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Batman: The Jiro Kuwata Batmanga #1-19
Batman: The Jiro Kuwata Batmanga Vol. 1
At the height the 1960's Batman television shows popularity, a shonen manga magazine in Japan serialized fifty-three chapters, starring The Dark Knight, which were all written by Jiro Kuwata. These rare Batman tales were known by relatively few outside of Japan until award-winning designer Chipp Kidd's 2008 book, Bat-Manga!: The Secret History of Batman in Japan (Pantheon Books), introduced them to a whole new generation of Batman fans.
In BATMAN: THE JIRO KUWATA BATMANGA VOL. 1, see The Dark Knight and his sidekick Robin fight against some of his strangest villains, including Dr. Faceless and the Human Ball! DC Comics is proud to publish the complete Jiro Kuwata penned Batman Manga adventures in three painstakingly restored and translated volumes. This collection is not to be missed by both Batman and Manga fans alike!
BATMAN: THE JIRO KUWATA BATMANGA VOL. 1 collects the first twenty chapters.
In BATMAN: THE JIRO KUWATA BATMANGA VOL. 1, see The Dark Knight and his sidekick Robin fight against some of his strangest villains, including Dr. Faceless and the Human Ball! DC Comics is proud to publish the complete Jiro Kuwata penned Batman Manga adventures in three painstakingly restored and translated volumes. This collection is not to be missed by both Batman and Manga fans alike!
BATMAN: THE JIRO KUWATA BATMANGA VOL. 1 collects the first twenty chapters.
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
52 people are currently reading
669 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 157 reviews
February 10, 2025
Definitely a different take on the Caped Crusader, but fun and enjoyable nonetheless. Batman fans are definitely in for a treat with this one.
July 10, 2024
Starts off with the strongest stories first, which doesn't inspire me to want to continue beyond this collection.
60s manga inspired by the TV show and the gritty comics of the era which were starting to look back at the roots of Batman. All the stories here are villain-of-the-week style. Batman and Robin are asked to help with some villain.
It brings to mind Steve Ditko's Spider-man.
I really like the look of this book, especially the color pages. The design of the characters is interesting. Batman and Robin look iconic and unmistakable. The relationship between Dick and Bruce is heartwarming, they seem to spend a lot of time together - at one point they go for a vacation to Jamaica.
Batman has his gadgets, but Jiro nails the physicality and movement. When Batman needs to chase a villain, he's jumping down flights of stairs, hanging onto a rope from a helicopter - he's tough but vulnerable.
The villains are all unique and a bit goofy but dangerous. They all have scientific explanations for their powers.
Lord Death Man - a man that can die and come back to life. After defeat and burial, Batman and Robin once more have to defeat him. The design of the skeletal face is really neat.
Dr. Faceless
The Human Ball - a bit more goofy, like a Spider-man villain. He has an exoskeleton suit that can bounce around.
Professor Gorilla - A man with the power of a gorilla... and a gorilla with the mind of a man
Go-Go The Magician - has the power to control the weather
The Man Who Quit Being Human - A genetic mutation turns this man into the next stage of human evolution. Kind of like an alien.
60s manga inspired by the TV show and the gritty comics of the era which were starting to look back at the roots of Batman. All the stories here are villain-of-the-week style. Batman and Robin are asked to help with some villain.
It brings to mind Steve Ditko's Spider-man.
I really like the look of this book, especially the color pages. The design of the characters is interesting. Batman and Robin look iconic and unmistakable. The relationship between Dick and Bruce is heartwarming, they seem to spend a lot of time together - at one point they go for a vacation to Jamaica.
Batman has his gadgets, but Jiro nails the physicality and movement. When Batman needs to chase a villain, he's jumping down flights of stairs, hanging onto a rope from a helicopter - he's tough but vulnerable.
The villains are all unique and a bit goofy but dangerous. They all have scientific explanations for their powers.
Lord Death Man - a man that can die and come back to life. After defeat and burial, Batman and Robin once more have to defeat him. The design of the skeletal face is really neat.
Dr. Faceless
The Human Ball - a bit more goofy, like a Spider-man villain. He has an exoskeleton suit that can bounce around.
Professor Gorilla - A man with the power of a gorilla... and a gorilla with the mind of a man
Go-Go The Magician - has the power to control the weather
The Man Who Quit Being Human - A genetic mutation turns this man into the next stage of human evolution. Kind of like an alien.
August 30, 2016
"Curse you, Lord Death Man!"
