World's Finest Comics
1941
World's Finest Comics was published by DC Comics from 1941 to 1986, running for 323 issues.
The series was initially titled World's Best Comics for its first issue (March 1941); issue #2 (June 1941) switched the title to World's Finest Comics. Most likely, the reason for the title change was that DC received a cease and desist letter from Better Publications, Inc., who had been publishing a comic book entitled Best Comics since November 1939.
The series was initially titled World's Best Comics for its first issue (March 1941); issue #2 (June 1941) switched the title to World's Finest Comics. Most likely, the reason for the title change was that DC received a cease and desist letter from Better Publications, Inc., who had been publishing a comic book entitled Best Comics since November 1939.
The idea for World's Best Comics #1 originated from the identically formatted New York World's Fair Comics 1940 Issue featuring Superman, Batman, and Robin. Its cover contains the very first published picture of Batman, Robin and Superman together.
New York World's Fair Comics (1940)
The year before (1939), there was a similar New York World's Fair Comics issue featuring Superman, but without Batman and Robin, because Bill Finger and Bob Kane simply had not yet created them.
New York World's Fair Comics (1939)
The series was initially a 96-page quarterly anthology, featuring various DC characters - always including Superman and Batman - in separate stories.
Comics historian Les Daniels noted that "pairing Superman and Batman made sense financially, since the two were DC's most popular heroes."
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 together in the same story starting with World's Finest Comics #71 (July 1954), just after their very first meeting and adventure together in Superman (Vol. 1) #76 (June 1954).
The series continued to feature Superman and Batman team-ups from #71-197.
Comics historian Les Daniels noted that "pairing Superman and Batman made sense financially, since the two were DC's most popular heroes."
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 together in the same story starting with World's Finest Comics #71 (July 1954), just after their very first meeting and adventure together in Superman (Vol. 1) #76 (June 1954).
The series continued to feature Superman and Batman team-ups from #71-197.
World's Finest Comics #71 (July 1954)
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World's Finest Comics #197 (November 1970)
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This (in)famous panel appears in World's Finest Comics #153 (November 1965)
The title briefly featured Superman teaming up with heroes other than Batman in the early 1970s, from World's Finest #198-214.
World's Finest Comics #198 (November 1970)
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World's Finest Comics #214 (November 1972)
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The series reverted to Superman and Batman team-ups with issue #215 (January 1973), initially with a unique twist, featuring the children they might one day have, Superman Jr. and Batman Jr. - the Super-Sons.
Stories featuring the Super-Sons 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 Super-Sons.
Stories featuring the Super-Sons 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 Super-Sons.
In 2007, DC Comics published a trade paperback collection titled Superman/Batman: Saga Of The Super Sons. It collects the stories from World's Finest #215-216, #221-222, #224, #228, #230-231, #233, #238, #242 and #263 PLUS the Elseworlds 80-Page Giant #1.
World's Finest Comics #215 (January 1973)
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Superman/Batman: Saga Of The Super Sons (TPB)
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From #244-282 (May 1977-August 1982), World's Finest Comics became one of the first 80-page Dollar Comics. It featured the Superman and Batman team with back-up features.
World's Finest Comics #244 (May 1977)
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World's Finest Comics #282 (August 1982)
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The back-up features from #244-282:
The number of pages was reduced from 80 to 64 starting with issue #252 (September 1978) and reduced to 48 pages with issue #266 (January 1981), which lasted until issue #282 (August 1982).
As of issue #283 (September 1982), the series reverted to a standard format title again featuring only Superman and Batman team-ups, which continued until the series' cancellation with issue #323 (January 1986).
World's Finest Comics #283 (September 1982)
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World's Finest Comics #323 (January 1986)
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During their time in World's Finest Comics, Superman and Batman were always depicted as the best of friends, always seeing eye to eye and never having a disagreement. In the post-Crisis On Infinite Earths world, their relationship has sometimes seemed strained.
World's Finest Comics may have belonged to another era, but it formed the basis of the friendship that Superman and Batman share in a later series.
World's Finest Comics may have belonged to another era, but it formed the basis of the friendship that Superman and Batman share in a later series.
Collected Editions
World's Finest Archives
Batman: The World's Finest Comics Archives
Superman: The World's Finest Comics Archives
Showcase Presents: World's Finest
Showcase Presents: Green Arrow
Showcase Presents: Aquaman
Superman vs. The Flash
Superman/Batman: Saga of the Super Sons
The Creeper by Steve Ditko
Omnibus
- 1 World's Finest Comics #71–85 and Superman (Vol. 1) #76;
- 2 World's Finest Comics #86–101;
- 3 World's Finest Comics #102–116.
Batman: The World's Finest Comics Archives
- 1 Batman stories from World's Finest Comics #1–16, NY World's Fair Comics #2;
- 2 Batman stories from World's Finest Comics #17–32.
Superman: The World's Finest Comics Archives
- 1 Superman stories from World's Finest Comics #1–16, NY World's Fair Comics #1-2;
- 2 Superman stories from World's Finest Comics #17-32.
Showcase Presents: World's Finest
- 1 World's Finest Comics #71–111 and Superman (Vol. 1) #76;
- 2 World's Finest Comics #112–145;
- 3 World's Finest Comics #146-60, #162-169, #171–173;
- 4 World's Finest Comics #174-178, #180-187, #189-196, #198-202.
Showcase Presents: Green Arrow
- 1 Green Arrow stories from World's Finest Comics #95-140.
Showcase Presents: Aquaman
- 1 Aquaman stories from World's Finest Comics #125-129;
- 2 Aquaman stories from World's Finest Comics #130-133, 135, 137, and 139.
Superman vs. The Flash
- Superman (Vol. 1) #199, The Flash (Vol. 1) #175, World's Finest Comics #198-199, DC Comics Presents #1-2.
Superman/Batman: Saga of the Super Sons
- Super Sons stories from World's Finest Comics #215–216, 221–222, 224, 228, 230-231, 233, 238, 242, 263 and Elseworlds 80-Page Giant #1.
The Creeper by Steve Ditko
- Creeper stories from World's Finest Comics #249-255.
Omnibus
- Batman/Superman: World's Finest: The Silver Age Omnibus, Vol. 1 (Collects Superman (Vol. 1) #76, World's Finest Comics #71-116).