Crisis on Infinite Earths: Batman

Believe it or don't, there's only been ONE live action adult Batman/Bruce Wayne. His name was West. Adam West.

I grew up on Adam West Batman reruns. I took Mr. West's Batman seriously. It wasn't until recently that I read that the '66 Batman live action series was nominated for an Emmy in the SITCOM category!

Robert Wuhl and Michael Keaton are confirmed as cameos for the CW EVENT, Crisis on Infinite Earths adaptation. The cameos are more like Easter eggs.

Burt Ward, West's co-star, as Robin, the Boy Wonder is confirmed to appear in the CW's Crisis on Infinite Earths adaptation. He appears in an as yet, undisclosed role. Should be interesting to see what character he plays...

Nightwing? The Dark Knight Returns Batman? The Kingdom Come Batman?

There's word that the DC Universe streaming series Titans will be involved in the Crisis adaptation. So, there will be a Nightwing and a Robin appearing from that series...

That got me to thinking...

Lyle Waggoner and Peter Deyell were nearly cast as The Dynamic Duo. I could see Waggoner as either Earth-3's Owlman, or a live action '66 version of Harvey Dent. The late Harlan Ellison wrote a Batman '66 Two-Face script; and, legend has it that Clint Eastwood was considered for television reporter Harvey Dent.

Kevin Conroy is making the crossover from animation to live action as the Batman Beyond Bruce Wayne...

Diedrich Bader voiced Batman in Batman: The Brave and the Bold. Maybe he, and his his version of Batman could be included.

Rino Romano voiced Batman in The Batman animated series. The series was set in the third year of Bruce Wayne operating as The Dark Knight. The series lasted for five seasons, culminating in the formation of the Justice League.

I would love to see Mark Hamill as either The Joker or The Trickster!

Hey, they digitized Henry Cavill's mustache in Justice League. they could digitize Hamill's beard...

Batman '66 on Gilligan's Island

I'm a believer. No doubt in my mind.

I took Adam West seriously as Batman. It wasn't until the late '70's, mid '80's that I began to understand that Batman '66 was campy; and the word "campy" was meant as an insult. I read the old Batman comics collected in the hardcover Batman: From the '30's to the '70's. At first, he was The Batman. The Darknight Detective. Then the '50's rolled around and Batman changed. Maybe it was due to Wertham, and his Seduction of the Innocent. I've never read it, but from what I have read about it, it had a huge impact on how comic books were produced in the Silver Age. The contemporary comic books of the '50's and early '60's were what Batman '66 were based on. Just look at the stories collected in Batman: The TV Stories. Very few of them come from Batman's early days. Remember, the live action television series was meant to make the most of color and the visual medium. Every thing was over-the-top. Just like the comics that inspired the series episodes.

As a kid, watching the show in reruns, I loved it!

I loved it that DC Comics produced the Batman '66 comic book series!

Even more, Kevin Smith, Ralph Garman, Alex Ross and Ty Templeton collaborated on reuniting The Bright Knight and The Green Hornet!

Other team-ups soon followed: Batman '66 Meets The Man From UNCLE; Batman '66 Meets Steed and Mrs. Peel; Batman '66 Meets Wonder Woman '77; Batman '66 Meets the Legion of Super-Heroes.

And now, Archie Meets Batman '66!

Jeff Parker has shown he knows Gotham City! He wrote the majority of the stories for the Batman '66 series, Batman '66 Meets The Man From UNCLE and Batman '66 Meets Wonder Woman '77. 

And now, Archie Meets Batman '66, with Michael Moreci. 

Y'know what I would LOVE to see? Batman '66 on Gilligan's Island.

The first thing is, Batman and Robin can not actually be on the island. They would rescue The Castaways - game over.

I would start an imaginary Season Four of Batman with The Penguin operating The Iceberg Lounge.

Yes, it is a retcon. A modern contrivance. The Penguin would become the underworld information hub. The Iceberg Lounge would also open up a ton of story possibility and cameo opportunities.

