Data courtesy of the Grand Comics Database under Creative Commons license.

Issue Details

Issue #1
Published [Spring] 1941
Cover Price 0.15 USD
Pages 100
Editing Whitney Ellsworth; Murray Boltinoff (assistant)
Notes Book is titled World's Best for this first issue only. Published by World's Best Comics, Inc. Fillers and text stories added courtesy of Mike32wm. 2/09

Cover Details - "untitled"

Characters Superman [Clark Kent]; Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Robin [Dick Grayson]
Genre Superhero
Pencils Fred Ray
Inks Fred Ray
Letters typeset
Notes Book is titled World's Best for this first issue only. Published by World's Best Comics, Inc. Fillers and text stories added courtesy of Mike32wm (February, 2009).
Reprinted in Batman: The World's Finest Comics Archives (DC, 2002 series) #1; in Superman: The World's Finest Comics Archives (DC, 2004 series) #1

1 page Superman; Batman and Robin; Zatara; Johnny Thunder; Crimson Avenger; Red, White and Blue; Lando promo (ad from the publisher)

Characters Superman; Batman and Robin; Zatara; Johnny Thunder; Crimson Avenger; Red, White and Blue; Lando
Genre superhero; occult; humor
Pencils various
Inks various
Letters typeset
Notes Individual head views by each feature's artist.

13 page Superman story "Superman vs. the Rainmaker"

Characters Superman [Clark Kent]; Perry White; Lois Lane; B. Drexel Rutherford; Rainmaker (villain, introduction, death)
Synopsis A criminal scientist learns how to control the weather and uses his power for extortion, and he even nearly stops the Man of Tomorrow from interfering when he uses a paralysis gas on the Man of Steel.
Genre superhero
Script Jerry Siegel (signed)
Pencils Wayne Boring [as Joe Shuster] (signed)
Inks Don Komisarow ? [as Joe Shuster] (signed)
Notes Credits in World's Finest Archives are wrong.
Reprinted in Superman: The World's Finest Comics Archives (DC, 2004 series) #1

1 page Curios filler "The American Flag"

Genre fact
Script Henry Boltinoff (signed)
Pencils Henry Boltinoff (signed)
Inks Henry Boltinoff (signed)
Letters Henry Boltinoff

8 page Red, White and Blue story "The Super-Tank"

Characters Red Dugan; Whitey White; Blooey Blue; Doris West
Genre adventure
Script Jerry Siegel ?
Pencils Harry Lampert
Inks Harry Lampert

2 page Just Like Junior story

Characters Junior
Genre children; humor
Pencils Stan Aschmeir
Inks Stan Aschmeir

6 page The Crimson Avenger story "The Ambassador"

Characters Crimson Avenger (Lee Travis); Wing
Synopsis The Crimson saves the Governor from a kidnapping attempt.
Genre superhero
Script Jack Lehti (signed)
Pencils Jack Lehti (signed)
Inks Charles Paris
Letters Charles Paris
Notes Crimson wears a cape. Inker & letterer credits by Craig Delich (November, 2005).

6 page Johnny Thunder story "Johnny Drives a Truck"

Characters Johnny Thunder; Thunderbolt; Mr. Darling; Mr. Katz
Synopsis Johnny drives a truck for Daisy's father and has to deal with a rival trucking company trying to sabotage the business.
Genre superhero; humor
Script John B. Wentworth
Pencils Stan Aschmeier
Inks Stan Aschmeier
Notes This is the super-hero character from Flash Comics. The Thunderbolt is yellow, but he talks.

2 page none text story "Danger Ahead"

Script Arch O'Hara (signed)
Pencils Fred Ray (signed)
Inks Fred Ray (signed)
Letters typeset

6 page Young Doc Davis story "Tong War in ChinaTown"

Characters Doc Davis
Genre detective
Script Henry Boltinoff
Pencils Henry Boltinoff
Inks Henry Boltinoff
Letters Henry Boltinoff ?
Notes Letterer credit added by Craig Delich 2010-2-17.

8 page Zatara story "The Menace"

Characters Zatara; The Menace (villain)
Genre occult
Script Gardner F. Fox
Pencils Joseph Sulman (signed)
Inks Joseph Sulman (signed)

1 page Incredible But True filler

Genre fact

4 page Drafty #158 story "The Buffalo"

Characters Drafty
Genre humor
Script Ed Moore ?
Pencils Ed Moore (signed)
Inks Ed Moore (signed)
Letters Ed Moore ?
Notes Letterer credit added by Craig Delich 2010-2-17.

6 page The King story "Adventure of the Nosy Waitress"

Characters The King; the Witch (villain)
Genre detective
Script Gardner F. Fox
Pencils Harry Lampert (signed)
Inks Harry Lampert (signed)
Letters Harry Lampert
Notes Letterer credit verified by Lampert and added by Craig Delich (November, 2005).
Reprinted In World's Finest Comics (DC, 1941 series) #210 (March 1972)

2 page Dinky filler

Characters Dinky
Genre children; humor
Script Henry Boltinoff (signed)
Pencils Henry Boltinoff (signed)
Inks Henry Boltinoff (signed)
Letters Henry Boltinoff

6 page Punch Parker story "The Radium Robbers"

Characters Punch Parker
Genre detective
Pencils Don Cameron? Ed Winiarski? Paul Norris? (see Notes)
Notes Possible credits provided by Craig Delich and Jerry Bails. The inker for this issue's story is different from that found in World's Finest #2's story.

2 page none text story "Carnival"

Script George Shute (signed)
Letters typeset

8 page Lando, Man of Magic story "Visit to Neva"

Characters Lando
Genre occult
Script Howard Purcell ?
Pencils Howard Purcell (signed)
Inks Howard Purcell (signed)

13 page Batman and Robin story "The Witch and the Manuscript of Doom!"

Characters The Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Robin [Dick Grayson]; Commissioner James Gordon; Erik Dorne (introduction, death); Joshua Grimm (introduction); Melissa Brunt (introduction); Jane Ware (introduction); The Witch [Mr. Wright] (villain, introduction)
Synopsis The Batman and Robin must track down The Witch, a mysterious figure responsible for the murder of Erik Dorne and the theft of a manuscript he wrote.
Genre Superhero
Script Bill Finger
Pencils Bob Kane
Inks Bob Kane; George Roussos (backgrounds)
Letters George Roussos
Reprinted in Batman (DC, 1940 series) #254 (January-February 1974); in Batman: The World's Finest Comics Archives (DC, 2002 series) #1; in Läderlappen (Williams Förlags AB, 1969 series) #12/1974

1 page Superman; Batman; Robin; Zatara; Johnny Thunder; Crimson Avenger; Red, White and Blue; Lando illustration

Characters Superman; Batman; Robin; Zatara; Johnny Thunder; The Crimson Avenger; Red Dugan; Whitey White; Blooey Blue; Lando
Synopsis Proudly presenting a star-studded collection of the world's best comics.
Genre superhero; occult; humor
Pencils various
Inks various
Letters typeset
Notes Found on the back cover.