Comics Batman in the Sixties Distributed By: DC Comics   Reviewed by Melissa Minners               If you haven’t heard of Batman, then you’ve probably been living on a deserted island over the last 70 years.  Ask someone about comic books they’ve read over the years and chances are they will mention at least one Batman comic.  The caped crusading detective/vigilante has been one of the most popular heroes in DC comic book history and remains tremendously popular today.  From comics to movies, to television shows, to cartoons to books, Batman has found his way into our homes through every medium available.             Some time ago, I spoke about a series of trade paperbacks which deal with Batman comic books over specific decades.  My first introduction to this series was Batman in the Seventies.  Having enjoyed that trade paperback, I decided to move on to Batman in the Sixties, which compiles 17 comic books written between 1960 and 1969.  Featured in this edition of the series are Batman # 131, 144, 148, 155, 179, 181, 200, 217, Detective # 298, 341, 349, 369, 388-391 and the Batman Kellogg’s Special.             The introduction is written by the man who portrayed the caped crusader on television during the 60s, Adam West.  In his intro, West discusses what it was like to portray his favorite childhood comic book superhero.  He discusses the television show’s popularity and the different high-profile stars who chose to participate in the project, such as Burgess Meredith, Cesar Romero, Julie Newmar, Zsa Zsa Gabor, and more.              Now, reading this trade paperback may be difficult for later generation Batman fans.  For those of us who have seen the Batman television show, we remember a campy, silly production filled with rather unbelievable tales.  The show was funny and the action was decent for the times, but this sort of show would probably never reach its third week on the air before cancellation in this day and age.  The Batman comic books of this period somewhat followed the television series.  The mood was campy.  There were changes – women in the Batman comic books now took on a bigger and more powerful role as true heroes in the form of Batgirl.  However, the tone of the comic was somewhat silly in the POW, BAMM, BOOM, unbelievable storyline sort of way.             I actually had a great deal of trouble getting into this particular collection of comics.  Even though I grew up watching the Batman television series and read the comic books over the decades, this series of comic books was before my time.  I wasn’t used to a silly Batman.  I was used to the thoughtful detective who solved cases that no one else could have.  I was used to the newer, harder Batman that shunned close relationships.  Batman in the Sixties showcases a Batman and Robin that I wasn’t ready for.  I should have know what this compilation would be like, having watched the show that the comics paralleled.  And yet, I was unprepared.  Thus, Batman in the Sixties took me longer to read than most trade paperbacks.             Yet, the trade paperback as a whole was not a terrible loss.  I was happy to see Batgirl in a couple of the storylines included in this series.  I also enjoyed reading the comics that came after the television series went off the air.  This was a period in time in which the Batman of the comics was about to undergo tremendous change.  Dick Grayson was leaving the nest, heading off to college and Bruce Wayne had some decisions to make about how he should proceed as Batman.  This marked an evolution for the Batman comic books as Batman returned to more serious crime solving and coming up against the mobster type criminals that were missing from the campy years.             Batman in the Sixties will make a perfect addition to any nostalgic Batman fan.  But for those of us who enjoyed the Batman of the more serious nature, I’d say that this was one to pass up.  Though it was interesting to see the progression of the characters in the Batman saga during the 1960’s, the fact of the matter is that these comics were geared more toward laughter than serious crime solving.  The stories of the ‘60s were nothing to sink your teeth into.     Read more about Batman!  Check out these titles: Batgirl: Year One Batman in the Seventies Batman: Bruce Wayne: Fugitive Batman: Hush Batman: Knightfall Batman: The Long Halloween Where Were You On The Night Batman Was Killed: Batman Issues 291-294 For feedback, visit our message board or e-mail the author at talonkarrde@g-pop-net.