Secondly, like Parker, I would introduce a few more modern characters. Legend has it that Madge Blake was going to be let go from the series. Mr. West went to Bat for her, and stood up for keeping her on as Aunt Harriet. He found a homemade cake from her in his dressing room after. No disrespect to Mr. West, but I would eliminate or reduce her role as Aunt Harriet, and introduce Julie Madison as Bruce Wayne's fiance - lifted straight from the Classic, Golden Age Comics. I would keep the character on for half a season or maybe a whole season. The end of the arc would be just like the comics: she would move on to a career defining role and leave Bruce. This would open up introducing Kathy Kane; and, later, Silver St. Cloud. I could also see expanding and fleshing out Catwoman's role by introducing her as the first character with a dual identity - Selina Kyle. Selina and Bruce could start seeing one another; and then, "Biff", "Bam" -

He would learn her true identity!

I would also introduce Lucius Fox as Vice-Chairman of Wayne Foundation, and Dr. Leslie Thompson.

Getting back to Madge Blake's Aunt Harriet. I would send her off in style and class. I would have her head off on Bruce Wayne's yacht on a cruise around the world. Her first stop would be on Gilligan's Island.

I would have The Penguin team-up with Dr. Boris Balinkoff to marry Aunt Harriet to have access to the Wayne Fortune and the class of High Society. Yes, this would be the THIRD time Penguin's tried the marriage scheme. Third time's the charm right? He would use Balinkoff's ring as a wedding band to mind-control Harriet for his scheme. Since she's on a cruise near Hawaii, why not a private island wedding? 

Of course, Mrs. Howell can't stand that "dreadful" woman Harriet Cooper. Thurston Howell and Thomas Wayne were business rivals. A corporate takeover of Wayne Enterprises is on his bucket list.

There's got to be a way to get the Castaways back to Balinkoff's castle where Gilligan and The Skipper mind-swap with Batman and Robin. There's also gotta be a cool deathtrap for both The Dynamic Duo and Gilligan and The Skipper.

But, at no time can Batman and Robin be on the island. Rescue = game over.

The way the Castaways do NOT get rescued is that Howell let's slip that he plans to take over Wayne Enterprises and Foundation first thing he gets back, and - 

Aunt Harriet puts the "ki-bosh" on any rescue. She "forgets". And she sails off into the sunset, continuing her cruise.

I have no idea what plans DC has for Batman '66 after the Archie crossover. The DC series ended in July 2017 with the Legion of Super-Heroes one-shot by the Allreds.

I'm probably the only one that thinks it would be cool to see Batman '66 on Gilligan's Island.

But it would be cool to see.

Batman '66 Meets...

One of my favorite comics growing up was The Brave and the Bold. Every month, Batman would team-up with another hero for an adventure. According to Wikipedia, The Brave and the Bold became a Batman team-up book due to the popularity of the '66 live action Batman television series. The Brave and the Bold was part of the wave of Batmania. The Batman team-ups started with The Brave and the Bold #74 and ran through the 200th and final issue in 1982. The Brave and the Bold featured the first appearances of both the Justice League of America and Teen Titans. The book introduced Metamorpho and the Suicide Squad. Mark Waid and George Perez were part of a revival of the book starting in April 2007. This revival only lasted a few years, thirty-five issues, through August, 2010.

When the animated series Batman: The Brave and the Bold was launched, two comic book series set in continuity were launched as well. The first series reached twenty-two issues; the second series reached sixteen.

In 2014, after launching the Batman '66 title, DC Comics brought together Ralph Garman, Kevin Smith, Ty Templeton and Alex Ross for a comic book sequel to the second season two-part episode "A Piece of the Action/Batman's Satisfaction" featuring guest stars Van Williams as The Green Hornet, Bruce Lee as Kato and Roger C. Carmel as Colonel Gumm. The six-issue mini-series, Batman '66 Meets The Green Hornet featured the team-up of The Joker and the newly christened General Gumm.

In December 2015, Jeff Parker launches Batman '66 Meets The Man From UNCLE. The Man From UNCLE was an NBC espionage series that ran from 1964 to 1968. It was also a Gold Key comic book series from May 1965 to April 1969. There were twenty-two issues in the comic book series.

The announcement of this second team-up series got me thinking: What other '60's combination television-comic book series could be the next for The Dynamic Duo? Below are my Top Five suggestions. Feel free to share your suggestions in the comments below.

5) The Monkees

The British duo Chad and Jeremy made a number of appearances on '60's television, from The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Patty Duke Show, Laredo, The Dating Game and My Three Sons. They also appeared in the two-part "The Cat's Meow/The Bat's Kow Tow", where Catwoman steals their voices!

Batman was part of the '60's pop-culture, from the music scene to the surf scene.

The Monkees, an American version of The Beatles, was not just a half-hour NBC sitcom about a rock band. Dell Comics published seventeen issues between 1967 and 1969.

One of the cool things about The Monkees was The Monkee Men!

   
It would be pretty cool for Batman and Robin to meet The Monkee Men!

4) Get Smart

The '60's were all about spies. Sean Connery as James Bond; Patrick MacNee as John Steed on BBC in The Avengers; James Coburn as Derek Flint; Dean Martin as Matt Helm; Robert Culp and Bill Cosby in I Spy; and Don Adams as CONTROL Agent 86, Maxwell Smart in Get Smart.

Since The Dynamic Duo will be teaming up with Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin from UNCLE, it seems only fitting that they should also team up with another Dell Comics character, Maxwell Smart.

Maybe Batman and Robin and Agents 86 and 99 could come together to thwart a KAOS plot by Seigfried.

3) My Favorite Martian

My Favorite Martian was a brilliant sitcom. Bill Bixby, who would later star as David Banner - "physician; scientist" - otherwise known as The Incredible Hulk, played newspaper reporter, Tim O'Hara. O'Hara stumbles across the story of the century - a Martian on Earth! Ray Walston played The Martian, who becomes Tim's Uncle Martin.

Uncle Martin had some great powers and gadgets. He had a spaceship; a time machine; he could turn invisible, read minds and levitate things with a forefinger!

My Favorite Martian was a Gold Key comic book series that ran for nine issues from 1964 to 1966.

DC is no stranger to Martians. One of their most prominent aliens is J'onn J'onzz, The Martian Manhunter! J'onn was seemingly a combination of Superman and Batman.

It would be interesting for The Dynamic Duo to team up with Tim and Uncle Martin for either a '66 adventure or maybe a time travel story.

2) The Wild, Wild West

The Wild, Wild West was a steampunk James Bond. Or, "James Bond on horseback". Modern gadgets and gizmos re-imagined in the Old West, with Robert Conrad and Ross Martin as US Secret Service Agents James West and Artemis Gordon. Steampunk was a genre popularized by 19th Century authors Jules Verne, Mary Shelley and H. G. Wells.

Another Gold Key Comics title, The Wild, Wild West reached seven issues in 1966.

The Batman comics that inspired the 1966 live action series had Batman and Robin travelling back in time to the Old West. It would be interesting to pair Adam West's Batman with Robert Conrad's James West for a Wild, Wild West adventure - maybe involving Shame?

1) Star Trek

Star Trek is quite possibly the longest running series ever. Three seasons on NBC in the 1960's; six feature films with the original cast. A Gold Key comic book series that ran from 1967 to 1979. A Marvel Comics series that produced eighteen issues. Two separate DC Comics series, one that reached fifty-six issues, another that reached eighty issues. Most recently an ongoing IDW series, featuring new stories with the rebooted, re-imagined, original crew. A long-running novel series.

Although a fixture set three hundred years in the future, Star Trek: The Original Series is definitely a product of the 1960's. A starship; cool gadgets and gizmos; a pointy-eared Vulcan.

One of Star Trek's specialties is time travel. Either a slingshot around the sun or through The Guardian of Forever. It's quite possible that The USS Enterprise could visit 1966 Gotham and Batman and Robin. Maybe Gotham would be another City on the Edge of Forever.

Those are my suggestions. Based on television shows that were also comic book series.

Maybe you've got a suggestion or two. Feel free to share.

#FourComics

So, a week or so back, #FourComics was trending on Facebook. The concept was to "post four covers of comics that you were influenced by or loved as you were growing up."

