'Now, in this case, we worked from the concept of King Tut, a historic figure who clearly doesn't belong to DC or to Fox/the TV show. So who owns the characters invented for the show? It's a thorny issue, and it's generally kept the show's new villains far from the comics. The TV show exists in a strange place where DC, which is part of Warner Bros., owns Batman and Robin and the Commissioner and the characters invented in the comic, but the show itself is now owned by Fox.

'One, the tone of the comics versus the tone of the show and two, legal/copyright issues.

'He's a bit different in comic form than he was in the TV show for two reasons,' explained DeFilippis. DeFilippis told CBR News that King Tut was one of his personal favorites from the cult classic TV show, so it was a decidedly cool assignment to bring the character to the DC Universe proper, even though this incarnation is slightly different than the one from the '60s series. But that all changes on Februwhen the regal rogue makes his DC Comics debut in 'Batman Confidential' #26.Written by the dynamic duo of Christina Weir and Nunzio DeFilippis, the issue featues artwork by industry legends Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez and Kevin Nowlan, and kicks off a three-part arc telling the tale of King Tut's first visit to Gotham. And while Egghead made a cameo appearance way back in 1992 in 'Shadow of the Bat' #2-3, King Tut - who was the main villain on 'Batman' five times, more than any other villain created specifically for the show - has never appeared in comics. Another was King Tut, a Yale professor played by Victor Buono, who thought, due to a severe blow to the head, he was the iconic Egyptian Pharaoh. One of the all-time best was Vincent Price as Egghead, the world's smartest criminal (with the most oblong-shaped head). But for fans of the show, which starred Adam West as the Caped Crusader, some of the best episodes featured villains who existed outside the Bat-verse created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and company.

Thanks in large part to the performances of Cesar Romero, Frank Gorshin and Burgess Meredith on the original 'Batman' television series, The Joker, The Riddler and The Penguin became household names in the 1960s. 'Batman Confidential' #26 on sale in February

Batman by Nunzio DeFilippis