It's difficult to hate on Silver Age Japanese Batman, because this is close to what I imagine Silver Age American Batman is like. Bruce and Dick are young, maybe in their twenties. Bats is a brave goof, Robin is smart and funny. They fight baddies. That's about it.
I'm not a huge fan of manga, but this was pretty fun and silly. The right to left reading is quite disorienting, whereas with comics I don't even think about it anymore. Like a lot of manga this is mostly black and white, with some pages colored in red. But Jiro Kuwata is a fine writer and illustrator.
I think the villains are decent for being almost 60 years old. They're campy, shallow, and sometimes laughable. But you can't hate them. Batman was written for kids, so you couldn't have blatantly evil creeps back then like Snyder's faceless Joker. Can you imagine? The CCA would've arrested someone.
My favorite villain is Lord Death Man, whom I remember from Grant Morrison's Batman Incorporated. While Kuwata has a rather anticlimactic reason for LDM being immortal, Morrison made him far more mysterious. But he's still entertaining. Aw he's dead! Wait no, he's back! He's just a spooky creep who's fun to read about.
"Dr. Denton's failed experiment literally made him lose face!"
You got to love the humor. It's unavoidable. This quote refers to Dr. Faceless, a doctor who invents a cosmetic machine but things go horribly wrong and he loses his face! Guffaw! Then he becomes obsessed with destroying faces. Naturally.
Then there's the The Human [Bouncy] Ball. Professor Gorilla, who reminds me of Gorilla Grodd. Go-Go the Magician. And The Mutant (the Man Who Quit Being Human). All quite silly villains.
If you like Batman you'll probably like what Jiro Kuwata has done here. It helps to be familiar with or enjoy manga but it's not essential. And it's a quick silly read for 3.5 stars.
October 23, 2021
It took me a while to think about how I wanted to rate this. First, this was originally published in the late 60's at the height of TV Batman's popularity. So, the writing here tends towards silly and simple stories that aren't quite satisfying. On the other hand, the art is beautiful. It has a clean 1960s manga look that works surprisingly well on Batman. Another thing that I really enjoyed is that the villains here are bonkers in a fun and surprising way. Also, it really cracked me up that all of the villains laughed whenever they spoke. So, I rate this a little higher than I probably should because I was thoroughly entertained while reading this.
November 22, 2014
1966 was a banner year for Batman fans. Adam West and Burt Ward debuted as Batman and Robin and won over millions of new fans around the world. Batman was never more popular and the show would become a pop culture landmark.
In the wake of the show’s success, Jiro Kuwata was commissioned to create specially designed Batman comics for the Japanese fanbase - “Batmanga” - which, until this year, were uncollected and untranslated. Now for the first time Batman fans eager to read these stories can do so with this book: Batman: The Jiro Kuwata Batmanga, Volume 1.
And I really wish I could say I loved this book - I love manga, I love Batman, I’m alright with Silver Age superhero comics - but Batmanga kinda bored me, unfortunately.
Batman has the finest Rogues Gallery of all the superheroes but, interestingly, Kuwata eschewed the usual villains for a whole new batch of bad guys for the Japanese audience. Readers of Grant Morrison’s pre-New 52 Batman Inc. will recognise Lord Death Man who appears in the first story (Morrison also named his Batman of Japan Jiro, after Kuwata).
Other villains include Doctor Faceless (who has a weird face), The Human Ball (who bounces everywhere using, um, “rubberised metal” that’s also the world’s most efficient shock absorber?), Professor Gorilla (love the name - he’s a gorilla with the brain of a professor making him brainy AND strong AND he wears a cape!), Go-Go the Magician (a dude if you’re wondering, not a scantily clad dancing lady), and some guy who became an evil mutant in the story, The Man Who Quit Being Human.
The villains’ motives are very similar across the board and quite boring. They either want to destroy everything because that’s what bad guys do or they want tons of stolen valuables because that’s what bad guys want. Given that it’s Batman and Robin’s job to stop the bad guys, the stories become quite repetitious - the villains get away with it until the three-issue arc structure comes to an end. Batman usually figures out a solution and the story comes to a neat conclusion. It’s very rote.
The exception would be Professor Gorilla who wanted revenge on those who imprisoned him for experiments but even the more interesting characters like the Mutant fall back on the “destroy everything for no reason” motive. If you were the next stage of human evolution, why would you instantly decide that all humanity who isn’t like you must be killed off - where’s the imagination?
