Batman '66 Meets The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

Batman '66 #7

by Jeff Parker, David Hahn (Illustrator)

In this globe-trotting adventure, BATMAN '66 MEETS THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. team up to stop the world dominating orginization T.H.R.U.S.H. who has recruited Gotham's most infamous villains. The dynamic duo must work together to stop these evil-doers while keeping their secret identities. Guest appearances by the Boy Wonder and Batgirl!
Collects BATMAN '66 MEETS THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. #1-6

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

144 pages, Paperback

Published April 18, 2017

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Good timing, 'Wonder Boy'!" -- Illya Kuryakin, agent of U.N.C.L.E., remarking on the timely arrival of the Batmobile

"It's 'Boy Wonder.' This car IS bulletproof, right?" -- Napoleon Solo, agent of U.N.C.L.E.

"Golly, I sure hope so!" -- Robin, said 'boy wonder'

Holy crossover event! The Batman '66 series finally gets it right! Now, I've mildly liked those earlier volumes - Batman & Robin stories using the line-up of villains from the 1966-1968 live-action TV series starring Adam West and Burt Ward - but with Batman '66 Meets the Man from U.N.C.L.E. things happily coalesce into that more perfect union of sorts by featuring the ensemble casts of TWO shows that ruled the U.S. airwaves in the mid-60's. The urbane Napoleon Solo and the mop-topped Ilya Kuryakin - our handsomely intrepid operatives from the United Network Command for Law & Enforcement - team with the 'Bat' family (Batgirl is happily included in the plot this time around) on an international jaunt to track down six criminal escapees from the Arkham Asylum. While the main villain reveal is none too exciting - owing to the Law of Economy of Characters and/or the obvious mad scientist vibes - it was the little references or details that made this volume a lot of fun. Agent Solo using an alias that connects to actor Robert Vaughn's later role in Superman III? Butler Alfred Pennyworth and U.N.C.L.E. chief of operations Alexander Waverly knowing each other from their much younger days working together in British military intelligence? I would hazard a guess that scribe Jeff Parker had as great a time penning this action-adventure storyline as I did reading it.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here's a fun graphic novel combining two lightweight TV shows from the 1960s. No dark & brooding superheroes here, just plenty of camp fun.
Batman's enemies from Arkham Asylum join forces with UNCLE's old adversaries from THRUSH in an action packed adventure that's a nice tribute to two popular TV shows from the past. So, put your atomic batteries to power & open Channel D for fun with a capital F.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

This crossover works surprisingly well. Batman's rogues gallery gets recruited by T.H.R.U.S.H. so Batman, Robin, and Batgirl team up with Napoleon Solo to stop them. Parker does a great job of juggling all the characters. He has me looking forward to crossovers with other 60's TV shows. Maybe we'll see a Batman '66 Meets Emma Peel or Mission: Impossible.

[Steve Maxwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two great shows from the 60s. A lot of fun, very light relief. Everyone needs a break from reality now and then.

[Jesse A · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately a bit dull.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read, Batman and UNCLE together.

[Cyn McDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

This gets 4 stars just for being fun, silly, and nostalgic. I can totally see this being a crossover episode -- probably a two-parter with a cliffhanger in the middle.

[Madison Cohen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this so much but are we really surprised

[Cassandra Elise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a fan of 1960's Batman since I was a kid, and I've been enjoying this series of comics immensely. I also recently got into watching the Man from U.N.C.L.E., so when I went to the bookstore and saw this crossover comic, I literally grabbed it off the shelf and shouted, "Mine!"

While sometimes I'm not the biggest fan of Jeff Parker's stories (he has a tendency to get a little too comic-bookish and doesn't keep to the essence of the 60's show), I was not disappointed in this book. Everyone is true to character, and I was glad to see not only Batman and Robin helping out Agents Solo and Kuryakin, but also my personal favorite Batgirl. There are also plenty of in-jokes and nods to both Batman and Man from U.N.C.L.E. throughout the series.

