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World's Finest: The Silver Age #1
Batman & Superman: World's Finest - The Silver Age Vol. 1
They had been fighting crime separately for years but it wasn't until the historic SUPERMAN #76 in 1952 that Superman, the Man of Steel, finally teamed up with the Caped Crusader himself--Batman. That story proved so popular that the team quickly became the main feature in WORLD'S FINEST COMICS--and thus the greatest partnership in comics was born. Their adventures together would feature heroes and villains such as Robin, Batwoman, Lex Luthor, Bat-Mite and Mr. Mxyzptlk, as well as more alien threats than might seem possible.
BATMAN & SUPERMAN: THE WORLD'S FINEST - THE SILVER AGE VOLUME ONE collects the classic story of the two heroes first meeting from SUPERMAN #76 and their super team-ups from WORLD'S FINEST #71-94.
BATMAN & SUPERMAN: THE WORLD'S FINEST - THE SILVER AGE VOLUME ONE collects the classic story of the two heroes first meeting from SUPERMAN #76 and their super team-ups from WORLD'S FINEST #71-94.
328 pages, Paperback
First published March 21, 2017
About the author
Edmond Hamilton
1,082 books142 followersEdmond Moore Hamilton was a popular author of science fiction stories and novels throughout the mid-twentieth century. Born in Youngstown, Ohio, he was raised there and in nearby New Castle, Pennsylvania. Something of a child prodigy, he graduated high school and started college (Westminster College, New Wilmington, Pennsylvania) at the age of 14--but washed out at 17. He was the Golden Age writer who worked on Batman, the Legion of Super-Heroes, and many sci-fi books.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
November 20, 2018
3.5 stars
This is all the campy goodness I’ve been wanting from Batman/Superman comics! It’s essentially Dick going on adventures with Superman and Batman and coming up with some really silly solutions to problems. There’s a much lighter Batman here that I love! It’s nice to see the focus on his detective skills and no engineered angst just for drama. Superman is just lovely as well.
I will say, it’s a bummer they didn’t give Lois more to do short of just mooning after Superman. There’s an issue where she gets to be editor of the Gotham Gazette for a few days but, even then, the focus was on her cleaning. It was a bummer.
So, this is a tentative recommend. I had a blast while reading it and it’s nice to read comics from when things were simple and cheerful and not just superheroes fighting each other.
This is all the campy goodness I’ve been wanting from Batman/Superman comics! It’s essentially Dick going on adventures with Superman and Batman and coming up with some really silly solutions to problems. There’s a much lighter Batman here that I love! It’s nice to see the focus on his detective skills and no engineered angst just for drama. Superman is just lovely as well.
I will say, it’s a bummer they didn’t give Lois more to do short of just mooning after Superman. There’s an issue where she gets to be editor of the Gotham Gazette for a few days but, even then, the focus was on her cleaning. It was a bummer.
So, this is a tentative recommend. I had a blast while reading it and it’s nice to read comics from when things were simple and cheerful and not just superheroes fighting each other.
February 3, 2021
Your take on this depends entirely on your taste for late-Golden Age goofery - there's some charm him and some clever sleight-of-hand plotting, the art's pretty good, the writers do a nice job balancing the characters without CONSTANTLY having Superman disabled by Kryptonite or other means.
July 29, 2025
I liked the art in this comic it gave a cool aesthetic of like old school comics, its also was some funny interactions this lois and superman and batman.
December 27, 2023
Nothing spectacular. Superman and Batman of this particular era were pretty stupid, though, frequently getting tricked by the bad guys.
And then, there's (temporarily) super-powered Batwoman, afraid to enter an old house because .
Love the characters and the artwork was decent but overall this was pretty much a dud, for me.
And then, there's (temporarily) super-powered Batwoman, afraid to enter an old house because .
Love the characters and the artwork was decent but overall this was pretty much a dud, for me.
August 19, 2026
Superman was first published in 1938, with Batman following in 1939, swiftly becoming the two biggest sellers for National Comics, which would become DC Comics. Despite the obvious synergy potential of having the two team up in a story, this was not done until Superman #76 in 1952! That story was popular enough to float the idea of having a steady series pairing the Man of Steel and the Caped Crusader, and it happened that there was a perfect place to put it.
World’s Finest Comics had been running separate stories of Batman and Superman since 1941, and the covers often had the two with Robin the Boy Wonder in humorous situations. Since rising costs were forcing a page reduction, it made good economic sense to have one story combining the franchises. And thus was formed the World’s Finest team!
