Holy Double-Dare!
Go buy this book. Really, go buy this book.
The '66 Batman live-action series is back! All 120 episodes have been restored and made available on both Blu-Ray and DVD; a companion comic is available for digital download and collected in monthly issues; there is a trade paperback collecting the comics that were used developed into episodes; Kevin Smith and Ralph Garman have even teamed up for a sequel to the epic Batman-Green Hornet pairing on the show! There's other merchandising, like HeroClix, retro Mego action figures, and costumes just to name a few.
There are a number of great reasons to read Batman '66: The Lost Episode:
The Good
Harlan Ellison. "City on the Edge of Forever". The legendary science fiction writer is behind one of the greatest episodes of the original Star Trek series. Here, Ellison brings one of Batman's greatest rogues to live action. The Batman television series was nominated for an Emmy in the sitcom category. It was played straight, tongue-in-cheek as camp. The series was also a pretty close reflection of the comics of the '60's and the '50's. Characters like Two-Face - and The Scarecrow - would have lent some intense suspense and drama to the series. It's conceivable to believe that the rogues were softened for prime time, which is why a character like Two-Face never made it to the small screen.
Ellison's original pitch, with stills from the show is included - and worth the price of admission. The adaptation by Wein, Garcia-Lopez, inker Joe Prado, colorist Alex Sinclair and letterer Wes Abbott is faithful to that pitch. There's no need to belabor what a shame it is that this story was never adapted to live action. It is a fantastic story. It's set in the formula of the series. Two-Face makes his appearance. Commissioner Gordon and Chief O'Hara call Batman. The Dynamic Duo consult the Bat-computer. There's a Bat-climb - two, in fact. The story does elevate from a simple television episode with a chase sequence and a twist on the standard death-trap. Ellison's story captures Harvey Dent's twisted obsession with luck, fate and justice. It's easy to see this story as more of a sequel to the Batman film than as a cliffhanger episode.
Along with Two-Face's origin, and his odd modus operandi, the story features a never-before-seen look at the Batcave's trophy room; a more "Robin-cycle" than Batcycle and a finale that feels like Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams.
Garcia-Lopez's art is amazing. He captures Adam West's Batman perfectly. His Bright Knight packs more punch than paunch. His variant cover is spectacular. Alex Ross' cover is simply mesmerizing.
The Bad
It's difficult to find fault or nitpick. It's a one-shot. Two-Face gets a one shot. Ironic. Perhaps the only other drawback is the cover price. It's double what it should be. The story is told twice; the first time completely inked, colored and lettered, the second as simple pencils. There's a few pages on character design and then Ellison's original pitch. Including Garcia-Lopez's basic pencils seems unnecessary. Like flipping through silent film stills. It seems like double-dipping. It is hard to find fault with such a treasure, though, this is a story that has been unearthed and put on display. It really is priceless.
The Skinny
Batman '66: The Lost Episode is nothing short of epic. Consider that one of the highest rated episodes of the live action series was the guest appearance of Liberace. In a dual role. As both charmer and rogue. Take a second to let that sink in. Then consider how groundbreaking it would have been, whoever played Harvey Dent alias Two-Face. Had producers taken that kind of risk; it is conceivable that they would have been willing and able to take others. Anything is possible. The show might not have become a victim of it's own success. It might have gone to a fourth season. There might have been more rogues lifted from the comic pages.
As Adam West's Batman might say, "The mind. Simply. Boggles!"
"The Two Way Crimes of Two-Face" is a brilliantly conceived and rendered story that shouldn't be missed! It earns four out of five stars for packing a firm "Bam! Sock! Pow!" without being too corny about it. Batman: The Lost Episode is a book that will earn multiple re-readings.