Kuwata’s Batman/Bruce Wayne is about the blandest version of the character I’ve ever read. He’s essentially a personality vacuum and his Batman is largely incompetent making Robin all the more valuable to pick up the slack. Kuwata’s Robin/Dick Grayson on the other hand might be my favourite version of the character. In his first scene he yells “HAG!” at an old lady who’s talking to Bruce and, when he’s not in Robin costume, he’s always wearing tuxedos everywhere! A 10 year old kid in a tux as casual wear! I was laughing so much at these scenes, I loved it!
I suppose Kuwata does try to mimic the Adam West Batman show in part. The villains are hammy and always say things like “HAHAHA! You’ll never stop ME, Batman! AHAHAHA!” etc. and the odd joke thrown in here and there did make me chuckle - Robin: “Where is Go-Go?”, Batman: “Looks like he went-went”. They also drive the Batman ‘66 Batmobile which is awesome.
Along with the missing regular villains, a lot of Batman’s supporting cast are absent, notably Alfred. Gordon’s here though his rank keeps fluctuating - in some scenes he’s Inspector Gordon, in others Chief Gordon. Unless they’re variations of Chief Inspector Gordon? Except he’s Commissioner Gordon on the Adam West show and in most of the comics.
Besides the obvious difference of structuring the comics so that they’re read right to left across the page, there’s nothing much to separate this Japanese Batman from most American Batman comics. But like a lot of manga from this time, the characters, especially Bruce and Dick, look like they’re drawn in the Osamu Tezuka style, so that’s the main noticeable Japanese quality to this book. And this book is set in Gotham in case you thought a Japanese Batman comic would transplant the characters to Tokyo or somewhere!
The Batmanga stories are too dull, shallow and forgettable while the dialogue is too corny for me to recommend it. I guess if you like Silver Age comics, this is a lot like them and you might enjoy it, but Batmanga isn’t the lost classic I was hoping it’d be. I’m glad I got to read it though, if only for the novelty aspect, and that’s really the audience for this comic: Batman fans who’re curious to see a long-hidden side to the character.
In the wake of the show’s success, Jiro Kuwata was commissioned to create specially designed Batman comics for the Japanese fanbase - “Batmanga” - which, until this year, were uncollected and untranslated. Now for the first time Batman fans eager to read these stories can do so with this book: Batman: The Jiro Kuwata Batmanga, Volume 1.
And I really wish I could say I loved this book - I love manga, I love Batman, I’m alright with Silver Age superhero comics - but Batmanga kinda bored me, unfortunately.
Batman has the finest Rogues Gallery of all the superheroes but, interestingly, Kuwata eschewed the usual villains for a whole new batch of bad guys for the Japanese audience. Readers of Grant Morrison’s pre-New 52 Batman Inc. will recognise Lord Death Man who appears in the first story (Morrison also named his Batman of Japan Jiro, after Kuwata).
Other villains include Doctor Faceless (who has a weird face), The Human Ball (who bounces everywhere using, um, “rubberised metal” that’s also the world’s most efficient shock absorber?), Professor Gorilla (love the name - he’s a gorilla with the brain of a professor making him brainy AND strong AND he wears a cape!), Go-Go the Magician (a dude if you’re wondering, not a scantily clad dancing lady), and some guy who became an evil mutant in the story, The Man Who Quit Being Human.
The villains’ motives are very similar across the board and quite boring. They either want to destroy everything because that’s what bad guys do or they want tons of stolen valuables because that’s what bad guys want. Given that it’s Batman and Robin’s job to stop the bad guys, the stories become quite repetitious - the villains get away with it until the three-issue arc structure comes to an end. Batman usually figures out a solution and the story comes to a neat conclusion. It’s very rote.
The exception would be Professor Gorilla who wanted revenge on those who imprisoned him for experiments but even the more interesting characters like the Mutant fall back on the “destroy everything for no reason” motive. If you were the next stage of human evolution, why would you instantly decide that all humanity who isn’t like you must be killed off - where’s the imagination?
Kuwata’s Batman/Bruce Wayne is about the blandest version of the character I’ve ever read. He’s essentially a personality vacuum and his Batman is largely incompetent making Robin all the more valuable to pick up the slack. Kuwata’s Robin/Dick Grayson on the other hand might be my favourite version of the character. In his first scene he yells “HAG!” at an old lady who’s talking to Bruce and, when he’s not in Robin costume, he’s always wearing tuxedos everywhere! A 10 year old kid in a tux as casual wear! I was laughing so much at these scenes, I loved it!
I suppose Kuwata does try to mimic the Adam West Batman show in part. The villains are hammy and always say things like “HAHAHA! You’ll never stop ME, Batman! AHAHAHA!” etc. and the odd joke thrown in here and there did make me chuckle - Robin: “Where is Go-Go?”, Batman: “Looks like he went-went”. They also drive the Batman ‘66 Batmobile which is awesome.
