Batman ’66 Meets the Legion of Super-Heroes (2012)
written by Lee Allred & Mike Allred
pencils and cover by Mike Allred
Holy random crossovers Batman!
As the name implies, this story is set in the same universe of the Batman TV series from 1966.
We begin with some teenagers visiting Wayne Manor and hypnotizing Alfred.
Yeah, uhm, I’m not exactly the biggest fan of this incarnation of Batman. So be warned that I’m probably not being very kind to this one.
It’s THAT easy to get into the Batcave if you have telepathy. Even Doctor Doom had to work harder for it!
I must give this series credit in using Legionnaires that COULD have met Batman in 1966.
It’s VERY specific for Ferro Lad, since his first adventure in Adventure Comics #346 which was published in May 1966 and *spoiler alert* he dies in Adventure Comics #353 which was published in December 1966 (with a 1967 cover date).
The Legion is here because Universo has gone back to the 20th century.
Even if I really don’t like the TV series, it had some memorable performances for the villains.
Who’s going to be the focus?
Frank Gorshin as the Riddler? Burgess Meredith as the Penguin? Cesar Romero as the Joker?
I wish.
Instead we get Vincent Price as Egghead.
Nothing against Vincent Price of course, but… Egghead? They might have chosen him because he’s one of the villains created for the show, yes, but again: EGGHEAD???
Because the Legion apparently needs help dealing with TWO bald men, the team is going to split.
The story takes the advantage of being a comic by doing stuff the TV series couldn’t possibly handle on its budget, like Batman flying.
And the Flight Ring is seemingly voice activated in this version?
This can’t be the Silver Age Legion since while Shadow Lass DID join after Ferro Lad…
…but apparently the Time Trapper was maybe behind his death.
Now that I mention it: isn’t it kind of weird that they didn’t try to make the Time Trapper somehow involved with that?
In our visit to the 30th century Gotham City… which seems to be its own thing instead of having been integrated into Metropolis… we get a full shot of the whole team.
I’m not counting the super-pets as actual members, but I am counting characters that would normally be in the Subs.
Because if there’s a universe where Antennae Lad is a proper Legion member, it might as well be the Batman 66 universe.
But poor Fire Lad still couldn’t get in.
I don’t really get this gag. Why would Brainiac 5 be against checking with a computer? He’s always doing it. If it’s because he has a computer brain, is it supposed to be funny?
Meanwhile in the past (uh?), Robin is having a much harder time than Batman with flying.
Robin randomly knows that Universo is hypnotizing the Mayor, which Phantom Girl considers proof of his famous powers.
While Saturn Girl is… uhm… translating it into sign language? Doing an interpretative dance? She has no dialogue in this panel.
I haven’t read any other series set in the Batman 66 universe. But if anything like this actually happens and it’s not just a (moderately funny) not to the insane Jimmy Olsen shenanigans, then count me in!
Meanwhile in the future (what?), Brainiac 5 has deduced that Egghead is going to rob the eggs of a Robot Chicken farm.
Batman is not convinced by Brainy’s idea.
I kind of like how the Legion is not exactly awe-stuck by Batman.
Also THIS Batman talking about logic is hilarious, considering in the show he has the most insane deductions ever.
Seriously, this is actual dialogue from an actual scene.
The argument between Brainiac 5 and Batman is presented as little game full of references to both franchises.
While this is happening… well not “while”, this is 1000 years earlier… the Legion runs into Universo.
By having Chameleon Boy turning into a slightly more faithful version of Batman.
Taking advantage of this, Robin’s plan is to… hide in the sewers.
You know Egghead, you might be SLIGHTLY more successful in being Discount Lex Luthor if it wasn’t for this whole egg thing.
And there you have it: the entire reason for making this entire thing.
I wish Shadow Lass was in the TV series. It would’ve made it bearable.
Good job stopping Egghead from escaping, guys!!!
But all that means is that now the two villains are together. And somehow related!
Have I mentioned that nobody in this universe has a brain?
Back to Robin’s plan, he wanted to recruit some Batman villains to help. I’m assuming Solomon Grundy is there because of another book set in the same universe, because he most definitely wasn’t in the TV series.
But now he’s figured out how to fix this whole mess.
It doesn’t initially turn the tide…
…until Batman reveals that Phantom Girl has been Princess Projectra all along.
Because SOMEHOW Universo falls for this, trying to hypnotize someone who doesn’t exist.
So how DID the Dynamic Duo deduce Phantom Girl wasn’t really there?
Robin’s deduction is a stretch, considering he doesn’t know who Princess Projectra is.
While Batman… DOES make a deduction that works, although only so much considering he’s talking to people from alien planets.
And so Brainiac 5 learns a lesson that he didn’t really need to learn.
And Robin is even offered Legion membership, which he refuses.
Also quite possibly inspiring the foundation of the Teen Titans.
Does any of this show up in any regular continuity?
I can’t think of anything.
