Steed and Mrs. Peel

Now that I've rewatched the entire series as an adult, I have a very hard time picking out my single favorite story arc from Batman '66. When I was a kid, though, there was no question: It had to be the three-part story where Batman and Robin sailed across the Atlantic to far-off Londinium to battle foggy crimes in merry old England. If nothing else, I think that it appealed to my childhood sense that our country's greatest export was costumed crime-fighting. Now, though, it's time for England to repay the favor by sending their own dynamic duo to the fair shores of Gotham City --- and that's exactly what's happening in Batman '66 Meets Steed and Mrs. Peel, the '60s TV crossover that pretty much had to happen. Check out a preview of the book's second chapter!

When it came to 1960s action television, two campy crimefighting series captured the attention of audiences the world over. The first was Batman, the legendary Adam West/Burt Ward series that brought the Day-Glo hijinks of the comics to TV. The other is The Avengers, a long-running spy/science fiction --- or "spy-fi" if you will --- series from Doctor Who co-creator Sydney Newman. The best known seasons of The Avengers paired Patrick McNee's "top professional " John Steed with Diana Rigg as the stylish "talented amateur" Mrs. Emma Peel. Although they've starred in their own comics before under the title Steed & Mrs Peel (to avoid confusion with those other Avengers) --- including comics written by Mark Waid and Grant Morrison --- now the pair cross paths with the Dynamic Duo in Batman '66 Meets Steed & Mrs. Peel, by Ian Edginton, Matthew Dow Smith and Jordie Bellaire. Judging by this first chapter, readers are in for a treat.

Batman ‘66 sure is getting around a lot these days, having recently crossed over with other classic '60s properties like The Green Hornet and The Man From UNCLE. Now, this summer, Gotham’s greatest crimefighters are teaming up with the sharpest spies from across the pond in Batman ‘66 Meets Steed And Mrs. Peel.

Reading Comics author Douglas Wolk runs down the hottest comics and graphic novels coming out this week. KEY: * Brushes ^ Fur % Tech ^ DAREDEVIL #8 Mark Waid writes the second half of the Amazing Spider-Man crossover; Kano's the guest artist on this one...