The “Silver Age” in the title of this collection, which has the Superman #76 story and those from World’s Finest #71 (1954)- #94 (1958), is a trifle misleading. That first story is at the tail end of the Golden Age of superhero comics, when superheroes fell out of fashion and sales of that kind of comics plummeted. The first few teamups happened pre-Comics Code, when crime and horror were in vogue. But the squeaky-clean, kid-friendly material DC specialized in was exactly the sort of thing that the Code allowed for, so almost nothing had to change in the Superman/Batman teamups. At the tail end of the stories we are moving into the Silver Age as the new Flash and Green Lantern comics set the stage for superhero revival.
Batman & Superman in World's Finest Comics: The Silver Age Volume 1
Cover by Michael Cho
So let’s take a look at some of the important/standout stories in this volume.
“The Mightiest Team in the World” written by Edmond Hamilton, pencils by Curt Swan, inks by John Fischetti, is that initial Superman story. Reporter Clark Kent and wealthy playboy Bruce Wayne are both going on a cruise on the Varania. Due to an overbooking mix-up, they’re assigned to the same cabin. (This was back when Bruce Wayne was merely rich, not a billionaire who could simply have bought the entire ship.)
Before the boat can cast off, a diamond thief sets a gas tank truck on fire as a distraction. Both Batman and Superman attempt to change outfits in the dark cabin, but a stray beam of light reveals their identities to each other. While Batman rescues Lois Lane, who’d of course headed directly towards the danger, Superman puts out the fire. But there’s no trace of the thief.
The heroes reason that the criminal must have slipped aboard the Varania as a passenger. So now to catch him, Superman and Batman must also be on the cruise, and Lois Lane, smelling a story, also wrangles her way aboard. Clark Kent is confined to his cabin by “seasickness” and Bruce Wayne is tending him. Lois is a bit suspicious, so Superman comes up with the idea of Batman flirting with the female reporter to distract her while a search is made. The heroes don’t realize that Lois is in earshot when they make that plan, so she’s playing along for giggles.
Batman and Superman eventually catch the thief and set up enough confusion to allay Lois’ suspicions about their secret identities. But she does get a little of her own back for the fake flirting plan by accepting a dinner date with Robin, to the men’s bemusement.
“Batman–Double for Superman” written by Alvin Schwartz, pencils by Curt Swan, inks by Stan Kaye, is the first World’s Finest installment. It briefly mentions the Varania incident, then has criminals come into possession of a hunk of Kryptonite. (At this point, Kryptonite was new and extremely rare.) To throw off the gang, Batman and Superman switch costumes, but this leads to Lois Lane temporarily suspecting Bruce Wayne is Batman!
“The Super Bat-man!” written by Edmond Hamilton, pencils by Curt Swan, inks by Stan Kaye, is the first story where Batman gains superpowers while Superman loses them. This version involves a criminal scientist who’s developed a supercharging ray that temporarily gives a person superpowers, and a separate decharging ray that takes them away. Eventually Superman figures out the latter is actually just a fine Kryptonite powder spray, enough to weaken but not kill him.
“The Three Magicians of Baghdad” written by Edmond Hamilton, pencils by Dick Sprang, inks by Stan Kaye, guest stars Dr. Carter Nichols, a scientist who has discovered how to send people back through time using the power of hypnosis. Not, mind you, send their minds back, send the actual physical people. He usually uses this on his friends Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson to allow them to have adventures. But now he’s sent them back to ancient Baghdad and they’re not coming back, so Dr. Nichols calls in Superman to help. Superman, of course, can break through the time barrier on his own.
Flash back a bit, it turns out Bruce and Dick were supposed to have been investigating the myth of the Magnetic Mountain from the Arabian Nights story cycle. They did, only to discover that it was actually a massive magnetic meteorite that got them stuck and interfered with the recall signal. The pair, in their guises as Batman and Robin, were rescued by a young man named Aladdin, who was tricked into buying a worthless lamp on the promise it held a djinn.
The Dynamic Duo proceed to pretend to be actual magicians in order to trick Abdullah, the wicked false magician, into buying back the lamp. Just as it looked like they were going to be exposed, Superman arrives and starts pretending to be a genie. After shenanigans involving the Forty Thieves, our heroes return to the present.
