For new readers, reading old comics from the Golden to the Bronze Age can sometimes be rough. They were aimed at children at the time, with almost no one thinking that they would be reprinted and collected 80 years later. While exploring those years of comics can be interesting and fun, it’s also an acquired taste. The writing style was completely different to modern standards, often more wordy and descriptive, and accompanied by great art that was sometimes recycled throughout issues (anyone who has read Lee and Kirby’s run on Fantastic Four will have noticed some repeated panels!).
At DC Comics, these stories are all part of the Pre-Crisis era, which is set before the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths. This was the first major crisis, but certainly not the last! The timeline has changed significantly since then due to the many crises that have occurred, resulting in changes to the origins, events and canons of the DC Universe’s superheroes.
This past few years, writer Mark Waid has dedicated a certain amount of his time to exploring DC’s new past. As he explained in a interview on DC.com, “the joy of using the past is in recontextualizing earlier eras and earlier ideas for the modern audience by coupling genuine character moments with some of the cooler forgotten artifacts of DC history. I don’t want to just retell past stories—I want to find new ways into history that resonate today.”
He recently delivered a New History of DC Universe, in which he and various artists retrace the convoluted timeline of this particular universe, from the very birth of the DC Universe to the present day. While this is a decent way to have a larger picture of the DC Universe, I found it rather heavy-handed and not that enjoyable – although that is a personal taste.
To be honest, the Batman/Superman: World’s Finest comics feel like a better introduction to the DC Universe to me. They’re a fun read filled with classic DC characters and concepts, and use the iconic partnership of Batman and Superman to take us on adventures, solve mysteries and make discoveries. Time travel, alternate realities, impossible crimes and secret origins are all part of our superheroes’ world.
During those issues, Batman and Superman team up with many superheroes and friends. They are naturally helped by Robin (Dick Grayson) and Supergirl (Kara Zor-El), work alongside the members of the Justice League and are not afraid to ask other teams, such as the Doom Patrol and the lesser-known Metal Men, for help. They come face to face with classic enemies such as Lex Luthor and the Joker, as well as new and lesser-known villains.
A love letter to classic comics, Batman/Superman: World’s Finest is the perfect comic book to discover DC’s past with a modern flair.
When does Batman / Superman: World’s Finest really take place in the timeline?
You could easily ask yourself where, precisely, those early adventures of Batman and Superman are set in the DC Continuity. Presented as stories from “a not-too-distant past,” those tales can be seen as part of what might be called a New Pre-Crisis.
Many of the Pre-Crisis stories published by DC Comics happened at some point. But with each Crisis, the timeline has been reshaped both forward and backward. As a result, stories like Batman/Superman: World’s Finest are not set in the original Pre-Crisis continuity, but in a new version of the past belonging to the modern DC Universe.
History notes: the many World’s Finest Comics
The original World’s Finest Comics featuring superheroes Superman and Batman (and Robin) was published between 1941 and 1986 and lasted 323 issues. Some of those stories have been collected in Omnibus or in the older Archives collection.
Other volumes have followed throughout the years:
- three-issue prestige miniseries story by David Gibbons in 1990
- a 10-issue limited series by Karl Kesel in 1999
- a 4-issue limited series by Sterling Gates in 2009-2010
- An ongoing comic series featuring Huntress of Earth 2, written by Paul Levitz with artwork by George Pérez and Kevin Maguire, published between 2012 and 2015.
Batman/Superman: World’s Finest Comics Collection
It starts here! Discover the past teaming up of The Dark Knight and The Man of Steel, under the creative team of veteran writer Mark Waid and artist Dan Mora.
- Batman / Superman: World’s Finest Vol. 1 – The Devil Nezha
Collects Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #1-5.- The “Devil Nezha” storyline is continued in modern times in Batman Vs. Robin and the Lazarus Planet Event
- This volume has also been reprinted in a Deluxe Edition [2026].
The Teen Titans revisited by Mark Waid and Emanuela Lupacchino. While the publication for this Teen Titans spin-off started around Batman / Superman: World’s Finest #17, the young team made their first appearance in the title in #7. The story delivers a modern retelling of the early adventures of the original Teen Titans, led by the Boy Wonder and featuring Aqualad (Garth),
Bumblebee (Karen Beecher), Kid Flash (Wally West), Speedy (Roy Harper), and Wonder Girl (Donna Troy).
- World’s Finest: Teen Titans HC
Collects World’s Finest: Teen Titans #1-6.
- Batman / Superman: World’s Finest Vol. 2 – Strange Visitor
Collecting Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #6-11.- The origins of David Sikela, known as Magog in Kingdom Come.
- Batman / Superman: World’s Finest Vol. 3 – Elementary
Collects Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #12-17.- Revisit the origins of Metamorpho.
- Batman / Superman: World’s Finest Vol. 4 – Return to Kingdom Come
Collects Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #20-24.- Continues David’s story and acts as a prequel to Kingdom Come. You don’t have to be familiar with the comic to read this story.
- Batman / Superman: World’s Finest Vol. 5 – Secret Origins
Collects: Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #18-19, #25; Batman/Superman: World’s Finest 2024 Annual #1.- #18 and #19 are a retelling of Batman and Superman’s first meeting (set during Batman’s first year).
- After issue #19, Aethyr’s storyline is continued in Action Comics #1071.
- Batman / Superman: World’s Finest Vol. 6 – IMPossible
Collects: Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #26-30- Starring Mr. Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite from the Fifth Dimension.
- #30 is pencilled by Gleb Melnikov and tells the first adventure of the Trinity (Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman)
- Batman / Superman: World’s Finest Vol. 7 – Total Eclipso
Collects Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #31-34 and Green Lantern / Green Arrow: World’s Finest Special#1!- Adrián Gutiérrez took over as the main artist for the title, starting with issue #31 (Dan Mora is still making the covers). This story features the Justice Society of America.
- Green Lantern / Green Arrow: World’s Finest Special #1 is written by Jeremy Adams with art by Lucas Meyer. It is clearly placed during the classic Hard Traveling era, although the tone has nothing in common. A note at the end of the issue indicates that Deathstroke’s story continues in The New Teen Titans #2 (1980).
- Batman / Superman: World’s Finest Vol. 8 – 20,000 Leagues [2026]
Collecting Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #35-37 and #40-43- Lori Lemaris reappears in Jeremy Adams’s run on Aquaman and plays a recurring role since issue #3.
We Are Yesterday! The current-day adventures of Justice League Unlimited meet the past heroics of Batman/Superman: World’s Finest in the first crossover of the DC All In era. Heroes from the past are teaming up with the brand new incarnation of the Justice League to face some of their most iconic villains, such as Gorilla Grodd, the Cheetah, Lex Luthor, and the Joker.
- Justice League Unlimited/World’s Finest: We Are Yesterday
Collects Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #38-39, Justice League Unlimited #6-8, and Batman/Superman: World’s Finest 2025 Annual #1.
- Batman / Superman: World’s Finest Vol. 9 – The Merger [2026]
Collects Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #44-49. - The story continues…
Discover more Batman and Superman team-ups with our Batman and Superman Reading Order