If I had one complaint, it would be the artist's interpretation of the characters, especially for the two U.N.C.L.E. agents. Napoleon looks like "generic brunette agent," and Illya is "generic blonde agent." It almost seems like the comic couldn't get permission to use Robert Vaughn and David McCallum's images, so they went with as non-descriptive of characters as possible.

Other than that, I really enjoyed the book and wouldn't mind seeing another team-up of the two fandoms in the future.

[John Yelverton · Rating 4 out of 5]

When you think about possible crossovers with the 1966 television show version of Batman, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. does not leap to the top of that list. That being said, the author did a really good job trying to tie together the two shows.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weit weg von einer gelungenen Synthese zweier Kultserien der 60er!

[Ben Truong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Batman '66 Meets the Man From U.N.C.L.E. is a six-issue miniseries that details the team-up of the Terrific Trio with secret agents Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin from the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement (U.N.C.L.E.) when a sinister agent of T.H.R.U.S.H. released Poison Ivy, Egghead, Mister Freeze, Sandman, Scarecrow, and Siren from Arkham Asylum. U.N.C.L.E. believes they know who is mastermind is – Bruce Wayne. This trade paperback collects all six issues in the 2014 mini-series.

T.H.R.U.S.H. is a collective of independent agents bent on destabilizing order and using that to establish control. This collective consider themselves as a Ghost Nation – existing everywhere and nowhere. With no centralized chain of command, but instead an ever-changing council. T.H.R.U.S.H. agent Corvid not only frees six criminals from Arkham Asylum, but also offers them a job with T.H.R.U.S.H. under him. He also recruits Olga, Queen of Cossacks.

Working together, the Terrific Trio and Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin, discovers where the freed six criminals were staying – Monte Carlo. Revealing his identity as Bruce Wayne, he goes undercover to attend a party being thrown by the royals of Monaco, while the others follow him to find T.H.R.U.S.H.'s secret headquarters and the master behind this scheme. To their surprise, Corvid was Hugo Strange, lead psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum.

Jeff Parker penned the entire series and for the most part, it was written rather well. It captured the sixties series rather well, without being over the top in campiness, and merge two different television series rather well. It is a tad darker than I anticipated, but not significantly that the charm of the original story is missed or overwhelmed. Unlike the previous stories in the Batman '66 universe where there are several short stories within a chapter, this mini-series is one story over six issues.

David Hahn penciled the entire trade paperback with some help from Pasquale Qualando for three chapters (the third, fourth, and sixth chapters) and because he was the main penciler, the artistic flow of the trade paperback flowed exceptionally well. I rather enjoyed her penciling style, which brought the superheroes to life and stayed true to their sixties counterparts.

All in all, Batman '66 Meets the Man From U.N.C.L.E. is written and conceived rather well. It is an interesting story of having the Terrific Trio team up with secret agents from U.N.C.L.E. I hope that they will team up for another adventure soon.

[Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun cross-over of two 1960's television icons, and is the direct result of Warner Bros. releasing the Man From U.N.C.L.E. movie last year. This was actually a fun idea that really tripped the triggers of older fans and had a hook into younger fans who are only now getting to experience the old Batman TV show on DVD and the U.N.C.L.E. characters in the new movie.

THRUSH, the main antagonist organization from the U.N.C.L.E. TV show, has a new leader who decides to recruit new operatives from among Batman's rogues gallery. Setting them about several nefarious tasks, he trains them to work together and up the threat to the world beyond Gotham City. Of course, this forces an allegiance between Batman and the agents from U.N.C.L.E.

Overall, I had fun with this. You get to see a lot of characters interact that would never have been possible on 60's TV. The story was pretty heavily weighted on the side of Batman, his allies and his enemies, though, making me feel the U.N.C.L.E. boys were a little short-changed. The plot kind of loses its way about halfway through the series, and any overall villainous schemes are sidelined after the identity of THRUSH's new leader is revealed. There are definitely some great bits that echo back to the secret agent era such as a couple of clever gadgets, laser death traps, and even the inclusion of an undersea base! I could completely visualize this as a movie along the lines of the Batman movie from the time. You can tell that was absolutely Jeff Parker's intention.

