World's Finest Comics #159
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeWorld's Finest Comics #159 sits at a precise cultural crossroads: it is the first DC comic to reflect the campy stylistic wave unleashed by the 1966 Batman television series, with the Grand Comics Database explicitly noting that 'camp references à la the Batman TV show begin' here. It also marks the first appearance of the Bat-Phone by that name in comics continuity, and contains the behind-the-scenes first mention of Police Chief O'Hara — a character who existed in comics only because the TV show had already made him famous. Historically, it doubles as a small elegy for the Silver Age Superman editorial voice: the lead story is the final published script that veteran writer Edmond Hamilton ever contributed to DC Comics.
In "The Cape and Cowl Crooks!", Green Arrow and Speedy find themselves tangled in a circus caper when they encounter the Green Error, a clownish imitator who mocks their heroic persona. With help from the Green Error’s clever gadgets, the duo races to recover stolen circus receipts and outwit a gang of cunning thieves. Written by Ed Herron and brought to life by Lee Elias’s dynamic art, with cover by Curt Swan and George Klein, this 1966 adventure blends humor and heroism in a classic DC tale.
In "The Cape and Cowl Crooks!", Perry White and Commissioner James Gordon find themselves transformed by a Kryptonian weapon during a tour of Steelman's Fortress, turning them into villains bent on stealing secrets. As they make their way to Leatherlapp's Cave, their newfound criminal impulses lead them down a path of chaos—only to cross paths with two unexpected figures: Anti-Superman and Anti-Batman, who seem to have their own agenda.
In "The Case of the Green Error Clown," Green Arrow and Speedy encounter a circus clown with a green twist—Green Error, a mischievous mimic who parodies the archer with playful precision. When a group of robbers steals the day's circus receipts, Green Error’s oddball gadgets prove unexpectedly useful in the chase.
ComicBooks.com Value
Show all 19 grades ▾
This exact issue on ebay
Raw — FN/VF ▾ $25–$31.99 3 listings
Raw — FN+ ▾ $17.59–$33 2 listings
Raw — FINE ▾ $14.99–$29.99 3 listings
Raw — VG+ ▾ $12.99–$17.5 3 listings
Raw — VG ▾ $8.5–$17.5 11 listings
Raw / ungraded ▾ $4–$45 25 listings
Read it digitally
Sell my copy
Have this issue — or a whole collection? Get a fair offer from us, skip the marketplace fees and the hassle.
We Buy Collections ▸History
The issue was edited by Mort Weisinger (Superman titles) and E. Nelson Bridwell, with the lead story scripted by Edmond Hamilton, penciled by Curt Swan, and inked by George Klein — the same tight creative unit that had defined the look and feel of Silver Age World's Finest for years. The cover date is August 1966, though the book reached newsstands on June 9, 1966, placing it squarely in the first wave of Bat-mania that followed the January 1966 television premiere. The Green Arrow backup — art by Lee Elias — was not new material but a reprint from World's Finest Comics #100, a cost-saving practice common in the book's mid-1960s run.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Cover date: August 1966; on-sale date: June 9, 1966 (DC Comics, Silver Age).
- Lead story 'The Cape and Cowl Crooks!' scripted by Edmond Hamilton, penciled by Curt Swan, inked by George Klein — Hamilton's final published script for DC Comics.
- First appearance of the Bat-Phone (listed in the DC Database as 'First appearance as Bat-Phone') in comics continuity.
- First (behind-the-scenes) appearance of Police Chief O'Hara in comics; the character's first full on-panel appearance came later in Detective Comics #470.
- Introduction of Anti-Superman (Perry White transformed) and Anti-Batman (Commissioner Gordon transformed) as temporary villain identities after both men are exposed to a gas in the Fortress of Solitude.
- The Prankster appears after roughly an eleven-year absence from DC's comics; his last prior appearance had been in Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen circa 1955.
- The Green Arrow/Speedy backup story ('Case of the Green Error Clown,' art by Lee Elias) is itself a reprint from World's Finest Comics #100, featuring the clown parody character Green Error.
- The lead story was later reprinted in World's Finest Comics #227; the Grand Comics Database identifies this issue as the starting point for camp-influenced storytelling in the World's Finest title.
Cast · 15 characters
Full credits
Reprints
↩ Reprints World's Finest Comics #100 (1959)
Reprinted in Stålmannen #19/1966 (1966), Batman #384 (1967), World's Finest Comics #227 (1975), Superman / Batman: The Greatest Stories Ever Told #[nn] (2007), Showcase Presents: World's Finest #3 (2010), سوبرمان [Subirman Kawmaks / Superman Comics] #144, Superman #27, Superman Presents Wonder Comic Monthly #122
Key issues in World's Finest Comics
Reviews
Reader reviews
No reader reviews yet.