Along with the missing regular villains, a lot of Batman’s supporting cast are absent, notably Alfred. Gordon’s here though his rank keeps fluctuating - in some scenes he’s Inspector Gordon, in others Chief Gordon. Unless they’re variations of Chief Inspector Gordon? Except he’s Commissioner Gordon on the Adam West show and in most of the comics.
Besides the obvious difference of structuring the comics so that they’re read right to left across the page, there’s nothing much to separate this Japanese Batman from most American Batman comics. But like a lot of manga from this time, the characters, especially Bruce and Dick, look like they’re drawn in the Osamu Tezuka style, so that’s the main noticeable Japanese quality to this book. And this book is set in Gotham in case you thought a Japanese Batman comic would transplant the characters to Tokyo or somewhere!
The Batmanga stories are too dull, shallow and forgettable while the dialogue is too corny for me to recommend it. I guess if you like Silver Age comics, this is a lot like them and you might enjoy it, but Batmanga isn’t the lost classic I was hoping it’d be. I’m glad I got to read it though, if only for the novelty aspect, and that’s really the audience for this comic: Batman fans who’re curious to see a long-hidden side to the character.
April 9, 2022
Batman: The Jiro Kuwata Batmanga collects six Batman stories written and illustrated by Jiro Kuwata.
During the Batman TV craze, DC authorized these Japanese Batman manga comics by Jiro Kuwata. This is a weird animal, feeling unlike most Batman comics but still recognizable as a Batman comic. It's not as different as a zebra is from a horse but the feel is a little odd.
The style is '60s manga, warts and all. I love the way Jiro Kuwata's Batman and Robin look. Apart from the '60s Batmobile, greatest of all Batmobiles, and the Batcave, everything else is different or absent. Gordon is an inspector rather than commissioner. Gotham must be in California in this iteration because there's a desert within reasonable driving distance. There's no Alfred, no Joker, no Catwoman, no Penguin, and no Riddler.
In these stories, Batman and Robin battle Lord Death Man, Dr. Faceless, Professor Gorilla, the Human Ball, Go Go The Magician, and a mutant. While Professor Gorilla and Go Go The Magician resemble Flash villains Gorilla Grodd and Weather Wizard, the others are all new. The Human Ball has as suit that lets him bounce like a ball, Lord Death Man cannot die, and Dr. Faceless has a disfigured face. The mutant has powerful psychic abilities.
The dynamic duo, particularly Batman, take a beating in this. Batman even gets shot a couple times. There's a higher than normal weirdness factor but Batman plays everything straight. Batman actually reminds me of how he's portrayed in the recent Scooby Doo comics rather than Adam West.
Batman: The Jiro Kuwata Batmanga, Vol. 1 is a different yet familiar take on Batman's 1960's adventures. Four out of five batarangs.
During the Batman TV craze, DC authorized these Japanese Batman manga comics by Jiro Kuwata. This is a weird animal, feeling unlike most Batman comics but still recognizable as a Batman comic. It's not as different as a zebra is from a horse but the feel is a little odd.
The style is '60s manga, warts and all. I love the way Jiro Kuwata's Batman and Robin look. Apart from the '60s Batmobile, greatest of all Batmobiles, and the Batcave, everything else is different or absent. Gordon is an inspector rather than commissioner. Gotham must be in California in this iteration because there's a desert within reasonable driving distance. There's no Alfred, no Joker, no Catwoman, no Penguin, and no Riddler.
In these stories, Batman and Robin battle Lord Death Man, Dr. Faceless, Professor Gorilla, the Human Ball, Go Go The Magician, and a mutant. While Professor Gorilla and Go Go The Magician resemble Flash villains Gorilla Grodd and Weather Wizard, the others are all new. The Human Ball has as suit that lets him bounce like a ball, Lord Death Man cannot die, and Dr. Faceless has a disfigured face. The mutant has powerful psychic abilities.
The dynamic duo, particularly Batman, take a beating in this. Batman even gets shot a couple times. There's a higher than normal weirdness factor but Batman plays everything straight. Batman actually reminds me of how he's portrayed in the recent Scooby Doo comics rather than Adam West.
Batman: The Jiro Kuwata Batmanga, Vol. 1 is a different yet familiar take on Batman's 1960's adventures. Four out of five batarangs.
February 16, 2015
I was browsing through ComiXology, when I came across the Batmanga by Jiro Kuwata. I was absolutely fascinated by the idea of two of my favorite things, Japanese media and Batman stories, being put together. With that in mind, I decided to purchase the first volume.