While it was a pleasant little distraction, it wasn't compelling enough to be incredibly memorable beyond its novelty status. Fun concept, entertainingly executed, but very much popcorn for the mind!

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

A crossover of two iconic 1960s TV series, here the Adam West version of Batman (and Burt Ward's Robin) teams up with international secret agents Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin. Their efforts have been combined to defeat a plot by the sinister group T.H.R.U.S.H. which involves a number of escaped inmates from Arkham Institute including the Penguin, Scarecrow, Poison Ivy and Mister Freeze.

Although I grew up in the 80s, I watched a lot of repeats of old TV series, with the 60s Batman being a particular favourite. I also used to watch The Man from U.N.C.L.E. with my mum and dad, who'd watched it themselves when it had originally been on (in fact, my mum freely admits to a crush on David McCallum's Illya Kuryakin). This crossover then is a nice bit of nostalgia for anyone who loved those classic TV shows.

I'm not so sure that there's anything particularly interesting here for anyone who hasn't seen those shows, however. The plot is a fairly straightforward mash-up of the James Bond-esque plots of The Man from... mixed with the outlandish villainy familiar to the Batman series. It's not bad, but it also doesn't break any new ground (the villains even have a cliché underwater base).

One thing which I did enjoy (and was missing from the other 'Batman '66' book I've read so far) was seeing 60s versions of Batman characters who never appeared on the actual TV show, such as Poison Ivy and Scarecrow. It adds a dimension to the conceit of the 'Batman '66' series which I feel it really needed to be fresh.

* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *

[tony dillard jr · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a new operative of the criminal organization THRUSH frees all of the inmates from Arkham, Batman and Robin must join forces with the Man from UNCLE!

Jeff Parker returns to the Batman '66 universe in this 2016 crossover! All of your classic television favorites are here including Batgirl, Egghead, Napoleon Solo, and Soviet agent Illya Kuryakin. (Man, did my mom have a crush on him!) There's even a few 'modern' villains such as Poison Ivy and a mystery player involved. Sorry- I can't spoil it! (But I can tell you- I saw the plot twist from a mile away!)

Other than what my mother has told me about the Man From UNCLE, I have never seen the show. But my mom was what you would call a super-fan of the show. So, I think I have a decent idea of what sort of flow to expect from the UNCLE characters. Considering that the Batman '66 segments fit very well with that show's personality, I would say that Jeff Parker did an admirable job combining the two franchises.

My favorite part of this book was the art. David Hahn (Suicide Girls) does a fine job at capturing the Batman '66 look of both the show and comic book series. But of course, more than anything, I dug Madman's Mike Allred's groovy covers. I really want to see him take on a 4-issue crossover between Batman '66 and Star Trek '66- and not just the covers. I think it would be wild!

Great fun for those nostalgic fans of classic TV and classic comic books!

[Patrick Thornton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy Napoleon, Batman! This is one groovy crossover between two of the most swinging shows of the sixties!
Seriously, though, if you're a fan of the 1966 Batman TV series and/or the Man from U.N.C.L.E., this is the book for you. The worlds of the '66 Batman series and the Man from U.N.C.L.E. fit together wonderfully (including a nice touch of Alfred and Waverly being old friends from British Intelligence). The artwork is clear and well-drawn, with the characters being instantly recognisable without looking too much like the actors that played them, avoiding uncanny valley.
Sure, the plot and the characters aren't particulary deep, but it captures the feeling of both the Batman TV Show and the Man from U.N.C.L.E., and really does feel the crossover between the two shows.
If there is a downside, it's that the big reveal of the Big Bad is pretty easy to guess early on for Batman fans, and that Batgirl and Robin don't really get to do much. Batgirl especially could be cut from the book and not a thing would be changed.
Overall, a great book for fans of these two 60s classics, and I for one wouldn't mind seeing DC and writer Jeff Parker resurrect the Man from U.N.C.L.E. in their own comic.

