Indeed, that are. Last year, I posted some letters written to the Batman title--a small sample of readers who expressed what they thought was the real essence of the character, and an undeniable rejection of any influences from the Adam West/Burt Ward TV series--

From Batman #195 (September, 1967):


From Batman #199 (February, 1968):

From Batman #200 (March, 1968):


From Batman #206 (November, 1968):

From Batman #206 (November, 1968):





You do get a good look at the feelings and interests of readers and in this case, a rare situation where there's an adaptation from another medium having any influence on the source. I've learned letters of this kind came to DC's offices in great volume for several years, but by the time 1968 was winding down, the Bat-titles were changing, with the Novick/Robbins team being the first to take Batman back to the darker crime format readers were looking for, even though letters written months earlier were just being published.