Sonny Corinthos

Get ready to dance the Batusi, ladies and germs.

Announced today along with a slew of new merchandise based on ABC's Batman that ran from 1966-68, DC Comics will be launching a new digital-first comic book series this summer, written by Jeff Parker with first issue art by Jonathan Case and covers by Mike Allred, continuing the adventures of Adam West and Burt Ward's Batman and Robin.

Titled Batman '66, the series will launch this summer and feature a structure similar to the old show, with a villain-of-the-week format that will include the likes of Riddler, Catwoman, and, of course, the Joker. It will release on the DC Comics app powered by Comixology and be collected monthly as a print comic, similar to DC's other digital-first releases. Here's some early teaser art:



This news comes not long after Mattel debuted new images of their upcoming line of '60s Batman toys. Now that the legal mumbo-jumbo regarding the show has been settled, Warner Bros. Consumer Products and its partners are taking advantage of the property.

“The juxtaposition of offering a retro Batman ’66 comic as a current and modern digital first title is fun,” stated DC Entertainment President, Diane Nelson in a press release. “DC Entertainment is the most prolific producer of digital first comics and, as we work to create new and compelling content, this is a great way to also preserve the legacy of our characters. It’s exciting to roll out the new Batman ’66 comic as part of this bigger initiative with our Warner Bros Consumer Product partners.”

Parker's work on the fantastic X-Men: First Class is a fine example of what's possible with this sort of retro series, and Allred's pop-art stylings certainly makes him the perfect choice as a cover artist.

http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/03/...tal-comic-book

resinrats

So if it is getting toys and comics, does that mean the show itself will get a DVD release?

PhantomStranger

I will definitely check it out. I've grown increasingly tired of the modern Batman and the ever-expanding Batfamily.

Sonny Corinthos

That's what i'm hoping for. I never thought I would ever hear these words spoken about the 60's Batman TV show. the legal mumbo-jumbo regarding the show has been settled. I don't see any reason why they wouldn't want to cash in with dvd sales as well like they are going to do with comics and toys.

Guru Askew

DVDs are a whole other beast. You're not selling merchandising based on the show, you're selling the show itself. Apples and oranges, and this upcoming '66 marketing extravaganza proves that one legally has nothing to do with the other.

The action figures were announced months ago and revealed weeks ago. Now this has been announced. Has there even been a hint that the show itself is coming? No.

The Valeyard

Maybe they're waiting for Comic Con to announce it?

Ringmaster

No mustache on Cesar Romero, no sale!

JasonF

Take a close look at that teaser art.

rw2516

This has nothing to do with DVDs. Notice that the legal mess surrounding DVD releases has not prevented the show from being on tv non-stop for almost 50 years. The theatrical movie is seperate from the series, yet no one could merchandise the movie either until now, yet it was released on dvd.
As was said, apples and oranges.

PhantomStranger

There were a lot more unresolved legal entanglements with the actual show itself. Merchandise would only need an agreement between Fox and Warner, the various parties left representing the actors' likenesses, and possibly licensing the Batmobile design if it were included. You could easily meet that hurdle and still not have full rights to release the series on DVD.

Ringmaster

Naw, i saw that. Romero has his mustache buried underneath the makeup. I want the brown stache shining through like I remember it

resinrats

Never understood why whoever holds the rights to the show (or whatever the legal issue is) doesn't work together to release it and split the profits. As of now, they are getting $0 for 'owning it'. Seems it would be better to get some money instead of none.

Mike86

I'm definitely interested in this title. I love the Adam West/Burt Ward Batman series. Yes it's corny as shit but it's a great representation of Silver Age Batman comics. With this and all the new merchandise we're getting it would be great if we somehow finally are able to get the series on DVD.

madcougar

This looks hella stupid. [will buy it regardless because of fond childhood memories]

Shannon Nutt

It's not the rights to the show that are in issue...it's the rights to all the other pop culture stuff that appeared WITHIN the show...including, but not limited to, other actors (ALL cameos on the show were unpaid, so the rights to them belong to each actor and not the studio), other TV shows (whose characters sometimes made cameos), other products, and, of course, the music rights issue. There's too much to edit the episodes down, and there's too many legal hoops to jump through to bother with it.

I would guess the BEST we could hope for is for them to pick a handful of episodes they can "clear" and release a "best-of" DVD/Blu-ray. I can't imagine we'll ever see a complete series release, though.

stingermck

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?p...ticle&id=44515