Archie Meets Batman `66 #1 Review!

The Archie limited series are fun ways to combine favorite characters and on the other side, Batman `66 has the fun of the tv show with the inclusion of more comic book villains.  One of the covers is by Michael Allred showing the Dynamic Duo crashing into a band rehearsal of the Archies.  It has Pep!  The comics is written by Jeff Parker, who crafted many of the issues of the Batman `66 comic, and Michael Moreci, who has written Roche Limit for Image Comics.  The artwork is by Dan Parent, longtime Archie comics artist, and has his own Die Kitty Die comic.  Parent’s art is simple, but has all of the action to cross both worlds.  “The Batman of Riverdale” kicks off with a splash page as Poison Ivy rides a Winged Snapdragon driving away the crowds of the World’s Science Fair at Gotham!   One of the persons running away looks like Aunt Harriet from the Batman tv show.  

The Batmobile flies in using it’s parachutes to slow down. Batman rushes to take on Poison Ivy while Robin uses the Batmobile’s Bat Beam to burn the Winged Snapdragon’s head.  Poison Ivy plants some back-up, her Sprouts, they look like Jolly Green Giants at human size.  She uses her Salad-Shooter to blast Batman.  This was all a diversion for the Batman tv villain, The Bookworm, played by Roddy McDowall.  He has arrived with his female companion, Footnote, to see the book of the future, an electronic book that contains many books to read at any time!  The idea is so outlandish that it is right out of Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988) with the absurd plan to build a freeway.  Batman has called in help in the form of Batgirl who gives a smile as she pulls up in her Batcycle. She leaves the villains behind to give Batman a weapon to take on the Sprouts, weed killer!  Batgirl takes out Poison Ivy and Gotham is safe for science!  

This shifts with a radio broadcast of Batman’s heroism to Riverdale, the broadcast is repeated, but I think it should’ve been kept to one sentence and finished on the next page. Archie is listening to the radio as he is working on his car and Jughead arrives to tell them that they have to head to school.  We get a splash page of the United Underworld that was in the Batman (1966) movie; Penguin, Catwoman, Riddler, and Joker.  They go over the failure of Poison Ivy and Penguin suggests that they can escape Batman by taking on another town - Riverdale!  He has already contacted an ally to help with their nefarious plans, Siren, a songstress who looks right out of Archie Comics, but is actually a character played by Joan Collins in 1967 episodes of Batman.  Next to her picture is the description, “Siren controls men’s minds with her songs.” She is in a van singing “Bali Hai” from the Roger and Hammerstein musical South Pacific outside of the Lodge Mansion.  

Hiram P. Lodge watches from the window and doesn’t notice his daughter, Veronica, dropping in to show him her new multi-colored dress in a Mondrian design.  Hermione Lodge is ready for her shopping trip, but Hiram snaps out of it and stomps off to a van.  Veronica is worried about her daddykins.  There is another problem at Riverdale High, Archie and Betty are trying to help Jughead prepare for his history test.  He can only think of food since he is so hungry.  They leave Veronica behind so she heads over to the police station, but the chief is as entranced as Hiram P. Lodge.  Holy Hit Song!  She returns to school now in a flower print dress like a kimono, I think her super power is her changing outfits!   She gets the help of geeky Dilton Doiley and possibly with his help they can get to the mystery taking over Riverdale!   This comic is fun from first to last page.  Will the Caped Crusaders find a way to save Riverdale?  Tune in same Riverdale Channel, same Riverdale time! 

Five Milkshakes and Batarangs out of Five!

#ArchieMeetsBatman66, #DanParent, #Siren, #Riverdale