Let’s get this out of the way: there is no dancing here, and therefore, no Batusi. Perhaps next week, but as it stands, that cover makes a promise and doesn’t deliver.
Yet.
There are deathtraps galore, though, as Batman ’66 Meets Steed and Mrs. Peel approaches the home stretch. With all the players on the board and just four installments to go, Edginton and Smith are really ramping up the action and excitement. As such, there isn’t as much depth to this chapter as there has been in the past, but it’s still a good time overall.
After being ambushed by a pair of Cybernauts, the Dynamic Duos spring into action to protect Detective Inspector Gordon and save their own lives while they’re at it. The scene is great fight and cleverly choreographed, though it does contain one of two major illustrative gaffes I noticed.
Bruce and Dick are still (hilariously) mustachioed going in to the fight, but they lose their facial hair at some point before the altercation has ended. It’s a minor detail, especially given that there are so few close-ups of their faces, but it’s worth noting after such a big deal was made out of their “disguises” last week.
Regardless, it’s a pretty solid fight scene. I’ve been enjoying seeing Batman and Robin alternatung their partnerships with Steed and Peel, as it reinforces the whole purpose of the team-up and allows for some interesting bits of chemistry between the characters.
Once the Cybernauts are vanquished our heroes make their way to Lord Ffogg’s homestead, engaging in some delightful conversation along the way. Batman and Robin have a surprisingly touching moment, giving some insight into Bruce’s heartache toward Michaela Gough’s betrayal.
Bruce Wayne wasn’t ever given much to do on the TV series, as that admittedly wasn’t the point, so his character never really had much depth. That’s why moments like this or his relationship with Ms. Kitka in the movie are both surprising and welcome. He’s singularly focused on justice and the belief that even the worst of villains can reform, yet he’s still a human who is capable of heartbreak. It’s a nice moment and another example of Edginton’s perfect handling of the characters.
The quartet quickly split into groups of two upon arriving at Ffogg’s manor, only for both groups to just as quickly fall prey to a trap. Interestingly, it’s the same type of trap with a rogue-specific danger: both are trap doors into a vat of a dangerous substance, but one is filled with a dangerous fog and the other with liquid nitrogen.
I’ll let you figure out who’s behind each one.
It’s with that cliffhanger that the issue ends, yet it contains another visual error. Robin loses his left boot after the trap door triggers, yet on the final page he has it on again.
The previous panel showed his foot, too, and it was the same off-white/flesh color as the rest of his legs, so it isn’t a sock. Like the mustaches earlier, it’s pretty minor, but still disappointing considering the quality of the coloring and illustrations so far.
No matter. This book has been consistently entertaining, and this installment is no exception.
Recommended if:
- You like Batman ’66.
- You like Steed and Peel.
Overall: Despite a few illustrative gaffes and a slight lack of substance, this is another entertaining chapter in this series. Sometimes you need some good action, of which there is plenty here, and some good jokes and surprisingly tender moments just add to the enjoyment.
SCORE: 7/10
