The 1960s proved to be a wild decade for Batman across all forms of media, thanks in large part to the live-action television series that starred Adam West as the character. While it was in many ways a tumultuous time for the comic book, it’s worth taking a look back on what happened five decades ago.
The Batman stories of the late 1950s were slowly but surely becoming far more sci-fi as DC attempted to replicate the success that other titles (such as Green Lantern) were having within that genre. Unfortunately, by the early ’60s, sales of the book had started to tank. Julius Schwartz ended up taking over the Batman stories, leading the charge on some serious changes. Detective Comics #327 (May ’64) correspondingly read “New Look” on the cover. Carmine Infantino was also brought in around this time to help breathe some new life into the character on both the stories (which returned to actual detective stories) and the look (with Batman’s suit getting the yellow background to the Bat logo).
The debut of the Batman television show ended up influencing the comics further. Beyond the introduction of Batgirl to the books (as she had debuted on the show beforehand), the overall campy nature of the program was echoed in the comics as well. However, the appeal of the goofier, more comedic Batman and Robin wore off – the show was canceled in 1968 and the comics then had to return to their roots once more.
However, the brief frenzy around the Batman TV series lent itself well to the production of a large amount of Bat-themed toys. One such toy was the Official Batman Play Set, which Hake’s Americana & Collectibles currently has in their ongoing auction. This set is considered by collectors to be among the top Batman collectibles from the 1960s, and this is a near-complete boxed set. The set includes hand-painted figures of Batman, Robin, Wonder Woman, and Superman as well as the Batmobile and various other parts and accessories. The set was obtained directly from the person who first purchased it in 1966 and is one of only a few known original state sets. Collectors are encouraged to bid soon, as the auction will close on March 13-15, 2018.