GRAPHIC NOVEL
Batman
Showcase - Volume 2

Authors: Gardner Fox, Robert Kanigher and others
Artists: Carmine Infantino, Sheldon Moldoff, Chic Stone and others
Titan Books
RRP: £10.99, US $16.99
ISBN-13: 978 1 84576 661 0
ISBN-10: 1 84576 661 X
Available 29 September 2007


In January 1966, the
Batman live-action TV series premiered and the country was frantic with Batmania. It was a time when the Caped Crusaders dominated the airwaves, and people bought anything with a bat logo on it. Newsstands were continually sold out of the monthly Batman and Detective Comics. Now, these classic issues - some not seen since the '60s - are collected in this volume...

Gotham City is plagued with crime and corruption in places high and low, but one man has taken a stand against evil of all forms: the dark avenger known as Batman. Now, in this huge, low-priced collection of Batman's adventures from the 1960s, the Dark Knight faces off against some of his most famous foes for the first time. Witness the first appearances of the Blockbuster, Poison Ivy, the Outsider, and more.

Batman and Robin's adventures continue in this new black and white reprinting of the original stories created for Batman #175-188 and Detective Comics #343-358, originally printed between 1965-66.

While this collection reprints a lot of out of print stories (in black and white and for a bargain price) I couldn't really see the point of this collection. There's already a collection on the go (Batman Chronicles) that is slowly (very slowly I might add - as there they only seem to be releasing one volume a year) reprinting all of the Batman tales in chronological order, and in colour. So who is this collection aimed at? The casual Batman fan who just wants a collection of old stories for a very cheap price?

I suppose it's designed to tap into the Christmas stocking filler, or summer holiday reading material markets, but personally I'd skip this and continue to collect the Batman Chronicles collection.

Pete Boomer

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