| 0 | Year's Best Comics Stories | cover | 1 | pencils: George Pérez; inks: Dick Giordano | Batman, Cain, The Crimson Avenger, Dick Grayson, Green Lantern, Jonah Hex, Hal Jordan, Clark Kent, Koriand'r, Raven, Robin, Sgt. Rock, Starfire, Superman |
| 1 | Year's Best Comics Stories | table of contents | 1 | letters: typeset | |
| 2 | To Kill a Legend | comic story | 19 | script: Alan Brennert; pencils: Dick Giordano; inks: Dick Giordano; colors: Adrienne Roy; letters: John Costanza; editing: Paul Levitz | Batman, Joe Chill, Dick Grayson, The Phantom Stranger, Robin, Bruce Wayne, Martha Wayne, Thomas Wayne, Batman, Joe Chill, Commissioner James Gordon, Barbara Kean Gordon, Lew Moxon, Bruce Wayne |
| 3 | Sivana's Nobel! | comic story | 10 | script: E. Nelson Bridwell; pencils: Don Newton; inks: Dan Adkins; colors: Jerry Serpe; letters: John Costanza; editing: Len Wein | Billy Batson, Captain Marvel, Ronald Reagan, Beautia Sivana, Dr. Sivana, Magnificus Sivana |
| 4 | The Dummy | comic story | 11 | script: Bob Kanigher; pencils: Frank Redondo; inks: Frank Redondo; colors: Bob Le Rose; editing: Joe Kubert | Bulldozer, Four-Eyes, Ice Cream Soldier, Sgt. Rock, Little Sure Shot, Wildman |
| 5 | A Day in the Lives... | comic story | 23 | script: Marv Wolfman, George Pérez; pencils: George Pérez, Romeo Tanghal; inks: Romeo Tanghal; colors: Tom Ziuko; letters: Ben Oda; editing: Len Wein | Barry Allen, Changeling, Cyborg, Dick Grayson, Kid Flash, Koriand'r, Garfield Logan, Terry Long, Raven, Robin, Starfire, Victor Stone, Trigon, Donna Troy |
| 6 | The Piper at the Gates of Hell | comic story | 8 | script: J. M. DeMatteis, Michael Kaluta; pencils: Dan Spiegle; inks: Dan Spiegle; colors: Jerry Serpe; letters: John Costanza; editing: Len Wein | Cain |
| 7 | The Haunting | comic story | 17 | script: Michael Fleisher; pencils: Dick Ayers; inks: Tony DeZuniga; colors: Bob Le Rose; letters: Shelly Leferman; editing: Ross Andru | Jonah Hex, Quentin Turnbull First |
| 8 | Triumph! | comic story | 25 | script: Len Wein, Mike W. Barr; pencils: Joe Staton; inks: Frank McLaughlin; colors: Anthony Tollin; letters: Ben Oda; editing: Dick Giordano | |
| 9 | Whatever Happened to... the Crimson Avenger? | comic story | 8 | script: Len Wein; pencils: Alex Saviuk; inks: Dennis Jensen; colors: Gene D'Angelo; letters: John Costanza; editing: Julius Schwartz | The Crimson Avenger, Lee Travis, The Crimson Avenger, Ralph Dibny, Doctor Fate, Pat Dugan, The Elongated Man, Green Arrow, Roy Harper, Sir Justin, Kent Nelson, Sylvester Pemberton, Power Girl, Oliver Queen |
| 10 | The Pursuit of Joy | comic story | 6 | script: Mike W. Barr; pencils: Dan Spiegle; inks: Dan Spiegle; colors: Tom Ziuko; letters: Ben Oda; editing: Dick Giordano | |
| 11 | The Dying Day of Lois & Lana! | comic story | 17 | script: Cary Bates; pencils: Curt Swan; inks: Frank Chiaramonte; colors: G. D'Angelo; letters: Todd Klein; editing: Julius Schwartz | Josh Coyle, Clark Kent, Jonathan Kent, Martha Kent, Lois Lane, Lana Lang, Lewis Lang, Lex Luthor, Chief Parker, Superboy, Superman, Faora Hu-Ul, Jax-Ur, General Zod |
| 12 | Choosing the Year's Best | text article | 1 | script: E. Nelson Bridwell | |
| 13 | The Best Stories of 1981 | promo (ad from the publisher) | 1 | pencils: Dick Giordano, Joe Kubert, Walter Simonson, José Luis García-López, Don Newton, George Pérez; inks: Joe Kubert, Walter Simonson, José Luis García-López, Dan Adkins, George Pérez, Michael Wm. Kaluta | |