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Teach me about 70's/80's Batman

Old 03-09-15, 02:23 PM
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Teach me about 70's/80's Batman

I was born and raised on Marvel Comics and other than an for a few years in the early 2000's and dabbling in some of the more famous stories over the years, I've not read much DC. In fact I've read barely anything pre-Crisis.

I've always been interested in 70's/80's era Batman in particular and picked up a couple of issues from Comixology thanks to the Joker sale that's going on now. They certainly piqued my interest (although the recoloring on the Neal Adams issues made me want to kick a puppy), and I want more. Unfortunately DC has never really been good about collecting their back catalog from this era; at least not in the comprehensive way that Marvel collects their stuff. Most of what they have come out with is creator specific like the Neal Adams collections or the Len Wein hardcover. Because of this, the issues bounce around a lot. That leads to some questions I have:

- How important is the in-series continuity in DC from this era? In other words, is it necessary to read extended runs on these titles to get the overall story (like, say, X-Men from the 70's), or is it ok to bounce around and cherry pick issues like DC does in their collected editions?

- I know names like Englehart, Adams, O'Neil, Wein, Wolfman and Aparo, but did any of them have a definitive extended runs on any one title that I should check out? As far as I can tell DC wasn't as hung up on locking in creative teams for extended runs the way Marvel was at the time.

- What was the relationship between Detective Comics and Batman during this era? Were they two separate but equal series? Did they have different creative mandates? Was one series considered to be better than the other?

- What are some recommendations for someone who's read pretty much nothing pre-Crisis?
Old 03-09-15, 02:38 PM
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Re: Teach me about 70's/80's Batman

The only person on that list that worked the longest on any Bat title is Aparo. Even though Adams is my favorite Batman artist I would have to say Marshall Rogers' version should be the definitive one. The stories from that era were not really connected but mostly standalone and 2 or 3 parters. So, if you jump around it won't matter. Besides, if they refer to something in a story they always tell you what issue to read to expand on that info. Someone told me they don't do much of that today.

As for reading suggestions. The Marshall Rogers issues are probably the best imo. He only did a few issues but they are worth searching for.
Old 03-09-15, 02:47 PM
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Re: Teach me about 70's/80's Batman

Originally Posted by mrhan
The only person on that list that worked the longest on any Bat title is Aparo. Even though Adams is my favorite Batman artist I would have to say Marshall Rogers' version should be the definitive one. The stories from that era were not really connected but mostly standalone and 2 or 3 parters. So, if you jump around it won't matter. Besides, if they refer to something in a story they always tell you what issue to read to expand on that info. Someone told me they don't do much of that today.

As for reading suggestions. The Marshall Rogers issues are probably the best imo. He only did a few issues but they are worth searching for.
That Englehart/Rogers run on Detective is actually what I purchased on Comixology (along with a couple of other random issues). I haven't read it all yet, but what I did read so far was great. I'm disappointed that those issues were the extent of that collaboration. I was hoping there was more.
Old 03-09-15, 02:49 PM
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Re: Teach me about 70's/80's Batman

I'm not the person to answer this question, as I grew up on Batman mostly through The Brave and the Bold, which is how I grew to love Aparo. It's a great run, but pretty standalone as a lot of the stories tend to center on the guest star.

My understanding is that Batman was more centered around supervillains while Detective was more mysteries and crime-solving, but I'm not sure about that.

I'm not aware of many long story arcs, though I mentioned elsewhere that the Len Wein hardcover included the "Bat-murderer" arc from Detective that I really enjoy. It seems natural that there could've been more cross-title arcs like they did with Knightfall later, but I'm not aware of them if there were.
Old 03-09-15, 02:55 PM
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Re: Teach me about 70's/80's Batman

Originally Posted by rocket1312
That Englehart/Rogers run on Detective is actually what I purchased on Comixology (along with a couple of other random issues). I haven't read it all yet, but what I did read so far was great. I'm disappointed that those issues were the extent of that collaboration. I was hoping there was more.
Rogers did do an issue of Secret Origin years later on the GA Batman. Can't recall the issue no. though.
Old 03-09-15, 03:01 PM
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Re: Teach me about 70's/80's Batman

Issue #6.

Old 03-09-15, 06:23 PM
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Re: Teach me about 70's/80's Batman

^^^ Yeah that`s it. There was also DC Special Series #15 with art by Marshall Rogers. Not much else really after that....a couple of Batman family issues and Legends of the Dark Knight.

