Batman 66 comic is no more

[Cobblepot4Mayor]

Seems this terrific 60's pop art retro series of West and Ward madness is set to end this December.

And I am quite furious about it  lol

It has had a good run. Much longer than I personally expected it would get (almost two full years). Still I swear I haven't been buying a single other Batman comic for all that time span. It's been a breath of exciting fresh air that made comics fun again. A much needed resurrection from the sea of endless Frank Miller inspired Bat Books. I really don't see why the single best and most creative Batman comic on shelves has to be thrown away like a used condom at the expense of some of those blander books. I think we know comic publishers are often pathetic fools but this turn of events is truly the most upsetting by far in some time. Not exactly a great move for the shows upcoming 50th anniversary either.

[The Laughing Fish]

I haven't read any of the 66 comics yet, but that's disappointing to hear. Oh well, at least we have Frank Miller's Batman likely beating the crap out of Superman in DKIII to look forward to. 

[Catwoman]

With that animated movie coming next year (or was that another one of Ral's freaking April Fools jokes?) maybe we haven't seen the last of it. Maybe there will be something new yet old launched in January? Just a thought?

[thecolorsblend]

DC Digital First. Where great concepts go to die. But not before teasing fans with their awesomeness.

DC Digital First. Because DC needs a dumping ground for stuff it has no faith in.

DC Digital First. Everything DC doesn't have the balls to print.

DC Digital First. Because movies and TV shows are all DC thinks most "comic fans" really care about anyway.

DC Digital First. If at first you don't succeed, just cancel it.

DC Digital First. Hey, somebody's rookie cousin was promised his own book to pencil.

DC Digital First. Because DC needs to be sure the trade paperbacks will sell.

DC Digital First. Less overhead for DC, more profit for DC and more heartache for the fans.

DC Digital First. The cheapest market research money can buy.

DC Digital First. Because DC just wants another Batman title to suck dry.

DC Digital First can piss off as far as I'm concerned.

[thecolorsblend]

Seriously though, nobody has said so (that I know about) but is there any doubt this is being done as part of DC's branding?

Batman v Superman isn't all that far away. This is the kind of decision you make when you want to have "synergy". WB is prepping for BvS's release. It looks to be a very dark, very driven, very vengeful, very Frank Miller Batman.

A comic book starring Adam West would tend to conflict with that.

I might be wrong but this looks like corporate politics. It just doesn't pass the sniff test.

[The Dark Knight]

I enjoyed the B66 comic. It more or less captured the spirit of the TV show, even though the larger scale plots wouldn't have ever been filmed due to budget constraints. But that's a moot point. 49 years after cameras stopped rolling, that's all it's about now - capturing the spirit. The writers were working within a different medium and played up to that.

Is the comic being shelved to make way for the dark and gritty tone of BvS? Probably. But to be completely honest, I'm not that upset it's being cancelled. It had a good run and I feel like my B66 appetite has been sated. I've watched the Blu-ray episodes over and over, and feel like the comic gave all I wanted from it. 

[riddler]

I liked that they unearthed this series right around the time it turned 50 with the special edition releases, comics, and it being a huge part of the last lego batman 3 with Adam West voicing his character. That being said DC does need to be careful about how much they parade this within the mythology. I know most of us are open minded enough to appreciate all interpretations of the character but the interpretation of the character in the 60's is not widely the best remembered. That isn't to say that it doesn't have it's place because it certainly does, if I were introducing a child to Batman I would start with the Adam West series. But we have to realize that there's a reason why the only attempt to make Batman campy again failed miserably 20 years ago. Batman and Superman are supposed to be polar opposites and yet the argument could be made that Adam West was playing Clark Kent more than Bruce Wayne and such is a legitimate complaint levied by Superman towards this series; Turning Batman and Gotham City into Superman and Metropolis may have stolen thunder rightfully belonging to the real Superman character.

With it being on two nights a week for most of its run, the 3 seasons got us over 100 episodes, a movie, a follow up cartoon, and a modern comic in addition to heavily influencing the comics at the time and likely George Clooney's interpretation. It certainly has it's place in the character's mythology but be careful what you wish for when it comes to more from anything Batman which came from the 60's.

[The Dark Knight]

I liked that they unearthed this series right around the time it turned 50 with the special edition releases, comics, and it being a huge part of the last lego batman 3 with Adam West voicing his character.

Definitely. It would've been a true shame if the series wasn't released while Adam West and Burt Ward were alive.

That being said DC does need to be careful about how much they parade this within the mythology. I know most of us are open minded enough to appreciate all interpretations of the character but the interpretation of the character in the 60's is not widely the best remembered.

There's no doubt the show still has a stigma surrounding it, but I don't think it's as negative as you think. I've seen a fair share of praise for it. I think Adam West's Batman brings a sense of joy to the Batman community these days. It's a friendly form of escapism.

But we have to realize that there's a reason why the only attempt to make Batman campy again failed miserably 20 years ago.

The 66 show was lightning in a bottle. It's very hard to replicate a moment in time and the Clooney film is just one example. Repeating the general formula doesn't make something an automatic hit. I think The Brave and the Bold animated show managed to present the lighter interpretation of Batman perfectly. There's an audience for this type of Batman. It just has to click with the audience. For various reasons, Clooney's Batman didn't do that. In terms of legacy wars, I think the 66 show is mostly remembered with affection these days and Clooney is not. It seems people laugh along with Adam West and people laugh at George Clooney.

Batman and Superman are supposed to be polar opposites and yet the argument could be made that Adam West was playing Clark Kent more than Bruce Wayne and such is a legitimate complaint levied by Superman towards this series; Turning Batman and Gotham City into Superman and Metropolis may have stolen thunder rightfully belonging to the real Superman character.

That's a really interesting comment and I see where you are coming from. From my point of view, it makes more sense for the City which created Batman to be dark and seedy. But ultimately, changing that tone doesn't really alter that much in terms of Batman himself. West's Batman still had all the trapping of comic Batman - it's just that he lived in in brighter world. West's Bruce was an investigator but he wasn't a reporter. The fact his Batman was more scientific tips the scales in his favor in terms of being more like Batman and less like Clark Kent. He was a well known billionaire living in a mansion attending public events. He had the bat cave, all his vehicles, gadgets, Alfred and Robin. We have to suspend our disbelief in terms of his costume inspiring dread, but nonetheless, there are moments where Batman holds up his cape and creates a silhouette to inspire fear.

[Azrael]

It seems people laugh along with Adam West and people laugh at George Clooney.

For Clooney, Batman is an early misstep in a successful and varied career. For West, Batman is his career. This is unfortunate, he deserved better luck as an actor, but this is how it is.

[thecolorsblend]

But we have to realize that there's a reason why the only attempt to make Batman campy again failed miserably 20 years ago.

I'm not sure what "campy" means in this context but Batman Forever was quite successful. B&R was derided as star-studded toy commercial and money-grab. While the core Batman fan audience groused about certain issues related specifically to the movie, wide audiences were turned off by issues surrounding the movie.

Lego Batman handily demonstrates that a dark, gritty Batman isn't the only game in town as far as wide audiences are concerned.

Batman and Superman are supposed to be polar opposites

Says who? I believe Batman and Superman should be different from each other in many cases. But this idea that they must be as different as night and day to one another isn't an absolute.

One of my favorite episodes of the Bold & the Brave is the Superman episode. And while there are certainly differences between Superman and Batman in that episode, they're not totally different from one another.