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The Batcave Companion
The writer/editor of the critically acclaimed The Krypton Companion and the designer of the eye-popping Spies, Vixens, and Masters of Kung Fu: The Art of Paul Gulacy team up to investigate the Silver and Bronze Ages of Batman comic books in The Batcave Companion!
Two distinct sections of this book follow the Dark Knight's progression from his campy "New Look" of the mid-1960s to his "creature of the night" reinvention of the 1970s, through art-jammed interviews with and examinations of the work of Carmine Infantino, Joe Giella, Murphy Anderson, Dennis O'Neil, Neal Adams, Dick Giordano, Len Wein, Steve Englehart, Marshall Rogers, Elliot S! Maggin, Mike Grell, Walter Simonson, Jim Aparo, Irv Novick, and other fan favorites. Also included are explorations of Bat-lore such as the effects of the 1966 Batman TV show upon comics, a Batmobile timeline, and Batman's colorful rogues' gallery.
240 pages, Paperback
First published April 15, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 18, 2020
The Batcave Companion tells of the evolution of Batman, from Carmine Infantino revitalizing him for the 1960s to Neal Adamd and Denny O'Neil to Steve Englehart's epic run.
The Batcave Companion is a collection of essays and interviews with Batman creators, giving a look behind the cape and cowl to the events behind the scenes.
In this day and age, when DC shoehorns Batman into damn near everything, that he was ever in danger of cancellation but that's just where the Dark Knight Detective was at the dawn of the Silver Age. Carmine Infantino, fresh off a stint on the Flash, was tasked with working his magic on Batman. Carmine toned down the zanier aspects, put the yellow oval around the bat, and it was off to the races.
While Bob Kane is credited as creating Batman, the modern incarnation has many fathers.
This book collects interviews with Carmine Infantino, Neal Adams, Denny O'Neil, Steve Englehart, and many other Bat-Dads.
I'm not even a huge Batman fan but I found this book very interesting, reading about the various contributions people have made to the character over the years. The Batman of the late 1960s/early 1970s has long held my interest and that is the era that gets the most attention.
It's crazy that villains like Catwoman, Two-Face, and the Riddler were left fallow for years at a time when they've been so over-exposed in the last twenty or thirty years. The creative process of yesteryear is also quite different. I found it fascinating that Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams had little to no contact during their Batman run. Denny handed in the scripts and Neal drew them. The End. It's also crazy that DC editorial hated Rogers and Austin's collaboration on Batman when it's now looked upon as one of the great runs.
Lastly, the Batcave Companion shows how far the current Batman has veered away from his detective roots, a paranoid uber-planner with the intellect of Reed Richards.
As with all of Two Morrows publications, The Batcave Companion is a great book about the history of comics. Four out of five batarangs.
The Batcave Companion is a collection of essays and interviews with Batman creators, giving a look behind the cape and cowl to the events behind the scenes.
In this day and age, when DC shoehorns Batman into damn near everything, that he was ever in danger of cancellation but that's just where the Dark Knight Detective was at the dawn of the Silver Age. Carmine Infantino, fresh off a stint on the Flash, was tasked with working his magic on Batman. Carmine toned down the zanier aspects, put the yellow oval around the bat, and it was off to the races.
While Bob Kane is credited as creating Batman, the modern incarnation has many fathers.
This book collects interviews with Carmine Infantino, Neal Adams, Denny O'Neil, Steve Englehart, and many other Bat-Dads.
I'm not even a huge Batman fan but I found this book very interesting, reading about the various contributions people have made to the character over the years. The Batman of the late 1960s/early 1970s has long held my interest and that is the era that gets the most attention.
It's crazy that villains like Catwoman, Two-Face, and the Riddler were left fallow for years at a time when they've been so over-exposed in the last twenty or thirty years. The creative process of yesteryear is also quite different. I found it fascinating that Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams had little to no contact during their Batman run. Denny handed in the scripts and Neal drew them. The End. It's also crazy that DC editorial hated Rogers and Austin's collaboration on Batman when it's now looked upon as one of the great runs.
Lastly, the Batcave Companion shows how far the current Batman has veered away from his detective roots, a paranoid uber-planner with the intellect of Reed Richards.
As with all of Two Morrows publications, The Batcave Companion is a great book about the history of comics. Four out of five batarangs.
April 30, 2011
For fans of the Silver and Bronze Age Batman comics (1964-1979), this may be indispensable, a detailed guide covering a period when Batman was about to be canceled (!) through his TV show revival and subsequent return to darker, more serious stories. The writers know their stuff. I don't have much use for the silly '60s Batman but still found the first half interesting.
November 23, 2011
If you grew up with Batman in the 60s or 70s (or both) this is a pretty interesting and informative look back. If you didn't it still could be a good overview of The Dark Knight's history in those two decades. The highlight was the interview with Carmine Infantino which shed some much-needed light on the "New Look" era.
February 26, 2020
Great book for those who want to learn more about the Batman of the 1960s and 1970s, like I did. Because of the interviews, you get much more of an insider knowledge about the decision-making that went on behind the scenes. Definitely a must read for Batman aficionados!
February 18, 2023
Like most of Twomorrows' comic book guides, the rating is very much YMMV — if 1960s and 1970s Batman isn't your sort of thing, pass this over. But if it is ...
The book starts with the "New Look" of 1964 that gave Batman a landmark soft reboot, followed by the camp craze sparked by the TV show, followed by a shift to relevant, real-world drama, then the darker, more mysterious Bat of the 1970s. It includes interviews with Neal Adams, inker Joe Giella, Carmine Infantino, Denny O'Neil and others working on Batman in this era, plus general history articles and details such as the evolution of the Batmobile and the creation of R'as al Ghul.
The book starts with the "New Look" of 1964 that gave Batman a landmark soft reboot, followed by the camp craze sparked by the TV show, followed by a shift to relevant, real-world drama, then the darker, more mysterious Bat of the 1970s. It includes interviews with Neal Adams, inker Joe Giella, Carmine Infantino, Denny O'Neil and others working on Batman in this era, plus general history articles and details such as the evolution of the Batmobile and the creation of R'as al Ghul.
December 29, 2019
A welcomed dose of background information about an era in the long life of my favorite comics character! The meaning of camp/campy is my most valuable learning outcome of this book.
April 9, 2011
This book nicely sums up what I didn't like about 60's era Batman comics and what I did like about the Batman comics of the 70's, which was my personal "Golden Age" as a comics reader. That being the time when I was I was kid, forming those close ties to characters and stories from reading, and constant re-reading of the comics and characters.
I recall reading some of the issues/stores discussed in this book, and a sense of being a young teenage boy washed over me again, as if reading them again for the first time.
It's nice to go back and examine some of these tales again, learning a bit about how they were created and the people behind them. Just an overall terrific book for that sort of thing. I enjoyed it!
I recall reading some of the issues/stores discussed in this book, and a sense of being a young teenage boy washed over me again, as if reading them again for the first time.
It's nice to go back and examine some of these tales again, learning a bit about how they were created and the people behind them. Just an overall terrific book for that sort of thing. I enjoyed it!
November 21, 2010
Great book--fun, lots of information, lots of hilarious snark from 60s and 70s comic book writers and artists.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews