Batman ’66 #17 is campy fun that kids will like

If you’ve seen any of the classic episodes of the Batman TV series you know that it has a certain feel to it.  The dialogue is campy, the action is stilted when compared to today’s series and Batman has a much more casual feel to him than today’s superhero.  Batman ’66 is just like the show.  At times it looks like the comic is drawn exactly from old episodes.  They’re not mind you, all of the Batman ’66 comics are original, but do feature some of the villains who never made the cut to modern times, like King Tut.

Batman ’66 also has the cliffhangers like “WILL ALL OF GOTHAM GO GREEN?” and “THINK FAST CAPED CRUSADERS”, as our duo faces danger.  Those are kind of a wink or not to older readers who remember how the TV show milked obvious (in hindsight) ways that they could escape.

So, Batman ’66 is a gimmick comic?  No, not really.  The tone of this all age comic is squarely in cheek, but it manages to treat its younger readers with respect.  The vocabulary is occasionally large and has lots of 4-6 syllable words.  The book is simple enough for young readers to follow along, all the while enjoying the art and reading just enough to count as ‘reading’ for mom and dad.

The art fits in with all of this quite well also.  At times the small dot art that was common in the 70’s makes up background of the characters.  The drawings are also simpler than today’s comics.  It’s entirely different look than today’s comics that fits more with 1966 than current style.

Plus, Batman ’66 is the only all age comic that lets young readers enjoy Batman.  And while I (and our 5YO) like Batman ’66, we wish that there was another, dare I say, contemporary all age comic for the caped crusader.  Lil Gotham was cancelled and other than Teen Titans GO!  there isn’t a series that let’s young readers get introduced to the staple DC characters in comics.

Batman ’66 is certainly worth checking out for your all age comic book reader.  You might have to explain some of the cultural happenings and vocabulary, but that’s it.  The content is great for all ages and will bring back memories for parents who might be reading the book also.