VOLUME 1 1952 - 1962
COMICS INDEX
VOLUME 1 1952 - 1962
COMICS INDEX LEONIDAS FRAGIAS
The Arts & Charts Index to World's Finest Comics The format and design of this book is based on George Olshevsky's Marvel Index series and Murray Ward's DC Index series. Their books have a beautiful layout which was an inspiration for me. The Official Marvel Index is a series of comic books released by Marvel Comics which featured synopses of several Marvel series. The books were largely compiled by George Olshevsky and featured detailed information on each issue in a particular series, including writer and artist credits, characters who appeared in the issue, and a story synopsis. The Official Marvel Index was preceded by the Marvel Comics Index (also compiled by Olshevsky) and distributed by Pacific Comics Distributors sporadically from 1976-1982. These books were magazinesized as opposed to comic-sized. The first Official Marvel Index titles were published in 1985, and produced regularly through August 1988. A similar series of indices was published for DC Comics. The Official DC Index was released by Independent Comics Group (an imprint of Eclipse Comics) from 1985–1988. The books were edited by Murray Ward. The data for this book is taken from various sources. I fill the gap of the missing data, since I have the complete collection of DC and Marvel comics from the 1930s to the present. Also I made some corrections, when the data is wrong. The book series cover the silver age (from the mid-1950s to 1969) and the bronze age (from 1970 to 1986) of DC Comics. This is my favorite era, when it comes to comics. Many thanks to DarkMark, George Olshevsky, Murray Ward, Mark Waid and Mike Tiefenbacher among others. Leonidas Fragias
THE WORLD'S FINEST COMICS INDEX Volume 1, 2018. Published by Arts & Charts. Editor: Leonidas Fragias, Writers: Various. "World's Finest Comics" is trademark of DC Comics Inc. All art and cover reproductions Š2018 DC Comics Inc.
Superman #76
World’s Finest Comics #71
May-June 1952 Cover Artist: Wayne Boring Story: “The Mightiest Team In the World” (12 pages) Writer: Edmond Hamilton Artist: Curt Swan Synopsis: Superman and Batman are both on the trail of John Smilter, diamond smuggler, who has booked passage on the S.S. Varania. Both Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne also travel on the ship, end up sharing a cabin, and, when an emergency breaks out, accidentally learn each other’s secret identities. Working together, they capture Smilter, despite the added on-board presence of Lois Lane, who is trying to learn both their secret identities.
July-August 1954 Cover Artist: Win Mortimer Story: “Batman--Double For Superman” (12 pages) Writer: Alvin Schwartz Artist: Curt Swan Synopsis: Crooks capture a piece of Kryptonite and intend to sell it to the highest bidder in gangland. But Lois Lane has observed Clark Kent turning into Superman, so the Man of Steel appeals to his friends Batman and Robin for help. To convince Lois her suspicions are wrong, Batman poses as Superman and Superman pretends to be Batman for the duration of the case--and Batman makes sure that Lois Lane sees “Superman” changing into his Bruce Wayne identity.
World’s Finest Comics #72 September-October 1954 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Stan Kaye Story: “Fort Crime” (12 pages) Writer: Alvin Schwartz Artist: Curt Swan Synopsis: Batman and Robin trail the Heavy Weapons Gang, who employ military weapons in their thefts and hole up in an abandoned fort, and a captured Clark Kent gives them surreptitious super-aid.
World’s Finest Comics #73 November-December 1954 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Stan Kaye Story: “Batman and Superman, Swamis Inc.” (12 pages) Writer: Edmond Hamilton Artist: Curt Swan Synopsis: To trap a Gotham gangster known as the Fang, Batman impersonates a fortune-telling Swami, and Superman makes sure the Swami’s “predictions” come true.
World’s Finest Comics #74
World’s Finest Comics #75
January-February 1955 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Ray Burnley Story: “The Contest of Heroes” (10 pages) Writer: Bill Finger Artist: Curt Swan Synopsis: An alien creature comes to Earth to “play”, but his incredible powers endanger Metropolis and Gotham City. Superman and Batman set things to rights and, in honor of them, the alien returns to his homeworld and metamorphoses into the hybrid crimefighter, Super-Batman.
March-April 1955 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Stan Kaye Story: “Superman and Robin” (12 pages) Writer: Bill Finger Artist: Curt Swan Synopsis: After Batman inhales a substance that can be poisonous if he is active for the next couple of days, Superman and Robin convince him that he has broken his leg. But even though the Man of Steel and Boy Wonder team up to take on the Purple Mask Mob, it is Batman’s detective work that shows them where to go.
World’s Finest Comics #76
World’s Finest Comics #77
May-June 1955 Cover Artist: Win Mortimer Story: “When Gotham City Challenged Metropolis” (12 pages) Writer: Edmond Hamilton Artist: Curt Swan Synopsis: Gotham City and Metropolis compete to be the site of an electronics convention, with Superman and Batman seeing who can score the biggest number of exploits...but Batman takes the contest seriously when it is revealed that one of the inventions at the con could be deadly to Superman.
July-August 1955 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Stan Kaye Story: “The Super Bat-Man” Writer: Edmond Hamilton Artist: Curt Swan Synopsis: A criminal scientist creates a machine which can give an ordinary human super-powers for 24 hours. Accidentally, Batman gains powers from an exposure to this machine, while Superman loses his temporarily thru exposure to Kryptonite dust.
World’s Finest Comics #78 September-October 1955 Cover Artist: Win Mortimer Story: “When Superman’s Identity Is Exposed” Writer: Edmond Hamilton Artist: Dick Sprang Synopsis: Superman lures Batman out of Gotham City, where the Varrel Mob has set a deathtrap for him, by pretending someone in Metropolis has discovered the Man of Steel’s secret identity and Batman’s aid is required. Batman eventually penetrates the ruse and helps Robin and Superman mop up the Varrel Mob.
World’s Finest Comics #79 November-December 1955 Cover Artist: Win Mortimer Story: “The Three Magicians of Baghdad” (13 pages) Writer: Edmond Hamilton Artist: Dick Sprang Synopsis: When Dr. Carter Nichols cannot bring Batman and Robin back from Aladdin’s time, Superman crosses the time barrier to aid them.
World’s Finest Comics #80 January-February 1956 Cover Artist: Win Mortimer Story: “The Super-Newspaper of Gotham City” (12 pages) Writer: Edmond Hamilton Artist: Dick Sprang Synopsis: Superman, Batman, and Robin attempt to find the mysterious Mole plaguing Gotham City, while both Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne are dragooned into becoming reporters to save the failing Gotham Gazette.
World’s Finest Comics #81 March-April 1956 Cover Artist: Win Mortimer Story: “The True History of Superman and Batman” (12 pages) Writer: Edmond Hamilton Artist: Dick Sprang Synopsis: A historian from the future comes back in time to show Superman, Batman, and Robin a book he has written about their exploits. When they point out factual errors in his book, he forces them to redo their feats the way his book presented them, or face having their secret identities exposed.
World’s Finest Comics #82 May-June 1956 Cover Artist: Win Mortimer Story: “The Three Super-Musketeers” (12 pages) Writer: Edmond Hamilton Artist: Dick Sprang Synopsis: Superman, Batman, and Robin are sent back to 17th Century France to meet the Three Musketeers and learn the secret of the Man in the Iron Mask.
World’s Finest Comics #83 July-August 1956 Cover Artist: Dick Sprang / Stan Kaye Story: “The Case of the Mother Goose Mystery” (12 pages) Writer: Bill Finger Artist: Dick Sprang Synopsis: Superman, Batman, and Robin encounter a man in a Humpty Dumpty costume who leads them into a strange escapade based on nursery rhymes.
