Batman '66 #23

Batman '66 23 is a landmark issue. Remember that. A few issues back Lord Death Man was introduced. That was a landmark issue as well for a number of reasons. So far, Jeff Parker, and the other, guest writers have been using the established Batman '66 characters. Maybe a slight more emphasis on the rogues created specifically for the 1966 live action series. One hit wonders like False Face, Zelda, Olga Queen of the Cossacks, The Bookworm, Clock King, The Archer, The Sandman, Chandell, Louie The Lilac, along with Egghead, King Tut, The Siren, Marsha Queen of Diamond and her Aunt Hilda and Shame. Lord Death Man was significant because he was a '60's manga rogue, and the story paired Batman and Batgirl, leaving Robin behind, suffering from vertigo.

Up to this point Parker, the other writers, artists and pencillers have been playing within the rules of the series, like most other television series tie-in books. Playing within the rules. Thinking inside the box. Coloring inside the lines.

Not any more.

The reason Batman '66 23 is a landmark issue is that not only does Jeff Parker introduce two "new" characters into the '66 Universe; it also introduces a change to the status quo. "The Groovy Grave of Solomon Grundy" introduces the infamous Golden Age rogue. Longtime Alan Scott Green Lantern; Justice Society of America and Jack Knight fixture, Solomon Grundy made his live action debut on the 1979 two-part Legends of the Super-Heroes. Grundy was played by actor Mickey Morton. Grundy also appeared on the Justice League animated series, more as a Hulk analogue. Here, he is bodybuilder Cyrus Gold. Marsha entranced him and then forgot about him. Outside. In winter. Now Aunt Hilda raises him from the dead as Solomon Grundy, with only one purpose in mind: kill Batman and Robin. With zombies, The Walking Dead, World War Z, and iZombie all the rage; Grundy's time has come. The story is fun and engaging. Aunt Hilda is hilarious. Grundy is suitably menacing; in a gothic way that characters like Two-Face and The Scarecrow might not have worked on the live action series. Brent Schoonover's art is mindful of Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson. There is a nice homage to the classic Batman Revell model kit.

"The Final Form", with art by Carcuzzos Giancarlo and Flavia, is quite revealing about False Face. False-Face has been getting a lot of "love" in the pages of Batman '66. He's made a number of appearances, to make up for the lone appearance in live action. After all this time, he is given an origin and an identity. In the swamp outside Gotham, he is given even more. The game changes for False Face permanently. It is thrilling! It's almost a shame, since False Face was such a cool character...in a Chameleon analogue sort of way. While False Face was in live action, '60's animated Spider-Man was fighting The Chameleon. It is possible that False Face becomes what he should have been right from the start.

Grundy and False Face give hope for characters like The Scarecrow, Man-Bat and The Demon to enter the '66 Universe.

Batman '66 23 achieves five stars for thinking outside the black box.