Archie Meets Batman ’66 No. 6 review: Triumph of the super teens
By Alex Widen
Riverdale Is in chaos and Batman Is captured! Yet can some super teens save the day in Archie Meets Batman?
Archie Meets Batman ’66 No. 6
Writers: Jeff Parker & Michael Moreci
Artists: Dan Parent
Colorist: Kelly Fitzpatrick
Inker: J. Bone
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What began as another entertaining lark to further along DC Comics’ Batman ’66 comic book franchise has become one of the most fun inter-company crossovers in years. Yet the titular meeting of Archie Andrews and Batman has taken its time to occur in the comic itself. As the final issue, however, things come to a fast paced and action packed finish for the Caped Crusaders and the teens of Riverdale. As proof, the issue even pays homage to the narrator’s summary of the events of the previous issue, as typically happened in every episode of the first two seasons of the 1966 Batman TV series! All it is missing is the spinning Bat-symbol!
Image by Archie Comics and DC Entertainment
The United Underworld — an alliance of the Joker, the Riddler, Penguin, Catwoman, and the Siren — have formally taken over the town of Riverdale. Moving to Gotham City’s neighbor and mesmerizing all the adults with a synthetically produced version of Siren’s song has proved to be their boon. They’ve officially replaced all of Riverdale’s leaders, assembled an army of willing henchmen and mesmerized pawns, and even captured Batman! It’s mob rule by super-crooks!
Image by Archie Comics and DC Entertainment
Have the Super-Criminals Truly Won over Small Town America?
Things quickly go from injury to insult for the Caped Crusader. Bound to a pillar in front of Riverdale’s City Hall, Batman can only watch his arch enemies rally the townspeople into a frenzy. Even worse, the Joker has stolen the Batmobile! While it hasn’t lost a wheel, the Clown Prince of Crime still promises to repaint it to match his colors. The Joker may have taken control of high schools or surfing contests in previous 1966 TV era exploits, but has he now gone too far?
Image by Archie Comics and DC Entertainment
While Batman may be captured, he’s never helpless. In fact, his capture was a willing sacrifice to allow his teenage sidekicks Robin and Batgirl — as well as Archie and all of his friends — to escape. He has utter faith in their ability to act as the cavalry, and he’s using his trusty Bat-Communicator to rally them! It quickly operates as a Bat-Beeper to Dilton Doiley’ similar device, beeping out Morse code to give the kids an idea of where to base their rescue efforts!
Image by Archie Comics and DC Entertainment
Speaking of the kids, where have the crime fighting teens fled to? The somewhat stately Andrews residence — where else? The eight of them — Robin, Batgirl, Betty, Veronica, Reggie, Dilton, Jughead, and Arch — all cram into the red-head’s room to plan. Or, at least, to react to Batman’s sacrifice. Archie, in particular, is touched, while the idea of selflessness is all but alien to the selfish Reggie. Robin and Batgirl want to plan, while Jughead, as usual, is all about the Bat-Burgers!
Image by Archie Comics and DC Entertainment
Return of the Super Teens!
Archie is focused on Batman inspiring them to “live to fight another day.” Yet their greatest key to victory may be the sporadically corrupt Reggie! The serial prankster and arch-nemesis of Riverdale remembers that he’d helped Riddler plant Siren’s hypnotic electronic devices all over town — before being cheated with fake money! Having one such device on him allows Dilton to figure out a way to reverse the signal and undo the mind control. It also allows Bookworm’s crime to pay off!
Image by Archie Comics and DC Entertainment
The key to victory is in reclaiming the Batmobile and using the computer-book that Bookworm stole from the Gotham World’s Fair — that Batman confiscated — to reverse the signal. The challenge is getting past a gang of super-criminals and an entire mob. Fortunately, while Archie and his pals may not be as good at fighting as Robin and Batgirl, they’re just as good at providing a distraction! With a fresh set of outfits and a modified version of Archie’s jalopy, the cavalry arrives!
Image by Archie Comics and DC Entertainment
Archie’s jalopy is now the Bat-Jalopy, and he and all of his friends are in superhero outfits to match the caped sidekicks! Yet it isn’t just mere imitation; it’s an homage for fans of Archie Comics with long memories! When superhero comics experienced a rebirth in popularity from the late 1950s to the 1960s, Archie Comics tried their best to capitalize. The result was Archie As Captain Pureheart, which along with Life With Archie, turned the Riverdale kids into superheroes from 1965-1967!
