Fifty-four years ago today …

And what a contrast to Batwoman

Filming of the pilot for the 1966 Batman series began on Monday, 11 October 1965. Hard to believe that this much time has passed by. It seems like a good time to discuss Batwoman, which we saw last night via Roku.

The sensibilities concerning the debut of the aforementioned Sixties show have long been gone. What we found here was a sort of revival of the 2002-2003 WB series Birds Of Prey, in that Batman has been missing from Gotham for three years. The lead character isn’t his daughter, but his cousin, Kate Kane. Oh, and we have Rachel Skarsten, a lead performer in the WB series, returning as Kate’s damaged sister and on the wrong side of the law.

We liked the performers, but this overbearing dark attitude of the current DC fare seems to be overkill after a while. What existed in the 1966 Batman series was a sense of fun, not one of gloom. What I give Batwoman‘s Kate Kane credit for is a lack of self-pity and a sense of purpose. Yes, the show has some sense of loss, but it’s clear the lead character has moved on.

And in all fairness to Batwoman, it also draws from the Nolan Batverse, which is a good thing. We wish it the best. As for us, we intend to get to our own fan series, which will draw heavily on the Bronze Age of the comics.

Back to the 1966 series, it has its share of greatness, especially in Season 1. Its formulaic approach to stories undid it. Still, its influence lingers.