Superman #6/1966
Superman (Vanderhout) #6/1966 is significant as the Dutch-language edition that carried the first reprint of World's Finest Comics #153 — an 'imaginary story' in which a young Bruce Wayne, convinced that Superboy murdered his father, dedicates himself to vengeance and ultimately becomes Batman, making it a key chapter in the Silver Age mythology of how the Superman–Batman partnership was seeded. It also stands as one of the final issues of Vanderhout's series to feature Superman solo stories before Batman was formally added as a co-star beginning with issue #7 of that same year. Beyond its narrative contents, it documents how mid-1960s Dutch publishers brought DC's Silver Age superhero output to a Continental European readership for the very first time, making it a modest milestone in the international reach of American superhero comics.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
Vanderhout & Co. launched the first Dutch-language Superman publication in October 1965, packaging translated reprints of DC's Silver Age material for a monthly Dutch readership. The series ran from 1965 through 1970 and was retitled Superman en Batman partway through 1966 to capitalise on the Batman television series craze then sweeping Europe. Issue #6/1966 (June 1966) reprinted World's Finest Comics #153, which had been originally edited by Mort Weisinger — with E. Nelson Bridwell serving as uncredited assistant editor — and placed on sale in September 1965 by National Periodical Publications. The Vanderhout editions are further notable for their covers, which were typically newly drawn or adapted from story panels rather than reproduced directly from the American originals.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Published June 1966 by Vanderhout & Co. (Netherlands) as the sixth numbered issue of the 1966 volume of the Superman (1965) series — the Dutch title Superman — De man van staal.
- Primary reprint content: World's Finest Comics #153 (on sale September 9, 1965, DC/National Periodical Publications), an 'imaginary story' in which young Bruce Wayne believes Superboy killed his father and resolves to become Batman to bring him to justice — described in GCD records as the first imaginary story to appear in World's Finest Comics.
- Characters featured include Superman (Clark Kent/Kal-El), Bruce Wayne, Batman, and Superboy — all appearing within the context of the World's Finest #153 reprint.
- Original story edited by Mort Weisinger; E. Nelson Bridwell served as uncredited assistant editor on the source issue.
- This issue appeared during the transitional period of the Vanderhout series: issues #1–6 of 1966 carried Superman-only stories, while Batman became a regular co-star from issue #7/1966 onward, prompted by the global Batman TV series phenomenon.
- The source issue, World's Finest Comics #153, is also noted as the first issue of that series drawn at the new, smaller format for original art.
- World's Finest #153 is the origin of the widely circulated 'Batman slapping Robin' internet meme, derived from page 5 of the story reprinted in this Dutch edition.
- Vanderhout's covers across the series were typically original artwork adapted from interior story panels — redrawn or extended — rather than reproductions of the American cover images.