wein | 1 | Detective Comics #408, 444–448, 466, 478–479, 500, 514;Batman #307-310, 312–319, 321–324, 326–327;World's Finest Comics #207,The Untold Legend of the Batman #1-3,DC Retroactive: Batman - The '70s,Batman Black and White (vol. 2) #5 | December 2014 | 978-1-4012-5154-3 |
| Superman/Batman:Saga of the Super Sons | 1 | Super Sons stories fromWorld's Finest Comics #215–216, 221–222, 224, 228, 230–231, 233, 238, 242, 263, andElseworlds 80-Page Giant #1 | December 2007 | 978-1-4012-1502-6[65] |
| Deadman Omnibus | 1 | Strange Adventures #205-216,The Brave and the Bold #79, 86, 104, 133;Aquaman #50-52,Challengers of the Unknown #74, 84–87;Justice League of America #94,World's Finest Comics #223, 227;The Phantom Stranger #33, 39–41;The Superman Family #183,DC Super Stars #18,DC Special Series #8,Adventure Comics #460-466,DC Comics Presents #24,Detective Comics #500, covers fromDeadman #1-7,Deadman (vol. 2) #1-4,Secret Origins (vol. 2) #15 | December 2020 | 978-1-77950-488-3 |
| Legends of the Dark Knight:José Luis García-López | 1 | Batman #272, 311, 313–314, 318, 321, 336–337, 353;Batman '66: The Lost Episode #1,Batman Confidential #26-28,Batman Family #3,Batman: Gotham Knights #10,DC Comics Presents #31, 41;DC Special Series #21,Detective Comics #454, 458–459, 483, 487;The Best of the Brave and the Bold #1-6,The Brave and the Bold #164, 171;The Joker #4,The Untold Legend of the Batman #1-3,World's Finest Comics #244, 255, 258 | November 2021 | 978-1-77950-580-4 |
| The Creeper bySteve Ditko | 1 | Creeper stories fromWorld's Finest Comics #249–255 | April 2010 | 978-1-4012-2591-9[66] |
| Tales of the Batman:Gerry Conway | 1 | Man-Bat #1,Detective Comics #463-464, 497–499, 501–504;Batman #295, 305–306;Batman Family #17,World's Finest Comics #250, 269 | July 2017 | 978-1-4012-7255-5 |
| 2 | Detective Comics #505-513,Batman #337-346, 348;World's Finest Comics #270 | August 2018 | 978-1-4012-8163-2 | |
| Batman Arkham:Poison Ivy | 1 | Batman #181, 339;Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #42-43,Batman: Poison Ivy,Batman: Shadow of the Bat Annual #3,Detective Comics #23.1,Gotham City Sirens #8,Joker's Asylum: Poison Ivy #1,Secret Origins (vol. 2) #36,The Batman Chronicles #10, back-up story fromWorld's Finest Comics #251-252 | September 2016 | 978-1-4012-6445-1 |
| Shazam: The World's Mightiest Mortal | 3 | Captain Marvel stories fromWorld's Finest Comics #253-270, 272-282 andAdventure Comics #491-492 | May 2021 | 978-1779509468 |
| Tales of the Batman:Marv Wolfman | 1 | Batman #328-335, 436–439;Detective Comics #408,The Brave and the Bold #167,The New Teen Titans #37,Batman and the Outsiders #5,World's Finest Comics #288 | March 2020 | 978-1-4012-9961-3 |
| Batman and Superman in World's Finest: The Silver Age Omnibus | 1 | World's Finest Comics #71–116 andSuperman #76 | March 2016 | 978-1-4012-6112-2 |
| 2 | World's Finest Comics #117–158 | April 2019 | 978-1-4012-8905-8 | |
| Green Arrow Golden Age Omnibus | 1 | World's Finest Comics #7–28;More Fun Comics #73–107 andAdventure Comics #103–117 | January 2018 | 978-1-4012-7720-8 |
| Superman/Batman: Saga of the Super Sons | 1 | World's Finest Comics #215-216, 221–222, 224, 228, 230, 231, 233, 238, 242, 263;Elseworlds 80-page Giant #1 | 5 December 2007[67] | |
| 25 January 2017 (new edition)[68] | 1-4012-6968-0/978-1-4012-6968-5 |
With ninety-six packed pages and DC's three biggest stars sharing the cover,World's Best Comics promised a galaxy of stories for the low price of 15 cents...The new ongoing title, renamedWorld's Finest Comics with issue #2, featured heavy-hitters Superman and Batman.
It became challenging for writers and artists to tell a story without one hero overshadowing the other. A common gimmick was for Batman to swap powers with Superman, something he did for the first time in issue #77.