I know I'm not the only one that grew up on the 1966 live action Batman television series.

Another staple of the '60's was Spider-Man.

If you're like me and you grew up on the animated Spider-Man and the live action Batman, life was pretty cool!

I started reading comic books around 1975. I say around, because the first comics I got were a three-pack: The Amazing Spider-Man 147, Invincible Iron Man 77 and The Incredible Hulk 190, all from August of 1975.

I consider The Amazing Spider-Man #147 my first comic book, even though it was in a three-pack. "The Tarantula is a Very Deadly Beast" features the politically incorrect, stereotype Anton Miguel Rodriguez breaking out of prison and resuming his career as the aforementioned deadly Tarantula. Even though The Tarantula may appear to be offensive, the costume and modus operandi is pretty cool. As a Spider-Man rogue, he's pretty awesome. I'm surprised he's not right up there with Doctor Octopus, Kraven and The Scorpion. Spider-Man has always had a pretty cool rogues gallery. It wasn't until years later, when I read someone's analysis somewhere online that, as a teenage super-hero, Spider-Man's rogues were all adults. Spider-Man was the first hero to focus on teenage angst and the generation gap. After Spider-Man, it was The X-Men and then the Teen Titans. The Amazing Spider-Man #147 also featured Gwen Stacy and The Jackal. At the time, I didn't know Gwen had died. She had died two years before, in June 1973, in The Amazing Spider-Man #121, "The Night Gwen Stacy Died". This issue is also part of the original clone saga. The Gwen seen here is a clone. Later issues of The Amazing Spider-Man feature the webslinger fighting a clone of himself. The clone would later return, taking on the identity of Ben Reilly, The Scarlet Spider. When Powers writer, Brian Michael Bendis launched Ultimate Spider-Man, he did some pretty amazing things with Gwen Stacy. Gwen is back next month in her own title, Spider-Gwen.

Because I grew up watching the '60's Spider-Man cartoon, and read this issue, I've joined the legion of Spider-Man fans. I picked up a few of the paperback collections of the early issues of The Amazing Spider-Man. I read the newspaper comic strip. I followed Ultimate Spider-Man from the first issue all the way through to Ultimate Peter Parker's death. I keep meaning to give Miles Morales a try as the new Ultimate Spider-Man, but Peter's death was such a perfect The End, I just can't seem to bring myself to read stories with Miles. The other reasons are; I have three kids now, and my comic book budget has shrunk. With three kids, I barely have time to re-read the comics I have. And I don't mind that.

Even though I got Batman #277 a year later in June 1976, Batman 279, from September '76 made a bigger impression. Batman #277 was almost forgettable. A David V. Reed story with art by Ernie Chan is almost a Scooby Doo adventure, in the everglades,involving a gang that uses a costume of a sea monster to commit crime. If I remember, they're pirates or something and they're stealing oil. They trap Batman in an oil pipe and he has to drill his way out. The death-trap is very claustrophobic. After capturing the gang, he comments on how he needs to get an airboat, like the ones used later on CSI: Miami.

But that's Batman #277..."The Riddle of the Man Who Walked Backwards".

Batman #277, September 1976, is "Riddler on the Rampage"! It's another David V. Reed story, with an Ernie Chan cover and Neal Adams interior art! The Riddler is back and bombarding Batman and Robin with riddles! Dick Grayson is back from Hudson University and The Dynamic Duo are back in action! It wasn't until a couple of years later, when my parents bought me the awesome hardcover, Batman From the '30's to the 70's that I got to read the incredible "One Bullet Too Many" from Batman 217, December 1969. Following the cancellation of the live action Batman television series, editor Julius Schwartz reinvigorated Batman and returned him to his Gothic roots. Dick Grayson went off to college, Wayne Manor was shuttered and Bruce Wayne and Wayne Enterprises were relocated to downtown Gotham City and a high rise with a way cool penthouse apartment. In Batman #279, with all the riddles, I learned that museum guards do not - repeat, do not - patrol in pairs. Henchmen dressed as museum guards do, though.

