Batman: The Silver Age Omnibus Vol. 1

by Bill Finger, Sheldon Moldoff (Illustrator)

The iconic tales of Batman from the classic Silver Age collected for the first time in this incredible omnibus!

The Caped Crusader is known for protecting the streets of Gotham from the villains who wish to cause harm. Follow along on some of his most adventurous tales in The Silver Age Omnibus Vol. 1 collecting Batman #101-116 and Detective Comics #233-257!
 

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

728 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 1958

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

[Little Timmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great collection of these Batman stories I remember reading as a kid. Nice enjoyable reads. Recommended

[Bill Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Depending on your age, this is your grandparents' Batman, or your parents' Batman, or -- if you're my age -- the Batman you read when you were very young and he's nothing like any Batman that came after him. DC has kept these comics pretty much tucked out of sight for over 40 years, reprinting earlier stories from the Golden Age or later ones from the eras that followed the characters' transformation in the mid-60s into TV stars and then into the gritty, deadly serious crimefighters of the post-Miller universe. Like most early Silver Age DC comics, these are aimed at young children and they are delightfully goofy. Notable trends over the 700+ pages of this volume prominently include the caped crusaders' secret identities as a constant source of anxiety. Protecting their secret selves is almost secondary to fighting crime, which raises the question of why this plot contrivance was so important, not only to Batman but to Superman and Wonder Woman too. Did DC's writers have secrets they couldn't reveal in 1958? There are also a fair number of transformed Batmen -- giant Batman, Fatman, phantom Batman, etc. and, in the final 100 pages or so, aliens become a major threat. Notably absent are most of the villains that made Batman famous: there's one Joker story and one that features a bust of Two Face, but that's it.

It's not easy to explain the appeal of these comics. Their innocence, their sense of playfulness, the utter absence of darkness and grit all made them perfect for a young audience approaching a decade that would bring the entire nation to a new kind of maturity, a recognition that many traditional American values were largely illusionary disguises for greed, xenophobia, and intolerance, a last garden before the storm. I loved these stories when I was six and I still find them powerful in their purity and in the exuberance of their simple, often ridiculous plots. High time DC brought them out of the vault and I'm looking forward to future volumes.

[Gary Sassaman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This new compilation collects an expansive run of DC’s Batman and Detective Comics in chronological order, starting with what they regard as the start of the Silver Age of Comics for Batman: Detective Comics #233, July 1956, featuring the origin of “The Boatwoman.” All in all, there are 25 issues of Detective (#233-257) and 16 issues of Batman (#101-116), from mid-1956 through mid-1958, two years worth. This is when Batman started to take a surprising (and unlikeable) turn towards science fiction, with stories like “The Alien Batman” (Detective #251, January 1958) and “Batman—The Superman of Planet X”(Batman #113, February 1958), featuring—for better or worse—a character who is still present in Batman comics today, Zur-En-Arhh . The bulk of the art is by Sheldon Moldoff and the great Dick Sprang (he pencilled the “Planet X” story), and scripts by Bill Finger, Edmond Hamilton, Dave Wood, Ed Herron, and Arnold Drake. This is not Batman’s finest hour, to be sure; in fact, it’s quickly approaching the character’s nadir, but there’s something charming and innocent about these stories. I hated them as a kid, but I find them kind of fascinating as an adult, and I sprang (pun intended) for this pricey omnibus just for a little bit of comics comfort food; I will more than likely do the same for the first Silver Age Omnibus volume of Superman next month. One bad point: There’s a lack of historical articles or art in this Omnibus, a sadly common trait between both DC and Marvel when it comes to producing these volumes; at least Marvel regularly includes some original art.

[Brett · Rating 4 out of 5]

These Silver Age Batman stories are out of their minds but I love them. Lots and lots of science fiction adventures, the introduction of Batwoman and, surprisingly, only one of the thirty or so stories features any of the Batman rogues gallery!!! I hope volume 2 is coming soon and features more of the Bat-Ape.

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite the welcome start with Batwoman’s debut & some other fun stories, there are many bland & tepid tales here that recall the weaknesses of the last 2 Golden Age Bat omnis; however, eventually zany, trippy, closeted madness almost fully kick in &1956-8 gems include Superman debut in a Batman comic, first Batman, Batman takes a century-incubating Godzilla egg, Batrobot stalks Batman, Robin tricks Batwoman, Rainbow Batman, Robin becomes Owlman, Gordon becomes Mysteryman, Batman becomes Starman, Batwoman & Robin exculpate Wayne, Signalman, Superenemy, Batalien, Batman of Zur-En-Arrh, Creature from the Green Lagoon, Batape, & Terrible Trio debut, Bathound catches a harpoon, Robin whalebound, & Batwoman’s 3rd identity

[Fraser Sherman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very mixed bag. Starting with Batwoman's debut in the mid-1950s, lots of the stories are up to the level of the Golden Age Omnibuses (to which I've given more stars) — decent detective stories, the original Batwoman (what can I say? I'm a fan), though a pronounced lack of the classic supervillains.
Unfortunately the dictat came down from higher levels of DC that editor Jack Schiff should put more science fiction and more monsters into the Bat-stories. While Batman can work with SF, overall these weren't a good fit and the last three stories (two on an alien planet, one with Batman battling a time travel) show why.