World’s Finest Comics #84
World’s Finest Comics #85
September-October 1956 Cover Artist: Dick Sprang / Stan Kaye Story: “The Super-Mystery of Metropolis” (12 pages) Writer: Edmond Hamilton Artist: Dick Sprang Synopsis: Thad Linnis, a gangster, comes to Metropolis to blackmail Superman into leaving town. When Batman and Robin finally track down the Man of Steel, Superman confesses that Thad Linnis came to Smallville with a boy accomplice years ago, and apparently learned the true identity of Superboy. Batman confesses that he was the boy, in his teenage years as Bruce Wayne, but he was not an accomplice of Linnis. Moreover, though he did learn Superboy’s secret identity, he destroyed evidence that would have given it away to Linnis. After learning that, Superman returns to Metropolis and captures Linnis.
November-December 1956 Cover Artist: Dick Sprang / Stan Kaye Story: “The Super-Rivals” (12 pages) Writer: Edmond Hamilton Artist: Dick Sprang Synopsis: Princess Varina of Balkania comes to Metropolis, and Superman and Batman pretend to be rivals for her hand to keep her from impulsively marrying Captain Stefan, a commoner, and thus plunging her country into anarchy. But Vicki Vale and Lois Lane arrange for Stefan to be seen heroically rescuing the princess, and the marriage goes through with the nation’s approval.
World’s Finest Comics #86 January-February 1957 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Stan Kaye Story: “The Super-Show of Gotham City” (12 pages) Writer: Edmond Hamilton Artist: Dick Sprang Synopsis: Superman, Batman, and Robin agree to reenact their greatest feats for charity, but a hidden culprit sabotages the events.
World’s Finest Comics #87 March-April 1957 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Stan Kaye Story: “The Reversed Heroes” (12 pages) Writer: Bill Finger Artist: Dick Sprang Synopsis: Jor-El devised pills that would restore Superman’s powers if he lost them on Earth, but was unable to place the box containing the pills in Kal-El’s rocket before he launched it. Years later, the box, covered in Kryptonite, falls to Earth, where it is recovered by Elton Craig. Craig takes one of the pills, gains super-powers, and weakens Superman with the Kryptonite. Superman manages to recover and takes one of the pills, but the Kryptonite within it steals away his powers temporarily. He is forced to contact Batman and Robin, who take Jor-El’s pills, gain super-powers, and finally capture Craig.
World’s Finest Comics #88 May-June 1957 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Stan Kaye Story: “Superman’s and Batman’s Greatest Foes” (12 pages) Writer: Edmond Hamilton Artist: Dick Sprang Synopsis: Lex Luthor and the Joker apparently go straight and open a supposedly legitimate business manufacturing industrial robots. But Batman and Superman suspect the pair have other objectives, despite their failure to prove so repeatedly.
World’s Finest Comics #89 July-August 1957 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Stan Kaye Story: “The Club of Heroes” (12 pages) Writer: Edmond Hamilton Artist: Dick Sprang Synopsis: Metropolis millionaire John Mayhew builds a headquarters for a newly-founded Club of Heroes, whose membership is comprised of Superman, Batman, Robin, and international heroes such as the Knight and the Legionary. Mayhew says that the deed for the club will go to the hero they choose as their leader. Both Batman and Superman demur, but all agree that the hero who does the greatest deeds will become the club leader. Soon afterwards, Superman seems to disappear, and his place is taken by a new masked hero, Lightning-Man. Lightning-Man is finally chosen leader of the Club of Heroes. Soon afterwards, Batman and Robin discover that Lightning-Man is Superman himself, rendered amnesiac by an orbiting chunk of Kryptonite. When this is revealed to the club, they insist that Superman retain the leadership.
World’s Finest Comics #90
World’s Finest Comics #91
September-October 1957 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Ray Burnley Story: “The Super-Batwoman” (12 pages) Writer: Edmond Hamilton Artist: Dick Sprang Synopsis: To keep a last super-power pill out of Elton Craig’s hands, Batwoman takes the pill herself and gains super-powers. She captures Craig, but Superman and Batman believe she is too inexperienced either to be an effective crime-fighter or to use her temporary super-powers properly. Angered, Batwoman decides to try and learn the secret identities of Superman, Batman, and Robin. She fails, but demonstrates her resourcefulness enough that Batman agrees she should continue in her crime-fighting career.
