The Batman television series remains one of the most iconic versions of the character brought to screen, with Adam West playing a perfectly earnest and almost cartoonish version of the Dark Knight, and despite their trend to mock every nerdy topic they can get their hands on, Robot Chicken actually brought a surprising amount of reverence to this version of the character. The 1960s television incarnation of Batman even got the perfect send-off in one of the Robot Chicken DC Specials.
Robot Chicken DC Special III: Magical Friendship largely focused on the friendship between the Superman and Batman of the Robot Chicken universe -- a pair of snarky misanthropes who nevertheless were best friends. The special saw the pair testing their bond with a series of escalating pranks that eventually resulted in Batman and Superman activating the Cosmic Treadmill.
Using it, each of them traveled to an alternate universe to find a "better" version of the other. For Superman, that meant bringing the incredibly kind-hearted and "groovy" version of Batman from the 1960s Batman television series, complete with West reprising his role as the Caped Crusader in one of his later performances.
This version of Batman quickly gains the admiration of the Justice League, but soon the entire reality is threatened by the Cosmic Treadmill growing unstable due to the plans of Composite Superman. In the ensuing chaos, the Adam West Batman comes up against a host of enemies, seemingly pulled from the far more brutal Batman: Arkham video game series.
Despite his more cheerful demeanor and campy origins, Batman puts up a fight and holds his own against Joker, Harley Quinn and Killer Croc. It's only when Penguin gets the drop on him with a concentrated burst of anthrax does Batman go down. Quickly running out of air, the '60s Batman dies, drifting off to a golden field -- in a reference to the ending of Gladiator.
Notably, it's this death that forces Superman and Batman to confront the cost of their selfish bickering and reunite as teammates to bring down the Composite Superman. In the end, the two are able to help save the entire reality around them.
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to anyone else, a version of Burt Ward -- the actor who played Robin in the 1960s Batman series -- finds Batman's body and brings it to a Lazarus Pit. Ward revives Batman and quickly steals a Robin costume from his alternate universe doppelganger, allowing him and Batman to end the special rushing off into action once more.
This incarnation of Batman has a mixed history within the DC fanbase, with some arguing the series is far too campy and comical compared to other incarnations of the character. However, on top of quietly being a bright and infectiously engaging take on the character, West's version of Batman was a vital part of the history of the character in pop culture, and it's what makes the sweet nature of his role in this special feel so heartfelt.
This Batman got to be universally beloved by his fellow heroes, bring down a host of villains and die a hero during a Crisis-level event -- all before ending the special by rushing off into adventure with his trusted sidekick, Robin. He's not mocked like every other DC concept in Robot Chicken, instead being treated like a hero, thus making this special a subtle yet sweet final tribute to this version of character.
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