“The True History of Superman and Batman” written by Edmond Hamilton, pencils by Dick Sprang, inks by Stan Kaye, has Ka-Thar, a historian from 5956, come back in time to force the World’s Finest team to redo some of their awesome feats differently to match the version in the book he’s written. And they have to do what he says or he’ll reveal their secret identities, known to everyone in the future. Ka-Thar is very careful not to let them see what’s actually written in the book, particularly the final chapter. That turns out to be because that chapter reveals that their secret identities weren’t revealed until long after 1956, and therefore his threat is hollow if he wants his book to be true. Lois, who’s been tagging along this whole time, is less interested in Superman’s secret identity than if she ever gets to marry the big lunk.
“Superman’s and Batman’s Greatest Foes” written by Edmond Hamilton, pencils by Dick Sprang, inks by Stan Kaye, is the first Lex Luthor/Joker team-up. They’ve both served their time and are out on parole. The mad scientist and clever jester claim to have gone straight, and are starting a legitimate business together. This business is the construction of “mechano-men”, human-looking robots designed to be nigh-indestructible and thus perfect for tasks too hazardous for flesh and bone workers.
Part of the plan is repeatedly making it look like Lex or the Joker is attacking normal humans, only for it to be a test for the mechano-men so that our heroes look silly for intervening.
Eventually, Superman and Batman figure out the villains’ real endgame, foil the plan, and the criminals are soon blaming each other for their failure. Dick Sprang’s pencils are key here for his particular rendering of the Joker.
“The Club of Super-Heroes” story by Edmond Hamilton, pencils by Dick Sprang, inks by Stan Kaye, introduces several new masked heroes from around the world. The Knight and Squire of England, the Musketeer of France, the Legionary of Italy, and the Gaucho of South America. These are all non-powered heroes who are summoned to Metropolis along with Superman, Batman and Robin, to be honored as the Club of Super-Heroes, complete with fancy headquarters. But there’s also a new hero in town, Lightning Man, who appears to be just as strong as Superman, but is never around at the same time.
The international heroes are barely in the story, to be honest, and would not be picked up for worldbuilding until much, much later. But this was a rare nod to the notion of non-USA superheroes for the time.
“The Super-Batwoman” written by Edmond Hamilton, pencils by Dick Sprang, inks by Stan Kaye, reintroduces Kathy Kane, the Fifties Batwoman. She’d been created to a) make a trademark claim, and b) serve as a potential love interest for Batman to ward off insinuations of homosexuality in the Batman/Robin relationship. In her first story, Batwoman had used primarily stereotypically feminine accessories as weapons, and been persuaded to temporarily retire the costume as crimefighting was too dangerous for women. (Sexism. You don’t gotta love it.)
But when a criminal who has access to temporary superpower capsules escapes from prison, Kathy figures that this is a big enough crisis that Batman won’t mind the help. (She’s a bit of a ditz.) As it happens, Batwoman is able to figure out where the power capsule is before the criminal can reach it, and gives herself 24 hours of Kryptonian-level powers.
She decides to use her new gifts to discover Batman, Robin and Superman’s secret identities so that they’ll see she’s capable, taking frequent breaks for crime and disaster fighting because she is after all a hero. Oh, and there’s a moment where she’s scared of mice because woman.
The male heroes manage to trick her, but as her borrowed powers fade, reluctantly agree that she can keep being Batwoman because there’s no realistic way of stopping her completely.
“Origin of the Superman-Batman Team” written by Edmond Hamilton, pencils by Dick Sprang, inks by Stan Kaye, is the final story in this volume. As I have mentioned before, back in the day it was expected that most comic book readers were children who would eventually move on, so the likelihood that they’d remember a story from four or five years ago, let alone be able to find a copy, was slim.
This story skips the cruise ship entirely as it revises elements of the first World’s Finest team-up, while in the present day Superman teams up with a new hooded partner called Powerman to protect him from Kryptonite rather than rely on Batman and Robin. Powerman, of course, is not what he seems to be.
Overall, this is a fun collection of short stories with some of my favorite DC characters. This series appears to have fallen into the Superman editorial bailiwick, so his supporting cast (especially Lois) is better represented. It’s also easy to see the strain caused by needing both the ludicrously powerful Superman and trained athlete Batman to be relevant in each story. Let alone poor Robin. The treatment of female characters isn’t the best, though Lois at least gets to be feisty.
This collection is in color, which drives up the price a bit. If you’re not a fanatical collector of Superman or Batman like me, you might want to check it out from your local library instead.
World’s Finest Comics had been running separate stories of Batman and Superman since 1941, and the covers often had the two with Robin the Boy Wonder in humorous situations. Since rising costs were forcing a page reduction, it made good economic sense to have one story combining the franchises. And thus was formed the World’s Finest team!
The “Silver Age” in the title of this collection, which has the Superman #76 story and those from World’s Finest #71 (1954)- #94 (1958), is a trifle misleading. That first story is at the tail end of the Golden Age of superhero comics, when superheroes fell out of fashion and sales of that kind of comics plummeted. The first few teamups happened pre-Comics Code, when crime and horror were in vogue. But the squeaky-clean, kid-friendly material DC specialized in was exactly the sort of thing that the Code allowed for, so almost nothing had to change in the Superman/Batman teamups. At the tail end of the stories we are moving into the Silver Age as the new Flash and Green Lantern comics set the stage for superhero revival.
Batman & Superman in World's Finest Comics: The Silver Age Volume 1
Cover by Michael Cho
So let’s take a look at some of the important/standout stories in this volume.
“The Mightiest Team in the World” written by Edmond Hamilton, pencils by Curt Swan, inks by John Fischetti, is that initial Superman story. Reporter Clark Kent and wealthy playboy Bruce Wayne are both going on a cruise on the Varania. Due to an overbooking mix-up, they’re assigned to the same cabin. (This was back when Bruce Wayne was merely rich, not a billionaire who could simply have bought the entire ship.)
Before the boat can cast off, a diamond thief sets a gas tank truck on fire as a distraction. Both Batman and Superman attempt to change outfits in the dark cabin, but a stray beam of light reveals their identities to each other. While Batman rescues Lois Lane, who’d of course headed directly towards the danger, Superman puts out the fire. But there’s no trace of the thief.
The heroes reason that the criminal must have slipped aboard the Varania as a passenger. So now to catch him, Superman and Batman must also be on the cruise, and Lois Lane, smelling a story, also wrangles her way aboard. Clark Kent is confined to his cabin by “seasickness” and Bruce Wayne is tending him. Lois is a bit suspicious, so Superman comes up with the idea of Batman flirting with the female reporter to distract her while a search is made. The heroes don’t realize that Lois is in earshot when they make that plan, so she’s playing along for giggles.
Batman and Superman eventually catch the thief and set up enough confusion to allay Lois’ suspicions about their secret identities. But she does get a little of her own back for the fake flirting plan by accepting a dinner date with Robin, to the men’s bemusement.
“Batman–Double for Superman” written by Alvin Schwartz, pencils by Curt Swan, inks by Stan Kaye, is the first World’s Finest installment. It briefly mentions the Varania incident, then has criminals come into possession of a hunk of Kryptonite. (At this point, Kryptonite was new and extremely rare.) To throw off the gang, Batman and Superman switch costumes, but this leads to Lois Lane temporarily suspecting Bruce Wayne is Batman!
“The Super Bat-man!” written by Edmond Hamilton, pencils by Curt Swan, inks by Stan Kaye, is the first story where Batman gains superpowers while Superman loses them. This version involves a criminal scientist who’s developed a supercharging ray that temporarily gives a person superpowers, and a separate decharging ray that takes them away. Eventually Superman figures out the latter is actually just a fine Kryptonite powder spray, enough to weaken but not kill him.
“The Three Magicians of Baghdad” written by Edmond Hamilton, pencils by Dick Sprang, inks by Stan Kaye, guest stars Dr. Carter Nichols, a scientist who has discovered how to send people back through time using the power of hypnosis. Not, mind you, send their minds back, send the actual physical people. He usually uses this on his friends Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson to allow them to have adventures. But now he’s sent them back to ancient Baghdad and they’re not coming back, so Dr. Nichols calls in Superman to help. Superman, of course, can break through the time barrier on his own.
Flash back a bit, it turns out Bruce and Dick were supposed to have been investigating the myth of the Magnetic Mountain from the Arabian Nights story cycle. They did, only to discover that it was actually a massive magnetic meteorite that got them stuck and interfered with the recall signal. The pair, in their guises as Batman and Robin, were rescued by a young man named Aladdin, who was tricked into buying a worthless lamp on the promise it held a djinn.
The Dynamic Duo proceed to pretend to be actual magicians in order to trick Abdullah, the wicked false magician, into buying back the lamp. Just as it looked like they were going to be exposed, Superman arrives and starts pretending to be a genie. After shenanigans involving the Forty Thieves, our heroes return to the present.
