Description

Batman ’66 – Vol. 3                                                 Sealed Hardcover
Writers: Jeff Parker, Gabe Soria, Art Baltazar & Franco
Artists: Jonathan Case, Dario Brizuela, Ted Naifeh, Dean Haspiel, Paul Rivoche, Craig Rousseau, Wilfredo Torres & Brent Schoonover
Cover by: Michael Allred

Return to the swingin’ 60s as DC Comics reimagines the classic Batman TV series in comics form. In this third BATMAN ’66 collection, The Dynamic Duo face The Joker, The Penguin, the Queen of Diamonds and a Bat-Robot of their own making… that may put Batman and Robin out of a job!

Stories/Spoilers
In part #1, As a new experiment in rehabilitation (and a reward for the Joker’s (initial) cooperation during the Red Hood spree), Dr. Quinn allows Arkham’s inmates to hold a talent show. In attendance are Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, and Barbara Gordon, as well as the GCPD’s top brass, who are alternatively amused and annoyed by the performances – until the Joker’s stand-up routine reduces them all to helpless laughter.

Unfortunately, this laughter stems not from comedic talents, but criminal ones; in collusion with Catwoman, the Joker had secretly stolen Professor Overbeck’s brain regulator, and modified it to cast his brainwaves over whole crowds. The resulting hysteria is only temporary, but lasts more than long enough for Joker and Catwoman to escape and begin a new crime spree, Joker infecting citizens with his mania while Catwoman plunders them.

While struggling to keep up with the chaos, Batman, Robin, and Batgirl deduce that Joker and Catwoman mean to build a extra-large version of the brain regulator, and bring the whole city to its knees. However, they remain unaware that much of this plan was facilitated by a third partner: Dr. Quinn. Well-meaning but naïve, she had participated in both the breakout and the building, all in (ever-diminishing) hopes of reaching the Joker.

Once the new brain regulator is finished, Joker and Catwoman mount it on the Jokermobile and use it to hijack a Shakespeare in the Park production, from which they issue a public challenge. The Dynamic Duo and Batgirl fearlessly meet this challenge, only to be swarmed and overwhelmed by dozens of maddened citizens. Victory seems inevitable for the gloating arch-criminals – until a conscience-stricken Dr. Quinn repents all her deeds, commandeers the brain regulator, and sacrifices her own brainwaves to cancel out the Joker’s.

With order restored to Gotham, Batman ruefully apprehends Joker and Catwoman, along with the newly-insane Dr. Quinn. All three are consigned to Arkham’s deep-security ward, now overseen by a recent transfer from Gotham General.

Next in part #2, Batman, Robin, and the police find a bizarre robbery at Pourtin Jeweler’s, where both proprietor and robber stand utterly still. After a few moments, Batman realizes the “robber” is actually the store clerk drawing a gun on the real robber(s); both she and her employer are victims of some device which slows metabolism to a crawl. Bioanalysis reveals this to be the work of rogue chemist Hilda Lundegaard – aunt to Marsha, Queen of Diamonds.

Indeed, the Queen of Diamonds and her quasi-magical aunt have returned with a brand-new arsenal, headlined by the massive subterrene known as the Crystal Express. In addition to unmatched tunneling power, this machine boasts a state-of-the-art detection unit; when fed the single diamond Marsha had stolen from Pourtin’s, it becomes capable of tracking any diamond on Earth, even the legendary Bat-Diamond powering the Batcomputer.

By pure chance, the Crystal Express brings Marsha and her gang into a completely empty Batcave (Batman and Robin pursuing further investigation in the city, and Alfred monitoring the police band from his study). While her men “liberate” the Bat-Diamond, Marsha begins searching for hints to the crimefighters’ true identities, as the Crystal Express lacks any mapping system; however, her aunt warns her the cave may sit below police headquarters, prompting the whole gang to leave without disturbing anything else.

Meanwhile, Batman and Robin are alerted to the break-in by their utility belt alarms, but return to the Batcave too late – the thieves have left with the diamond, and caved their tunnel in, to boot. Thinking quickly, the Dynamic Duo re-bore a small section of the tunnel and send a miniature drone through to Marsha’s hideout; using the Batmobile to track its signal, they find Marsha’s entire gang just as the ersatz Queen is about to flee the country.

Unwilling to surrender the Bat-Diamond, Marsha’s gang fights to the last, even loosing Hilda’s experimental sea serpents on the Dynamic Duo. In response, Batman shatters Hilda’s chemistry lab, paralyzing everyone with the metabolism-slowing gas – save himself and Robin, protected by nose filters. The duo then apprehend the thieves, wondering aloud if Marsha – gaze now frozen onto Bat-Diamond – has been granted her fondest wish.

Next in part #3, Gotham is swept by The Dark Knight Detective, a prime-time crime drama that “adapts” Batman into a grizzled private eye who solves every problem with excessive violence. While many citizens – including Aunt Harriet – instantly adore the show, Batman is perturbed, especially when the city begins expecting him to act as brutal as his televised counterpart.

