World's Finest # 4, Winter, 1941

This winter issue has an appropriate skiing cover as our heroic funsters are at it again. There's also a Christmas tree back cover, seen below. 

The Crimson Avenger's stories here are a mixed blessing as they're very good and the hero is very heroic looking. Unfortunately, he's saddled with his sidekick (chauffeur in earlier stories), Wing, arguably THE most offensive stereotype of the Golden Age. 

Never a favorite of mine, Hop Harrigan was nonetheless a surprisingly popular character that ran for years and had his own radio and movie serials

Note Sandman's one-off outfit that would almost look hip today.

Last issue's announcement of the "Big Seven" is superseded by this announcement of the "Big Eight."

World's Finest # 3, Fall, 1941

A friendly baseball game greets the reader from this issue's cover. 

DC was quite good at promoting their other titles. Note, also, the fact that they were specifically promoting, by name, Jerry Siegel as a selling point for the new Star-Spangled Kid feature, something that only Simon and Kirby would be treated to for years to come.

These below were quarterly titles and thus not part of the Big Six monthly titles above.

Just another Batman story for years, when The Scarecrow was finally revived 25 years later to become a major member of the Dark Knight's rogues gallery, this first origin appearance was belatedly made a seminal Golden Age classic.

 

World's Finest # 2, Summer, 1941

Although it still says "World's Best" as the publisher, we finally arrive at the name this book will carry through the next few decades--WORLD'S FINEST. Our star trio will remain cover-featured going forward for the next 25 years or so, but it will still be a little more than a decade before they meet inside the book.