Batman ’66 #2 – Review

By: Jeff Parker (story), Ty Templeton & Jonathan Case (art), Wes Hartman (colors)

The Story: When Batman’s down and out, it’s up to his chum and his girlfriend to save his skin!

The Review: One of my favorite things about the sixties and in particular a certain type of story that was especially (some might even say inexplicably) popular during that period is the needlessly elaborate and complicated plots.  Granted, these plots often got so convoluted that you suspect even the writers lost track of what they were talking about, but there has never been a better time for complete and utter, anything-goes confidence in storytelling.

That’s why I take especial delight in Batman ’66.  Parker not only emulates the tone and syntax of the show with exceptional precision, he also channels the imaginative spirit of the era.  See, it’s not enough that Penguin puts Gotham’s economic activity to a standstill by blocking the harbor with a Titanic-crushing iceberg; he goes ahead and gets it recognized by the United Nations as a sovereign nation, making any incursion upon it an act of war.  There is just so much factually wrong and entertainingly right about this plan.