The first installment of Jeff Parker and Jonathan Case’s Batman ’66 digital serial is now available on ComiXology. It’s the most fun you’ll have with words and pictures today. It’s a buck.
Capturing the tone, voice and aesthetic of the 60’s live action television series, “The Riddler’s Ruse, Part One” features an aerial encounter with that baleful boffin of brainteasers in vibrant color. You can practically hear that unmistakable Frank Gorshin giggle as the dynamic duo take the skies. I was particularly tickled by the triumphant return of Chief O’Hara, something of a Herge character whose jurisdiction just happens to be dot pitch Gotham.
While the series will ultimately be collected in print like other digital firsts, there’s a couple of reasons to join in on the Batusi sooner rather than later. Batman ’66 represents the first outing for the so-called DC² format. Reading digitally with a guided view, layers and transitions augment the experience. Instead of shuffling from panel to static panel, the individual elements pop in with each click, word balloons and sound effects blinking into view in their proper order, colors changing, batarangs moving from point A to B. It’s not animation. It’s not a motion comic. But it’s a little more dynamic than traditional sequential art. I experienced a couple of stutters and stalls, and others have reported the same, but let’s call it opening day jitters.
You can read more about all that business over on Wired.
Bottom line, though? It’s stellar stuff. Between this and Adventures of Superman, Jeff Parker’s delivering the World’s Finest at their best.
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To double-dip or not double-dip, that is the question…
I’m eager to read this though. It’ll be like drinking a good glass of porto after a long hard day at work! 😉
It’s easy to roll your eyes on a comic based on the 60’s Batman TV series, and I know I did when I first heard it announced. Then I found out Jeff Parker was on and it got me got of excited.
This will be my very first digital comic. Ironic that it’s based on a show that debuted 17 years before I was born.
Wish me luck! And don’t make fun of me.
This was tons of fun. Definitely captured the spirit of the show. I really loved the exchange between the duo in the Batmobile. But the “Tragic” panel made me laugh out loud.
Being as this was my first digital, I have no frame of reference, but I thought it was pretty easy to use. I thought I’d dislike the extra “animation”, but I thought it all flowed pretty seamlessly. I’ll tune into this Batchannel again.
I so badly want King Tut to appear in this series.
This was excellent. Brings me right back to watching reruns on USA. Gorshin’s Riddler is a fave, too, so it’s icing on the cake.I was quite excited when I heard this book announced, and I was quite happy with the end product.
I felt like DC tried to make the “Squared” gimmick work a bit better than some of Marvel’s Infinite Comics efforts. The shifting of focus, “gels” for lack of a better term, layering all looked pretty good, beat out only by the Rocket Racoon Infinite Comic that had the character leaping from Table to Table with swipe motions that made you feel the movement without being animated. (Which, I can’t see how those Infinite Comics are going to read in Print, which I notice the Guardians collection is out today!) This was a close second and felt very organic and not a bit clunky.
I’ll just buy it in print. I still can’t get int digital comics. Looks like a fun read though.
I don’t know how it will translate. The digital view relies on guided view to give the panels a smooth transition. Word Balloons and sound effects appear with a swipe.
This was great. If it had pull list status, this would be a pick of the week contender for sure.
Looks cool, but since I really love the über serious, dark, gritty Batman, its not really for me. I will check out the first trade though. My Batman or not, more well written Batman is always appreciated.
Shut up and take my money!
I’ll definitely read this. I’m only 16, but I grew up watching re-runs of the show. And it’ll probably wash out the bad taste in my mouth left by Morrison’s newest issue
So excited for this!
This was great. I’m very curious how the print version, which I already preordered, will look but I’m on board.
Oh man oh man oh man, half that book could be in Best Panels of the Week. The guided view effects were great! Unless my other pulls REALLY bring it, this is my PotW.
Make sure you get the update for the comic. I bought this at the stroke of midnight last night and it was terrible. It read like a 95 page comic where they only bothered to change on thing per page. The update makes the comic a million times more enjoyable.
*one
There isnt an update offered on my droid. And the reading experience is just awful! I cant get past the first page with out it crashing.
i mostly enjoyed it. i’m thinking of re-reading this with 3D glasses cause some panels i think warrant them. my only gripe is i’ve noticed the sound effects were coming after the action. it’s like thunder and lightning, like they’re not in sync with timing. it’s hard to explain but did anyone else here noticed that?
The sound effects coming after the action is how they did it on the TV show.
Oh you’re right I remember now.
Yes and no. The sound effects came after the action in the TV show, but in the comic it wasn’t the SFX and action, but SFX and dialogue. In one particular sequence the action happens, Batman has a word balloon, and then the SFX comes. I don’t think that that happened in the TV show.
Here’s the sequence:
http://cdn.bleedingcool.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/IMG_7058-600×450.png?f6a06b
http://cdn.bleedingcool.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/IMG_7059-600×450.png?f6a06b
http://cdn.bleedingcool.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/IMG_7060-600×450.png?f6a06b
http://cdn.bleedingcool.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/IMG_70611-600×450.png?f6a06b
I hope this gets PotW as a non-pull list comic. 🙂
Too much fun! Pitch-perfect script & gorgeous art, & the “squared” presentation works a treat. I’m in!
Am I the only one that thought the coloring made the art look blurry? There is a streak of blue on almost every line, and it looks like a misprinted page.
That was intentional. It’s a play on the four color process and a creative way of representing the bright color schemes of the TV show. Shows like Batman and Star Trek were among the first to take full advantage of color television, and as a result everything leapt off the screen. People had never seen anything like it. I thought it was a cool way to convey that in the book.
@RonDev- that’s a faux 60s printing process thing. Roll with it.
Yeah, I was unable to finish reading it because the look was so distracting. Oh well, I’m only out a buck!
I forgot this was coming out !!! Got it here in australia last night !! DC are killing it it with this digital stuff
I gave this a try and really enjoyed it. I am reading alot of the digital first books that DC (mainly) is doing. Plus the 99 cent price per issue does not hurt either. I just have trouble paying more than that for a digital book that is not a collection.
The show that made batman into a joke is highly anticipated by me.
Finally abdicated and bought it last night and read it while eating my lunch at work. So. Much. Fun! This was just…perfect! 0_o
Jeff Parker’s writing was A+ and Jonathan Case’s art was out of this world psychedelic fun, both capturing the tone of the show and why it was so much fun!
Can’t wait to read it again at the end of the month once it’s collected in a single paper issue!
PS: Love the DC2 experiment, it made reading it more “dynamic” and less static than the usual digital comics, well played!
FUCKING AMAZING!!! This could not have been better. The colors really jump off the page and the guided view is a dream.
First time I’ve ever been really excited about the possibilities of digital comics, this is awesome
I cant read this on any device without it crashing. really disappointing, i was really jazzed up for it. i guess i am waiting for it in print….