Late last week, amidst a recent flurry of exciting news about new merchandise from the classic 1966 Batman TV show, DC announced a brand new comic book set in this world called Batman ’66. Written by Jeff Parker with art by Jonathan Case and covers by Mike Allred, the stories will appear as digital first comics this summer with print versions to follow soon after, and will star all of our favourite characters from the show.
This is a GREAT idea, with a killer creative team. Everybody loves the classic Batman show, with its campy fun and general hilarity. It’s iconic, however much it differs from the dark Batman we all know and love too. I think it’s going to do very well, and that it’s one of the better ideas DC’s had in some time.
However, this is DC Comics, and they are prone to poor decision making. While I’m super excited for Batman ’66, here are ten reasons the new series might go off the rails:
1) Jeff Parker quits the series before the first issue even comes out because DC editorial demands he kill off famed Gothamite Sammy Davis Jr.
2) Batgirl joins the series for 16 very successful issues, but then DC unceremoniously removes her and replaces her with the lesser known Batboy. After much fan outcry, the beloved redhead is restored as Batgirl two issues later.
3) During James Robinson’s arc on the book, Batman ’66: Cry for Justice, Chief O’Hara’s daughter is tragically killed. In a very special issue soon after, Chief O’Hara falls off the wagon and has to deal with his erectile dysfunction.
4) This one’s courtesy of the great Dave Howlett: Orson Scott Card takes over the writing duties on the series and immediately kills off the Great Chandell.
5) Inspired by the success of the New 52’s Amanda Waller, the formerly dowdy and somewhat chubby Aunt Harriet is now young, svelte, and sexy.
6) Robin becomes Nightwing in the Batman ’66 universe and Dan DiDio has him killed off straight away.
7) Judd Winnick and Guillem March do the first arc introducing Catwoman, and after an entire issue of close up shots on her breasts we still don’t know whether they went with Lee Meriwether or Julie Newmar.
8) Now that Before Watchmen has run its course, DC launches a new prequel series as a companion to Batman ’66. The campy adventures of Rorschach and the gang in Watchmen ’66 don’t go over well at all.
9) Brian Azzarello takes over the series, and Dick Grayson soon learns that, unbeknownst to him, the Flying Graysons were serial rapists and murderers, using their circus gig as a cover for travelling from town to town in search of victims.
10) Just as a new issue is about to be released, someone discovers that a single panel has Batgirl’s hair incorrectly coloured blonde. DC editorial FLIPS OUT and destroys their server room, smashing all of their computers in an attempt to stop the book from hitting the internet lest someone, somewhere, have even an iota of hope that they’re bringing back Stephanie Brown.
Hopefully the book goes off without a hitch and it’s all sorts of fun, but you never know with DC Comics. I’m optimistic, but still a little wary!
TIM HANLEY 
This sounds like a smashing idea – the internets being buzzing all day once the news of this new book came out.
You know what Id love to see tho….a comic based on the WW tv show after it ended in 1978! Id love to see a continuation of what couldve happened after season three ended, as Diana was promoted to head field agent of the IADC and moved to Los Angeles and a brand new division, with several new characters. That iirc was the premise for a supposed fourth season, until it was cancelled.
A book based on the WW TV show could be really cool! Though I don’t know that the WW show has the same broad fanbase as the Batman show, particularly in terms of people knowing the specifics of the final season and where it was going. I think it would be great if DC did a similar sort of all-ages WW book though, maybe spinning off of the first season of the show when it was set in WW2 or updated to the modern day while keeping a similar visual style with the characters… everybody loves Lynda Carter.
WW was more successful than the Batman TV series so your basic premise is flawed.
That could do well with the concept of a fourth year of the Wonder oman Show, but as I look at the 3rd year shows now, I notice we were getting less and less Wonder Woman and more and more Diana Prince secret agent. If we are going to have a Wonder Woman Book, can we please see more of Wonder Woman in action?
I agree. As I said to Karl, a fourth year WW comic might be a bit too inside, and yeah, WW should be front and center!
It is curious how everybody was so outraged with Orson Scott Card while nobody usually says a thing about Mike Allred, whom I’ve heard is also strongly and openly opposed to homosexuality.
I’ve not heard that about Mike Allred at all, and to the best of my recollection he’s worked on some titles with gay characters and such. Do you have any links for that? I don’t know a ton about Mike Allred, but that doesn’t jive with what little I do know.
It turns out it possibly was a scam going around the internet, though several well contrasted websites were stating so vehemently. He was included in the following list: Chuck Dixon, Scott McDaniel, Doug TenNapel (another horrendous anti-gay bigot), Bill Willingham, Mike Allred, Ethan Van Sciver. They had to rectify
Yeah, I figured something might be up! Good to know… thanks for the info.
Who gives an F about their religious beliefs? Should we vet all writers and artists to make sure we agree with them before we read or look at their work? What an F-ing stupid premise.
Hey everyone, 22 March was WWs official birthday, according to the 1976 DC Calender. Many happy returns to our favourite character!
[wherever she is, these days].
Every year I always mean to remember that and do a post, and every year I forget!! It’s a completely arbitrary day, of course, but still… maybe in 2014 🙂
Tim, I’m shocked that #1 isn’t ‘Grant Morrison has little else to write at the moment, and he’s the prime candidate to write the thing’
He’s far too busy figuring out how to best ruin Wonder Woman and take Greg Rucka’s other gigs away from him.
Wasn’t Rucka the guy who stopped writing the lesbian Batwoman so that he could put out another invaluable series starring the Punisher?
Also, I disagree, in that Morrison has already figured out how to ruin her; your only hope lies in his inability to get stuff done on time.
Or perhaps a campaign: no morrison wonder woman til we get the next issue of All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder. In fact, I’m thinking crossover – Miller’s Batgirl takes out Morrison’s Wonder Woman by using partially blacked out swear words as projectiles, and then writes a better ending to Action Comics while bringing Damian back to life. Then, Batgirl and Robin have an animal man-type experience, enter our universe, and start hunting GM.
For that, I’d happily pay $3.99 a month.
Rucka was the guy who left because DC gave his dream project to Morrison. And have you read that Punisher book? It’s really quite good. Marco Checchetto is going to be a star.
it’s funny because it’s true
This should have been titled something like “10 DC in-jokes.” Because that’s really all it was.