DC Announce '66 Batman Comic

[Bobthegoon89]

This news is just delightful. Burgess Meredith's Penguin and Frank Gorshin's Riddler will return in the only way they now can (and a means that comic fans thought they would NEVER see lol).

Still I'm not happy at all about it being a digital comic. That spoilt the excitement somewhat. I want this thing on my bookshelf. What a graphic novel to have. DC get it physically published also!

I'd love this to become an ongoing series like the animated series comic book issues of the 90's. Just be a great dose of fun after years of samey, humdrum, complex comic book darkness.

It also potentially opens a further door...can we soon see comics set in the Batman movie universe of Keaton and/or Bale also? But let's not get ahead of ourselves. But what a fun opportunity.

[DocLathropBrown]

This news is just delightful. Burgess Meredith's Penguin and Frank Gorshin's Riddler will return in the only way they now can (and a means that comic fans thought they would NEVER see lol).

Still I'm not happy at all about it being a digital comic. That spoilt the excitement somewhat. I want this thing on my bookshelf. What a graphic novel to have. DC get it physically published also!

I'd love this to become an ongoing series like the animated series comic book issues of the 90's. Just be a great dose of fun after years of samey, humdrum, complex comic book darkness.

It also potentially opens a further door...can we soon see comics set in the Batman movie universe of Keaton and/or Bale also? But let's not get ahead of ourselves. But what a fun opportunity.

All digital comics get a single-issue print version for stores a week or so later. And eventually, they get collected into trade paperback format. Don't worry, these will be just as attainable as you want them to be.

As for more set in another universe? Higher chance of that happening for Bale's universe than Keaton's. If the sales of this '66 series do very very well, I would fully expect DC to exploit it with more set in well-loved universes. It works well for Smallville, AFAIK. But as I said, a return to the Burton universe wouldn't be at all likely. We'd have better chance of the Timmverse or Nolanverse being revisited.

[thecolorsblend]

All digital comics get a single-issue print version for stores a week or so later. And eventually, they get collected into trade paperback format. Don't worry, these will be just as attainable as you want them to be.

I thought only certain digital things eventually saw print. Hm, interesting.

As for more set in another universe? Higher chance of that happening for Bale's universe than Keaton's. If the sales of this '66 series do very very well, I would fully expect DC to exploit it with more set in well-loved universes. It works well for Smallville, AFAIK. But as I said, a return to the Burton universe wouldn't be at all likely. We'd have better chance of the Timmverse or Nolanverse being revisited.

Is it bad that I'm hoping for a continuation of the Schumacherverse?

[thecolorsblend]

trust me. he was being rude. he hates me.

If rude means pointing out basic facts, sure, I was being rude.

Arkham Unhinged is an example of exclusive digital comics coming to print in a collected edition.

...

Get a room.

[Silver Nemesis]

I'm absolutely thrilled by this news. I'm still holding out hope for the DVD release, but an original comic book series set in the TV show's universe is the perfect thing to tide us over while we wait. I'm curious to know precisely what the legal parameters are in terms of which characters they can use. Will it just be characters from the original TV show or will they be able to incorporate additional elements from the comics, reinterpreting them in the style of the original series? Just imagine sixties-style versions of Bane and Ra's al Ghul.

Also, will they be able to use characters from other Batman shows that starred Adam West? For example, West never fought Scarecrow in the live action series, but he did fight him in animated form in the Super Friends show. So will Scarecrow appear in the comic?

And what about the Legends of the Superheroes miniseries, where West's Batman fought Solomon Grundy and met the Huntress? Will they appear in the comic too?

And what about all the other superheroes he teamed up with during that miniseries? It'd be great if the Justice League could feature in the new comic, with Burt Ward's Robin becoming head of the Teen Titans.

But even if it is just the characters from the main series, I'm sure it'll still be a lot of fun.

Is it bad that I'm hoping for a continuation of the Schumacherverse?

It's no worse than hoping for a continuation of the Burtonverse. I mean the Schumacherverse is technically the continuation of the Burtonverse, so a continuation of that is merely a further expansion upon the foundations set down by Burton.

[Bobthegoon89]

I don't think they'll go as far as using sixties versions of villains that came in the comics well after the show's life on tv. But I'd be hoping to see more of obscure villains such as Bookworm, Zelda the Great, King Tut and Egghead. Some characters we barely ever saw outside 1 episode. It gives DC a chance to fill in a backstory and develop them further.

I think the Batman comics these days cull a lot from the Bale movies anyway so that might very well rule them out of a comic spinoff. Why do a movie spinoff when your using ideas and inspiration from them anyway? I am sure if there's enough demand, provided the Adam West series is successful, DC would consider re-entering the world of Michael Keaton and Tim Burton as a kind of special. So when the time is right let's get those requests goin!

I'm just delighted DC is doing this. Finally an era of Batman that today is wrongly mocked and loathed is getting the respect and celebration it deserves as much as an animated or feature length Batman. This series could be a good means of reminding people you can still have fun invention in Batman stories and colourful villains and deathtraps. It doesn't all have to be real world and deadly Michael Mann "Heat" style serious. Perhaps DC is testing waters in bringing back the "comic book" into Batman Nolan made popular in removing lol

[Azrael]

I can imagine the die hard "darker" Batman fans must be spitting bile over this news. 

Know you're being sarcastic, yeah, but trust me, sometimes some of us feel like they like a totally different Batman.

On the subject of expanded filmic universes, a fan has made some work for the Nolanverse. Here's his gallery.

[thecolorsblend]

It's no worse than hoping for a continuation of the Burtonverse. I mean the Schumacherverse is technically the continuation of the Burtonverse, so a continuation of that is merely a further expansion upon the foundations set down by Burton.

See, the reason I brought it up is because I don't completely buy that the Schumacherverse is a continuation of the Burtonverse.

[Catwoman]

This news is just delightful. Burgess Meredith's Penguin and Frank Gorshin's Riddler will return in the only way they now can (and a means that comic fans thought they would NEVER see lol).

Still I'm not happy at all about it being a digital comic. That spoilt the excitement somewhat. I want this thing on my bookshelf. What a graphic novel to have. DC get it physically published also!

I'd love this to become an ongoing series like the animated series comic book issues of the 90's. Just be a great dose of fun after years of samey, humdrum, complex comic book darkness.

It also potentially opens a further door...can we soon see comics set in the Batman movie universe of Keaton and/or Bale also? But let's not get ahead of ourselves. But what a fun opportunity.

All digital comics get a single-issue print version for stores a week or so later. And eventually, they get collected into trade paperback format. Don't worry, these will be just as attainable as you want them to be.

As for more set in another universe? Higher chance of that happening for Bale's universe than Keaton's. If the sales of this '66 series do very very well, I would fully expect DC to exploit it with more set in well-loved universes. It works well for Smallville, AFAIK. But as I said, a return to the Burton universe wouldn't be at all likely. We'd have better chance of the Timmverse or Nolanverse being revisited.

this!

[The Dark Knight]

I'm curious to know precisely what the legal parameters are in terms of which characters they can use. Will it just be characters from the original TV show or will they be able to incorporate additional elements from the comics, reinterpreting them in the style of the original series? Just imagine sixties-style versions of Bane and Ra's al Ghul.

Also, will they be able to use characters from other Batman shows that starred Adam West? For example, West never fought Scarecrow in the live action series, but he did fight him in animated form in the Super Friends show. So will Scarecrow appear in the comic?

On this, it's a tricky one I think. I am leaning in the direction of only using characters and villains that appeared in the TV show. Introducing 'new' faces that didn't appear back in the day may come off negatively, I feel. As if it's not a legitimate immersion into that world. So while seeing a 60s version of Ras or Bane may be interesting, I may give it a miss.

It's tricky because back in the day they regularly introduced new villains and characters week to week. But we're no longer back in the day, and the template has been set for all time. It's preserved on film.