“The True History of Superman and Batman” written by Edmond Hamilton, pencils by Dick Sprang, inks by Stan Kaye, has Ka-Thar, a historian from 5956, come back in time to force the World’s Finest team to redo some of their awesome feats differently to match the version in the book he’s written. And they have to do what he says or he’ll reveal their secret identities, known to everyone in the future. Ka-Thar is very careful not to let them see what’s actually written in the book, particularly the final chapter. That turns out to be because that chapter reveals that their secret identities weren’t revealed until long after 1956, and therefore his threat is hollow if he wants his book to be true. Lois, who’s been tagging along this whole time, is less interested in Superman’s secret identity than if she ever gets to marry the big lunk.
“Superman’s and Batman’s Greatest Foes” written by Edmond Hamilton, pencils by Dick Sprang, inks by Stan Kaye, is the first Lex Luthor/Joker team-up. They’ve both served their time and are out on parole. The mad scientist and clever jester claim to have gone straight, and are starting a legitimate business together. This business is the construction of “mechano-men”, human-looking robots designed to be nigh-indestructible and thus perfect for tasks too hazardous for flesh and bone workers.
Part of the plan is repeatedly making it look like Lex or the Joker is attacking normal humans, only for it to be a test for the mechano-men so that our heroes look silly for intervening.
Eventually, Superman and Batman figure out the villains’ real endgame, foil the plan, and the criminals are soon blaming each other for their failure. Dick Sprang’s pencils are key here for his particular rendering of the Joker.
“The Club of Super-Heroes” story by Edmond Hamilton, pencils by Dick Sprang, inks by Stan Kaye, introduces several new masked heroes from around the world. The Knight and Squire of England, the Musketeer of France, the Legionary of Italy, and the Gaucho of South America. These are all non-powered heroes who are summoned to Metropolis along with Superman, Batman and Robin, to be honored as the Club of Super-Heroes, complete with fancy headquarters. But there’s also a new hero in town, Lightning Man, who appears to be just as strong as Superman, but is never around at the same time.
The international heroes are barely in the story, to be honest, and would not be picked up for worldbuilding until much, much later. But this was a rare nod to the notion of non-USA superheroes for the time.
“The Super-Batwoman” written by Edmond Hamilton, pencils by Dick Sprang, inks by Stan Kaye, reintroduces Kathy Kane, the Fifties Batwoman. She’d been created to a) make a trademark claim, and b) serve as a potential love interest for Batman to ward off insinuations of homosexuality in the Batman/Robin relationship. In her first story, Batwoman had used primarily stereotypically feminine accessories as weapons, and been persuaded to temporarily retire the costume as crimefighting was too dangerous for women. (Sexism. You don’t gotta love it.)
But when a criminal who has access to temporary superpower capsules escapes from prison, Kathy figures that this is a big enough crisis that Batman won’t mind the help. (She’s a bit of a ditz.) As it happens, Batwoman is able to figure out where the power capsule is before the criminal can reach it, and gives herself 24 hours of Kryptonian-level powers.
She decides to use her new gifts to discover Batman, Robin and Superman’s secret identities so that they’ll see she’s capable, taking frequent breaks for crime and disaster fighting because she is after all a hero. Oh, and there’s a moment where she’s scared of mice because woman.
The male heroes manage to trick her, but as her borrowed powers fade, reluctantly agree that she can keep being Batwoman because there’s no realistic way of stopping her completely.
“Origin of the Superman-Batman Team” written by Edmond Hamilton, pencils by Dick Sprang, inks by Stan Kaye, is the final story in this volume. As I have mentioned before, back in the day it was expected that most comic book readers were children who would eventually move on, so the likelihood that they’d remember a story from four or five years ago, let alone be able to find a copy, was slim.
This story skips the cruise ship entirely as it revises elements of the first World’s Finest team-up, while in the present day Superman teams up with a new hooded partner called Powerman to protect him from Kryptonite rather than rely on Batman and Robin. Powerman, of course, is not what he seems to be.
Overall, this is a fun collection of short stories with some of my favorite DC characters. This series appears to have fallen into the Superman editorial bailiwick, so his supporting cast (especially Lois) is better represented. It’s also easy to see the strain caused by needing both the ludicrously powerful Superman and trained athlete Batman to be relevant in each story. Let alone poor Robin. The treatment of female characters isn’t the best, though Lois at least gets to be feisty.
