History ComicBook / Batman66

* DevelopmentGag: The Harlequin has a "roller-derby" version of Harley Quinn's costume, complete with skates. The dream-jester version of Calliope Jones that Creator/ArleenSorkin played on one episode of ''Series/DaysOfOurLives'', which inspired Harley, also wore roller skates.

* AdaptationalHeroism: Harley Quinn in this continuity is a well-intentioned psychologist who sacrificed her own sanity to stop the Joker from driving Gotham mad using a machine she herself developed. A very mild inversion with her new identity, "The Harlequin"; in keeping with the series' BlackAndWhiteMorality, she doesn't have any of the altruistic, romantic or good-hearted tendencies that Harley sometimes does, and is simply a LoonyFan of the Joker who aspires to impress him with her mayhem, though her villainy rarely goes beyond PokeThePoodle territory (stealing Girl Scout cookies, pizza, and the Commissioner's hotline to Batman; putting a whoopie cushion on Mayor Linseed's chair; [[MattressTagGag ripping the tag off a couch cushion]]).

* UnseenNoMore: Killer Moth is mentioned by the Joker during his stand-up routine in "The Joker's Big Show"/Gotham Goes Ho Ho Ho"/"The Dynamic Duo & Batgirl Say Hello", but doesn't physically appear until Ma Parker breaks him out of prison alongside Solomon Grundy and Killer Croc in "Parker Breaks Out".

* TheButlerDidIt: Subverted. There's a story titled "The Butler Did It!" but [[spoiler:the the true villain is Alfred's cousin Egbert impersonating him.]]

** The Clock King's real name is given as Morris Tetch rather than William Tockman or Temple Fugate, due to being the Jervis Tetch AKA The Mad Hatter's [[RelatedInTheAdaptation brother]] in this continuity.

* CanonCharacterAllAlong: Surprisingly, the final story "Main Title" manages to retroactively identify ''the generic criminals shown in the original show's opening sequence'' as characters who originated from the comics. The first three crooks punched by Batman and Robin at the start of the intro are revealed to be the Terrible Trio, the man with a sheet over his head is identified as the Shiner, the green villain is King Cobra, the red-haired mad scientist with a beard is Professor Achilles Milo (with one panel showing that he's wearing a wig and a fake beard, exposing his traditional black-haired look), the bald, bespectacled man is the Atom-Master, the mustached man in a brown suit holding a gun is revealed to be this continuity's version of Deadshot and the man in a blue shirt and cap is identified as this continuity's Signalman. It's particularly noteworthy that all of these villains actually predated the 1966 show.

* CanonCharacterAllAlong: Surprisingly, the final issue manages to retroactively identify ''the generic criminals shown in the original show's opening sequence'' as characters who originated from the comics. The first three crooks punched by Batman and Robin at the start of the intro are revealed to be the Terrible Trio, the man with a sheet over his head is identified as the Shiner, the green villain is King Cobra, the red-haired mad scientist with a beard is Professor Achilles Milo (with one panel showing that he's wearing a wig and a fake beard, exposing his traditional black-haired look), the bald, bespectacled man is the Atom-Master, the mustached man in a brown suit holding a gun is revealed to be this continuity's version of Deadshot and the man in a blue shirt and cap is identified as this continuity's Signalman. It's particularly noteworthy that all of these villains actually predated the 1966 show.

** The final issue is an overt homage to the original television show's title sequence.

* ShootTheTelevision: In Issue #16, Bookworm breaks a TV set by throwing a heavy book at it after he sees Batman being interviewed on it.

* SpinningPaper: Issue #52 features a case with a headline about the Joker becoming a crimefighter.

* UnseenNoMore: Killer Moth is mentioned by the Joker during his stand-up routine in "The Joker's Big Show"/Gotham Goes Ho Ho Ho"/"The Dynamic Duo & Batgirl Say Hello", but doesn't physically appear until Ma Parker comes across his cell in "Parker Breaks Out".

* MattressTagGag: In #25, the Harlequin (the setting's version of Harley Quinn) is shown doing this as part of a montage depicting her one-woman crimewave.

** The cover for "The Penguin Turns the Tables" is lifted directly from the cover to issue 9 of Batman volume 1.

* AdaptationalDiversity: Following in the footsteps of the base show via Alfred requiring glasses, Catwoman being black on occasion and Zelda the Great rather than Carnado the Great existing, the comic continues by portraying Warden Crichton as a black woman.

** [[BreakOutTheMuseumPiece The older, less sophisticated costumes Batman and Robin are forced to use]] in Issue #36 are the designs originally created [[https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f8/20/d6/f820d63373b6c20144134619e677b1c3.jpg for the pre-series screen test]].

** "The Osiris Virus" at one point shows tombstones bearing the names "Brand" and "Craddock", which happen to be the respective surnames of the undead DC characters Deadman and Gentleman Ghost. There is also a billboard advertising a film called ''Mud Pack'' starring Matt Hagen, referencing the second Clayface and the Mud Pack storyline in the original comics where the first Clayface Basil Karlo formed a partnership with the third and fourth Clayfaces Preston Payne and Sondra Fuller under the ulterior motive of gaining their powers to become the Ultimate Clayface.

** "The Osiris Virus" at one point shows tombstones bearing the names "Brand" and "Craddock", which happen to be the respective surnames of the undead DC characters Deadman and Gentleman Ghost.
** Riddler's disguise in the Bane issue makes him look like Creator/JohnAstin, who portrayed him in season two. There is also a billboard advertising a film called ''Mud Pack'' starring Matt Hagen, referencing the second Clayface and the Mud Pack storyline in the original comics where the first Clayface Basil Karlo formed a partnership with the third and fourth Clayfaces Preston Payne and Sondra Fuller under the ulterior motive of gaining their powers to become the Ultimate Clayface.

** Riddler's disguise in the Bane issue makes him look like Creator/JohnAstin, who portrayed him in season two.

** "The Osiris Virus" at one point shows tombstones bearing the names "Brand" and "Craddock", referencing the undead DC characters Deadman and Gentleman Ghost.

* BadHumorTruck: "Mr. Freeze Breaks the Ice"/"Batman Doesn't Play Nice" has Mr. Freeze distribute his you-cooler devices to the citizens of Gotham while posing as an ice cream man.

* EnemyMine: In ''Batman '66 Meets The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'', Batman uses a recording of Hugo Strange to reveal to the villains Scarecrow, Olga, Siren, Poison Ivy, Egghead, Sandman and Mr. Freeze that they will be outranked by Batman, Robin, Batgirl, Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin in the T.H.R.U.S.H. heirarchy after the heroes have been fully brainwashed, which persuades the villains to side with the heroes against Strange, but not without betraying the heroes at the last minute.

* DarkerAndEdgier: While light-hearted overall, some of the stakes are surprisingly serious, and Holly Quinn's story ends on a bittersweet tone.

** "The Joker's Big Show" has Joker put on a comedy routine in Arkham Institute. While [[OrphanedPunchline we only see the punchline]] for most of them, one of the jokes he tells is clearly the joke he tells Batman at the end of ''ComicBook/TheKillingJoke''.

* TheAristocrats: Joker tells an Aristocrats joke during his stand-up routine. We only hear the punchline, though.

** Issue #31 has Joker put on a comedy routine in Arkham Asylum. While [[OrphanedPunchline we only see the punchline,]] one of the jokes he tells is clearly [[ComicBook/TheKillingJoke The Killing Joke]].