THE NEW ADVENTURES OF BATMAN (1977) Author: Bill Ramey Monday, June 25, 2007 When I think about the year 1977, one this comes to mind: the death of The King of Rock-n-Roll, Elvis Presley. But I digress. In 1977, I was 12 years old and my Batman foundation had pretty much been laid. Being a kid of the 70s, I cut my Bat-teeth on the work of Denny O’Neil, Neal Adams, Steve Englehart, Marshall Rogers, and the other writers and artists of the disco decade. Consequently, “My Batman” was a dark, menacing, creature of the night, as he remains to me to this day. Also in 1977, CBS Television debuted a new, animated Saturday morning Batman TV series produced by Filmation titled THE NEW ADVENTURES OF BATMAN. The voices of the two main characters were provided by non other than Adam West and Burt Ward -- “Batman and Robin” respectively from the 1960s ABC Television series. And as one can guess, this new series did not reflect how The Batman was being portrayed in the pages of DC Comics. It was a silly show that reminded one more of The Dynamic Duo’s comic book adventures found in the late 1940s on into the 1950s. I’m talking goofy portrayals of not only Batman and Robin, but their rouges gallery as well. The two also took on aliens, super-powered beings, and characters from other dimensions! And to add insult to injury, stinkin’ Bat-Mite was a regular character on the show! So when one views the new DVD set of THE NEW ADVENTURES OF BATMAN, one can not go into it expecting to see something along the lines of BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES. Hell, this thing makes the current animated series, THE BATMAN, look like ARKHAM ASYLUM. You’ve got to watch it in context; and if you do, you may fine yourself enjoying it. Or laughing your you-know-what off at the least. My recommendation? If you are around my age, you’ll enjoy this for the nostalgia. If you are a Batman collector, you’ll want to add this to your collection. For those two groups, I say buy it. If you are a Batman fan in your 30s or younger, skip it -- unless you want to say “WTF!” over and over again. Official Product Description THE NEW ADVENTURES OF BATMAN is an animated series produced by Filmation in 1977 featuring the adventures of the DC Comics superheroes, Batman, Robin and often Batgirl. In this series, Batman, Robin and Batgirl battle various villians in Gotham City. Complicating things however is the presence of Batmite, a other-dimensional imp who considers himself the biggest fan of Batman and insists on helping him, regardless of whether Batman wants it or not. DVD Features Audio Commentary:"Bat-Commentary" - An audio commentary from Filmation historian Michael Swanigan and Filmation founder Lou Schiemer on two of the episodes from the series. Documentary: “Dark Versus Light Filmation and the Batman” - 1977 marked Batman's return to television in Filmations New Adventures of Batman. With interviews ranging from the President of DC Comics to the President of Warner Bros. Animation, the legacy of Filmation will be examined from animation style, to how this core DC character was depicted in this series. Episodes: 1. The Pest 2. The Moonman 3. Trouble Identity 4. A Sweet Joke On Gotham City 5. The Bermuda Rectangle 6. Curses! Oiled Again! 7. Bite-Sized 8. Reading, Writing & Wronging 9. The Chameleon 10. He Who Laughs Last 11. The Deep Freeze 12. Dead Ringers 13. Birds Of A Feather Fool Around Together 14. Have An Evil Day (Part 1) 15. Have An Evil Day (Part 2) 16. This Looks Like A Job For Bat-Mite! Bill Ramey, AKA "Jett," is the founder and editor in chief of BATMAN ON FILM, BATMAN IN COMICS, and ON-FILM.NET.