Image by Archie Comics and DC Entertainment
It’s Crazy, but the Good Kind of Crazy!
The gimmick was that Archie and his pals could gain superpowers — and costumes — so long as they were pure of heart. Archie became Pureheart the Powerful; Betty was Superteen; Jughead was Captain Hero, and Reggie became Evilheart. A later revisit in the 1980s saw Veronica become Miss Vanity; only Moose as Mighty Moose is missing. The 1990s saw another superhero boom, and thus a return of this incarnation as a Super Teens mini series from 1994-1996. The tone was firmly tongue-in-cheek, in keeping with the spirit of the classic Batman TV series.
Image by Archie Comics and DC Entertainment
Penguin, Catwoman, and even the Joker are aghast at all of the costumed teens barreling down on them! They even make quick work out of a handful of their henchmen! Betty gets to high-kick with Batgirl while Jughead helps Robin clobber a thug! Reggie, for the record, proves to be the only male Riverdale teen able to knock a henchman over on his own. Archie and Dilton, meanwhile, have the most important aspect of the plan — rescuing Batman and liberating Bookworm’s computer book!
Image by Archie Comics and DC Entertainment
Soon Batman is free and a reader could probably imagine the classic surfer-style combat music from the show as the Caped Crusader gets in some punches! While the Penguin tries to rally their forces, the United Underworld quickly falls apart. Dilton undoes their mind control, and the citizens of Riverdale come back to their senses. In short order the baddies are arrested and blaming each other, while the teens make up with their formerly mesmerized mentors. Veronica and Hiram Lodge easily get the funniest exchange! And how better to end it than a Batusi at Pop Tate’s?
Image by Archie Comics and DC Entertainment
Does This Mean Betty and Robin Are Related?
Jeff Parker and Michael Moreci establish the perfect tone for a lighthearted venture such as this. Much like the TV show it was inspired by, it is proudly gaudy and corny, yet has a hint of sophistication. Batman basically coming up with a beeper some 20-30 years before the rest of society did goes along with all of the fantastic gadgets he was always inventing. The Super Teens allusion was brilliant, and so is the idea of Betty Cooper and Aunt Harriet Cooper being related!
Image by Archie Comics and DC Entertainment
If there is one caveat, it is that after five issues of build up, the climax comes rather quickly. This issue may be twenty pages, but three of them are splash pages, and many only have 2-3 panels. It makes for a brisk read, even by modern comic book standards. Even the super-criminals themselves seem to fall over themselves a little faster than usual. As entertaining and fun as this series was, it probably could have been four or five issues with a little tighter editing and focus.
Image by Archie Comics and DC Entertainment
On the other hand, it is always good to end while the audience still wants more, and that is exactly what this series evokes. Much of this is due to the classic artwork of longtime industry veteran Dan Parent. As the modern day artist most associated with both Archie and a pure Silver Age zeal, it is hard to imagine anyone else drawing this with as much gusto. The colors by Fitzpatrick and the inks by J. Bone bring it to an even greater level. The costume clad showdown is easily the highlight! Dilton Doiley’s pathetic attempt at a superhero costume is the icing on the cake!
Image by Archie Comics and DC Entertainment
A Romp from Start to Finish!
A revisit of the Super Teens era is a perfect way to end this celebration of Silver Age comic book fun. Archie Comics’ original stab at superhero comics seemed to be both satires of the genre as well as attempts to capture the magic — as if the creators didn’t get what all the fuss was about. Now they stand for a hilariously bizarre footnote in the long and storied history of the franchise. Ian Flynn even spearheaded a crossover with the publisher’s “legitimate” superheroes, the Mighty Crusaders, last year!
Image by Archie Comics and DC Entertainment
Next. The Villains Take over Riverdale in No. 5!. dark
At a time when Batman and even Archie have become more “realistic,” it is fun to take a look at a previous incarnation and revel in its bombastic energy. While not to say that comics line wide should all return to being “funny books,” there is nothing wrong with crafting a market where both can coexist. Archie Meets Batman ’66 is a love letter not just to the show that the late Adam West spearheaded, but to the inner child within the hearts of most comic book fans. Grab it now!