Burgers In The Batcave Host A Holy Crossover

by Vince Brusio

Every once in a while, the planets light up just right, and you get an extra slice of cheese on your cheeseburger, the bad guys trip over their own two feet, or the powers-that-be declare a special holiday and give you the dream project of a lifetime. Such a think might look like Archie Meets Batman ’66 #1 (MAY181375), in which creators Dan Parent, Jeff Parker, and Michael Moreci were given the keys to the city so that they could create a crossover that few dreamed was possible. Read our PREVIEWSworld Exclusive interview to see how you should still believe in wishful thinking.

Archie Meets Batman ’66 #1 (MAY181375) is in comic shops July 18.

**********

Vince Brusio: What is the goal for this series? What bar are you trying to jump in coming up with the idea for a comic that has Gotham City and Riverdale as the backdrop?

Dan Parent: My goal is to blend the two different worlds so that they seem not so different. Artistically speaking, it’s a fun challenge! But just drawing the Batmobile makes my day!

Jeff Parker: What’s neat for me is showing how well the two worlds click together using the '60s as intersection. And showing that the Riddler sees Reggie as the son he never had.

Vince Brusio: Both properties stem from a time before there were cell phones and streaming music. So how did you put your minds inside this vacuum? What were the parameters for acknowledging the date, and what that date meant for both the Batman and Archie camps?

Dan Parent: Well, it’s easy to put my mind in this pre-internet age, because I’m old enough to remember it well! It’s also important to get the references correct, like using rotary phones and making sure the fashions are appropriate. But as different as those times were, they also feel like things haven’t changed all that much!

Jeff Parker: As Dan said, this is perhaps way too easy for me. I was a baby, but not much had changed ten years later when I was aware of things. And playing records and holding heavy phones shaped for your face is awesome; we have a lot of both happening in the book.

Vince Brusio: Were there any previous Archie or Batman books or cartoons that were an inspiration for this new chemistry you would mix? Were there any textbook moments from those prior resources that you could apply to this mini-series? Specifically, the pacing? The dialect? The perspective?

Dan Parent: The interesting thing is this time was a peak for both characters. Batman surged to popularity with the TV show, and Archie was on the cusp of “Sugar Sugar" and a huge run on TV. As far as pacing goes, Jeff and Mike have nailed it, because they put just enough on a page to move the story along, but not TOO much! Even though it’s a nostalgic trip back, it feels relevant in a modern way, too. 

Jeff Parker: I really like the energy of the early '50s Archie stories, even though that’s another decade still. The Archies cartoon was a big one, too. And for Batman, we’re drawing more on the ’66 movie dynamic than I’ve done in other projects, which were mostly central to the show.

Michael Moreci: Honest, Jeff has been the star I steer by — his Batman '66 comics have been so perfect, they're exactly what I know the show to be. I keep a stack of those trades at my side while I write. As for Archie, it's the classic digests for me, and I still have my stacks — and stacks — from when I was a kid, and that's mainly the '60s-era stuff, probably a little beyond, too.

Vince Brusio: What’s the fun factor on this book? How does working on it get you jazzed?

Dan Parent: The fun factor on this book is a 10 out of 10. Just drawing all these characters together in one story puts a smile on my face!

Jeff Parker: Fun Level: Critical Mass

Michael Moreci: It's so much — Dan smiles while drawing it, and I smile writing it. I mean, being able to write that '60s-era Batman stuff and then Archie hijinks is such a perfect blend, and the union is a joy, start to finish.

**********

Vince Brusio writes about comics, and writes comics. He is the long-serving Editor of PREVIEWSworld.com, the creator of PUSSYCATS, and encourages everyone to keep the faith...and keep reading comics.