Eventually, Batman and Robin visit the show’s studios to lodge a complaint with showrunner Fred Fillips. Fillips at first proves gracious, promising his next episode will be the last; when the duo refuse to guest-star in his finale, however, the crew instantly restrains them. Before the crimefighters’ startled eyes, Fillips reveals himself to be none other than False Face, producing the show in the name of quick money and destroying Batman – first in reputation, then in reality.

At the show’s usual timeslot, False Face delivers a live broadcast to viewers across the nation, announcing the televised deaths of Batman and Robin. To his dismay, however, Batman and Robin quickly overcome all his men and apprehend him before the rolling cameras – an unplanned finale that ironically leaves the show more popular than ever.

Several months later, much to False Face’s delight (and the Dynamic Duo’s disgust) The Dark Knight Detective wins first place at the annual TV awards.

Next in part #4, The Clock King finds his latest crime spree thwarted by the Robot-Batman, a massive android designed by Batman and Professor Overbeck – and programmed with Batman’s own thought patterns – to serve as Gotham’s newest crimefighter. Commissioner Gordon and Chief O’Hara prove skeptical of the idea, but reluctantly acknowledge that one day, the all-too-mortal Batman may need such a substitute, or even successor.

In time, Gotham comes to embrace the Robot-Batman, whose sheer bulk and many built-in gadgets makes catching criminals almost trivial; indeed, the so-called “Spark Knight” even navigates Gotham’s civic functions with aplomb. Reassured, the Dynamic Duo – and, coincidentally, Gordon and O’Hara – leave on a fishing trip, little aware that the Joker and the Riddler have joined forces to sabotage the android.

By combining their mercurial modus operandi, Joker and Riddler lure the Robot-Batman to the Gotham Hall of Records, then confuse its programming long enough for Riddler to trap it with an electromagnet crane. Unable to free itself, the android becomes an unwitting wrecking ball for the two arch-criminals, who smash their way into a nearby bank – only to find Batman and Robin emerging from the dust, having been alerted by a report on Commissioner Gordon’s long-distance radio.

Unprepared for human opponents, the arch-criminals are easily beaten by the Dynamic Duo. Afterward, Batman, Robin, and the police all chide themselves for overrelying on the Robot-Batman, reaffirming that even the most advanced circuits are no equal for flesh and blood.

Next in part #5, The Penguin joins forces with the Black Widow on a new crime spree, reaping millions from conventional robbery as well as sabotage assignments for various power-brokers around the world. One particularly gruesome assignment – which leaves a prominent clean-energy expert practically brain-dead – tips their identities to Batman and Robin, who quickly trace the Black Widow’s hideout to an abandoned armory on Gotham’s outskirts.

Having anticipated the Dynamic Duo, the Black Widow easily traps them in a massive spiderweb – the fruit of her latest experiments in mass-producing spider silk (for arms interests). With these experiments have come a number of failed breakdown agents, useless on the silk but highly effective for dissolving humans; smugly, she orders a barrelful poured onto the helpless heroes.

To Black Widow’s annoyance, however, the dissolvent is too thick to move at anything but a crawl. Impatient, she returns to her other operations and leaves Penguin to oversee the Dynamic Duo’s deaths. Batman uses this opening to exploit Penguin’s distrust of his new “partner” – who is, after all, styled after an animal that destroys mates it deems no longer useful. Forced to acknowledge that Batman’s death will end his own usefulness, Penguin uses a special anti-adhesive to free the Dynamic Duo, on the condition they help him escape.

Upon discovering this uneasy alliance, the Black Widow gleefully unleashes the source of her silk – Lulah, a man-eating spider the size of a tank. Undaunted, Batman and Robin charge into the fray, while Penguin continues spraying the anti-adhesive along Lulah’s web. In time, the entire web collapses, plunging Lulah many floors below. Meanwhile, the desperate Black Widow grabs at a small umbrella offered by the Penguin, only for it to come apart in her hands – a “personal” revenge from her would-be victim.

Fortunately, the Black Widow is caught and swung to safety by Batman, who reaffirms his dedication to all life – no matter how violent or treacherous. As always, his idealism meets nothing but incredulity and scorn from the arch-criminals – even as a tear quietly trickles down the Black Widow’s face.

Finally in part #6, Batman’s most egg-centric foe returns to terrorize Gotham City. Frustrated by his repeated defeats at the hands of the Caped Crusader, he invents a device that will egg-celerate his brain development to that of a being from the 40th century. Is this really possible? Does he now possess super-human abilities? Or has his mind simply gotten scrambled?

Hardcover reprints/collects: Batman ‘66 (2014) Issues #11-16.  DC Comics

Sealed Hardcover is bagged and will be carefully / securely packaged then shipped via USPS Priority Mail to ensure that it arrives to you perfectly and quickly.

First Printing
Publisher: DC Comics
Publication Date: April 2015
Format: FC, 160 pages, HC, 10.5″ x 6.75″
ISBN-10: 1401254624
ISBN-13: 9781401254629

Collectible Entertainment note: Hardcover is Brand New & Factory Sealed.  Very Fine + condition.  Beautiful!  Please See Scans!!  A must have for any serious Batman collector and/or enthusiast.  A fun & entertaining read.  Highly Recommended.

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