World's Finest Comics Archives, Vol. 1

World's Finest Comics Archives #1

by Bill Finger, Curt Swan (Illustrator), Dick Sprang (Illustrator)

Features the exploits of superheroes including Superman and Batman.

Genres: Comics, Superheroes, Graphic Novels, Comic Book

224 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1999

About the author

William "Bill" Finger was an American comic strip and comic book writer best known as the uncredited co-creator, with Bob Kane, of the DC Comics character Batman, as well as the co-architect of the series' development. In later years, Kane acknowledged Finger as "a contributing force" in the character's creation. Comics historian Ron Goulart, in Comic Book Encyclopedia, refers to Batman as the "creation of artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger", and a DC Comics press release in 2007 about colleague Jerry Robinson states that in 1939, "Kane, along with writer Bill Finger, had just created Batman for [DC predecessor] National Comics".

Film and television credits include scripting The Green Slime (1969), Track of the Moon Beast (1976), and three episodes of 77 Sunset Strip.

-Wikipedia

Reviews

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Includes the first Superman/Batman team up from Superman #76, then reprints the first 10 or so team ups from World's Finest. Robin also appears in these stories.

Written by science fiction writer Edmond Hamilton and noted Batman writer Bill Finger, our intrepid trio travel through time, outsmart each other, upstage Lois Lane, and find themselves in many "lucky" situations. Very fun stuff, and a lot better than most of the Superman comics of the same time period.

Art is by Dick Sprang and Curt Swan. Sprang's art is the best and drew a fine Superman as well as his usual good work on the Dynamic Duo.

[Michael P. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nostalgia: WORLD’S FINEST was one of my favorite comics as a child, especially the 80 PAGE GIANTs that reprinted some of the stories in this collection. Stories in editor Whitney Ellsworth’s comics are predictable: There are so many pages to fill. The villain and situation is introduced, then the villain commits a series of crimes, is confronted by the hero, and gets away until it is time for the story to end and the villain is finally captured. The only major exception to this are stories in which the hero tries to help someone, the incidents pile up as already described, and the need to help that person ends with the page count. This is formula writing and all formula writing borders on tediousness unless the formula his well hidden, and in the case of comic books, the art supplies great drive and energy.

The stories in this collection are uneven for precisely this reason. The stories written by Alvin Schwartz and Bill Finger make the formula too obvious. Edmond Hamilton hides it better. The earliest stories in this collection are penciled by Curt Swan, who is adequate and would later become a fine artist. It is the latter stories by Dick Sprang that gives these reprints the most zip, and so are the most fun to read. More Sprang, more stars.

[Carl Waluconis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first series of comics that paired Superman with Batman, and of course Robin. This is not the current grim scowling Batman. It is the nearly always grinning Batman and Robin with white places so you do not see their eyeballs under their masks. The writers and artists are among the best comics have to offer. Writer Edmond Hamilton was a science fiction author whose style heavily influenced Stan Lee's writing in the early Marvel era. I do not mean the storylines or characterization, but the word-by-word style, purple and breathless. The other writer is a key creator of the Batman mythos, Bill Finger. The artists are Curt Swan, who later established his own Superman era, and Dick Sprang. Sprang is my personal favorite, establishing even how Batman moved in Batman's own books. The Batman of this era was less confident when meeting Superman. In fact, the first stories imply that Batman is jealous as Robin's (dare I say it) affections lean a little Superman's way. Lois Lane also has many appearances in these stories, usually though only as a trouble-maker in terms of revealing secret identities, her common trope in those days. (She did so much better later in her own comic.) Superman often gets more that just the heavy lifting in the early stories, showing the challenge to writers of first pairing these heroes. For instance, Superman gets his share of amazing super stunts, such as plowing a new bed for a river with a building-size wedge of concrete, in order "to avoid a danger". Batman and Robin can't offer much help with these kinds of things. But the stories are lively and often fun, with as many human situations and events as a focus as there are super heroics. For nostalgia fans, this can't be beat. The original comics would cost the price of a new car, i.e. if you could find them. Self-disclosure: these were the stories I devoured for ten cents and a walk to the corner store that carried comics, so my mind drifted while reading them back to good old Ryder's store when I read them with a 7Up from the large, metal, cold-water cooler.

[Cyn McDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, four stars. I really enjoyed these issues. Batman and Superman learn each other's identities and become best friends and partners in crime-fighting. Plus, Superman, Batman and Robin as the Three Super-Musketeers! Supes in a Musketeer hat and tabard is just plain fun. Superman #76, July 1952, World's Finest Comics #71-85, July 1954-November 1956.

[Phil Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome fun reading these stories from the 1950's when comics were in their golden age.