Batman: Facts and Stats from the Classic TV Show
Authors: Designed by Rian Hughes, Text by Y.Y. Flurch
Publisher: Titan Books
RRP: $16.95
Release Date: October 4th, 2016

Synopsis: 'Holy understatements, Batman! This book is quite fine!' The Dynamic Duo! The Batcave! The Batmobile! Batgirl! The gadgets! Gotham’s Rogues Gallery! It’s all here! Filled with fascinating facts, quippy quotes and sensational statistics, this action-packed companion to the zeitgeist-capturing 1960s Batman classic TV series is also bursting with great photos. The ideal gift for any Batman fan!

Batman: Facts and Stats from the Classic TV Show Book Review
By James Harvey

A hardcover, full color book with 80 pages full of facts and stats from the classic Batman television series, Batman: Facts and Stats from the Classic TV Show offers a flashy, zippy overview of the show. The book offers exactly what the title says, serving as a nice addition to any fan’s collection and, given the price, is definitely worth picking up.

That said, the facts and stats presented here will likely be familiar to Batman fans, but it’s laid out in such an easy-to-read and fun fashion that it’s easy to just keep turning pages. Batman: Facts and Stats from the Classic TV Show takes a look at the show itself, but doesn't touch upon any behind-the-scenes happenings. For example, we get tidbits like "Batman's real identity was exposed in four perilous episodes" and "Robin delivers over 400 different 'Holy' utterances throughout the show." The book smartly keeps the fun tone of the show, a smart call by the authors, adding levity to what could’ve been a dry read. And while a lot of this book is comprised of info fans of the series will know, the book’s design and pithy, poppy writing style make it enjoyable nonetheless. Though, honestly, I did learn a couple neat tidbits about the show (information that was at least new to me).

And, honestly, even the most die-hard Batman fan can find something to take away from this book. Batman: Facts and Stats from the Classic TV Show’s design, its ability to serve as a quick fix of info, how it manages to exude a sense of fun when presenting even the tiniest nugget of info – it’s just a great complimentary read to the show itself and something fun worth flipping through or hunkering down for. It’s not a long read, not at all, but it still manages to be a worthwhile one. This is by no means a serious look into one of the biggest television shows of all-time, but more so a fun look into it's world. Presentation is key, and mimicking the fun, bright, campy styling of the show makes it an attractive package with, thankfully, some neat tidbits of info housed inside.

A big plus of this book is the amount of photos included and their quality. There are a lot of great shots from the classic show that are crisp and clear, in addition to great retro artwork adorning the odd page here and there. Given the small size of the book, there is a plethora of pictures squeezed in, much to the credit of the book’s fun design and colorful layout. In fact, having such a wealth of high-quality images is likely going to be a major draw for some fans here. This is likely the best looking Batman book to date, in terms of image quality and overall design. The breakdown of the show’s intro on the from inside cover is also a nice treat, along with a breakdown of the show’s third season intro in the back inside cover.

If anything, this book also serves as a nice appetizer for Titan’s upcoming Batman: The Ultimate Guide to the Classic TV Series, the highly-anticipated book which looks to offer a comprehensive look at that fan-beloved 60s series. If you’re anxiously awaiting that title, this low-priced coffee table-esque book should provide enough sustenance to hold you over. It presents a lot of neat facts, but it's not really a serious look at the show. It serves as a nice compliment, nothing more, but it's still enjoyable. Colorful, full of neat (and sometimes useful) facts from the show, and littered with great high-quality images, Batman: Stats and Facts from the Classic TV Series is a great (and affordable) addition to any fan's library. Pick it up!

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