November-December 1957 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Stan Kaye Story: “The Three Super-Sleepers” (12 pages) Writer: Edmond Hamilton Artist: Dick Sprang Synopsis: Convict Rick Harben traps Superman, Batman, and Robin in suspended animation for 1,000 years. The three heroes are awakened in the year 2957 A.D., where they befriend the lovely scientist Lora and do battle with the evil Rohtul, descendant of Lex Luthor. Afterwards, they are returned to their normal era a minute before Harben springs his trap, thus ensuring that they will not have to spend 1,000 years in hibernation.
World’s Finest Comics #92
World’s Finest Comics #93
January-February 1958 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Stan Kaye Story: “The Boy From Outer Space” (12 pages) Writer: Edmond Hamilton Artist: Dick Sprang Synopsis: Superman saves an amnesiac boy from the wreckage of a spaceship, discovers the youth has super-powers, dubs him “Skyboy”, and makes him his partner. But Batman and Robin fear that Skyboy may be behind a series of copper thefts. As it turns out, the thefts are being carried out by a gang of thieves from Skyboy’s homeworld of Kormo, and, when the boy’s memory returns, he helps Superman, Batman, and Robin catch the thieves and then returns with them to his planet.
March-April 1958 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Stan Kaye Story: “The Boss of Superman and Batman” (12 pages) Writer: Edmond Hamilton Artist: Dick Sprang Synopsis: A scientist’s mind-amplifying device boosts the intellect of Robin and a criminal while dulling the minds of Superman and Batman.
World’s Finest Comics #94
World’s Finest Comics #95
May-June 1958 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Stan Kaye Story: “The Origin of the Superman-Batman Team” (12 pages) Writer: Edmond Hamilton Artist: Dick Sprang Synopsis: When Lex Luthor breaks out of jail and threatens revenge on Superman, the Man of Steel spurns Batman’s and Robin’s offer of help in favor of a new masked partner of his named Powerman. Rebuffed, the Dynamic Duo remember how they first met Superman, when a gang of crooks used a Kryptonite gun against him and Batman impersonated Superman in order to wrest the weapon away from them. After that case, the threesome began a long-running partnership. Batman and Robin nab Luthor and recover his Kryptonite before Superman can intervene. Superman reveals that Powerman was only a robot, which he planned to use against Luthor rather than endanger Batman and Robin.
July-August 1958 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Stan Kaye Story: “The Battle of the Super-Heroes” (12 pages) Writer: Dave Wood Artist: Dick Sprang Synopsis: In order to settle a debate as to whether Superman or Batman is a greater crime-fighter, aliens from Xlym teleport both of them to their world, give Batman super-powers with a ray, subject both to a hate-ray to make them antagonistic to each other, subject both to an amnesia-ray to make them forget their visit to Xlym, and then teleport both back to Earth. The newly super-powered Batman gets into a real rivalry with Superman until the effects of the rays wear off.
World’s Finest Comics #96 September 1958 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Stan Kaye Story: “The Super-Foes From Planet X” (12 pages) Writer: Edmond Hamilton Artist: Dick Sprang Synopsis: In order to learn how to fight their natural enemies when their survival skills have atrophied, aliens from another planet loose menaces from their planet on Earth and inform Superman, Batman, and Robin as to where to find them, and study their methods.
World’s Finest Comics #97 October 1958 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Stan Kaye Story: “The Day Superman Betrayed Batman” (12 pages) Writer: Bill Finger Artist: Dick Sprang Synopsis: To capture a costumed crime-boss called the Condor and his gang, Superman, Batman, and Robin contrive a ruse involving a phony “predictor” machine, Superman assumes an identity as the machine’s creator, and Batman pretends to be secretly in league with a criminal.
World’s Finest Comics #98
World’s Finest Comics #99
December 1958 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Ray Burnley Story: “The Menace of the Moonman” (12 pages) Writer: Bill Finger Artist: Dick Sprang Synopsis: A Kryptonite-bearing comet’s radiation turns astronaut Brice Rogers into the super-powered villain, the Moonman, who provides plenty of opposition for Superman, Batman, and Robin.
