Batman Archives & Batman in 40s,50s,60s?

Question

Can anyone tell which of the series above represent the best of Batman up to late '60s ? Thanks.

Regards

Renato

Answer 1

50's....

Answer 2

It depends on what you're looking for. In the 40's batman was closest to his original concept, dark, grim, secret, violent, sometimes on the wrong side of the law.

Then, along came the Comics Code. (Search on that and on Frederick Wertham, I don't have time or space to do it justice here. Basically, people wanted to eliminate the ugly violence and drug use and things that were blatantly shown in the comics, and make them wholesome.)

Even though Robin was added in fairly early (plenty of other heros had their kid partners) to mellow and soften the Dark Knight, in the 50's, Batman became a sort of scoutmaster to the community, making public appearances and doing fundraisers and charity drives. The villains were less menaces and more kooks who wanted to challenge the great Batman. There was a lot of s/f related adventures, and aliens and other dimensions and stuff.

Then in the 60's, you had the New Look, based partly on the TV show. Batman became a sort of James Bond clone, with the gadget in the utility belt for all occasions. Robin became a teenager (finally, after twenty five years!) and there was the generation gap stull, setting up Robin to eventually go with the Titans, then go solo and become Nightwing. There was more emphasis on Bruce Wayne as the millionaire philanthropist, doing good with his wealth, not just the Batman smashing crime.

(Though, I have had to wonder, with his shallow, liberal affectations, perhaps Bruce Wayne fed crime and corruption more than Batman fought it.)

So in the later 60's, Batman was fighting spies and secret organizations (just like Bond fought Smersh and the Man from UNCLE fought his enemies, and Maxwell Smart fought KAOS.)

It is only in recent years that Batman has come back to the dirty, gritty hero he once was (as the comic publishers have largely abandoned the Comics Code) or they have two lines of comics with the same characters, and separate continuities-- one for kids and one for 'mature' readers. Again, both are Batman, but they are not all the 'same' Batman. Which is 'best' depends on what you are looking for.

All of them are Batman, all of them are good, and worth reading, and I enjoy all of them, You just have to understand the eras in which they were written. Good luck!