This collection is in color, which drives up the price a bit. If you’re not a fanatical collector of Superman or Batman like me, you might want to check it out from your local library instead.
November 23, 2017
Often clever mix of high concept stories. Really nice silver age art. I have to wonder about the contracts that were going on at DC in 1957 such that The Flash, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, and Aquaman (the only other superheroes concurrently published) were outside of John Mayhew's purview but Knight and Squire, Musketeer, Gaucho, and the Legionary were. (I just looked and these are not new characters, having previously appeared in Detective #215 or even earlier, in Batman #62, in the case of Knight and Squire). The same story features Lightning-Man, which seems to have been an attempt to kick Fawcett in the teeth while also be looking forward to Gangbuster in the 1990s.
This volume includes two stories featuring time-travel expert Carter Nichols, one in which the team encounters Aladdin, and another in which they join D'Artagnan when the Three Musketeers are injured. The infamous Skyboy appears as sidekick to Superman, Lex Luthor appears twice, once teaming with the Joker, and the other recurring villain is Elton Craig, who temporarily gains Kryptonian powers through the use of capsules made by Jor-El that became laced with kryptonite. Batman gets superpowers twice, and Batwoman and Robin once each. The cover implies that Bat-Mite and Mr. Myxzptlk appear--they don't, but the sentence is carefully written just to indicate that such stories exist, not necessarily between these covers.
The book opens with Superman #76, in which the two apparently meet for the first time and which is recapped in World's Finest #71 and ends with World's Finest #94, in which Batman recalls an earlier incident in which the two worked together WITHOUT knowing each other's identities. Looking over the stories back to back, one doesn't expressly contradict the other, which suggests a level of care not typical at this period, leaving me to wonder if previous adventures referred to were actually depicted previously or made up on the fly as I had assumed going as far back as when I was a kid.
This volume includes two stories featuring time-travel expert Carter Nichols, one in which the team encounters Aladdin, and another in which they join D'Artagnan when the Three Musketeers are injured. The infamous Skyboy appears as sidekick to Superman, Lex Luthor appears twice, once teaming with the Joker, and the other recurring villain is Elton Craig, who temporarily gains Kryptonian powers through the use of capsules made by Jor-El that became laced with kryptonite. Batman gets superpowers twice, and Batwoman and Robin once each. The cover implies that Bat-Mite and Mr. Myxzptlk appear--they don't, but the sentence is carefully written just to indicate that such stories exist, not necessarily between these covers.
The book opens with Superman #76, in which the two apparently meet for the first time and which is recapped in World's Finest #71 and ends with World's Finest #94, in which Batman recalls an earlier incident in which the two worked together WITHOUT knowing each other's identities. Looking over the stories back to back, one doesn't expressly contradict the other, which suggests a level of care not typical at this period, leaving me to wonder if previous adventures referred to were actually depicted previously or made up on the fly as I had assumed going as far back as when I was a kid.
July 16, 2017
This is pretty typical fare for the time - the art is passable and the writing is silly fun. Reading the book en masse you can't help but get a little bored even though the writer tries his best to come up with clever twists and I will say there isn't a repetition or a formula the writer plugs the stories into. The other thing that stands out to me is how little each character differs in personality. We are used to Batman's dark intense personality and Superman's being a morally upright boy scout - but in these stories all characters are pretty bland with no personality. Although there is one funny story (to me at least) when Batman "breaks his leg" and Robin gets to be Superman's sidekick (because Superman needs a 10 year old to help him) and Batman worries that the excitement of being Superman's sidekick will make Robin want to leave him (you know - because when you find a parent you like better you automatically get to leave your current parent for them...oh wait...).
I described them as silly because what else can you say when Batman and Superman "time travel" through hypnosis. When Batman and Superman compete to do the most good so THEIR city can host a convention. When they have to switch places to fool Lois into not thinking Superman is Clark Kent. When Batman has to become a fortune teller to draw out a superstitious mobster and needs Superman's help to make his predictions come true. When a time traveler from the future demands they redo their adventures the way HE wants so his history book will end up being more true than his rival historian's book. And so on...
Definitely geared towards young kids but it was fun to revisit some of these stories from a simpler and sillier time.
I described them as silly because what else can you say when Batman and Superman "time travel" through hypnosis. When Batman and Superman compete to do the most good so THEIR city can host a convention. When they have to switch places to fool Lois into not thinking Superman is Clark Kent. When Batman has to become a fortune teller to draw out a superstitious mobster and needs Superman's help to make his predictions come true. When a time traveler from the future demands they redo their adventures the way HE wants so his history book will end up being more true than his rival historian's book. And so on...