February 1959 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Stan Kaye Story: “Batman’s Super-Spending Spree” Writer: Bill Finger Artist: Dick Sprang Synopsis: Batman is out to spend a million dollars in a short time on things that cannot make him any money, and Superman and Robin must find out why.
World’s Finest Comics #100
World’s Finest Comics #101
March 1959 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Stan Kaye Story: “The Dictator of Krypton City” (12 pages) Writer: Bill Finger Artist: Dick Sprang Synopsis: Lex Luthor uses size-changing belts to allow him to penetrate and conquer Kandor, but Superman, Batman, and Robin use other belts to shrink themselves and combat him in the bottle city.
May 1959 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Stan Kaye Story: “The Menace of the Atom Master” (12 pages) Writer: Bill Finger Artist: Dick Sprang Synopsis: The Atom-Master, a new super-villain, pulls off incredible crimes in Gotham City and Metropolis with a device that at first creates illusions and then creates solid objects to bedevil Superman, Batman, and Robin.
World’s Finest Comics #102 June 1959 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Stan Kaye Story: “The Caveman From Krypton” (12 pages) Writer: Bill Finger Artist: Dick Sprang Synopsis: When a Kryptonian caveman long held in suspended animation lands on Earth and awakens, he is exploited by a gangster and causes trouble for Superman, Batman, and Robin.
World’s Finest Comics #103 August 1959 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Stan Kaye Story: “The Secret of the Sorceror’s Treasure” (12 pages) Writer: Bill Finger Artist: Dick Sprang Synopsis: Superman, Batman and Robin become involved in a battle between two men for possession of four mystic artifacts.
World’s Finest Comics #104 September 1959 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Stan Kaye Story: “The Plot To Destroy Superman” (12 pages) Writer: Bill Finger Artist: Dick Sprang Synopsis: Lex Luthor attempts to steal futuristic inventions from a Gotham City exhibit, and Batman, Robin, Batwoman, and Superman band together to stop him.
World’s Finest Comics #105 November 1959 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Stan Kaye Story: “The Alien Superman” (13 pages) Writer: Bill Finger Artist: Dick Sprang Synopsis: An alien super-criminal tries to trick Superman, Batman, and Robin into removing from Earth the only element that can weaken his powers.
World’s Finest Comics #106
World’s Finest Comics #107
December 1959 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Stan Kaye Story: “The Duplicate Man” (12 pages) Writer: Bill Finger Artist: Dick Sprang Synopsis: Superman, Batman, and Robin face a foe who can turn into two duplicates of himself.
February 1960 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Stan Kaye Story: “The Secret of the Time Creature” (12 pages) Writer: Bill Finger Artist: Dick Sprang Synopsis: To help Superman defeat a destructive energy-creature, Batman and Robin must go back in time to find a weapon hidden in ancient Egypt.
World’s Finest Comics #108
World’s Finest Comics #109
February 1960 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Stan Kaye Story: “The Star Creatures” Writer: Jerry Coleman Artist: Dick Sprang Synopsis: An alien movie producer creates phony menaces for Superman, Batman, and Robin to battle while he films the action, but two Earth crooks get control of his super-scientific gimmicks.
May 1960 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Stan Kaye Story: “The Bewitched Batman” (12 pages) Writer: Jerry Coleman Artist: Curt Swan Synopsis: Batman becomes enchanted by a sorceror’s spell, the conditions of which Superman and Robin must help him fulfill or see him die.
World’s Finest Comics #110 July 1960 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Sheldon Moldoff Story: “The Alien Who Doomed Robin” (12 pages) Writer: Jerry Coleman Artist: Dick Sprang Synopsis: A super-powered alien villain comes to Earth and captures part of Robin’s life-force, ensuring that, if Superman and Batman attack him, Robin will die.
World’s Finest Comics #111 August 1960 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Sheldon Moldoff Story: “Superman’s Secret Kingdom” (13 pages) Writer: Bill Finger Artist: Dick Sprang Synopsis: Superman suffers amnesia after being caught in a volcanic eruption and thinks he is a chief of a lost tribe of Inca Indians. Batman and Robin attempt to restore his memory, but their efforts are complicated by the presence of gangster Floyd Frisby.
