World's Finest Comics #6
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeWorld's Finest Comics #6 (Summer 1942) is a remarkably dense Golden Age anthology that captures DC's wartime publishing machine at full throttle across a full 100 pages. Its Batman lead story, 'The Secret of Bruce Wayne!', is historically notable as an early narrative in which a reporter deduces that Bruce Wayne is Batman — a plot device so durable it was later adapted in Batman: The Animated Series as 'The Strange Secret of Bruce Wayne.' The issue also marks the beginning of the Star-Spangled Kid and Stripesy's recurring run within the series, brings a Simon-and-Kirby Sandman story to the anthology format, and features cameo appearances by the Joker, the Penguin, and Catwoman gathered together — a rare early clustering of Batman's three most enduring villains in a single story.
"Man of Steel Versus Man of Metal!" — a thrilling 1942 clash from Jack Kirby and Joe Simon, with lettering by Howard Ferguson, pits Superman against a mysterious metallic foe in a story that crackles with wartime energy. The cover by Fred Ray captures the drama in bold, dynamic lines, setting the stage for a battle of wills and power.
In "Man of Steel Versus Man of Metal!", Superman confronts Metalo, a mysterious scientist-inventor whose metal suit grants him super strength and a string of crimes that have been falsely pinned on the Man of Steel. With the hero’s reputation on the line, a battle of wills and power begins between the Man of Steel and the man forged in metal.
In the 1942 tale "The Adventure of the Magic Forest," the Sandman and Sandy must confront the eerie allure of the Nightshade, a mysterious villain who lures criminals into his enchanted forest with promises of perfect crimes and untraceable hideouts. As the forest itself seems to shift and whisper secrets, the Sandman and Sandy race to uncover the truth before the Nightshade’s magic consumes more than just the guilty.
When the editor of View Magazine offers a raise to his top reporter for uncovering the identity behind the Batman’s mask, the hunt begins — but the mystery leads down a twisted path of radio broadcasts, shadowy figures, and a villainous twist that’s as surprising as it is dangerous. With Scoop Scanlon chasing leads and a mysterious radio announcer named Mr. Graves pulling strings, the truth behind the mask might be closer than anyone suspects.
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Published on newsstands around May 8, 1942, with a cover date of Summer 1942, the issue was edited by Whitney Ellsworth under the DC imprint then identified as World's Best Comics Company, and carried a cover price of fifteen cents for 100 pages. The patriotic cover — Fred Ray depicting Superman alongside a sailor and Robin shaking a soldier's hand — was a deliberate wartime gesture, consistent with DC's editorial policy of aligning its heroes with the war effort. The Batman story was scripted by Joseph Greene with art credited to Jerry Robinson and George Roussos (published under the Bob Kane byline, per standard practice of the era), while the Sandman feature was produced by the celebrated team of Jack Kirby (pencils) and Joe Simon (inks), and the Star-Spangled Kid story was written by Jerry Siegel with art by Hal Sherman.
Trivia · 7 facts
- The cover was painted by Fred Ray, depicting Superman embracing a sailor and Robin shaking hands with a soldier — a direct reflection of DC's wartime editorial stance.
- The Batman lead story, 'The Secret of Bruce Wayne!' (script: Joseph Greene; art: Jerry Robinson and George Roussos, published under the Bob Kane credit), features a reporter who successfully deduces that Bruce Wayne is Batman, with the secret ultimately preserved through a dying actor's sacrifice — a plot later echoed in Batman: The Animated Series episode 'The Strange Secret of Bruce Wayne.'
- The Joker, the Penguin (Oswald Cobblepot), and Catwoman (Selina Kyle, here spelled 'Cat-Woman') all appear in cameo within the Batman story — an unusual early convergence of Batman's three signature villains in one tale.
- The Sandman story, 'The Adventure of the Magic Forest,' was produced by Jack Kirby (pencils/writer) and Joe Simon (inks), and was later collected in the 2009 hardcover Sandman by Joe Simon & Jack Kirby. This is also the story in which the Sandman appears in his later yellow-and-purple costume rather than his original gas-mask-and-fedora look.
- This issue marks the start of the Star-Spangled Kid (Sylvester Pemberton) and Stripesy (Pat Dugan) feature within the World's Finest run, written by Jerry Siegel — the character's co-creator — with art by Hal Sherman.
- The Aquaman story, 'The Zoo of the Deep,' was written by Mort Weisinger and drawn by Paul Norris, featuring an early version of the character who has not yet developed his ability to telepathically command sea life.
- The Batman story and the Superman story ('Man of Steel Versus Man of Metal') have both been reprinted in multiple collected editions, including Batman: The World's Finest Comics Archives Vol. 1 HC (2002), Batman Chronicles Vol. 6 TPB (2008), Batman: The Golden Age Omnibus Vol. 2 HC (2016), and Superman: The World's Finest Comics Archives Vol. 1.
Cast · 33 characters
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Reprints
Reprinted in Wanted. The World's Most Dangerous Villains #9 (1973), Mighty Comic #114 (1976), Sandman #[nn] (1984), Batman & Me #[nn] (1989), Batman: The World's Finest Comics Archives #1 (2002), Superman: The World's Finest Comics Archives #1 (2004), The Batman Chronicles #6 (2008), The Sandman by Joe Simon & Jack Kirby #[nn] (2009), The Superman Chronicles #9 (2011), Batman: The War Years 1939-1945 #[nn] (2015), Batman: The Golden Age Omnibus #2 (2016), Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus #3 (2017), Take That, Adolf!: The Fighting Comic Books of the Second World War #[nn] (2017), Batman: The Golden Age #3 (2017), DC's Wanted: The World's Most Dangerous Super-Villains #[nn] (2020), Superman: The Golden Age #5 (2020)
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