SPOILERS: Just Read Batman 66 Comic #1-Discussion Thread

[High C]

For any Siren fans, the writers have said she's going to be in it

Yes, I noted that in this thread, which I posted immediately after celebrating for three days!

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1391

Also, issue 2 in August has Penguin and Mr. Freeze, issue 3 in September has Joker and issue 4 in October features Mad Hatter and Clock King.

[AndyFish]

Doesn't matter how many '66 fans are comic fans I guess, because I'm told the sales on the digital issues are even stronger than expected.

I've read the first two and I'm enjoying it. I think the artwork is great and evocative of both the 60s pop art movement and the show. Story wise it's close too, this is clearly written by someone who has seen the show but it's not written by someone who's studied it, so if you're expecting a literal translation you'll be disappointed, this is more a hybrid.

My point in nit picking- some of the character designs are off, Alfred has no glasses, the commish does, and aunt Harriet looks more like aunt Agatha from the comics.

Alfred using the bat poles to bring a tray of milk to the cave was odd, the window guest star could have been a bit subtler, and some of the actions are a bit too broad.

Batman and Robin with their masks off in the cave goes against three seasons of episodes and the re design of Catwomans Catmen is ghastly.

Having said all that, I'm enjoying it enough that I buy the digital comics to read on my iPad and I'll buy the print comics and the trades too.

Had I gotten the gig I would have made this Season Four and stayed truer to the form of the series, but this is still something I would have killed to have as a kid.

I'd recommend it.

[clavierankh]

Very good comments Andyfish. I wonder if their were problems licensing images of Alan Napier, Neil Hamilton, and Madge Blake? I agree I wish they had stayed true to the form of the series. Still it's great to have a comic that hearkens back to the 60s when I started reading them. Today heroes are almost psychopathic and villains have some much motivation for their misdeeds they are practically heroes.

[BatToys]

I love this series more than I expected. I liked how Batman's cape can look like Christian Bales when gliding. I like how they had their masks off in the Batcave.

I hope they at least get the likeness for Alan Napair as Alfred was integral to the show. They did draw Naper as Alfred before in a Solo issue by Allred.

[Bob]

I was going to pass on this and now I guess its worth a look

[AndyFish]

The creators are fans of the series, I've spoken to Jonathan especially who is really trying to get the flavor of the show with the art.
Fans can nit pick things like Batman's face mask not being black, but I'm all in on this one. Much less campy than season three and more along the lines of season one.

[elmrgraham]

Pretty Neat Cover.

[Scott Sebring]

I certainly recommend it. I'm enjoying it very much although my nit picks are very much like those Andy mentioned already. Although I feel some of the nit picks take me "out" of experiencing the feel of the show due to them being just so off. The black missing on the front of the cowl is an ongoing distraction. It ends up making me think Jonathan studied the 60's bubble gum card art of Norman Saunders (which I love but looks nothing like the show) rather than knowing that the cowl is painted that way. To me it would be like leaving the door bats off of the Batmobile. It's the face of the TV Batman and the TV feel just misses the beat with that. But that's just my own gripe.

[Batfink]

It is a rights issue why you don't see Neil Hamilton, Stafford Repp, Alan Napier & Madge Blake likenesses in the comic. Artists were given a list of actors they could not use as photo reference and others that they could not. I imagine the same would be for Yvonne. My problem with the digital comic is that I bought the thing and it never downloads completely for me to read the whole story. It keeps loading usually at the same spot, when the Riddler and Batman are on the plane!
It's the first digital comic I ever bought. What I saw looks cool but wish I could read the whole thing! Next week the print edition is coming out anyway.

And 99 cents a download? Too pricey for me. Why can't they charge a quarter or better yet a nickle? Maybe Amazon will have a cheaper digital edition shortly.

[svl]

I've said this before, but it's more than a bit disappointing to have sooooo much info and soooo many experts readily available and then just let the easy stuff slide (like the cowl- it isn't just distracting it's annoyingly wrong). This could have been so utterly fantastic, especially with so many great writers and artists being uber fans like us, but once again DC cheaps out and doesn't bring in the knowledgable big guns (like Ross) and take a serious approach to creating a true recreation. Instead they treat it like a red-headed stepchild, ignorantly and arrogantly thinking "who cares, the dipstick '66 fans will buy it anyway".

Will I be buying the hardcopies, too? Of course- I'm a dipstick '66 collector. I'm even buying the variants, because I'm a dipstick '66 collector. They have my number, and yours, and sadly will take every advantage in as cheap a manner as possible.

Still, better to have it then nothing at all, I guess. It's just so frustrating to know how great it could have been in the right hands......

[batman1984]

i can't wait to get this book, it is going to be great.

[Edward Nigma]

I read issues 1 and 2 last night. I far preferred issue 1 to issue 2 which, as other posters have noted, had some oddities that were very distracting:

Alfred using the bat poles to bring a tray of milk to the cave was odd

I thought the characterization of Alfred was way off. He was always written and played as a very proper English butler so him using the Bat poles was out-of-character.

Batman and Robin with their masks off in the cave goes against three seasons of episodes and the re design of Catwomans Catmen is ghastly.

Agreed on both counts. The costumes of Catwoman's thugs, in particular, took me right out of the story because they were too modern for the period being evoked.

I was never a big fan of multiple villains in the same episode on the show because I feel like the villains are no where near as interesting in packs as they are alone.

All that being said, I really do think this is a labor of love which largely (if not entirely) captured the visual look and tone of the old show. And I thought the wall climb guest was completely absurd in the best tradition of the show!

[Bob]

Well we can write to the comic too. If we tell them our gripes they may listen

[Batfink]

Bob, I don't think you have to. I think they regularly monitor this site anyway.
DC, the writers & artists, lawyers, the whole enchilada. This site pops up first in any web search for Batman 1966.
I read both #1 & #2 online. It feels like an extension of the 1st season to me. I really love it. I do agree that the Catwoman goons uniforms were too modern for '66. It should be what a Catwoman henchman would regularly wear in all 3 seasons of the show. However, this is very minor. The Alfred scene on the batpoles was cute and fun. I liked it! Although, the artist should have made Bruce's batpole bigger than Dick's batpole.
It's so cool to see some life of the series exist fresh and new again from DC. Who would have thought that would EVER happen!!!
Lets give DC some credit here. They took the leap and did the ground work so that this could materialize.
I feel like a kid of 6 years old getting my first comic book all over again. Kudos to all that made that happen.
Yes, they will tweak it and they will listen to you all here. At least, I would like to think so.

[elmrgraham]

I am looking forward to the print version.