Definitely geared towards young kids but it was fun to revisit some of these stories from a simpler and sillier time.
June 22, 2018
Some really fun Silver age stories. It's usually not a good idea to read these kinds of comics one after another, but I read this in two big sittings about two weeks apart. I was just having some fun with it.
The stories are inventive and often pretty imaginative. They couldn't have Batman and Superman just punching people then, so you get a lot of strange stories. They do get derivative at times (a number of these stories deal with people getting or losing powers) but I think that's part of the fun! Yeah, they travel through out time multiple times, but they never go to the same place twice!
People who like Silver Age stuff tend to like it right away, so you already know if this is the kind of book you want to read.
The stories are inventive and often pretty imaginative. They couldn't have Batman and Superman just punching people then, so you get a lot of strange stories. They do get derivative at times (a number of these stories deal with people getting or losing powers) but I think that's part of the fun! Yeah, they travel through out time multiple times, but they never go to the same place twice!
People who like Silver Age stuff tend to like it right away, so you already know if this is the kind of book you want to read.
February 10, 2025
3,5
Batman & Superman in World's Finest Comics coleta episódios desses dois super-heróis (e Robin) trabalhando juntos em diversas aventuras e situações, durante a Era de Prata e sob a regulamentação da Comics Code Authority, que fiscalizava o conteúdo dos quadrinhos estadunidenses nessa época. Portanto, a história é leve, cômica e um tanto boba na maioria dos episódios, com eventos que se desdobram de forma exagerada, além da repetição de roteiro em diversos momentos que tornam a leitura um pouco maçante (tive que deixar esse quadrinho de lado por alguns dias para retomar a coragem e terminá-lo).
Enfim, apesar de ser uma leitura difícil em certa parte, foi tão agradável conhecer esse lado do Superman e Batman, mais suave e bobo, que consegui me divertir bastante com suas interações na história. Gostei e pretendo, futuramente, começar seu segundo volume.
Batman & Superman in World's Finest Comics coleta episódios desses dois super-heróis (e Robin) trabalhando juntos em diversas aventuras e situações, durante a Era de Prata e sob a regulamentação da Comics Code Authority, que fiscalizava o conteúdo dos quadrinhos estadunidenses nessa época. Portanto, a história é leve, cômica e um tanto boba na maioria dos episódios, com eventos que se desdobram de forma exagerada, além da repetição de roteiro em diversos momentos que tornam a leitura um pouco maçante (tive que deixar esse quadrinho de lado por alguns dias para retomar a coragem e terminá-lo).
Enfim, apesar de ser uma leitura difícil em certa parte, foi tão agradável conhecer esse lado do Superman e Batman, mais suave e bobo, que consegui me divertir bastante com suas interações na história. Gostei e pretendo, futuramente, começar seu segundo volume.
March 20, 2025
I was flip flopping between a 2.5 and a 3, but a three it is. I don’t think that these issues are the crème of the crème for silver age stuff since the only issue I can think of where things get really off the whack is the mother goose issue (which is probably my favorite one off of the entire collection), but these are still fun, if they weren’t I probably wouldn’t have been able to finish this collection. My only complain is that there are certain plot points that get repeated so much that it makes those stories not stick out.
August 20, 2017
World's Finest Volume One is another collection of Silver Age stories, this time involving DC's two biggest powerhouses Batman and Superman.
World's Finest has some fun stories, some bland stories, some decent art, and maintains the level of fun that the Silver Age has become known for over time.
Some of the stories in this collection tend to blur together (Superman tricks Batman for his own safety more than once) but overall it makes for a fun afternoon read.
World's Finest has some fun stories, some bland stories, some decent art, and maintains the level of fun that the Silver Age has become known for over time.
Some of the stories in this collection tend to blur together (Superman tricks Batman for his own safety more than once) but overall it makes for a fun afternoon read.
June 21, 2024
Incredibly, Superman and Batman never shared adventures together until the 1950s and this omnibus collects their early team-ups (along with Batman's sidekick Robin). This is when they also learn each other's secret identities. Unfortunately, the writing is just o.k....ditto the artwork. Has historical interest, but not very engaging. In fact, it was a bit of a struggle to complete the whole thing.
