World's Finest Comics (1941)
Name:
World's Finest Comics
Start year:
1941
Publisher:
Aliases:
First issue:
Last issue:
Numbering continued from World's Best Comics #1.
The first issue was published under the title World's Best Comics, National Comics, and National Periodical Publications. From #2 onwards the title of the magazine became World's Finest Comics and featured Batman and Superman every issue - although they did not have their first team up until issue #71. From issue #1 through issue #20 the series was released on a quarterly schedule. Along with the two headliners Superman and Batman, the early issues of World's Finest also featured many other heroes from the Golden Age, including, Sandman, Hop Harrigan, Dan the Dyna-mite, Crimson Avenger, Star Spangled Kid, Aquaman, Zatara, Tomahawk, Boy Commandos and Green Arrow. From issue #71 onwards, the lead story would always feature a team up between Superman & Batman and this remained the case through to issue #198, which saw the Man of Steel in his second super speed race with the Flash to try and establish just who is the fastest man alive.
During their long unbroken stint of team ups, the World's Finest heroes (as they became known to regular readers of the magazine) would often be joined by Robin Jimmy Olsen, and less frequently by Batwoman, Supergirl, both versions of the Silver Age Batgirl as they battled the likes of Luthor, Joker, Brainiac, Penguin, etc. Carrying the byline "Your two favorite heroes in one magazine" the popularity of World's Finest was no doubt boosted by the 60's Batman TV show (as were other DC titles at the time).
With issue #198, DC began the experiment of teaming Superman with heroes other than Batman. Despite the novelty and freedom this allowed the creators, and the fact that this meant the likes of Robin, Diana Prince, Teen Titans and the Atom got extra exposure, the experiment clearly didn't go down too well with the readership of the book, and following team ups with the Caped Crusader in #207 #211, the World's Finest duo resumed their regular team-ups from # 215 onwards.
The book introduced us to the "Sons of Superman Batman" in #221, an imaginary future, where the offspring of the World's Finest Heroes began to learn how to pick the mantle of their famous fathers. This feature proved popular with the readership as the Super Sons made fairly frequent appearances for a while. Starting with issue #244 until issue #282 World's Finest became an 80 page anthology featuring various second tier characters such as Hawkman and Hawkgirl, Green Arrow, Black Lightning, Vigilante, the Golden Age Wonder Woman, the Creeper, Captain Marvel and the Marvel Family. Starting with issue #252 the size of the comic was reduced to 64 pages. With issue #283 the series reverted back to a 32 page format. All good things come to an end, however, and with issue #323, dated Jan 1986, the series came to a close. During their time in World's Finest, 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, post World's Finest world, their relationship has sometimes seemed strained (especially in the John Byrne time on Superman) and in other ways it has clearly evolved. "World's Finest" may have belonged to another era, but it formed the basis of the friendship that Superman and Batman now share in the magazine of the same name.
Collected Editions
- Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus vol. 2 (#2-5)
- Batman: The Golden Age Volume Two (#2-3)
- Superman: The Golden Age Volume Three (#2)
- Superman: The Golden Age Volume Four (#3-5)
- Batman: The Golden Age Omnibus Volume 2 (#4-9)
- Batman: The Golden Age Volume Three (#4-6)
- Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus Vol. 3 (#6-10)
- Superman: The Golden Age Volume Five (#6-8)
- Green Arrow: The Golden Age Omnibus Volume 1 (#7-28)
- Batman: The Golden Age Volume Four (#7-9)
- Boy Commandos by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby Volume Two (#10-13)
- Batman: The Golden Age Omnibus Volume 3 (#10-14)
- Batman: The Golden Age Volume Five (#10-11)
- Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus Vol. 4 (#11-17)
- Batman: The Golden Age Volume Six (#12-14)
- Batman: The Golden Age Omnibus Volume 4 (#15-22)
- Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus Vol. 5 (#19-25)
- Batman: The Golden Age Omnibus Volume 5 (#23-32)
- Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus Vol. 6 (#26-36)
- Batman: The Golden Age Omnibus Volume 6 (#33-42)
- Batman: The Golden Age Omnibus Volume 7 (#43-52)
- Batman: The Golden Age Omnibus Volume 8 (#54-63)
- The Joker: A Celebration of 75 Years (#61)
- Batman & Superman in World's Finest: The Silver Age Omnibus #1 - Vol. 1 (#71-116)
- Batman & Superman In World's Finest Comics: The Silver Age Volume One (#71-94)
- Batman: A Celebration of 75 Years (#94)
- Showcase Presents: Green Arrow (#95-134,136,138,140)
- Batman & Superman In World's Finest Comics: The Silver Age Volume Two (#95-116)
- Batman & Superman in World's Finest: The Silver Age Omnibus #2 - Vol. 2 (#117-158)
- Batman Arkham: Two-Face (#173)
- Batman by Neal Adams Book One (#175-176)
- World's Finest: Guardians of Earth (#198-214)
- Robin: The Bronze Age Omnibus (#200)
- Wonder Woman: Diana Prince: The 50th Anniversary Omnibus (#204)
- Teen Titans: The Bronze Age Omnibus (#205)
- Deadman Omnibus (#223 & 227)
- Tales of the Batman: Gerry Conway Volume 1 (#250 & 269)
- Black Lightning Volume 1 (#260)
- Black Lightning Volume 2 (#256-260)
- Adam Strange: The Silver Age Omnibus (#262-263)
- Tales of the Batman: Marv Wolfman Volume 1 (#288)
- Tales of the Batman: Gene Colan Volume Two (#297 & 299)