World’s Finest Comics #112 September 1960 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / John Forte Story: “The Menace of Superman’s Pet” (12 pages) Writer: Jerry Coleman Artist: Dick Sprang Synopsis: Superman acquires a strange “pet” from outer space, which expands greatly in size and power when it becomes angered. It causes problems for him when he, Batman, and Robin battle a gang called The Wreckers, but heroically sacrifices itself for him when he is endangered by Kryptonite.
World’s Finest Comics #113 November 1960 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Stan Kaye Story: “Bat-Mite Meets Mr. Mxyzptlk” (13 pages) Writer: Jerry Coleman Artist: Dick Sprang Synopsis: Bat-Mite and Mr. Mxyzptlk both appear to play pranks on Superman, Batman, and Robin, and get into a practical joke competiton with each other.
World’s Finest Comics #114
World’s Finest Comics #115
December 1960 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Stan Kaye Story: “Captives of the Space Globes” (13 pages) Writer: Jerry Coleman Artist: Dick Sprang Synopsis: An alien abducts Batman and Robin in hopes of getting the aid of Superman against oppressors of his people, but finds that the Man of Steel is powerless and that the Dynamic Duo have super-powers.
February 1961 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Sheldon Moldoff Story: “The Curse That Doomed Superman” (13 pages) Writer: Jerry Coleman Artist: Dick Sprang Synopsis: Superman appears to go crazy from a Swami’s curse, but Batman and Robin prove the Swami is a faker and his “curse” is powered by Red Kryptonite.
World’s Finest Comics #116 March 1961 Cover Artist: Curt Swan Story: “The Creature From Beyond” (13 pages) Writer: Jerry Coleman Artist: Curt Swan Synopsis: Superman, Batman and Robin must deal with an ex-con who is inexplicably transformed into a super-powered alien based on a movie character.
World’s Finest Comics #117 May 1961 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Stan Kaye Story: “The Super-Batwoman and the Super-Creature” (13 pages) Writer: Jerry Coleman Artist: Curt Swan Synopsis: A device Lex Luthor creates to give a monstrous creature superpowers also empowers Batwoman by accident, but puts her under his control when she is near his creature--and turns her against Superman, Batman, and Robin.
World’s Finest Comics #118 June 1961 Cover Artist: Kurt Schaffenberger Story: “The Creature That Was Exchanged For Superman” (13 pages) Writer: Jerry Coleman Artist: Wayne Boring Synopsis: A criminal from the world of Vathgar teleports Superman to his world in exchange for a skran creature, by which he hopes to conquer his own planet. Batman and Robin try to deal with the Skran, which is becoming invulnerable by consuming iron ore.
World’s Finest Comics #119 August 1961 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Stan Kaye Story: “Secret of Tigerman” (13 pages) Writer: Jerry Coleman Artist: Dick Sprang Synopsis: To trap the criminal military strategist General Grambly and his Purple Legion, Superman pretends to be Tigerman, a bungling new partner of Superman, Batman, and Robin, while one of his Superman robots stands in for him.
World’s Finest Comics #120 September 1961 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Sheldon Moldoff Story: “Challenge of the Faceless Creatures” (13 pages) Writer: Jerry Coleman Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: When a strange faceless creature appears at Metropolis Hall and uses its magnetic powers to steal a medal being given to Superman. When news about this hits the radio airwaves, Batman and Robin decide to head to Metropolis to help Superman out.
World’s Finest Comics #121 November 1961 Cover Artist: Dick Dillin Story: “The Mirror Batman” (13 pages) Writer: Jerry Coleman Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: When Batman steps through a mirror, Robin and Superman see him emerge later in distorted fashion and possessing incredible powers.
World’s Finest Comics #122 December 1961 Cover Artist: Dick Dillin / Sheldon Moldoff Story: “The Capture of Superman” (13 pages) Writer: Jerry Coleman Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: An alien villain named Klor frames Superman for crimes Klor himself has committed on the world of Belvos, and gets Batman and Robin to help bring Superman in.