I'm a fan of The Riddler because of Frank Gorshin's brilliant, Emmy-nominated performance in the role on the '66 series. The Riddler is everything The Joker could be and should be. Maniacal. Intimidating. The Riddler was a better rogue on the series that Ceasar Romero's Joker. The classic "The Laughing Fish" really re-established The Joker as a schizophrenic, sociopathic madman. The Riddler would make a comeback on Batman: The Animated Series; and, later, as the mastermind behind the entire "Hush" storyline by Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee. When DC launched the weekly Trinity series by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley, one of the rogues was an alternate version of The Riddler. In the series, Edward Nigma had reformed and become a private investigator.

I started to pick up comic books more frequently. I read The Avengers #150. I started reading more DC, though. Action Comics, The Brave and the Bold, Batman, DC Comics Presents, Detective Comics, The Flash, Green Lantern, The Legion of Super-Heroes, Superman, The World's Finest. On days that I wasn't in school, my mom would take me to work with her and I'd earn some money to buy comic books at the newsstand and smoke shop across the street from the train station. The comic books were on the magazine shelf all the way in the back of the store. Not like today, where you walk into Barnes & Noble and the magazines are right inside the front door, and the comic books are at the far right. One of the bigger comic books of the mid-'70's was Marvel's Star Wars. My brother took me to see the film, and it was pretty cool. I just didn't see how that could work as a comic book. I had the two oversized comics adapting the movie. I didn't start reading the comic until issue 12, June of '78. I think I started collecting it more the following year, in June of '79. It was okay. Marvel was adapting Star Wars and the original Battlestar Galactica and Classic Star Trek following The Motion Picture. But then, in the '80's, Marvel released a three-issue The A-Team tie-in.

In 1980, I discovered artist George Perez and The New Teen Titans! As a fan of Robin from the television series, seeing The Boy Wonder leading other sidekicks of the Justice League was pretty cool! Along with Robin, there was Changeling - the former Beast Boy - Cyborg, Kid Flash - The Flash's sidekick - Raven, Starfire and Wonder Girl - Wonder Woman's sidekick. I missed the first issue, but picked up the second. It featured Deathstroke, the Terminator. I missed a few issues, until I picked up issue twelve at a convenience store at camp! Around this time I discovered comic book specialty shops. We had a new one in town open up!

I'm pretty sure everyone agrees that there wasn't a single issue that Marv Wolfman and George Perez mis-fired on. It wasn't until around 1985, when they were working on Crisis on Infinite Earths, and moving away from New Teen Titans that things started to come undone. They did get me interested in the previous Teen Titans. Aqualad, Kid Flash, Robin, Speedy, Wonder Girl.

There are a lot of really good issues of The New Teen Titans. A lot of significant, relevant stories. My favorite is the single issue, done-in-one, where Wally West - Kid Flash - writes his parents about a recent adventure. It's New Teen Titans 20, June 1982.

Around this same time, George Perez was everywhere. He was doing covers for DC; and he did the artwork for Justice League of America 200 and The Avengers 200. The Avengers 200 is a pretty cool issue, except for the fact that the story is pretty creepy. The Avengers encounter an entity that turns out to have impregnated Carol Danvers - Ms. Marvel. She gives birth, and the entity quickly ages to adulthood. At the end of the story she goes of to another dimension with him. So she gives birth to a really good looking guy that she runs away with. He's her "son", but he's like her "boyfriend". Does that make her like the original "cougar"? Like I said, kinda creepy for a comic book.

Justice League #200 is just flat out awesome.

The Justice League never had an origin, like The Avengers. They never faced a Loki. There was never a villain that drew them together. They never had a first issue origin. The team first came together in The Brave and the Bold 28 to fight Starro. They fought some dud named Xotar in the following issue; then Professor T. O. Morrow's Amazo in The Brave and the Bold 30. In their first issue, they fought Despero. Discounting their first appearance in The Brave and the Bold, they never had an origin. Until Justice League of America #9, when they face an unnamed group of aliens engaged in a contest of champions to become ruler of their alien home world. The aliens take on different forms and the League ultimately joins together to defeat them. Originally, the League was made up of Aquaman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter and Wonder Woman, with Batman and Superman in more of a background or supporting role. Honorary member status for The World's Finest. Batman and Superman became more active with the League and J'onn J'onzz was sent packing back to Mars. J'onn certainly got the short straw when it came to the League. He came back to join Aquaman's Detroit League in mid-'80's and stayed on as part of Batman's late-'80's League. He was finally a mainstay in the '90's and '00's. He was finally shunted off to Stormwatch in the great DC reboot of 2011, replaced by New Teen Titan Cyborg.

