SHOWCASE PRESENTS: BATMAN VOL. 1

[Super Monkey]

has been released this week, so you can use this thread to post your thoughts about this book.

DC's write up:

Written by Bill Finger, Ed "France" Herron, Gardner Fox and John Broome; Art by Bob Kane, Carmine Infantino, Joe Giella, Sheldon Moldoff and others; Cover by Kane

The spotlight's on Batman in this volume featuring Detective Comics #327-342 and Batman #164-174! The Dynamic Duo take on some of their most enduring Rogues Gallery members, including Penguin, the Riddler, and the Outsider in these classic Silver Age stories from the era of famed editor Julius Schwartz!

DC Universe  |  552pg.  |  B&W  |  Softcover  |  $16.99 US  |  ISBN 1401210864

On Sale August 30, 2006

Cover art:

http://www.dccomic.com/media/covers/5709_400x600.jpg

[Great Rao]

and the Amazon link:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1401210864/theamalgamatronA/

[davidelliott]

I'll have to get me a copy!

[MichaelBailey]

I haven't read my copy yet but I look forward to it.  Seems like an interesting era for Batmam even if the art looks a little...off.

[nightwing]

This is one of the few Showcase volumes that doesn't interest me much.  I checked out the "Dynamic Duo Archives Vol 1" from my local library and was very glad I didn't spend money on it.  (This Showcase includes the contents of that Archive, plus Vol 2 and more).

Anyone who complains Silver Age Superman was "juvenile" or "silly" should be forced to read this period of Batman, which is about as mindless as it gets (I could have gone the rest of my life without seeing "the Outsider" storyline reprinted again).  On the upside, there is the occasional Carmine Infantino art, but it turns out to be a lot more occasional than I remembered. 

Soon after came the TV show and a concerted effort to be silly, instead of the unintentional silliness in these stories.  So I'm not really looking forward to Volume 2, either.

The Silver Age was not a great time for Batman, in my opinion.

[MichaelBailey]

The Silver Age was not a great time for Batman, in my opinion.

Not really, no.  There were some interesting plots here and there and the aforementioned Infantino art but frankly things didn't start cooking until the Denny O'Neil/Frank Robbins/Neal Adams stuff started up.

[Super Monkey]

The only good Silver Age Batman book was The World's Finest! Now that needs a Showcase edition badly!

[nightwing]

Actually, Brave and the Bold had its moments, though it really didn't start cooking big time until the Bronze Age.

At any rate, the Batman B&B Showcase is on tap for early '07 and I'll be saving my sheckles for that one.