This is a bit different from what American Batman fans might expect. You won't find any of the same villains that are in American comics, even for the time in the sixties when this was published. This series was originally written and published in Japan at the time of the original Adam West television show, which was syndicated in Japan at the time. There are, however, various expies of DC villains, such as characters similar to Gorilla Grodd and the Weather Wizard.
The big notion that the mangaka (writer and artist of manga) wanted to push was the idea of Batman as a science hero. Oh, he uses his brawn and fighting abilities in the stories, but primarily he uses his head. In a way (I say "in a way" since Bats is currently more broadly intellectual), it presages the development that the character underwent the past two decades under the pen of comic writer Grant Morrison. Under Morrison, Batman wasn't the best of everything, just very good and used his head and planned well. Today, Bruce is very good, but more of a strategist than the greatest martial artist and scientist and everything else he was in the past.
Some have commented on the youthfulness of this Batman and Robin. Especially Bruce Wayne seems to be mid-twenties at the oldest. You wonder when he became Batman in the first place. Despite the age difference between here and on the show, this was very much influenced by the Adam West TV show in the fact that the police are seemingly helpless without the dynamic duo. Not helpless in the idea that Gotham needs Batman, but helpless as in the police are portrayed as not able to do much without Batman's expertise and orders.
To me, it was nostalgia for the reruns I watched as a kid. I really enjoyed the series, and not for the reasons I thought I would. There were none of the manga tropes I'm used to seeing. Well, not many. Nevertheless, it was an interesting book from another culture and era. The black and white art and few color pages were also kind of cool, and while they are not the quality of some of the great artists in the 1980's onward, they were very crisp as the commentaries at the end stated. The panels got across the action very nicely. I am looking forward to volume 2 of this historical Batmanga. I wonder what other expies of DC villains Kuwata used, since he seemed to not use DC villains, but only original character villains. At least, this is the case so far.
Highly recommended.
This is a bit different from what American Batman fans might expect. You won't find any of the same villains that are in American comics, even for the time in the sixties when this was published. This series was originally written and published in Japan at the time of the original Adam West television show, which was syndicated in Japan at the time. There are, however, various expies of DC villains, such as characters similar to Gorilla Grodd and the Weather Wizard.
The big notion that the mangaka (writer and artist of manga) wanted to push was the idea of Batman as a science hero. Oh, he uses his brawn and fighting abilities in the stories, but primarily he uses his head. In a way (I say "in a way" since Bats is currently more broadly intellectual), it presages the development that the character underwent the past two decades under the pen of comic writer Grant Morrison. Under Morrison, Batman wasn't the best of everything, just very good and used his head and planned well. Today, Bruce is very good, but more of a strategist than the greatest martial artist and scientist and everything else he was in the past.
Some have commented on the youthfulness of this Batman and Robin. Especially Bruce Wayne seems to be mid-twenties at the oldest. You wonder when he became Batman in the first place. Despite the age difference between here and on the show, this was very much influenced by the Adam West TV show in the fact that the police are seemingly helpless without the dynamic duo. Not helpless in the idea that Gotham needs Batman, but helpless as in the police are portrayed as not able to do much without Batman's expertise and orders.
To me, it was nostalgia for the reruns I watched as a kid. I really enjoyed the series, and not for the reasons I thought I would. There were none of the manga tropes I'm used to seeing. Well, not many. Nevertheless, it was an interesting book from another culture and era. The black and white art and few color pages were also kind of cool, and while they are not the quality of some of the great artists in the 1980's onward, they were very crisp as the commentaries at the end stated. The panels got across the action very nicely. I am looking forward to volume 2 of this historical Batmanga. I wonder what other expies of DC villains Kuwata used, since he seemed to not use DC villains, but only original character villains. At least, this is the case so far.
Highly recommended.
December 21, 2020
This was a fun time! It was like watching the Adam West Batman show. This bind-up was a collection of episodic stories, and every villain was hysterical. The art is really unique, and it’s just mindless fun. Recommended if you need a good laugh and something light. 4/5 stars.
September 6, 2023
An entertaining take on Batman that is completely in-line with the depiction of the Caped Crusader in the '60s. Tonally, Batmanga fits perfectly with the Adam West version of the character, so one's enjoyment of this really comes down to how much they enjoy the campier take. Outside of Robin, none of the staple Batman characters make an appearance. There's no Alfred, no Gordon, no Joker, etc. and even Gotham City is distinctively more brutalist rather than gothic in aesthetic. The various stories collected in this first volume include all new villains like Lord Death Man, Dr. Faceless, Professor Gorilla, the Human Ball and Go Go the Magician. Jiro Kuwata's approach to telling Batman stories involves molding the '60s campiness under the gekiga aesthetic to deliver something both silly and strange. The stories barely make sense but also have an oddly satisfying sense of awkwardness to them that sort of just works. The individual tales aren't the most memorable, but I'd say the sensation of reading this unique enough to warrant recommending others to give this a shot as well.