Justice League #200 brings back the aliens from issue nine. It seems the aliens have planted a post-hypnotic impression on the original members and they go and release the aliens they defeated years before. Later members of the team must now battle the original members and stop the alien menace again. It's just flat out awesome.

The Super Friends cartoon was a big deal in the early and mid 1970's. The cartoon had a companion comic book which was pretty cool. In 1979, Adam West, Burt Ward and Frank Gorshin reunited for The Challenge/Roast of the Super Heroes, which was pretty amazing. As a fan of Batman, seeing him in Justice League of America was pretty cool. He was a founding member!

I've stuck with the Justice League off and on over the years. Mark Waid's Justice League: A Midsummer's Nightmare is a pretty cool story. Alex Ross has done some pretty cool stuff with the team. He did the art for Paul Dini's JLA: Liberty and Justice. Ross also worked with Jim Krueger and Doug Braithwaite on a twelve-issue series, Justice, which was an homage to the Super Friends cartoon. The League was updated by Dini with Bruce Timm in the 2001 Cartoon Network animated series. The companion comic book for that series is pretty cool, too.

So, those are my four.

What's your four?

Creature Comforts From Home V: Batman '66 #6

 

Nostalgia isn't for every one. My wife, Cathy, isn't very nostalgic. She doesn't like to dwell too much on the past. Dwelling and obsessing on the past is not a very healthy thing. But there are some things about the past that were pretty cool, and worth reliving.

 

Like the live action Batman television series that ran on ABC from 1966 to 1968.

 

It is hard to believe that 120 episodes, across three seasons and a feature length film were crammed in between '66 and '68. Even harder to believe that by the third season, the twice weekly cliffhanger concept had pretty much burnt out and Batgirl was introduced to bump up flagging ratings. Even harder to imagine that 48 years later, the live action series starring Adam West and Burt Ward against a Hollywood Who's Who of guest villains would still be popular! Fans are still debating the pros and cons of the series.    

 



 

Last July, DC Comics launched Batman '66 as a webcomic. Stories would appear as a webcomic through DC and Comixology. (It was just announced last week that Amazon would purchase Comixology.) The webcomics would be available for a mere $ .99. The stories would later be collected in print, and each issue would be available for $4.99. Now, the downside to webcomics, is the same downside to iTunes. The buyer doesn't actually own a physical copy of either the song, the album or the comic book. For ninety-nine cents you are actually buying access to either listen to the song or album; or read the comic book. There is currently a debate going on over what happens to a buyer's iTunes playlist when that buyer dies. Now this access may appeal to some people. It appeals to me on a level where my space isn't cluttered with long boxes full of printed comics. But at the same time, I enjoy reading a comic book the same way I enjoy reading a hardback or paperback novel. There is something about the feel of paper and the smell of old comic book newsprint that is enjoyable.

 

The Penguin Burgess Meredith in The Twilight Zone

So, as much as I would love to have a tablet filled with my favorite comic books - as if that were possible! - I have resigned myself that I need a space for my long boxes of comic books.

 

There are a few that are my go-to books to re-read. Starman, by James Robinson, Tony Harris and Wade Von Grawbadger; Ultimate Spider-Man by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley; and, my Batman collection. Now, you would think that as a Batman fan I would have boxes and boxes of Detective  and Batman Comics. Legends of The Dark Knight. The Shadow of the Bat. The Brave and the Bold. The World's Finest. Whatever "mainstream" title Batman has appeared in. I have a few of those. The collection of Batman comics I enjoy the most is the animated series tie-in. After Batman Returns, Fox Kids launched Batman: The Animated Series, in 1992. DC launched The Batman Adventures not long after. They kept the series going through a number of re-launches. When The WB launched The Batman, DC followed with The Batman Strikes. Then came Batman: The Brave and the Bold, both on Cartoon Network and from DC.