SHOULD any of this have happened in regular continuity?
I wish the Legion had a proper team-up with Silver Age Batman.
Silver Age-ness: 10/10
The story makes little sense, the villains are one-note, the heroes are either ineffectual or just happen to stumble into victory, and the puns are eggstremely forced.
Does it stand the test of time?
If you’re a Batman 66 fan: 10/10
If you aren’t: 6/10
Since I can’t stand 99% of the series, there isn’t much for me here… but I can see this would be very entertaining for a fan. Not a whole lot for a Legion fan to be honest, other than the chance to see a throwback to the old era. Although it feels older than 1966, more aligned to the early Hamilton years than the first Shooter issues.
Also: why exactly did Princess Projectra fake being Phantom Girl when going to the past to recruit Robin???
We are legion
Active Legionnaires: 24
-Antennae Lad
-Bouncing Boy
-Brainiac 5
-Chameleon Boy
-Color Boy
-Colossal Boy
-Cosmic Boy
-Duo Damsel
-Element Lad
-Ferro Lad
-Insect Queen
-Invisible Kid
-Lightning Lad
-Lightning Lass
-MatterEater Lad
-Night Girl
-Phantom Girl (I’m assuming she’s also a member?)
-Princess Projectra
-Saturn Girl
-Shadow Lass
-Shrinking Violet
-Star Boy
-Sun Boy
-Ultra Boy
Rejected members: 2
-Fire Lad
-Robin (who rejected himself)
“It’s VERY specific for Ferro Lad, since his first adventure in Adventure Comics #346 which was published in May 1966 and *spoiler alert* he dies in Adventure Comics #353 which was published in December 1966 (with a 1967 cover date).”
True, but this panel would cause me to slam on the breaks. Shadow Lass shouldn’t be there. She joined the Legion in Adventure 365, more than a year after Ferro Lad atomized himself and the Sun-Eater.
Okay, now that I’ve gotten my knee-jerk reaction out of the way, I’ll read the rest of the review.
Okay, having read the rest of the review, I see they addressed the discrepancy in the story with a throwaway line–a nice jab at alternate continuities.
I think I would have enjoyed this story more than the Star Trek/Legion crossover. It captures the surreal loopiness of the Batman TV show. I grew up on that series, so I have fonder memories of it than some. It was silly and fun, but it didn’t talk down to viewers (well, not much). There’s a certain campy logic in Batman deducing that only Egghead would go after an egg-shaped time bubble (but it’s not really egg-shaped, is it?). I loved the bit about Egghead choosing Ferro Lad because of the latter’s egg-shaped mask. The Legion mistaking Jimmy Olsen’s adventures for Robin’s was hilarious. The Allreds knew their source material.
I imagine this story would appeal to adults with fond memories of the ’60s TV show and ’60s LSH as well as to kids who are new to either series. Batman’s parting comment to Projectra to be more careful with her illusions reminds us that the Legionnaires are still teens with room to grow and that Batman is still awesome in any incarnation.
Brainiac 5 isn’t opposed to checking with a computer.
The wording used by Shadow Lass (along with Brainy’s annoyed expression) implies instead that Brainy takes offense at the implication that computer verification is not essential or at least highly advisable.
Who is that portrayed besides Adam Strange, Rip Hunter and Space Ranger? He seems to be using a variation of the 1970s Lex Luthor Battle Array with the crossed chest stripes and the purple (or here, more like magenta) with green color scheme.
Robin does not know that Projectra exists, but he is not wrong nor pushing it (too much) in assuming that the mismatch with the shadow comes from some form of illusion powers.
Why did she disguise as Phantom Girl? Probably just out of plot convenience, but it is not entirely weird to assume that having Projectra hiding in plain sight is a better tactival advantage when you expect to face Universo than having the actual Phantom Girl would be. Projectra may conceivably surprise Universo and put him off-balance. Phantom Girl would have a harder time facing him.
Which is a weird basis for the lesson Brainiac 5 is supposed to learn, because since when does Brainy need to check with a computer for everything?
I think it’s supposed to be Tommy Tomorrow.
Maybe it is my reading, but I get the sense that Brainy’s brain either is a computer or is thought of as being a computer by him.
I believe you’re mistaking Tommy Tomorrow for Rip Hunter, and I think the last one is Gary Concord, the Ultra-Man, the match is close but not precise.
Changed my mind – that looks like a Knights of the Galaxy uniform, way better match than Ultra-Man.
This is a pretty harmless and cute ‘fluffy’ piece that does understand the tropes of ’66 Batman…which is why it really isn’t meant for everyone and honestly, the Legion feels a little…underused here? I know it’s a crossover and all but it really feels like you could cut the Legion stuff out and it would pretty much before a normal ’66 Batman story mostly(lack of death traps aside).
At least the later team up with Lynda Carter Wonder Woman felt more like a proper crossover between the two and gave us the ’66 version of Nightwing.