August 27, 2015
What more can I say, except this was a weird-ass ride. You got to love it for what it is. We're going to discuss the recent Batmanga editions on this month's manga show of the podcast.
October 14, 2017
I’ve always loved manga. I’ve always loved Batman. The two of them together? An interesting idea but has not worked well in more recent years.
“Child of Dreams” and “Death Mask” were two examples in more recent years of Japanese manga artists doing their take on Batman. The problem is however, they didn’t really feel like mangas. It felt more like Japanese artists doing American comics. Death Mask definitely has the physical look of a traditional manga, but you open it up and it’s really more of just a typical Batman story with Japanese art. It doesn’t feel like it was written or published in Japan. This however, is a completely different story.
This has more of a traditional manga feel, and yet at the same time Jiro Kuwata did borrow some things from the 60’s hit television series. The designs of the vehicles and the costumes of Batman and Robin were clearly influenced from the show, as well as the campy and humorous tone. But what makes this better than the more recent Batman mangas, and a true standout from the silver age of DC comics, is the fact that this does not feel in anyway Americanized. Kuwata has completely reimagined Batman and Robin, so much so that he does not even use any of the American villains, instead he creates his own goofy rogues gallery. And these villains are just as likable and ridiculous as the villains of the 60s show.
Overall this was a super entertaining read, with amazing art work and cheesy good fun stories. If you love the 60s show, be sure to check this out.
“Child of Dreams” and “Death Mask” were two examples in more recent years of Japanese manga artists doing their take on Batman. The problem is however, they didn’t really feel like mangas. It felt more like Japanese artists doing American comics. Death Mask definitely has the physical look of a traditional manga, but you open it up and it’s really more of just a typical Batman story with Japanese art. It doesn’t feel like it was written or published in Japan. This however, is a completely different story.
This has more of a traditional manga feel, and yet at the same time Jiro Kuwata did borrow some things from the 60’s hit television series. The designs of the vehicles and the costumes of Batman and Robin were clearly influenced from the show, as well as the campy and humorous tone. But what makes this better than the more recent Batman mangas, and a true standout from the silver age of DC comics, is the fact that this does not feel in anyway Americanized. Kuwata has completely reimagined Batman and Robin, so much so that he does not even use any of the American villains, instead he creates his own goofy rogues gallery. And these villains are just as likable and ridiculous as the villains of the 60s show.
Overall this was a super entertaining read, with amazing art work and cheesy good fun stories. If you love the 60s show, be sure to check this out.
February 17, 2015
So happy to get this in a real version, not "Chip Kidd taking credit for other artists' hard work" edition. These are stories with the Adam West Batman in mind, filtered through the lens of a time period of Tezuka and company. They're sometimes a bit on the silly side, but the villains, like the death-defying Mr. Death Man and an intelligent gorilla that has nothing to do with Grodd are extremely well thought out. Kuwata doesn't quite know what to do with Robin, however. The art style reminds me strongly of Tezuka, and the pacing/plotting works very well for a superhero comic. Great fun and highly recommended.
May 29, 2018
This was recommended to me and I enjoyed it, the illustrations, the serial style presentation, it was a very fun little romp. The only thing I have to do better is read more Manga, because at least 20 times in the course of reading this book I read it the wrong way and was momentarily confused.
shoutout to Lesilee for the recommendation!
shoutout to Lesilee for the recommendation!
December 21, 2024
3.5 stars.
December 2, 2014
This is one of those books that's either so bad that it's good, or it's a good attempt at homage. Regardless, it's a book that Batman fans will enjoy reading.
July 19, 2020
Holy Death Man Batman!
A fun read to be sure, this is a vision of Adam West-era Batman, offbeat and charming but just a touch darker and weirder than anything that version of Batman ever produced.
This first volume is comprised of mostly three-part tales, introducing a mostly original set of characters and villains headlined by the always fabulously titled Lord Death Man. The character design is great and there is a real sense of life and motion from panel to panel.
The writing is light and breezy but definitely plays second fiddle to the distinctive artistic efforts on show. It manages to be very much a product of its time whilst anticipating the weirder stuff that was to come later with the character.