 

Batman '66 #6 featuring The Bookworm!

 

The latest gem in my Batman collection is Batman '66 written by Jeff Parker. There are stories written by Tom Peyer with a rotating art crew that involves Jonathan Case, Mike and Laura Allred, Ty Templeton, Craig Rousseau, Chris Sprouse, Reuben Procopio, Christopher Jones, Colleen Coover, Dave Johnson, Sandy Jarrell and Joe Quinones.

 

It is as if the television series had not been cancelled. Along with appearances by The Joker, The Penguin, The Riddler, and Catwoman - all staples of the series - there's the unique guest villains designed for the stars that played them. Egghead, King Tut, Zelda The Great and Olga Queen of the Cossacks. What is brilliant is that Batman '66 and Parker are doing some really creative things with the series; like, [spoiler alert] revealing the link between Jervis Tetch's The Mad Hatter and The Clock King. Batman '66 #8 is a unique time travel story involving King Tut, his goons and The Dynamic Duo all heading back to ancient Egypt. One of his goons is Waylon Jones. I'm sure we'll be seeing him again in another form very soon!

 

The issue that I brought along with on my trip to Kiev to bring home my daughter, Masha, is Batman '66 #6 featuring Roddy McDowell's The Bookworm. I like Roddy McDowell. He was awesome in his only appearance on the series in the role, and later in The Planet of the Apes series. He later returned to Batman, reading the novelization of the first Batman film in 1989; and later, on The Animated Series as The Mad Hatter.

 

The Bookworm, as described by Batman on the original series, is a frustrated writer. He is the ultimate fanboy. In the Batman '66 appearance, Bookworm is composing a scrapbook on Batman, in an effort to stay one step ahead of the Caped Crusader. Rather than stealing an over-sized check from the Gotham Chamber of Currency, he steals the over-sized checkbook! He also tries to steal a set of 19th Century matchbooks! He does manage to steal the Gotham City Police department manuals, so they are left unable to operate - (wait for it) by the book!

 

Batman '66 is written as a fun comedy, pretty much how the original series was played. The art is spot on. Although the likenesses are only through the feature film, with only Adam West, Burt Ward, Julie Newmar, Ceasar Romero, Frank Gorshin and Burgess Meredith licensing their likenesses. Yvonne Craig recently licensed her likeness for Batman '66 merchandise.

 

It is an enjoyable, fun read. Like the original series there's a gag on every page. Which makes Batman '66 a definite creature comfort from home.

 

But wait! There's more! This summer Batman meets an old associate. Kevin Smith of Clerks fame will be writing a Batman-Green Hornet crossover! Green Hornet was from the same production company as Batman, but only lasted on television one season.

 

 

 

           



Batman 1966 More Fantasy Casting

According to TVShowsonDVD.com, one of the most asked about television shows for season  or series box set collection is the 1966 live action Batman series starring Adam West and Burt Ward. Forty-seven years after it debuted on ABC as a mid-season replacement, it is still hugely popular. It was a show that every celebrity, star, actor and actress wanted to be on. That right there may be the reason it has yet to be collected in season sets or a series set.

Royalties may be holding up home release on DVD of the Batman television series indefinitely. Royalties to estates of cast members, celebrity villain guest stars and the bat-climb cameo appearances. The series was a collaboration of DC Comics, Warner Bros. and competitor 20th Century Fox, along with Greenway Productions. There may be royalties due for the Batmobile, and certain costume and set designs.

Jeff Parker, along with Jonathan Case, Mike Allred and Ty Templeton have been working on a new DC digital-to-print comic, Batman '66. It is possible that the estates for actor Alan Napier (Alfred) and Madge Blake (Aunt Harriet) have not agreed to license the likenesses of the stars for the series. The first issue shows different character designs from the actors that played the characters. Parker said in an interview with Comic Book Resources promoting the series that he would like to introduce modern villain Killer Croc based on actor Ted Cassidy, from The Addams Family, Star Trek and I Dream of Jeannie.