World’s Finest Comics #123 February 1962 Cover Artist: Dick Dillin / Sheldon Moldoff Story: “The Incredible Team of Bat-Mite and Mr. Mxyzptlk” (13 pages) Writer: Jerry Coleman Artist: Dick Sprang Synopsis: Mr. Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite both visit Superman, Batman, and Robin together, and find out that when they use their powers in concert, the result is something more than they can handle.
World’s Finest Comics #124 March 1962 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Sheldon Moldoff Story: “The Mystery of the Alien Super-Boy” (13 pages) Writer: Jerry Coleman Artist: Curt Swan Synopsis: Logi, a super-powered youth from Durim, comes to Earth to find his arch-enemies, who have found an element there that can strip his powers. Superman, Batman, and Robin lend him a hand against his foes.
World’s Finest Comics #125 May 1962 Cover Artist: Dick Dillin / Sheldon Moldoff Story: “The Hostages On the Island of Doom” (13 pages) Writer: Jerry Coleman Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: A villain named Jundy captures Batman and Robin and uses them as hostages to force Superman to retrieve the components of the Sorceror’s Sceptre for him.
VOLUME 1 1952 - 1962
An Explanation of the Comics Index In this series, we examine every issue of every DC and Marvel comic book of the silver and the bronze age and also provide you with a color reproduction of the comic’s cover, a complete listing of the creative people involved in producing the comic, a summary of what happened in each adventure, and various other information. All comics indexed in a series will run in serial order, beginning with the first issue or the earliest issue that features the series being indexed. Each of the index entries is as self-explanatory as possible. Some of the criteria we used to create an index entry are provided below. Cover Credits It usually takes many people to produce a comic book cover, from conception and design through coloring and production, and it is impossible to credit them all. The Artist, responsible for the basic execution of the cover, does the lion’s share of the work. If more than one artist works on a cover, some usually pencil and the others usually ink. Records of artists and letterers are sometimes unavailable, particularly for covers that appeared many years ago, so the identities of some cover artists and letterers are the best guesses that the indexers and DC’s and Marvel's current editors and art staff can make. Credits other than Artist or Artists and Letterer appear where known. Story Information Story titles are given as they appear on the title pages, not as on the covers or in coming attractions. When a story lacks a title or title page (a rare occurrence), a note to this effect appears as a Comment. Story credits are taken from the credits as published. As with cover credits, it is impossible to credit everybody who worked on a story, but whenever additional information is available, it appears in the Index. If the published credits in a story are incorrect, the Index corrects them wherever possible.
Chronology A time line for all of DC’s and Marvel's comics that allows proper chronological ordering of the appearances of every DC and Marvel character is far from complete. Nevertheless, some appearances are known to precede or follow others. Whenever chronological information is known reliably but is not obvious from the continuity of the stories, it is noted in parentheses. “First appearance” accompanies a character’s listing when the comic is the earliest one in which the character appears. A first appearance is not necessarily a character’s chronologically earliest appearance, which might occur, for example, in an origin flashback first told many years later. As a general rule, in the case of feature characters who are members of a team but who also appear in their own features or comics, issue-by-issue chronological notations for these characters are made in the indexes to their own features, not in the index to the team feature. For instance, Superman’s chronology is noted in The Superman Index, not in The Justice League of America Index. A casual reading of a few Plot Synopses will make it abundantly clear that a whole month does not usually pass for the characters in between monthly issues of a comic. Many issues begin hours or even minutes after the previous month’s story. Consequently, a character who has had his own feature for ten years will not have aged ten years in the time it took for those comics to come out. As for trying to determine in what year a given adventure takes place, there’s no conclusive answer. Specific dates that appear in stories, as well as mention of current events and popular culture, depictions of contemporary fashions, and usage of contemporary slang, are all what is known as Topical References. These are specific details added by a writer or artist to a story to make it seem current at the time the story is being published. They are not necessarily indicators of when — what year or even what decade — a story took place.