Would you buy a "Classic" themed Bat-Title?

[Batfan1971]

If DC were to focus one of the less popular Bat Titles on the style of the 1960s-1970s Batman comics would you be interested?

Do you think it would improve sales if readers had more than the hardcore dark and brooding Batman as an option?

For example, Classic Blue and Grey Tights with the Yellow Oval and stories more centered on a lighter detective based take on Batman as opposed to the gore and ultra-violent version we currently have.

I'm not saying make it a silly kiddie title, but a way to make Bruce out to be less of a social outcast with more detective work and humor and maybe even a young Dick Grayson as Robin by his side.

[MajorHoy]

If DC did something like this, it would have to be totally out of continuity, though.

And Batman in the 1960's went through a few phases, especially when DC tried to capitalize on the campy TV show popularity. And early in 1970's we had Dick leave the nest for college, focusing more on solo Batman.

[Aquacatlungfish]

Legend of the Dark Knight is the "classic" themed Batman title. It could easily turn into a silver age themed romp at any time.

[Lazyking]

I'm new to this stuff but isn't their enough Batman titles? I'm overwhelmed by how many their are and comics in general for the major superheroes. I get the money aspect of it but I don't think they should add another Batman title, even if it has a lighter tone. Maybe replace one but wouldn't the writers be annoyed having to write a bat story out of continuity?

[MajorHoy]

I'm new to this stuff but isn't their enough Batman titles? I'm overwhelmed by how many their are and comics in general for the major superheroes. I get the money aspect of it but I don't think they should add another Batman title, even if it has a lighter tone. Maybe replace one but wouldn't the writers be annoyed having to write a bat story out of continuity?

I think some writers may prefer self-contained adventures that don't have to worry about contradicting previous continuity or what else may be happening in a dozen other titles.

[Batfan1971]

It would be out of continuity or perhaps an alternate continuity. I have spoke to some fans who don't really care for the New 52 version and I was trying to think of a way for DC to not only make more money, but also bring some of these fans back. Also i would be against adding another title too. we have enough (if not too many) already but not all of them are selling really well so i was thinking of changing focus of a current title as a way to improve its sales. Some fans have pointed out that they hate the body armor and black bat costume and rightfully pointed out that back in the 60s when the "New Look" Batman was launched it was done to save a poor selling comic and it worked. Alot of Batman fans are older and grew up with the Classic Batman and they feel that the reboot isn't "their" Batman. So i was thinking they should redirect the poorest selling Bat-Title at these fans and possibly the Bat-Community in general.

I have actually talked to friends who feel this way, but as a small example of what i'm talking about...

http://www.66batman.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=78

[stk]

If DC were to focus one of the less popular Bat Titles on the style of the 1960s-1970s Batman comics

Which one? '60s Batman is totally different to '70s. Did you mean '70s & '80s?

Either way, I think it's perfectly possibly to tell good stories with the modern character. They only need to avoid making him an a-hole, make the world he lives in a little less hopeless, and everything is good. Although yeah, I'd like to see more detective work. But we have about as much humor now, thanks to Damian, as we've ever had. It's not like 1970s Robin was telling knock-knock jokes or something.

[MajorHoy]

. . . So i was thinking they should redirect the poorest selling Bat-Title at these fans and possibly the Bat-Community in general. . .

But, of the New 52 Batman-focused books, all placed in the Top 20 selling titles from Diamond Distributors for October 2012.