[Ángel Javier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entretenidísimo cruce entre el auténtico Batman y Napoleón Solo, el agente de C.I.P.O.L. (U.N.C.L.E. en el original), a los que acompañan, claro está, Robin, Batgirl e Illya Kuryakin, el impasible y cínico espía soviético camarada de Solo. Contra ellos, nada más y nada menos que Cabeza de Huevo, el Espantapájaros, Hiedra Venenosa, Sandman, Olga la Cosaca, Mr. Hielo y la Sirena, respaldados por la organización criminal T.H.R.U.S.H. y su enigmático líder, cuya identidad será una sorpresa mayúscula, aunque no tanto para los lectores de la más que recomendable serie Batman '66… y hasta ahí puedo leer.

Jeff Parker está, como siempre, fantástico en los guiones, en tanto que los dibujantes mantienen el tono entre estilizado y caricaturesco que caracterizaba a la serie regular, ajustándose a la atmósfera de la historia como un guante. Realmente, no se le puede pedir más a estas aventuras creadas para disfrute de los nostálgicos de una era más inocente y divertida, excepto que continúen con los cruces de nuestro querido Bruno Díaz con los más pintorescos habitantes de su nostálgico universo de ficción.

[Sheldon Wiebe · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not sure that teaming the campy Batman of the TV series with the not so campy spies of The Man From U.N.C.L.E was a good idea - even as a basic concept.

Batman '66 Meets The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is a tonally disjointed tale of the titular protagonists battling Batman's TV rogues gallery who have been drafted by THRUSH.

When the story centers on Batman and Robin, the tone is pretty accurate; when Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin are featured, the tone is pretty accurate. The problem comes when all four are working together - the camp of Batman and the not camp of Solo and Kuryakin come together in a way that saps each of their original appeal.

The plot is fun and the art is more than decent, but the merging of incongruent styles is, even with each being watered down in actual crossover chapters, is still jarring. And not in a good way.

The good part is that I found Batman '66 meets the Man From U.N.C.L.E. in a Dollarama for $4. It was, barely, worth that.

[Andy Hickman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Batman ’66 Meets the Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Quirky and camp, this retro series is charming and cheesy. ***

1 – The Batman Affair, chapter 1 – Deathtraps & Lairs
2 – “Oh no! The deadliest criminals in the world, all loose at the same time?”
3 - The Batman Affair, chapter 2 – Bruce Wayne, Agent of T.H.R.U.S.H.?
4 – “Can nothing stop this new alliance of evil?”
5 - The Batman Affair, chapter 3 – Cast a Wide Net. “It’s kinda .. CREEPY, don’tcha think?”
6 – “Then how do we infiltrate?”
7 - The Batman Affair, chapter 4 – A Familiar Face. “Bruce Wayne! ...”
8 – “Oh no! What deep-sea psychology does Dr Hugo have planned for our heroes?”
9 - The Batman Affair, chapter 5 – The Incredible Hugo Strange. “I knew you’d figure it out too late, Batman.”
10 – “The combined hope of the free world .. dinner for a gargantuan octopus!”
11 - The Batman Affair, chapter 6 – A Plan is Hatched
12 – “Gentlemen, I think we made quite a team.” – Batman
…………………………..

