BATMAN : WHEN COMIC BOOKS CAME TO LIFE

As a comic book fanatic it saddens me to turn on a TV show from DC or watch a movie trailer from Marvel and see they have almost nothing to do with the comic books that they are named after. Every TV series and movie are devoid of color and if there is any plot relating to a comic book it’s from some weird, awful storyline that was thought of long after the official death of comics in the mid-1990s. Today’s TV and movie execs today could give a damn about comic books, they only look at profit that they know is guaranteed from a fan boy audience. Greedy corporations figure out more and more ways to squeeze every dollar they can out of fans who seem to simply accept ANYTHING that is related to a comic book character they love as the greatest thing ever. They are so greedy they don’t do a Power Man and Iron Fist show, they do an Iron Fist show and then separately a Power Man series. I’m not saying makers of old shows like the 1966 Batman series didn’t care about money, but they also cared about what the fans wanted.  The producers, writers and actors were all comic book fans and made every effort they legally could to bring characters from Batman and Detective Comics to life on the small screen. In doing so they created an icon. A phenomena that changed television and basic entertainment in many parts of the world. This new Batman series would dominate the airwaves for years in premiere episodes and later in reruns. It would dictate the way every superhero TV show and movie would be made for decades to come. In the future, cheap, easily made CGI would change the way all these comic book related things would be made, but thanks to DVDs, classic TV stations and the internet, we will always have Batman to look at for the blueprint for what a comic book television series or movie should look like..
   I mention what they could legally put on the show because the 1960s Batman show went through more legal wrangles than any TV series in history. Only in the last few years has it become available to us millions of fans on DVD. I, like many fans, had bootlegs of course because I wasn’t going to allow some heartless conglomerate to keep me from seeing one of the greatest TV shows ever made, but the moment they got an official release I replaced the boots with some gorgeous box sets. Legal issues also kept certain villains off the show, but the writers created some colorful although occasionally goofy villains to fit right in with the likes of the Joker, the Penguin and Catwoman. To many this entire series may be looked upon as “goofy”, but it was more like a living comic book than any show or movie before or after it. In the comic books, Batman had just undergone a drastic change from doing battle with aliens from Pluto to getting his patented yellow circle on his costume and becoming a dark knight detective once again. This started with an almost forgotten villain named the Riddler. This issue actually influenced creator William Dozier to create the TV series and likewise he kicked things off with a maniacal Frank Gorshin as the Riddler and history was born.
   Overall this series didn’t have many bad episodes. A few missteps here and there, but Batman is a solid series which means if you like episode 3 you’ll more than likely enjoy episode 87. They are all good, but they are also quite varied. When I started noting my favorite episodes of Batman I had no intention of trying to include as many different villains as possible, but each and every villain has a great episode so my favorites encompass all of the major members of Batman’s rogue’s gallery. You will however notice only one episode from season 3. This has nothing to do with Batgirl as she was a welcome addition to the cast which after 94 episodes could have become stagnant. Unfortunately though the budget was sliced in half and the stories became somewhat bland  Gone for the most part were the serial like cliffhangers which made the loved so beloved in the first place. Nonetheless, even these lesser episodes are worth watching and I enjoy them all on a regular basis. Since I only watch the show these days on DVD I’m not sure if it’s available on Netflix, or for digital download or if it’s currently being syndicated in your area, but if it is you should revisit it (or perhaps watch it for the first time). Whether you are a person who occasionally enjoyed comics in your youth, a comic book fanatic like myself who has his walls plastered with old issues of Detective Comics or a person who simply wants to be entertained with smart, funny, colorful 60s pop culture you need to watch this! Below I’ve listed my favorite episodes from the series which were very difficult to narrow down. If you’ve seen Batman once you are probably already a fan of the show with your own list of favorites and you’ll probably notice we share a love for Batman…

10. Mad Hatter Episode 69-70

Based on a story from Detective Comics #230 with a nod to the front cover of Detective Comics #241 where Batman wears a hot pink costume & cowl. David Wayne was great as the Mad Hatter & it’s a shame there weren’t more than 2 stories with him as the guest villain.

