"We're needed!"
Right from the start, Batman '66 Meets Steed and Mrs Peel 1 is a refreshing delight.
Admittedly, I've only seen one or two episodes of The Avengers. I wasn't watching for Patrick Macnee. I came to The Avengers quite late. I watched a few more episodes of The New Avengers; when Steed, almost like The Doctor, had a pair of companions, female and male.
Disclaimer aside, the story opens with Bruce Wayne accompanying the fair Michaela Gough through a rare gemstone exhibition. Suddenly, Catwoman is on the scene for a daring robbery. Unable to change into The Bright Knight, Bruce sends a distress signal to Robin and Alfred, who are cleaning the Batcave. They arrive on the scene to witness Steed and Mrs. Peel detaining Catwoman and her gang, until the "proper" authorities arrive. Later, the plot thickens, ending on a deadly cliffhanger for Catwoman.
The Good
Batman '66 Meets Steed and Mrs. Peel is for die hard fans of both series. Boom!'s Ian Edington has the characters and dialogue down. Matthew Dow Smith has captured the likeness of the actors that play the characters. It looks very well like it could be a crossover episode of both programs rather than a comic book. Steed and Peel are given their grande entrance. As far as the rogue behind the curtain, the suspense is built toward the cliffhanger.
Smith and Jordie Bellaire make it interesting how the characters stand out from the background.
There is a nice homage to Michael Gough, who played Alfred opposite Michael Keaton's Batman in the 1989 Batman film. Michaela Gough. It does raise the question if that is some kind of clue or tell about her role in the story.
The Bad
The quibbles are only minor. Those that might not be fans of the photo-referenced art, might not enjoy this. However, this is a team-up in a comic book of a couple of '60's cult-favorite television series. It is enjoyable to see Neil Hamilton, Stafford Repp and Alan Napier in their roles.
The fight sequence between Steed and Mrs. Peel and Catwoman and her gang is elegant. It is missing the trademark Bam! Pow! Biff! It is also missing the addition two or three extra henchman that come out of the woodwork for the fight sequence. Here, start to finish it is just three.
The Skinny
As a fan of the Batman '66 television series this is an enjoyable read. Hopefully, this book generates interest, more than just as a novelty. Hopefully, this will keep the groovy '60's going, fifty years on.