[Jaylen]

I rated Book Title by Author five stars because it exceeded my expectations, and I couldn’t put it down. I felt this way because the wording really just kept me on the book, it was super interesting on how the words would sound out in your head, like your reading an accent. The book really did live up to my expectations cause when you think of fighting villains you think of the main superheroes and batman is one of them and he is by far my favorite so that made it even better. The book is important because it shows the care between the hero and a bunch of random people. I think I would read another book from that author because I like how the book is a comic and how the author writes. I also recommend this book to others because i think everyone else would enjoy this book like i did

[Rosemarie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun read. I loved the Batman TV series when I was a kid, I never watched Man for UNCLE, but I know the overall premise of the series. It has the feeling of the 60's series without some of the over the top camp, and includes Batgirl and a lot of Batman's great villains, but it takes you outside the familiar Gotham City and adds the aspect of international espionage. I did like that they showed that Solo and Batman had very different takes on how to deal with evil doers, Batman's reaction to Solo's idea that they kill them all was funny. Overall, a light read, nothing too serious, but still enjoyable.

[Genevieve Paquette · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lucky Dollarama find. I got a big kick out of this. While I've never actually seen the Man From U.N.C.L.E., I absolutely loved (and still love) Batman '66. The reruns on YTV when I was a kid, along with BtAS, are what got me into comics.
But yes, I have a huge soft spot for '66, and I loved the comics. The art was just perfect, and the stories had just the right tone.
This was a lot of fun. They integrated the agents of U.N.C.L.E. seamlessly, with a plot involving a criminal mastermind with plans of world domination. The art was flashy and fun, the fight scenes particularly dynamic, and the little details were great.
Yeah, this was a gem.

[reveurdart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lot of fun and highly recommended for fans of both classic 1960s tv shows. The illustrations were stylistically spot on, I think, even if the characters in the way they are drawn don't look like the actors. Stylistically the illustrations capture the style and atmosphere of both shows. Storywise it was just a lot of fun and great, really.

Also, it made me want to rewatch both shows which is always a good thing. (I did end up watching Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders (2016) for the first time last night, so there is that.)

[Tony Calder · Rating 4 out of 5]

This graphic novel reprints the limited series from 2016, which combines two popular TV shows of the 60s. Although it's fair to say that this is more of a Batman story than a Napoleon Solo story.

This is a fun story, and it features all the classic vehicles from the Batman TV show - the classic Batmobile, the Bat-copter, the Bat-boat, and it introduces the Bat-sub. Even the Bat-shark-repellent makes a cameo appearance.

If you're a fan of the TV show, or even just have nostalgic feelings about it, this is certainly worth a read.

[Gregory · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great team up from 2 shows that influenced the 1960's. Parker does a fantastic job to keep the continuity alive with both characters and not taking away their individuality. Its not too serious and fun that is accessible for both adults and young readers. I cannot complain about the artwork which is excellent.
I would love to see both characters team up again. RIP to Yvonne Craig, Robert Vaughan, and Adam West.

[Rex Libris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Graphic novel mashup that brings Batman and the men from UNCLE together. One of the baddies from THRUSH, or the evil organization in the UNCLE series, busts out a number of top villains from Gotham City's Arkham Asylum. Together, this massed evil plans to take over the world. To combat the evil group, Batman, Robin, Batgirl, Solo, and Kuryakin team up together.

[Zachary King · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great fun! This book teams up two classic 60s shows, ties up a loose thread from the Batman ‘66 comic, and hints at a sequel with grace. My only complaint is that the UNCLE crew felt more like guest stars than equal co-leads. Loved seeing a range of Bat-villains, only some of whom originally appeared on the show.

[James Bowman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun team-up of two 1960s pop-culture icons. This admittedly reads more like a Batman adventure with the UNCLE characters as supporting cast, but it's still entertaining throughout. Of note, the author makes sure to explain some of the UNCLE stuff, so readers unfamiliar with UNCLE are brought up to speed... something more crossovers ought to do when one of the franchises is less famous. (B+)

[Paul Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice job with this collection. One story throughout and interesting, too boot. Good blend of the U.N.C.L.E. and the Bats Family characters. I only wish there were more of these crossovers in the future.

[Serena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had forgotten how very campy and ridiculous and just . . . lighthearted, melodramatic fun of '60s Batman - this definitely embodies that, along with the spy adventure melodrama of U.N.C.L.E. (Though I am only familiar with the movie and not the old TV series.)