STAFF PICKS :: BATMAN ’66 #1 :: JULY 17, 2013
JUSTIN’S PICK :: BATMAN ’66 #1: I was gonna start this write-up with a “Holy ______, Batman!” joke, but let’s buck convention and skip it. It seems nowadays, the majority of Batman’s fanbase exhibits a slavish devotion to the “dark”, “realistic”, “grim ‘n gritty” take on the character that Neal Adams initiated, and Frank Miller solidified. It’s often taken for granted just how outlandish and ridiculous the entire premise of Batman is (but I guess when you think critically, that’s any superhero). On the other end of the spectrum, you have the TV show’s garish, Warholian take on everyone’s favorite playboy vigilante, and that interpretation was also pushed to its grossest extremes, unquestionably. But visually, the 60s Batman show was a technicolor wonderland, taking full advantage of the potential of its nascent medium, just as the character had a couple decades earlier in the comics. Does it play on nostalgia? Certainly. Could it go horribly, terribly awry? Of course! Could it be a lot of fun? Well, that depends on your sensibilities. For me, a kid who grew up on reruns and dusty old comics, it’s likely to be right up my alley. The quality talents of Jeff Parker and Jonathan Case don’t hurt the book’s chances, and Mike Allred covers are always a bonus.
Robin: Atomic Batteries to power; turbines to speed…
Commissioner Gordon: “You know I’m violently opposed to police brutality.”
Shame: Your mother wore Army shoes.
Batman: Yes, she did. As I recall, she found them quite comfortable.
Ba-DUMP-bump!
Some days you just can’t get rid of a bomb.
Speaking of Aquatics:
Robin: “Where’d you get a live fish, Batman?”
Batman: “The true crime fighter always carries everything he needs in his utility belt, Robin.”
Robin: Gosh Batman, the nobility of the almost-human porpoise.
Batman: True, it was noble of that animal to hurl himself into the path of that final torpedo. He gave his life for ours.