9. Catwoman Episode 19-20

Julie Newmar is without question one of the sexiest women in the history of television, but this episode paints her as diabolical & evil as well. Future episodes would keep the sex appeal, but unfortunately lose some of that villainy.

8. Penguin Episode 51-52

Penguin really shows his ability to outwit Batman in this one along with his political ambition and with things like the Grand Order of Occidental Nighthawks and Paul Revere and the Raiders performing it’s a must see. This story was later redone for the animated Adventures of Batman with the Joker replacing Penguin.

7. The Bookworm Episode 29-30

A villain who bases his crime on books and wears glasses may not seem like much of a threat, but Roddy McDowall makes him one of Batman’s most challenging foes. Many of his crimes are larger than life and I’d assume this episode probably required a pretty big budget.

6. The Riddler Episode 31-32

Actually based on a Joker story from Detective Comics #341. As a silent film fan I love the story of stealing a super rare silent film collection. Loads of Chaplin and Marx brothers like hijinks definitely would qualify it as one of the more purposely humorous episodes of the series.

5. The Riddler Episode 79-80

How on Earth can I put the John Astin Riddler episodes on my list? First of all, I think he did a great job! He’s no Frank Gorshin, but he made the character all his own and overall was doing a favor as Gorshin was unavailable. Second, it’s based loosely on the Riddler’s first comic book appearance Detective Comics #140 and these comic based episodes usually tend to be the best. Finally, trapping Batman and Robin atop a cake of quicksand was for me one of the funnest moments of the series.

4. The Joker Episode 118

For me, the best Batgirl episode next to the rarely seen Batgirl pilot (in which her and the Dynamic Duo battle Killer Moth). The Joker and his henchmen build a flying saucer to scare Gothamites. He even has a little green man working for him. This is fun, zany stuff with the Joker at his wackiest and Batgirl ever so confident in her ass kicking abilities…we even get flying saucer scenes lifted from the excellent 1953 film Invaders From Mars.

3. Mr. Freeze Episode 93-94

We get Eli Wallach as Mr. Freeze and Elisha Cook Jr as one of his hostages…now that’s star power! I thought all three actors who played Mr. Freeze did a fine job with the character and each created a style all his own. However out of all those actors Eli Wallach is my favorite by a mile! This guy can do any character, but his best usually are from over the top characters such as Dancer, Tuco or Mr. Freeze. Great acting, great action, great story.

2. False Face Episode 17-18

Easily the most creepy villain ever to appear in the Batman series. He looked horrifying, he sounded creepy and he acted insane! These episodes are so damn good they always fluctuate between my first and second favorites and I can’t recommend this story enough. For years I just assumed False Face was like Egghead or Louie The Lilac in that he was created by TV writers as an addition to Batman’s rogue’s gallery. I later found out he first appeared in 1958 in Batman #113 and then was unfortunately never seen again. Such a cool villain deserved better and he got it with these 2 episodes.

1. The Joker Episode 5-6

I believe many fans of the series would put the first 3 or 4 storylines in their top 10 because they are all excellent, but this is the pinnacle. Yet again from a rather valuable Batman comic which I happen to own...Batman #73 to be exact. In the comic the main focus is Joker’s utility belt which is very nicely carried over into the show. With the Comedians Hall Of Fame and Pagliacci in the story, writers probably saw this as a great opportunity to really ram home what the Joker was all about in case their audience was unfamiliar with the character. Batman vs. his archenemy, now this is how you do action/adventure television. As a comic book fan 35 years and running I believe this should be put up there with the final episode of M*A*S*H as one of the most important events in television history!

I love this TV series, but that love all began with the comics...here are the comic books mentioned in this article: