When Batman Battled Superman Back in the Day

Having Batman battle Superman is not a new idea. The teammates clashed at various times during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.

In stories like those in World’s Finest 95 (Aug. 1958) and World’s Finest 109 (May 1960), the creators sensibly realized that A) to credibly fight Superman, Batman would require super powers like the Man of Tomorrow’s and B) Batman would have to be deranged.

In other stories, when Superman, Batman and Robin plotted against each other, it was almost always for the purpose of protecting each other from some secret threat. The superheroes — being mature, responsible adults — weren’t given to murderous rage then, and their deep concern for each other was a running theme of World’s Finest.

Each decade had its super-team. In the 1940s, we had DC’s groundbreaking Justice Society of America and, all too briefly, Marvel’s All-Winners Squad. In the superhero-rich 1960s, we had the Justice League of America, the Fantastic Four, the Avengers and the X-Men.

And in the superhero-poor 1950s, we had the minimalist team: just Superman, Batman and Robin. And we were glad to get them.