Batman Archives, Vol. 5

Batman Archives #5

by Bill Finger, Bob Kane (Illustrator), Don Cameron

With his young sidekick Robin, the Caped Crusader must confront some of the deadliest villains from his rogues gallery, including the Joker, in a wonderful archive which continues the earliest Batman stories from Detective Comics 103-119.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Comic Book, Batman

228 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

William "Bill" Finger was an American comic strip and comic book writer best known as the uncredited co-creator, with Bob Kane, of the DC Comics character Batman, as well as the co-architect of the series' development. In later years, Kane acknowledged Finger as "a contributing force" in the character's creation. Comics historian Ron Goulart, in Comic Book Encyclopedia, refers to Batman as the "creation of artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger", and a DC Comics press release in 2007 about colleague Jerry Robinson states that in 1939, "Kane, along with writer Bill Finger, had just created Batman for [DC predecessor] National Comics".

Film and television credits include scripting The Green Slime (1969), Track of the Moon Beast (1976), and three episodes of 77 Sunset Strip.

-Wikipedia

Reviews

[Michael P. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Something happened to DETECTIVE COMICS when Bill Finger was replaced by Don Cameron as the writer of most stories and newer artists such as Dick Sprang and Win Mortimer replaced the first generation of Batman artists: it got quite a bit better. There are certainly a few clunkers is this graphic collection, even by the newbies, but both the script and visual storytelling are overall better than in the previous four volumes. Most of these stories are fun.

[Benn Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reprinting "Detective Comics" #103-119 and written by Don Cameron, Bill Finger and Alvin Schwartz and art primarily by either Dick Sprang or Win Mortimer, "Batman Archives" #5 is a simple, charming and naive collection of comics. The stories are definitely geared to children and the art is fairly crude and lacking the dynamism that, say Jack Kirby's art had. (I hate how tiny everyone's hands look. They just don't look right to me.) Basically, this is a look at a simply more innocent time in children's entertainment. The comics are fun to read as long you don't think too much about them, but not much about them are especially memorable. Worthwhile for their historical value if nothing else.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some days you just need some retro battles with mobsters, robber barons, and other villains of the '40s. Both campier and more realistic than modern comics, there is something extremely entertaining to be found in the classic vintage. This collection finds the dynamic duo after they have hit their stride and really found style that works. I found it highly amusing, and unexpectedly respectable.