In summary it's a worthy read and a fun snapshot of the character as interpreted by a different culture.
A fun read to be sure, this is a vision of Adam West-era Batman, offbeat and charming but just a touch darker and weirder than anything that version of Batman ever produced.
This first volume is comprised of mostly three-part tales, introducing a mostly original set of characters and villains headlined by the always fabulously titled Lord Death Man. The character design is great and there is a real sense of life and motion from panel to panel.
The writing is light and breezy but definitely plays second fiddle to the distinctive artistic efforts on show. It manages to be very much a product of its time whilst anticipating the weirder stuff that was to come later with the character.
In summary it's a worthy read and a fun snapshot of the character as interpreted by a different culture.
April 16, 2018
Of course, being the Batman fanatic that I am, I HAD to read this eventually.
It's got five stories in here, which read like the golden age of Batman comics--though you wont get your iconic villains such as Joker or Two-Face; the villains are original in their own sense, although one reminded me of Gorilla Grodd, or at least was inspired.
The Batman and Robin are NOT like the Batman and Robin of today. He reminds me of a mash up of Adam West's Batman and Batman: the Brave and the Bold, a very brighter, lighter, very Captain Convenient type of Batman.
It's got five stories in here, which read like the golden age of Batman comics--though you wont get your iconic villains such as Joker or Two-Face; the villains are original in their own sense, although one reminded me of Gorilla Grodd, or at least was inspired.
The Batman and Robin are NOT like the Batman and Robin of today. He reminds me of a mash up of Adam West's Batman and Batman: the Brave and the Bold, a very brighter, lighter, very Captain Convenient type of Batman.
February 3, 2025
The first few stories are rather boring and non-descript (though Dr. Faceless features the most idiotic “perfect crime” I’ve ever seen), but later stories go a lot farther out (keep an eye out for the gorilla turning to terrorism with hundreds dead to teach mankind to be kind to animals) and really won me over.
June 15, 2018
While it is super sweet, and nostalgic, filled with 70's camp and charm. It is kinda of repetitive, very much your baddy of the week kinda of format. It can get old quickly. But if you love old school nostalgia, or just as a Batman fan, I do recommend it.
June 22, 2019
This graphic novel is cursed. Read at your own risk. Only certain types of people will enjoy this... Fans of low quality absurd tales rejoice!
October 20, 2019
I enjoyed seeing Batman and Robin in a classic manga art style. ~ Lizzie :)
January 10, 2024
Super cheesy and definitely a Batman collection of the 1960s. While I was entertained, I don't think I'll commit to reading the other volumes.
July 23, 2017
3.5/5
December 10, 2014
Oh I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed these stories. This is old 1960s detective Batman chasing after bad guys, no superheroes in sight. We never have any indication whether Batman & Robin are in the US or Japan. Japan is mentioned once and we do know they are in Gotham, but the where is not certain. B&R are loads of fun just like in the campy '60s show. Their appearance in costume is pretty much what we'd be used to in the '60s but their real life persona's are a little different. Both have a tiny Japanese air about them, though the art is not modern manga in any way. Bruce Wayne is very young. Twenty-five would be a reach and he's got a Frankie Avalon swoon-worthy look, while Dick Grayson is this little kid who wears a tuxedo all the time. The book is perfectly All Ages safe except for the intriguing habit of making the villain say "dammit" about once in every chapter. B&R just say "darn". Each story is about 3 chapters long and the Dynamic Duo meet some strange criminals in this alternate Japanese reality. First, we come across Lord Deathman. Can he really make himself dead whenever he wants? Its an easy way to get out of being arrested. Next is Dr. Faceless, a scientist who gets trapped in his own experiment and has his face removed going insane running around town trying to remove faces from everything including people and clocks. The Human Ball is a scientist who invented a substance that repels objects and bounces; he makes a suit of it and wants to sell to the highest bidder, but Batman and Robin are out to stop him from selling it to an International spy. Next a professor trying to gain a gorilla's strength accidentally swaps him his own intelligence, then Karmak, the Gorilla sets off to exact his revenge against mankind for its mistreatment of animals. Another scientific based theme, which has a device that can control the weather, has Go Go the Magician using it to his advantage to steal the treasures of Gotham. The Dynamic Duo have a hard time going up against the weather. Finally the last story is different; it's longer, being four chapters instead of three and so far all the stories have been about normal criminals or scientific devices that while improbable are not actually impossible. This time though we have a mutant gene and Batman and Robin find themselves face to face with a completely non-human villain. This one was heavy on the theme of heroics and probably my favourite of the lot. I really enjoyed this manga. It was a lot like reading classic Batman but set in an alternate reality, very campy, fun and the villains all laughed "Wa ha ha ha ha!" Fun!
