Batman '66 #18 Review

Written by: Jeff Parker
Art by: Ted Naifeh
Cover Price: $0.99
Release Date: October 30, 2013



Batman and Robin face off against Olga, the Queen of the Cossacks .  You see, Olga is the girlfriend of Egghead whom the Dynamic Duo put behind bars.  Out for revenge, she sics her Bessarovian Henchmen and trained Bears on them and falls in love with Batman in the process.  Meanwhile, Barbara Gordon may have set up future trouble with her interest in an ancient mystical book.

Jeff Parker and Ted Naifeh give us what feels like a filler/setup issue of Batman '66.  As I've said before, one of my criteria for rating this book is if it would have made a good episode of the original television show. This issue is harder to make the call then most.  Not much happens story wise, but what does is very funny.  I laughed that the outskirts of Gotham appear to be Siberia while Gotham is enjoying a nice Summers day.  Batman and Robin riding trained Bears is a great visual and the end brawl is part dance,  part sword fight that ends just perfectly.  Olga is not a great Villain, but her fickleness makes her interesting.comical at least.

Ted Naifeh's art is great.  This issue has the look I really want for this book.  It is not as realistic as Tom Templeton's, but it's also not too cartoony either.  It fits the book so well.

I'm not sure if this is a one shot, but I suspect that Barbara Gordon and her mysterious old book may be a setup for the next issue.  If that's the case, I can't wait.  I love me all the Batgirl I can get!

Jeff Parker returns for Batman '66 and while it is all good fun as usual, it feels too much like a filler issue to get too excited about.  The story, while not very fulfilling, is funny and all in good fun.

7.0/10