Robin sucks 0

[EC Star&Bar]

8 hours ago, catman76 said:

The sales figures would say otherwise. The TV show made the comics and the character more popular and after the show was canceled the title went down to half the sales they were before the show...

"Batman" average monthly sales (this does not include Detective Comics):

1960: Batman 502,000

1961: Batman 485,000

1962: Batman 410,000

1963-64 NA

1965: Batman 453,745

1966: Batman 898,470

1967: Batman 805,700

1968: Batman 533,450

1969: Batman 355,782

1970: Batman 293,897

1971: Batman 244,488

1972: Batman 185,283

1973: Batman 200,574

1974: Batman 193,223

1975: Batman 359,000

1976: Batman 423,000

1977: Batman 375,647

1978: Batman 375,079

1979: Batman 333,231

1980: Batman 301,102

These numbers reinforce and add to the astonishment over the astronomically high recent sale of a copy of Batman 181 (6/1966). That issue came out in April of 1966, a full 3 months after the debut of the '66 Batman TV series.

 

 

 

Edited November 30, 2020 by EC Star&Bar

[Randall Ries]

15 hours ago, catman76 said:

The sales figures would say otherwise. The TV show made the comics and the character more popular and after the show was canceled the title went down to half the sales they were before the show...

"Batman" average monthly sales (this does not include Detective Comics):

1960: Batman 502,000

1961: Batman 485,000

1962: Batman 410,000

1963-64 NA

1965: Batman 453,745

1966: Batman 898,470

1967: Batman 805,700

1968: Batman 533,450

1969: Batman 355,782

1970: Batman 293,897

1971: Batman 244,488

1972: Batman 185,283

1973: Batman 200,574

1974: Batman 193,223

1975: Batman 359,000

1976: Batman 423,000

1977: Batman 375,647

1978: Batman 375,079

1979: Batman 333,231

1980: Batman 301,102

It's weird though because even DC had said the character was in the doldrums at that time. And Neal Adams. And Frank Miller. And Mark Hamill in the foreword to DKR. And Carmine Infantino. Who could disagree that the tv show was more a comedy and shtick than anything else? We even see large portions of that ridiculous show in the Keaton Batman movie. Which IMO was a joke. That movie set the table for all the rest of them as well. The masses are asses, they have said. People went expecting the tv show and they got it.

I knew my idea of Batman was doomed when they announced Burton as director. Before that, actually. When I read a copy of the -script a year before it was released. Really? "I'm Batman"? Shows what I know. That stupid saying became part of the American lexicon. I went with some friends hoping they had changed the -script. They had not and I had to be physically restrained from leaving the theater. All this and The Dark Knight Returns had won awards. 3 years later, we are back to Cesar Romero, a tiny Batman and Gotham as a playground with giant props and money being thrown around.

I suppose it's a matter of taste. A whole lot of people who had no idea Batman used to be "THE" Batman liked the mediocrity. As usual, there are more dumb people than smart people in any given situation. Maybe my curse was I was introduced to the character via the Famous 1st Editions of Bat 1 and Tec 27, then right into the Neal Adams Denny O'Neil character. Then after, the Bob Haney/Jim Aparo B&B and Detective books. And sure. People have said "Well, YOU aren't any fun!" but I never saw Batman as a particularly "fun" character. Spiderman was fun. The other part is Batman was being written for kids and not adults for 30+ years. ("Yes, Robin! I have become a fish!")

To me at least, Batman stopped around issue 9 of the Batman book and issue 37 of the Detective book. Picked up again at Tec 395 through Bat 255. Then has had his ups and downs until Miller put him back on track.

[Larryw7]

I was born a month after the TV show debuted, so as a little kid, the camp humor flew right over my head. It was.colorful, action packed.and entertaining. The stories were also taken directly from the comics: Remarkable Ruse of the Riddler, Joker's Utility Belt, Partners in Plunder, Inescapable Doom Trap, etc. Catwoman, who wasn't seen in a comic book since the 1950's, was.revived because of the show, and the romantic chemistry between she and Batman has never been captured better in any other live action rendition of the characters. Season one has a nice balance between adventure and camp. Batman mostly working at night, a few villains (and one good.guy) being killed, criminals terrified of Batman, especially when he flashes his Bat shadow on the wall, etc.

Seasons 2 and 3 did start to go over board with the goofy humor, but the show was lightning in a bottle that made millions of.people. fans of what was, only a year before, a floundering comic book. I know Neal was unhappy with the show, but he didn't start his brilliant revitalizing until the shows cancellation. I don't know what Carmine thought, but he did some of his best work during this period. Miller was giving his opinion 20 years after the fact. Hamill is interviewed on the DVD's raving about the show. So lots of contradictory info out there. 

 

 

[Larryw7]

I thought people on this thread might enjoy this cover.

[Randall Ries]

It has to be acknowledge that Batman AND Robin are recognizable as a team as much as Jagger/Richards, Lennon/McCartney, Laurel and Hardy and Simon and Garfunkel. It's rare when fictional characters are just as popular as real life living teams. I'm hard pressed to recall any other comic book character teams that are as synonymous with each other as Batman and Robin are. Instant recognition. Even though they are no longer paired together, most people still associate one with the other. It's interesting that the Robins that sprung up subsequently from Grayson have usually met a sticky end.

The Robin I REALLY dug was/is Carrie Kelly. She really developed into a force to be dealt with. Even though I felt Dark Knight Strikes Again was pretty bad, the character writing in that little series really fleshed her out. It's too bad not a lot can be done with that character. Although I understand there was a Teen Titans Tomorrow story which transported them 10 years into the future where there is a gravestone that reads "Carrie Kelly".