Batman ’66 #1 – Review

By: Jeff Parker (story), Jonathan Case (art)

The Story: Bam!  Pow!  Zap!  Here come Batman and Robin!

The Review: Scoff all you want, but Batman has become such a part of our pop culture that even if you never watched an episode of the show in your entire life, like I never did, there are still fragments that have a hold on your consciousness: Adam West and Burt Ward, the goony sound effect blurbs flashing on the screen, the frenetic theme song that recalled an auditory whirlwind, Robin’s “Holy ________!” exclamations, and over it all, the major camp factor.

Parker brings back, even revels, in all these familiar elements, and the result is equal parts parody and credibility.  Ultimately, your enjoyment depends on complete acceptance that this world is merely inspired by the Batman mythos, but operates according to an entirely unique set of rules and values, one that reflects a more innocent, enthusiastic, confident era.  Embracing this title thus requires a sense of self-aware humor equal to that of the series itself.