Not Batman related but his run on Mister Miracle was awesome, too.
Old 03-09-15, 07:24 PM
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Re: Teach me about 70's/80's Batman

Originally Posted by mrhan
^^^ Yeah that`s it. There was also DC Special Series #15 with art by Marshall Rogers. Not much else really after that....a couple of Batman family issues and Legends of the Dark Knight.

Not Batman related but his run on Mister Miracle was awesome, too.
I loved his graphic novel with Harlan Ellison.

Rogers died in 2007; only 57.
Old 03-10-15, 01:49 PM
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Re: Teach me about 70's/80's Batman

Neal Adams and Marshall Rogers... two of the greatest Batman artists ever.
Old 03-12-15, 01:22 AM
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Re: Teach me about 70's/80's Batman

Don Newton is my All-Time Favorite BATMAN artist.
He drew many BATMAN and DETECTIVE COMICS stories from this era. Had a nice run with Gerry Conway.
Old 03-12-15, 10:15 AM
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Re: Teach me about 70's/80's Batman

Originally Posted by will travel
Don Newton is my All-Time Favorite BATMAN artist.
He drew many BATMAN and DETECTIVE COMICS stories from this era. Had a nice run with Gerry Conway.
I associate Don Newton with early 80s Batman for some reason.
Old 03-12-15, 02:57 PM
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Re: Teach me about 70's/80's Batman

Originally Posted by will travel
Don Newton is my All-Time Favorite BATMAN artist.
He drew many BATMAN and DETECTIVE COMICS stories from this era. Had a nice run with Gerry Conway.
He was a good artist. Very underrated.
Old 03-18-15, 12:08 AM
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Is that the era where the books began to return to their darker roots after the campy Silver Age?

Last edited by hanshotfirst1138; 03-18-15 at 08:38 AM.
Old 03-18-15, 06:46 AM
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Re: Teach me about 70's/80's Batman

Originally Posted by hanshotfirst1138
Is that the era where the snooks began to return to their darker roots after the campy Silver Age?
What's a snook? Between this and the B:TAS thread I'm really starting to think hanshotfirst is suffering from some sort of head injury.
Old 03-18-15, 07:30 AM
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Re: Teach me about 70's/80's Batman

Originally Posted by rocket1312
What's a snook? Between this and the B:TAS thread I'm really starting to think hanshotfirst is suffering from some sort of head injury.
I think he means Snorks (You had to be there).
Old 03-18-15, 07:52 AM
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Re: Teach me about 70's/80's Batman

Old 03-18-15, 08:50 AM
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Re: Teach me about 70's/80's Batman

Originally Posted by hanshotfirst1138
Is that the era where the books began to return to their darker roots after the campy Silver Age?
It started with the art in Brave and the Bold when Neal Adams took over. He practically drew every panel Batman was in at night and later with Detective #395 with Denny O'Neil returning Batman back to his original version. At least that's how I remember it.


Last edited by mrhan; 03-18-15 at 09:52 AM.
Old 03-18-15, 07:58 PM
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Re: Teach me about 70's/80's Batman

Originally Posted by rocket1312
What's a snook?
An actress from Predestination, for starters. It's supposed to be "books," but auto-correct would apparently prefer something which isn't a word.

Between this and the B:TAS thread I'm really starting to think hanshotfirst is suffering from some sort of head injury.
I do not have drain bammage! Wait, does that mean that to rehabilitate myself, I have to join a dance competition with Jennifer Lawrence ?!

Originally Posted by coyoteblue
I think he means Snorks (You had to be there).
Ah, Cartoon Network in the 1990s. The best days of my life .

Originally Posted by rocket1312
They were like the Smurfs, except not as popular.
Old 03-18-15, 10:59 PM
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Re: Teach me about 70's/80's Batman

Originally Posted by hanshotfirst1138
An actress from Predestination

I do not have drain bammage! Wait, does that mean that to rehabilitate myself, I have to join a dance competition with Jennifer Lawrence ?!
Totally off topic but you reminded me of this...

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tI4c21w77JU?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Old 03-19-15, 01:22 AM
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Re: Teach me about 70's/80's Batman

Originally Posted by rocket1312
I've always been interested in 70's/80's era Batman in particular and picked up a couple of issues from Comixology thanks to the Joker sale that's going on now. They certainly piqued my interest (although the recoloring on the Neal Adams issues made me want to kick a puppy), and I want more. Unfortunately DC has never really been good about collecting their back catalog from this era; at least not in the comprehensive way that Marvel collects their stuff. Most of what they have come out with is creator specific like the Neal Adams collections or the Len Wein hardcover. Because of this, the issues bounce around a lot. That leads to some questions I have:
DC is pretty terrible at collecting runs from the 1970s. Apparently they don't like negotiating royalty rates with too many different creators on a single hardcover. That leads to bizarre situations where only 3/4 of a story will end up in the hardcover and other strange omissions.