By the way, looking at the Diamond Top 300 sales chart for Oct. 2012, it looks like DC's New 52 books did as follows:
3 - BATMAN #13
4 - JUSTICE LEAGUE #13
6 - GREEN LANTERN #13
7 - DETECTIVE COMICS #13
12 - ACTION COMICS #13
14 - BATMAN THE DARK KNIGHT #13
15 - BATMAN AND ROBIN #13
18 - EARTH 2 #5
19 - BATMAN INCORPORATED #4
27 - AQUAMAN #13
31 - SUPERMAN #13
33 - GREEN LANTERN CORPS #13
(34 - ACTION COMICS ANNUAL #1)
35 - TALON #1[*]
36 - BATGIRL #13
38 - FLASH #13
40 - GREEN LANTERN NEW GUARDIANS #13
41 - NIGHTWING #13
44 - WONDER WOMAN #13
46 - RED LANTERNS #13
48 - TEEN TITANS #13
52 - CATWOMAN #13
(54 - BATGIRL ANNUAL #1)
60 - BATWOMAN #13
65 - SWAMP THING #13
66 - WORLDS FINEST #5
68 - RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #13
74 - ANIMAL MAN #13
(77 - SWAMP THING ANNUAL #1)
84 - PHANTOM STRANGER #1[*]
85 - JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #13
86 - SUPERGIRL #13
96 - SUICIDE SQUAD #13
(97 - JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK ANNUAL #1)
102 - BIRDS OF PREY #13 - 25,851
103 - SUPERBOY #13 - 25,726
107 - TEAM 7 #1[*] - 24,895
114 - GREEN ARROW #13 - 22,057
117 - SWORD OF SORCERY #1[*] - 21,552
119 - ALL STAR WESTERN #13 - 21,481
123 - DIAL H #5 - 19,903
131 - RAVAGERS #5 - 18,656
132 - LEGION OF SUPER HEROES #13 - 18,487
139 - STORMWATCH #13 - 17,621
141 - BATWING #13 - 17,166
143 - DEMON KNIGHTS #13 - 16,805
147 - FRANKENSTEIN AGENT OF SHADE #13 - 16,501
154 - LEGION LOST #13 - 15,377
157 - DEATHSTROKE #13 - 15,078
162 - SAVAGE HAWKMAN #13 - 14,763
165 - DC UNIVERSE PRESENTS #13 - 14,405
168 - I VAMPIRE #13 - 14,260
171 - FURY OF FIRESTORM THE NUCLEAR MEN #13 - 13,460
176 - BLUE BEETLE #13 - 13,141
185 - GRIFTER #13 - 12,142
197 - GI COMBAT #5 - 10,526
(272 - GREEN LANTERN ANNUAL #1 - 5,857)

I added the "Est. Qty." numbers for those titles closer to 25,000 or lower, and put the annuals in parenthesis.
And don't forget, this is just what Diamond reports; I don't know about digital, newsstand, overseas sales or any other methods.
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/24377.html

So why would DC want to change the direction for any of those?

[Batfan1971]

First, let me be clear. As for me personally i like the New 52 Batman, however i see where my friends are coming from when they say its not their Batman anymore. Some even said they liked Batman Inc until the costume change in v2. They feel that DC just discarded the Batman they knew and loved and it drove them away. As for the sales lists above, i honestly can't say which title i would want to see changed. Some of those sales are tied to major storylines and issues before that plot started did not do as well or at least thats what my buddy at the LCS claims. WB recently cleared all the issues over the 1966 Batman merchandise and in 2013 we are supposed to start seeing these things becoming available to the public so that would be a good time for a classic bat title to appear. Not really based on the 1966 show, but on the 1960s and 1970s style these older fans connect with. With the cover price of current comics adult buyers should be something DC looks at seriously and the classic Batman is what some of these fans want. After all, we are all Batman fans, I don't see how it would hurt for DC to try to please as many of us as they can.

[The Great Grape]

I grew up with the late 70's-80's Batman and have enjoyed most of the stories I read from the Silver Age and early 70's. So yes, probably. I'd at least check it out.

[Buried Alien]

Conceptually, I love this idea, but it comes down to execution. In BATMAN: ODYSSEY, Neal Adams gives Batman a very "classic" look, but the characterization of Batman doesn't seem quite "classic."

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[David Walton]

I'd love to see something along these lines.

[cactusmaac]

It would be a pointless exercise in nostalgia. There's plenty of runs and eras from comics in the past I've liked. If I feel like reading something like that, I read the old comics.

[David Walton]

It would be a pointless exercise in nostalgia. There's plenty of runs and eras from comics in the past I've liked. If I feel like reading something like that, I read the old comics.

It's not pointless, because even if you channel previous work it's inevitably going to come through a modern filter.

Otherwise, we could easily look at Timm and Dini's animated work as a pointless exercise in nostalgia for drawing inspiration from the Fleischer cartoons.

I've always had the sense that the Bronze Age Batman had some great concepts and a cool vibe, but the direction took a big shift when it was hitting its stride.

[cactusmaac]

The Timm work went far beyond the Fleischer shorts. That's not much of a comparison at all.

Why is this even being called Classic Batman? Does Classic mean "the Batman I enjoyed when I was eight years old"?

If someone wants comics like the ones they read when they were eight years old, there's plenty of archives and collections available.