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dantastic's review
4.0
After the two previous volumes, I'm running out of things to say about these. I love Jiro Kuwata's art and the way he presents Batman and his world. It's a little disappointing to find out all the stories in the three Batmanga volumes were inspired by actual stories from Batman and Detective Comics and not Kuwata's own creations. Still, I love these madcap, off kilter Batman and Robin stories. The 60s manga art is refreshing and the way Batman and Robin lean into the weirdness and take it completely seriously is a lot of fun.
luana420's review
5.0
Jiro Kuwata's Batman manga drew to a close after fifty-something issues, but the quality remained strong as ever. Batman here in these last issues reaches some sort of wackiness apotheosis in taking on fauxGodzillas, ghosts and space aliens.
Bruce and Dick's deadpan style and restrained outrage at any kind of criminal activity remains laugh-out-loud funny as ever, and the "can't be helped" responses to anyone dying are sure to raise some eyebrows from classic Silver Age Batman aficionados.
The Jiro Kuwata Batmanga in its entirety is a series I wholly recommend to fans of Batman, the absurd, light superhero adventures, and Lupin III esque comedy manga.
Ahhh!
Bruce and Dick's deadpan style and restrained outrage at any kind of criminal activity remains laugh-out-loud funny as ever, and the "can't be helped" responses to anyone dying are sure to raise some eyebrows from classic Silver Age Batman aficionados.
The Jiro Kuwata Batmanga in its entirety is a series I wholly recommend to fans of Batman, the absurd, light superhero adventures, and Lupin III esque comedy manga.
Ahhh!
seano's review
3.0
The final version of “Batmanga,” the Batman comic published in Japan in the mid 1960s, is as good as the other two volumes.
The artwork is great. Cartoonish, but a lot of great Batman action. Clayface and Catman make appearances, but the best story is the battle between Batman and the Planet King.
Kuwata does an iconic Batman and Robin, and his bstmobile is amazing.
Recommended for Bat-fans and Manga fans.
The artwork is great. Cartoonish, but a lot of great Batman action. Clayface and Catman make appearances, but the best story is the battle between Batman and the Planet King.
Kuwata does an iconic Batman and Robin, and his bstmobile is amazing.
Recommended for Bat-fans and Manga fans.
skjam's review
3.0
Quick recap: The 1960s Batman television show was popular in Japan as well, and a tie-in manga was done by 8-Man creator Jiro Kuwata. It was not based on the show as such, but on the Batman comic books of the time, so had a slightly more serious tone. This is the final volume of the translated collection.
We open with Batman and Robin battling the Planet King, a character who uses superscience gadgets based on properties of the planets of our solar system. The Mercury suit projects heat, the Jupiter suit can make objects giant-sized and so forth. There’s a double fake-out as to the identity of the Planet King, and a motive for his rampage that seems better suited to a Superman comic.
Then there’s a story about three escaped criminals using remote-controlled robots to commit robberies. This one has a “electricity does not work that way” moment that took me out of the story.
This is followed by a Clayface story that chronologically happens before the story in the second volume, which may have confused some readers at the time.
The next story is about a series of robberies committed by criminals in cosplay outfits as part of a contest. Some highlights include Batman disguised as a criminal disguised as Batman, a functionally illiterate crook faced with writing a name, and one contestant’s attempt to rig the contest being foiled by criminals’ congenital inability to follow the rules. In many ways the best story in this volume.
After that, we have a story of Catman, whose cloak supposedly gives him nine lives. (No mention of Catwoman, alas.) His Japanese costume is much cooler looking than the American version.
Then a somewhat longer story about a “ghost” who initially looks like Robin, then Batman, and finally gives up the disguise to be his own character. The main difficulty the Dynamic Duo faces here is that the Phantom Batman can hit them, but not vice-versa.
The final story has our heroes being captured by an alien dictator and forced into gladiatorial combat with representatives of three other planets for the Emperor’s amusement. Naturally, Batman restores good government. “Peace is the best option for everyone.”
There’s a short article about Mr. Kuwata’s adaptation process, and a list of which American issues he adapted.
This is very much an adaptation for elementary school boys, with little in the way of subtlety, and female characters kept to a minimum. The art is often stiff and old-fashioned, and minor character faces are reused quite a bit. Still, it’s fun adventure, and Kuwata often put an interesting spin on the original material. Recommended for the intersection of Batman fans and manga fans.
We open with Batman and Robin battling the Planet King, a character who uses superscience gadgets based on properties of the planets of our solar system. The Mercury suit projects heat, the Jupiter suit can make objects giant-sized and so forth. There’s a double fake-out as to the identity of the Planet King, and a motive for his rampage that seems better suited to a Superman comic.
Then there’s a story about three escaped criminals using remote-controlled robots to commit robberies. This one has a “electricity does not work that way” moment that took me out of the story.
This is followed by a Clayface story that chronologically happens before the story in the second volume, which may have confused some readers at the time.
The next story is about a series of robberies committed by criminals in cosplay outfits as part of a contest. Some highlights include Batman disguised as a criminal disguised as Batman, a functionally illiterate crook faced with writing a name, and one contestant’s attempt to rig the contest being foiled by criminals’ congenital inability to follow the rules. In many ways the best story in this volume.
After that, we have a story of Catman, whose cloak supposedly gives him nine lives. (No mention of Catwoman, alas.) His Japanese costume is much cooler looking than the American version.
Then a somewhat longer story about a “ghost” who initially looks like Robin, then Batman, and finally gives up the disguise to be his own character. The main difficulty the Dynamic Duo faces here is that the Phantom Batman can hit them, but not vice-versa.
The final story has our heroes being captured by an alien dictator and forced into gladiatorial combat with representatives of three other planets for the Emperor’s amusement. Naturally, Batman restores good government. “Peace is the best option for everyone.”
There’s a short article about Mr. Kuwata’s adaptation process, and a list of which American issues he adapted.
This is very much an adaptation for elementary school boys, with little in the way of subtlety, and female characters kept to a minimum. The art is often stiff and old-fashioned, and minor character faces are reused quite a bit. Still, it’s fun adventure, and Kuwata often put an interesting spin on the original material. Recommended for the intersection of Batman fans and manga fans.
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