The Adam West Christmas Album

I keep thinking about an album that doesn’t exist — Adam West’s 1968 record, Christmas at Stately Wayne Manor. Other than the title and the jacket art — West looking very much like Bruce Wayne, in a velvet jacket against a solid color background — there’s nothing related to the Batman television series about thisContinue reading “The Adam West Christmas Album”

Cubers Are a Cowardly and Superstitious Lot

I was in the office yesterday, and I had two boxes of product waiting for me. There was some interesting stuff in those boxes, like Thor #750 and Dayton Ward’s just-released Jurassic World cookbook. There was also… A toy. Yes, a toy. That toy? Bandai’s Batman Rubik’s Charaction Cube, part chibi collectible figure, part Rubik’sContinue reading “Cubers Are a Cowardly and Superstitious Lot”

The Calculus of Future Comics Purchases

A few days ago I decided I just had to tackle the piles of graphic novels sitting on my living room table. I have reluctantly concluded I must go out and buy another bookcase; the question then will be, where will it go? One of the graphic novels among the piles was Batman: Gotham byContinue reading “The Calculus of Future Comics Purchases”

Wrapping Up the Catalog Copy

I don’t know about anyone else, but my sleep patterns have turned to utter chaos these last three weeks. One night I might have bifurcated sleep (sleep, significant break, sleep), the next restless near-insomnia, and the next ten solid hours of sleeping like the dead. That, at least, has been my pattern over these lastContinue reading “Wrapping Up the Catalog Copy”

Batman: Gotham By Gaslight

Today, Warner Bros.’ Batman: Gotham by Gaslight, an animated film in which a Gilded Age Batman battles Jack the Ripper, is available for download, followed by a DVD and Blu-Ray release a week and a half later. The film made its world debut at the Newseum in Washington, DC on January 12th, and I wasContinue reading “Batman: Gotham By Gaslight”

Watchmen, Rebirth, and the DC Universe

When I saw the first trailers for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, my reaction was, basically, “That looks as much like a sequel to Watchmen as it does a sequel to Man of Steel.” To be clear, by Watchmen, I’m referring to Zack Snyder’s 2009 movie based on Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ 1986Continue reading “Watchmen, Rebirth, and the DC Universe”

The Meaning of Superman

With Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice out next month, The Atlantic takes a look at Superman’s history and asks whether or not DC Comics and Warner Bros. understand how and why the character works. It’s not a spoiler to say that the article’s conclusion is that sometimes they do, but that mostly they don’t.Continue reading “The Meaning of Superman”

Things I’ve Been Reading: Batman Adventures Volume 2

Batman Adventures Volume 2 DC Comics Written by Kelley Puckett Art by Mike Parobeck and Rich Burchett If you were to ask me who my three favorite Batman artists were, you could make a decent guess at my age. Or at least, when I was really reading comic books. Those three artists would be JimContinue reading “Things I’ve Been Reading: Batman Adventures Volume 2”

Harlan Ellison’s Batman ’66: The Lost Episode

Batman ’66: The Lost Episode DC Comics Written by Len Wein, based on a television treatment by Harlan Ellison (inspired by “The Crimes of Two-Face” by Bill Finger) Art by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez For the last two years, DC Comics has been publishing original comics based on the Adam West Batman television series, ranging fromContinue reading “Harlan Ellison’s Batman ’66: The Lost Episode”