They have been pretty good at collecting the more famous Bat artists of this period in recent, oversized hardcovers.
Old 03-29-15, 09:47 PM
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Re: Teach me about 70's/80's Batman

Originally Posted by mrhan
Totally off topic but you reminded me of this...

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tI4c21w77JU?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


Originally Posted by PhantomStranger
DC is pretty terrible at collecting runs from the 1970s. Apparently they don't like negotiating royalty rates with too many different creators on a single hardcover. That leads to bizarre situations where only 3/4 of a story will end up in the hardcover and other strange omissions.

They have been pretty good at collecting the more famous Bat artists of this period in recent, oversized hardcovers.
Apparently hardcovers are one-and-done deals unless they're big Absolute Editions of something. A lot of the series I've wanted to get in hardcover- the JLA: Deluxe, Gotham Central, Starman Omnibus-don't seem to be things DC is keen on reprinting, either the initial pressing is for collectors and the paperbacks are for the mass market, or it's an issue with royalties. I should get some sort of digital gizmo so that I can get individual issues like "Joker's Five-Way Revenge" on Amazon for 99c, but then I'd have to get an iPad or a Kindle or something, and they're a lot more than a dollar . There does appear to be a Neal Adams Batman Omnibus coming out soon. He's going to be at my local comic-con this year...
Old 03-30-15, 08:41 AM
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Re: Teach me about 70's/80's Batman

You can read digital comics on a computer. I'm not sure why anyone would read anything for more than a few minutes on a computer, but it's doable.
Old 03-30-15, 09:50 AM
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Re: Teach me about 70's/80's Batman

Originally Posted by hanshotfirst1138
Apparently hardcovers are one-and-done deals unless they're big Absolute Editions of something. A lot of the series I've wanted to get in hardcover- the JLA: Deluxe, Gotham Central, Starman Omnibus-don't seem to be things DC is keen on reprinting, either the initial pressing is for collectors and the paperbacks are for the mass market, or it's an issue with royalties.
It's probably not a royalty thing. They would have to pay royalties no matter in what format the stories are published. For the most part the hardcover editions are simply printed in low quantities. No one wants to pay to warehouse unsold stock, especially expensive to produce hardcovers, so the print runs are not much larger than the initial upfront orders.

I should get some sort of digital gizmo so that I can get individual issues like "Joker's Five-Way Revenge" on Amazon for 99c, but then I'd have to get an iPad or a Kindle or something, and they're a lot more than a dollar .
If the only thing you care about is reading comics, you don't need to spend a lot of money on a tablet. The ipad is probably the best reading experience, but it's price and lack of expandable storage are real turn-offs. I ended buying a used Nook HD+ on ebay for under $100 and couldn't be happier. The Nook OS is kind of clunky, but if I wanted to I could install Android. However, all I do is read comics and surf the web, so I haven't felt the need. There's also any number of cheap Chinese made Android tablets on the market that can be had for a fraction of the cost of an ipad.

There does appear to be a Neal Adams Batman Omnibus coming out soon. He's going to be at my local comic-con this year...
Presumably that Neal Adams Omnibus is just a compilation of the 3 previous Neal Adams tpbs. That means that a lot of the artwork has been modified from it's original look. It was recolored to look more modern and Adams even redid some of the line work. Objectively speaking I guess it looks pretty good, but I don't like it. The digital version of the aforementioned "Joker's Five-Way Revenge" features this redone artwork so you can take a look at that and see how you feel.
Old 03-30-15, 11:29 AM
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Re: Teach me about 70's/80's Batman

To me, what O'Neil and Adams did pretty much set up the whole of what creators used as a grounding template for what is known as now for in terms of his world.


<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tV-HOrYIFfA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Old 03-30-15, 01:23 PM
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Re: Teach me about 70's/80's Batman

Originally Posted by rocket1312

Presumably that Neal Adams Omnibus is just a compilation of the 3 previous Neal Adams tpbs. That means that a lot of the artwork has been modified from it's original look. It was recolored to look more modern and Adams even redid some of the line work. Objectively speaking I guess it looks pretty good, but I don't like it. The digital version of the aforementioned "Joker's Five-Way Revenge" features this redone artwork so you can take a look at that and see how you feel.
It does look clean but it feels cold next to the original artwork. I prefer the blemishes and mistakes in printing over the redone work.

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