This was quite honestly the most fun I’ve had reading a DC book in months! I’ve had a giant soft spot for the sixties Batman show ever since ITV in the UK used re-runs of it to successfully boost their dire viewing figures back in the midst of post Dark Knight Returns, pre Burton movie 80’s Bat-Mania. I would watch every morning before high school, and at that point my sensibilities were old enough to appreciate the camp humour (and Julie Newmar in the cat-suit!) but still young enough to enjoy the action.
Fellow fans of the show could not have asked for a more faithful reincarnation than this. Jeff Parker’s dialogue is absolutely spot on, capturing each character’s distinctive voice perfectly, the kooky plot could have been lifted from a previously unseen episode, and Jonathan Case just knocks the visuals out of the park! The pop art feel of the pages is stunning, and the look of the characters is every bit as faithful as the script (Julie Newmar looks great :-).
I was cautiously optimistic about this title at first, but now that I’ve seen this terrific debut issue, I can’t wait for more! From what I have heard about the digital version, it may even persuade me to break my old-school reading habits and download a couple of episodes in advance….