Bat-Manga!: The Secret History of Batman in Japan (c2008) by Chip Kidd and Jimo Kuwata
In early 1966, the American TV show Batman (starring Adam West) hit the Japanese airwaves and manga prodigy Jimo Kuwata was commissioned to produce an original Japanese version of Bob Kane's Batman comic strip. The strip lasted for only a little over one year, never reaching a wide audience or being offered in a translated version, and essentially disappeared into oblivion. In 2001, Batman enthusiast and heralded book designer Chip Kidd heard rumors of the strip's existence and diligently sought to track it down. Beautifully presented here are the fruits of his efforts - a translated-into-English assemblage of many of Kuwata's strips. The panels are kept in their original right-to-left format and Kuwata's minimally stark style is a delight. Interspersed are images of period Japanese Batman toys, collectibles and advertisements. It all makes for a densely packed bat-extravaganza. Check catalog for availability.
- submitted by Tom @ MPL Central