April 5, 2015
Well that was fun. Even if the text is over 50 years old, it was still a pleasure to experience. I particularly took a liking to the many awesomely Japanese villians.
Lord Death Man!
The Human Ball!
The Man Who Quit Being Human!
You can't get any better than this.
While some of the writing is incredibly dated, I found it easier to read through than say some of the Marvel Avengers work of the 1960's.
But what really made me enjoy this read was the artwork. The full-color covers of each issue are incredible, explosive, and endearingly retro. Any one of those covers would look kick-ass behind a black frame. Even the panel pages were great eye candy as well. Oldies but goodies, I say.
Lord Death Man!
The Human Ball!
The Man Who Quit Being Human!
You can't get any better than this.
While some of the writing is incredibly dated, I found it easier to read through than say some of the Marvel Avengers work of the 1960's.
But what really made me enjoy this read was the artwork. The full-color covers of each issue are incredible, explosive, and endearingly retro. Any one of those covers would look kick-ass behind a black frame. Even the panel pages were great eye candy as well. Oldies but goodies, I say.
February 2, 2017
Do you like Batman? Do you like Manga? Then this is a slam dunk.
In the 60s, a publishing house in Japan obtained the rights to do a Batman comic. The stories are pretty simple and repetitive, but every action shot of Batman is gorgeous.
Jiro Kuwata has entered my list of top five Batman artists. The supporting characters are all cardboard, but he draws Batman like he was born to it.
Highly recommended to Batman fans and manga fans.
In the 60s, a publishing house in Japan obtained the rights to do a Batman comic. The stories are pretty simple and repetitive, but every action shot of Batman is gorgeous.
Jiro Kuwata has entered my list of top five Batman artists. The supporting characters are all cardboard, but he draws Batman like he was born to it.
Highly recommended to Batman fans and manga fans.
December 18, 2014
These are manga Batman adventures from the 1960's. If you like manga and/or you want to read all things Batman, you are likely to enjoy this collection of 19 chapters. There will be two more collections coming from DC in the future, so there is many more strange villains for Batman and Robin to defeat!
April 23, 2015
This was a whole lot of fun, a Japanese manga version of 60's Batman. The stories are all three arcs long and the clean black and white art really pops. If you like a lighter take on Batman and Robin, this is not to be missed.
January 23, 2019
If you’re looking for an Adam West-Esc Batman romp. This is something you dont take seriously and enjoy the ride. The last story is the best one. Frickin crazy but fun.
November 29, 2021
Wow, this really surprised me. I recently inherited this book when a friend moved out of town and I gained some books and graphic novels and as I've started going through them, I understood why he was giving many of them away (and why I'm doing the same once I finish with them). So did enter this with low expectations. But what a fun surprise. Yes, it's silly, but not campy like the show. It's really the perfect kids comic for Batman with fun, lovable action and mysteries.
The last story, while the villain was certainly interesting, it did drown in its own exposition which was repeated (never needed in a story that short). The reasons the villain (a human transforms into a powerful mutant) reacts the way he does is quite over the top, but otherwise, these stories were really fun.
The gorilla story was also a bit sad since it addresses the exploitation of animals and then Batman, toward the end, says, "You stupid gorilla!" At least Batman makes up for it on the last page when he says we have to treat humans with kindness and compassion.
Speaking of the gorilla, there was a lot of inventiveness in the costumes and gadgets. The batcopter had a great futuristic look to it and Batman carried a tranquilizer that was a spinning disc. Some really fun images and villains and it was such a thrill to be surprised by it.
I really wish you could give half stars because four seems kinda high and three too low. 3.5 would be just right so I rounded up as I often do.
The last story, while the villain was certainly interesting, it did drown in its own exposition which was repeated (never needed in a story that short). The reasons the villain (a human transforms into a powerful mutant) reacts the way he does is quite over the top, but otherwise, these stories were really fun.
The gorilla story was also a bit sad since it addresses the exploitation of animals and then Batman, toward the end, says, "You stupid gorilla!" At least Batman makes up for it on the last page when he says we have to treat humans with kindness and compassion.
Speaking of the gorilla, there was a lot of inventiveness in the costumes and gadgets. The batcopter had a great futuristic look to it and Batman carried a tranquilizer that was a spinning disc. Some really fun images and villains and it was such a thrill to be surprised by it.
I really wish you could give half stars because four seems kinda high and three too low. 3.5 would be just right so I rounded up as I often do.
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