Cover: Curt Swan & Ray Burnley

World's Finest Comics #90

Sep 1957 · DC · 0.10 USD

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About this Issue

World's Finest Comics #90 marks Batwoman's third appearance in print and her debut in the Superman–Batman team-up title, firmly embedding Kathy Kane into the broader DC Silver Age universe beyond the Bat-titles where she originated. The story is one of the earliest examples of a female supporting character actively challenging the male heroes on their own terms — acquiring Superman-level powers and spending a full narrative arc trying to unmask Batman and Superman — rather than simply serving as a romantic foil. As a chapter in the short but culturally significant run of Kathy Kane stories written by the same author, Edmond Hamilton, who created her in Detective Comics #233, the issue demonstrates how deliberately DC was developing Batwoman as a recurring presence across multiple titles in the late 1950s.

In "The Super-Batwoman," Batwoman gains temporary superpowers from a Jor-El-created capsule, using her 24-hour window to uncover the true identities of Batman and Superman. Written by Edmond Hamilton and illustrated by Dick Sprang with inks by Stan Kaye, this 1957 DC classic blends mystery and heroism in a story that hinges on one woman’s daring quest. The cover by Curt Swan and Ray Burnley captures the moment’s tension with striking clarity.

Contains 4 stories

The Super-Batwoman

12 pp · Superhero

Elton Craig

In "The Super-Batwoman," Elton Craig finds himself caught in a whirlwind when Batwoman, empowered by a Jor-El-created capsule, gains superpowers for a single day. With her new abilities, she sets out to uncover the true identities of Batman and Superman—racing against time and her own growing curiosity.

Untitled Humor story

0.5 pp · Humor

The Amazing Archer from Mars

6 pp · Superhero

The Riddle of the Mystery Tracker

6 pp · Historical, Western-Frontier

ComicBooks.com Value

Our Model is In Beta

Raw (VG) $97

CGC 9.6 · 1 in census $6,800

CGC 9.4 none in existence

CGC 9.2 none in existence

CGC 9.0 · 2 in census $1,612

CGC 8.5 none in existence

CGC 8.0 · 5 in census $723

Show all 19 grades ▾

CGC 7.5 · 5 in census $478

CGC 7.0 · 3 in census $398

CGC 6.5 · 8 in census $336*

CGC 6.0 · 6 in census $324

CGC 5.5 · 9 in census $235*

CGC 5.0 · 10 in census $228

CGC 4.5 · 8 in census $177

CGC 4.0 · 6 in census $138

CGC 3.5 · 8 in census $138

CGC 3.0 · 5 in census $117

CGC 2.5 · 3 in census $83

CGC 2.0 · 1 in census $81*

CGC 1.5 · 1 in census $65*

* estimate — limited direct-sales data at this grade

Our model’s value — refined as new sales data arrives · CGC census counts shown where available

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History

The issue was produced under the editorial team of Whitney Ellsworth (editor-in-chief) and Jack Schiff (managing editor), the same Jack Schiff who had overseen Batwoman's creation at DC. The lead story was scripted by Edmond Hamilton — a prolific science-fiction author who had also written Batwoman's 1956 debut — with interior pencils by Dick Sprang and inks by Stan Kaye; the cover was drawn by Curt Swan and inked by Ray Burnley. The super-power capsule at the heart of the plot was a deliberate continuity callback: it had first appeared in World's Finest Comics #87 ('The Reversed Heroes'), where villain Elton Craig hid it, and Hamilton recycled that story element here to give Batwoman her temporary Kryptonian-level abilities.

Trivia · 8 facts

Third overall appearance of Batwoman (Kathy Kane) in DC Comics, following Detective Comics #233 (July 1956) and Batman #105 (February 1957), and her first appearance in World's Finest Comics.
Lead story title: 'The Super-Batwoman!' — written by Edmond Hamilton, with interior pencils by Dick Sprang and inks by Stan Kaye; cover pencilled by Curt Swan and inked by Ray Burnley.
Edited by Whitney Ellsworth (editor-in-chief) and Jack Schiff (managing editor), with associate editors Murray Boltinoff and George Kashdan; the issue went on sale July 21, 1957 with a cover date of September–October 1957.
Plot device: Batwoman ingests a capsule originally created by Jor-El (Superman's father) that grants her Superman-level powers for 24 hours, which she uses to attempt to discover the secret identities of Batman and Superman.
The Jor-El power capsule is a direct continuity link to World's Finest Comics #87 ('The Reversed Heroes'), in which criminal Elton Craig first concealed it — making WF #90 part of an early, intentional multi-issue continuity thread.
The issue is an anthology containing two back-up features alongside the lead: a Green Arrow story ('The Amazing Archer from Mars,' art by George Papp) and a Tomahawk story ('The Riddle of the Mystery Tracker,' art by Fred Ray).
The lead story has been reprinted multiple times: in World's Finest Comics #161 (October 1966), World's Finest Comics Archives Vol. 2 (2002), Showcase Presents: World's Finest Vol. 1 (2007), and the Batman and Superman in World's Finest: The Silver Age Omnibus Vol. 1 (2016) and its companion trade paperback (2017).
Batwoman was created specifically to counter psychiatrist Fredric Wertham's 1954 allegations in Seduction of the Innocent; the fact that the same writer, Edmond Hamilton, scripted both her debut and this early World's Finest appearance reflects DC's sustained editorial commitment to the character during this period.