February 1, 2020
There's a certain joy to be had from reading these old comics. Yes, the plots are cheesy and campy, the dialogue a little wordy, and the art isn't the greatest, but there's a fun innocence to these stories. They also contain some clever plot twists and sleight of hand to keep things interesting. A great piece of entertaining history.
August 9, 2022
This was the collected edition of Superman #76 from May of 1952, and then World's Finest #71 from July of 1954 through #94 of June of 1958. Twenty-five issues of Superman and Batman teaming up. The first and the last issue contradict one another. It's campy, the artwork is mediocre, and the stories stretch incredulity to the breaking point. I am finding I am not a DC fan of the era.
May 12, 2026
These put the comic in comic book. These stories are nothing deep, but they offer a whimsy of fancy that I quite enjoyed for what it was. This isn’t my era, but I was happy to visit it for a time. I definitely liked this more than I liked the first volume of JLA.
My favorite story was “The Three Super Musketeers” which was legitimately intriguing and stands out for its creativity.
My favorite story was “The Three Super Musketeers” which was legitimately intriguing and stands out for its creativity.
October 9, 2023
A wonderful look back comics from the past
Loved reading the comics from the past, well presented and brought back many happy memories reading my Dad's comic collection.
Also a great way to understand how the characters where originally written
Loved reading the comics from the past, well presented and brought back many happy memories reading my Dad's comic collection.
Also a great way to understand how the characters where originally written
August 28, 2017
I've always loved the silver age of DC. no logic, just fun. this is a great collection. this is when worlds first was truly that.
June 25, 2018
These are some of the most ridiculous comics I've ever read. I loved every last panel.
June 7, 2019
Zany, fun
These old comics are pure escapism and probably the only era of superhero comics I'll always enjoy. Pity about all the sexism, though.
These old comics are pure escapism and probably the only era of superhero comics I'll always enjoy. Pity about all the sexism, though.
January 1, 2022
Probably will only appeal to die-hard fans of Superman or Batman, extreme fans of Silver age comics (I'm not one of them), or people under the age of 12.
January 31, 2022
This is a collection of the original team ups of Batman and Superman. They are very formulaic and thus predictable. But, they are a lot of fun.
June 17, 2022
Remember when comics were fun?
1] No? Read this and learn then.
2] Yes? Read this and relive those days.
1] No? Read this and learn then.
2] Yes? Read this and relive those days.
May 21, 2023
It took me nearly a YEAR to finish reading this, which would usually be a terrible sign. But in this case, the stories were so charming and cute, I basically decided to microdose them.
December 23, 2024
it's cute
January 18, 2025
I love world’s first so much and the amount of random bullshit everyone thinks of was really funny
March 6, 2025
everyone clap for casual 1950s sexism
May 12, 2026
Eskiler bana göre değil ya
August 10, 2022
The world's finest super team.
When I was a boy, World's Finest was the Batman book I liked least. I liked World's Finest more than Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane but looking back, I think I didn't like World's Finest for the same reason I didn't like Lois Lane. Superman is not a team player. He is too powerful.
These are the earliest stories about the Superman, Batman, and Robin team. Most are better than the ones I remember. There is one I would have loved when I was ten in which Superman became super stupid, Robin became super smart, and Robin had to tell Superman what to do.
I recommend this for young boys and those of you who must have every Batman and Superman story. I do not recommend it for girls because if she is the right sort of girl there is a story in here that will make her throw it against the wall. In an earlier story, Batman had told Batwoman to retire AND SHE DID. In World's Finest, she came out of retirement, and helped Superman, Batman, and Robin. Batman gave her his gracious permission to become Batwoman again and she didn't tell him to shove it using words that would not be approved by the Comics Code Authority.
When I was a boy, World's Finest was the Batman book I liked least. I liked World's Finest more than Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane but looking back, I think I didn't like World's Finest for the same reason I didn't like Lois Lane. Superman is not a team player. He is too powerful.
These are the earliest stories about the Superman, Batman, and Robin team. Most are better than the ones I remember. There is one I would have loved when I was ten in which Superman became super stupid, Robin became super smart, and Robin had to tell Superman what to do.
I recommend this for young boys and those of you who must have every Batman and Superman story. I do not recommend it for girls because if she is the right sort of girl there is a story in here that will make her throw it against the wall. In an earlier story, Batman had told Batwoman to retire AND SHE DID. In World's Finest, she came out of retirement, and helped Superman, Batman, and Robin. Batman gave her his gracious permission to become Batwoman again and she didn't tell him to shove it using words that would not be approved by the Comics Code Authority.
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