Batmania And The Decline Of Superman!

People love to talk about the Batman '66 series and its impact, but they don't often talk about this:

Yeah, typical goofy-ass story of the Silver Age, Go-Go Check era. But look at that cover more closely:

Yup, this issue was published late in 1966, when Batmania was at full steam. And DC decided they wanted to tap into that, and try to attract curious casual Batman fans to Superman.

Now, let's not forget that DC already had an entire comic devoted to Batman and Superman teaming up. But apparently, that wasn't synergistic enough. We had to try to draw in Batman TV fans to Action Comics!

And it wasn't just the cover:

Talk about adding insult to injury:

It's pretty sad that, in Superman's flagship title, they had to reassure Superman fans that they would like the story, too.

And throughout the tale:

"Bat-Buddies"??? How desperately craven can you sound, trying to suck up to "Batman fans?"

For what it's worth, this was a terribly, terribly, very terribly stupid story, and if any "Batman fan" were lured into reading Action Comics regularly by this tale, well, I'd be pretty disappointed in them.

But perhaps this is the first instance, the tiniest scintilla of a hint, that DC was beginning to consider Batman cooler than Superman. Not The Dark Knight Returns, not O'Neill/Adams or Englehart/Rogers, but all the way back in 1966, when they thought they needed to pander to Batman TV viewers to boost sales on Action Comics.

From Action Comics #344 (1966)

How Exactly Do You Say "KKRAAAAKK-DOOOOHMM!" In Russian, Anyway?

So, the other day, this little bit appears in The Moscow Times:

The use of words such as "bang," "crash" and "wow" in Russian comic books is unpatriotic and should be avoided, Russian translators said.

Russian newspaper Izvestia reported on Monday that a group of translators of Russian comics penned a letter addressed to the Vinogradov Russian Language Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences suggesting that all onomatopoeic words be replaced with indigenous versions.

OK, Vladimir Putin...it is ON!!

Seriously, it's always kinda of fun that most languages have their own, distinct onomatopoeia for sounds. Look, for example, at all of the way different languages might translate a dog's barking:

Man, it's a wonder dogs from different countries can even communicate...

So, I imagine that it gets even more difficult when you're trying to transliterate the odd POW or KRAAAAKAAA-DOOOOOOOMMMM into another tongue.

Still, unpatriotic? Really? Yes, Russia has indeed uncovered our plot to use comic book sound effects to undermine their culture and pollute their precious bodily fluids. Drat!!

Anyway, someone let me know when the Kremlin figures a way to translate this:


...or this:

Good luck, comrades.

BONUS: An encyclopedia of comic book sound effects (English ones, at least...)

Batman Is Always Thinking Of Your Safety

WARNING:

That's true. I can't remember the last time I heard someone expressing the proper concern about quicksand!

Thank you, Caped Crusader!!

From this week's Batman'66 #23

Manic Monday Triple Overtime--That Time The Penguin Framed Spider-Man!!

Master thief The Fox is casing a museum, planning to steal a painting!

Hey, wait a minute--The hat, the monocle, the cigarette holder, the nose--that's really the Penguin, right?

Well, they steal the painting, all right...

Well, that was kind of an easy frame!

Which leads to a 1,000-page fight between the Human Torch and Spider-Man, with an eventual truce, and they (and the cops) discover that the real thief is:

Reynard Slinker!!!

So the getting is good for our bad guys...

Stop right there!! You can't tell me that's not totally the flipping Penguin!!

Man, DC was always ripping off Marvel...

From Strange Tales Annual #2 (1963)

Holy High-Def, Batman!!

The thing I want more than anything else in the world will be here in November:


Start saving your shekels...

The Beginning Of The End?

It's an imaginary story, and Clark Kent a) has forgotten that he was ever Superman, b) lost his powers, c) married Lois, and d) was stranded in Tibet for 5 years!! And he comes home to find out that he has a son!! But not just any son:

Ummm...so why the Batman symbol??

Oh, dear.

So that's where it begins--kids thinking Batman is cooler than Superman. And eventually it will lead to 19 Bat-titles per month, Batman starring in the Man Of Steel "sequel," Batman being so badass he can beat Darkseid...it all starts right here.

On the other hand, maybe it means that the current DC is just an imaginary story...we can only hope.

From Superman #192 (1967)

Why DC Has So Many Skimpy Costumes?!?

Did you ever worry about Dick Grayson getting cold during Gotham winters in that Robin outfit?

Well, it turns out you needn't have been concerned:

See?

And obviously the same applies to Starfire, Wonder Girl, and other scantily clad females in the DC Universe, right? They're not nearly starkers, they're wearing skin-colored costuming!!

From Batman '66 #10 (2014)

Spoiler Saturday--The Enormous Generosity Of Bruce Wayne!!

So, what does Gotham do with "normal" criminals?

"Halfway House For The Halfway Corrupt"???

Oh, but that's not the limit of the Wayne beneficence...

$20?!? Damn, Bruce, that will certainly ensure that someone would never again take up a life of crime!!

Twenty bucks?!?!?!?!

Hey, a billionaire stays a billionaire by being thrifty!

From Batman '66 #9

Quote Of The Week--Robin Is Far Hipper Tha You!

Give a hoot--read a book!!

From Batman '66 #6. Yeah, that's 666, baby!

First Page Follies--100% Pure Set-Up, Right?

In Batman '66 #5, we learn that...

Wait a minute!! That's completely new information!! This was never mentioned on the show!!

Swept away? Never seen again?!??

You know what that means, don't you?

Uncle Walt will be turning up as a super-villain!!

By the way, Dick, way to show family sympathy when your aunt is describing the (apparent) death of your uncle. "Oh, yeah. Uncle Walt. I had forgotten he ever existed and died tragically. Shrug."