It's this kind of dream casting that got me thinking.

What if?

What if Lyle Waggoner had been cast as Gotham DA Harvey Dent? What if Jessica Walter had been cast as Dent's fiance Pamela Isley. What if over the course of a season these two characters had begun their descent into the villains Two-Face and Poison Ivy? It would have risked the shows light, comedy camp factor, but it could have given the series depth and legs. So would adding Bruce's comic book fiance Julie Madison, in star Raquel Welch. Bruce and Batman both could have been conflicted by Kathy Kane, played by Meredith MacRae, who would be inspired by the Caped Crusader to become Batwoman. Along with Alfred, Bruce and Dick would have Dr. Leslie Thompkins to confide in as played by Donna Reed. Bruce could seek legal counsel from Julie's father, Judge Madison played by Raymond Burr.

Another character that would be great to introduce into the 1966 timeline would be Wayne Foundation director, Lucius Fox.

 

Up until the series wash cancelled, and The Batman was returned to more dark, Gothic roots, Bruce Wayne was a millionaire-philanthropist, and head of a charitable organization, Wayne Foundation. It was not the industrial Wayne Enterprises in later years similar to Luthorcorp. It would be cool to see Moses Gunn in the role of Lucius Fox, bringing even more diversity to the cast and series. Believe it or not television was a male dominated club even into the 1990's with programs like Law & Order. Richard Brooks provided a racial diversity; but it wasn't until the mid-'90's and the casting of S. Epatha Merkerson, Jill Hennessy and Benjamin Bratt that gender and ethnic diversity was reached. Gunn would round out the regular and recurring cast of supporting characters for Batman and Robin.

The campy approach to the series eliminated a number of classic, more Gothic or scary villains; such as Two-Face, with his horrific scars. The Scarecrow was another, along with psychiatrist Doctor Hugo Strange, Clayface, Blockbuster and Poison Ivy. I would also suggest rogues like the Golden-Age Green Lantern villain Solomon Grundy, The Golden-Age Flash nemesis Rag Doll, and the rogue Deadshot.

With Two-Face (Lyle Waggoner) and Poison Ivy (Jessica Walter) covered; I would cast '60's Western-Action-Sitcom star Denny Miller, as Solomon Grundy. Most recently, Miller was the Gorton's Fisherman. 

This would be a radical change from the safe formula that dominated the series. The villains had pretty much been reduced to common thieves, robbing banks, stealing payroll, benefit proceeds and valuable works of art. Murder and mayhem was replaced by petty larceny and kidnapping. Grundy would be Batman's Frankenstein, a Hulk -years before the Bixby-Ferrigno series that lasted five seasons on CBS. Grundy would be simple and basic. He would be a better television rogue than Blockbuster.

 

Next, I would cast the late comic actor Wally Cox as Professor Jonathan Crane, alias The Scarecrow. Cox was best known as the voice of Underdog. It would be fun to see Cox in a very different role. Fear gas would be kinda cool against Batman and Robin. A Scarecrow episode could start with robbery, but then he would move on to terrorizing Gotham with his fear gas.

Next, I would cast limber comic Dick Van Dyke as the contortionist clown villain, Rag Doll, Peter Merkel. It would be fun to see Mr. Van Dyke bring the same multi-jointed action from Chitty-Chitty, Bang-Bang, and Mary Poppins to Batman. He was between series at the time Batman was on, so it would be a hoot to see.

 

Finally, I would cast another family-friendly actor, Disney staple Dean Jones as actor Matt Hagen, alias Clayface. He didn't become an actor until the Batman: The Animated Series years; but it would be fun to combine the original Basil Karlo and Hagen into this '60's live action Clayface. He would be similar to a the Spider-Man villain, The Chameleon, or what Malachi Throne's False-Face character ended up being: a master of disguise.

It would be cool to see Two-Face, Poison Ivy, The Scarecrow, Clayface, Solomon Grundy and Rag Doll added to the already larger-than-life celebrity guest-villains.

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