by Matt Sernaker, Managing Editor

Holy Blu-ray release Batman!

After years of waiting, fans can finally own Batman: The Complete Television Series on Blu-ray (and Season One now available on DVD). The classic series (also known as Batman ’66) starring Adam West (Batman) and Burt Ward (Robin) has been a constant request in the media world, and now fans can watch these episodes in glorious re-mastered HD quality.  All 120 episodes have been restored with painstaking precision, and they truly look and sound better than they did during their original broadcast.

For many of us, this was our introduction into the world of superheroes. Whether you enjoyed these episodes weekly or years later in syndication, the adventures of Batman and Robin contained in this set were an important part of our youth. Each week the Caped Crusaders took on villains including The Joker (Cesar Romero), The Penguin (Burgess Meredith), Catwoman (Julie Newmar/Eartha Kitt/Lee Meriwether), The Riddler (Frank Gorshin), King Tut (Victor Buono), Mr. Freeze (George Sanders/Otto Preminger), and Egghead (Vincent Price). Watching Batman and Robin escape from weekly death traps and save the day was all part of the excitement. The balance of crazy costumes, high-tech gadgets, and strong morals made Batman a household name in the 1960’s. Not only was this series a worldwide phenomenon at the time, but it has carried on to influence popular culture decades later. Having experienced the episodes as a kid, it has been a crazy experience to go back as an adult and enjoy them on a new level with the incredible amounts of innuendo and double entendre that had been included in the series. BAM! POW! SPLAT!

Episode Highlights:

With 120 episodes and countless classic moments to watch, the list below is just a few of my personal favorites.

Hi Diddle Riddle/Smack in the Middle: The pilot that launched a phenomenon is definitely a highlight of the set. Featuring Frank Gorshin as the Riddler, the Dynamic Duo must find a way to save the day, and dance the night away with the lovely Jill St. John.  This two-part episode also featured the introduction of “The Batusi” dance.

The Joker is Wild/Batman is Riled: The episodes that introduced us to Cesar Romero as The Joker are two of my personal favorites. The Joker escapes from prison because he is upset that he is not being entered into the Comedy Hall of Fame. The Joker might get the last laugh however, as he decides to create his own Jokerized Utility Belt to foil the Caped Crusaders! Also, there is a fantastic moment when Batman asks Chief O’Hara if he could keep a piece of evidence as a souvenir, and he hands it over to Batman without skipping a beat.

The Purr-fect Crime/Better Luck Next Time: Catwoman (Julie Newmar) makes her grand entrance. This installment features on of the most memorable death-traps of all time, in which Robin is being held above a pit full of Bengal Tigers!

The Zodiac Crimes/The Joker’s Hard Times/The Penguin Declines– Holy Villain Team-Up Batman! The Joker and The Penguin combine forces to take on the Dynamic Duo in this special three part installment.  Memorable moments include: Batman and Robin almost being crushed by a meteorite, Robin being eaten by a giant clam, and “Operation: Laundry Bag”.

Enter Batgirl, Exit Penguin:  The Penguin hatches a nefarious scheme to gain immunity from prosecution… by marrying the Commissioner’s Daughter!? Wait…what? Commissioner Gordon sets up Bruce Wayne and his daughter Barbara on a surprise date, but things go south when she is kidnapped by The Penguin.  The Penguin announces his plans to marry Barbara, but soon must face-off against he combined forces of Batgirl and the Dynamic Duo.  Side note: the introduction of Batgirl was one of the elements that helped to sell the networks on producing a third season of Batman. There is a short film featuring Yvonne Craig as Batgirl, which was used to pitch the character, which has been included in the special features of this set!

Surf’s Up! Joker’s Under: Batman and The Joker face off in a surfing contest. Yes, this actually happened. Batman has Bat-Trunks. This is a very ridiculous but fun episode.

Special Features:

• Holy Memorabilia Batman! A Journey into the most sought-after collectibles through the eyes of three extraordinary collectors.

• Hanging with Batman: A true slice of life with Adam West. Experience a celebration of his achievements through his own words. This special feature is one of my favorites of the Blu-ray set, and gives the fans a fantastic look at the life story of Adam West.

• Bats of the Round Table: Adam West sits down with Kevin Smith, Jim Lee, Ralph Garman, and Phil Morris to discuss some personal moments from the series and his life.

• Inventing Batman in the Words of Adam West: Through original script notes, Adam discusses the craft of acting and recounts bringing Batman to life. This featurette includes a look at the original pilot two-part adventure “Hi Diddle Riddle/Smack in the Middle”.

•  Na Na Na Batman! Hollywood stars and producers recount favorite Batman memories. This featurette includes appearances from the cast and creative team of Arrow, The Mentalist, Supernatural, and others.

• Bat Rarities! Straight from the Vault – Includes “Batgirl” Pilot, Test Casting Footage, and more!

• Digital HD Ultraviolet Copy – When you aren’t at home admiring this gorgeous Blu-ray set, you can still enjoy the adventures of Batman and Robin on the go with this digital copy.

Additional Box-set Features

If you decide to spend the money on the Blu-ray Complete Series set, you will find there are many extras specifically for this release:

• Hot Wheels Replica Batmobile

• The Adam West Scrapbook – Includes pictures from Adam’s personal collection that haven’t been previously released!

• 44 Vintage Trading Cards

• 32-Page Complete Episode Guide

• Hidden Button- On the side of the box there is a button that says “Press Here”. It is sure to make you smile.

Sneak Preview Clips

Overall

Adam West, Burt Ward, and the cast and crew of Batman ’66 should be extremely proud of this amazing Blu-ray release. Fans will be blown away by the sheer amount of content and detail that went into this set. While you could buy the individual DVD Season Sets of Batman ’66, I would highly recommend spending the extra money to own one of the Blu-ray Complete Series sets. It manages to hit all of the nostalgia buttons in the right place, with a nice balance of incredible content and care for a show that we have wanted to add to our collections. Over the years I had recorded many of these old episodes on VHS, and it is extremely impressive to see how much of a quality difference there is between the way the content looked back then, versus the restored versions included in this set. Watching this Blu-ray release will surely bring back memories of your childhood, and make you want to cheer along as the Dynamic Duo saves the day.  If you decide to add this to your collection, you will not be disappointed.

ComicsOnline gives Batman: The Complete Television Series on Blu-ray 5 out of 5 daring escapes from death-traps!

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