Possibly one of THE most anticipated TV shows of the Fall, GOTHAM premiered this week on FOX to a mixed reaction from fans. While DC Comics' characters have been successful in recent years from the highly popular Smallville(2001-2011)to the current series Arrow (2012-) , even more shows from DC will premiere this Fall including The Flash(CW) and Constantine (NBC). Set in the Batman universe and loosely based on the short-lived DC comic books series Gotham Central (2003-2006), Gotham is basically a cop show set around the events of Bruce Wayne's (David Mazouz) parents murder, but the future Caped-Crusader is not the main character. Instead, the show focuses on Police Detective James Gordon (Ben McKenzie) as he works with his partner Detective Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue) as they try to clean up the streets of Gotham as organized crime and corruption plague the city as two rival crime bosses vie for control.
In the style of Smallville (Superboy/Superman), Gotham is essentially a prequel in that it tells more about the origins of the hero we have all come to know so well, namely Batman. While focusing more on the cop drama in the city and less on the origin story, the show has a lot of work to do in getting fans to follow it. While trying to desperately include plenty of fan-service (albeit too much) the show includes cameos from several other Gothamites and characters from Batman's would-be rogues gallery. Aside from the usual characters such as Gordon, Bullock there is of course Alfred Pennyworth (Sean Pertwee), Bruce Wayne's loyal butler. Along with a few familiar (and not so familiar faces) there is the criminals Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett-Smith) and Carmine Falcone (John Doman), while Falcone has appeared in the Batman comics for years Fish Mooney is a completely original character created for the TV series, much like Harley Quinn who was created for the 1990's Batman Animated Series and was soon incorporated into the comics. One of the major would-be villains who make an appearance is Oswald Cobblepot, (Robin Lord Taylor) aka The Penguin, as a much skinnier incarnation of the Batman villain. Other characters who make an appearance and have some, if very little to the story in the beginning is Selina Kyle/Catwoman (Camren Bicondova), Edward Nygma/The Riddler (Cory Michale Smith) and even a young Ivy Pepper/Poison Ivy (Clare Foley). While Batman as a character has one of the biggest cast of characters in the comic book it seems very difficult that the show will be able to address the origins of all these characters. The fact is, the show seems to have almost too many characters, especially those introduced in just the first pilot. While the show seems promising and hopes to draw in Batman and comic book fans alike, the show seems to be off to a somewhat rocky start, putting too much into the first show and insinuating tat the entire show will be focused on solving the murder of Thomas and Martha Wayne in yet another re-working of the origin. Whereas the comics has its own origin, which has been changed and rewritten so many times, including the latest revamping of the character in 2011 as part of DC's New 52. The original character Joe Chill who was featured briefly in the Christopher Nolan movies seems to not be included in this shows story. All in all, Gotham seems to be less of a comic book based show and more of a CSI-like cop drama, complete with overly-melodramatic characters and action. As a Batman fan I was excited to see it, however after watching the pilot episode I was somewhat undecided to what the future of the show might hold and if the show will become as popular as Smallville or suffer the fate of previous Batman show attempts like Birds of Prey (2002-2003), only the fans and ratings will tell...GOTHAM airs Monday nights on FOX 8/7c.
Today marks the 25th anniversary of one of the most iconic superhero/comic book movies ever made. Batman (1989) changed the way superhero and comic book movies were seen and started off a whole new era of "Batmania!" Batman (1989) was released on June 23, 1989 through Warner Bros. Pictures. Directed by Tim Burton, it starred Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson and Kim Basinger. Like Superman (1978) before it, Batman had a big budget, experienced director, Hollywood star quality celebrities and gritty, realistic edge that audiences could relate to. Gone were the 60's era campy action, Batman would return to his darker roots. I consider this movie to be one of my favorite movies of all time, as it would come to define my childhood and teenage years and inspire my already fervent love for comic books and superheroes. I had watched the Saturday morning cartoons (Super Friends, Super Powers) and watched reruns of the 1960's TV show of my Dad's generation. But when I first saw this Batman in the Summer of 1989, around my 10th birthday, from that day on, I was a "Bat-Fan" and this was MY Batman!
Joker & Batman
My family have always loved movies, already a fan of Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Star Trek movies, and the like. To celebrate mine and my Mom's birthday (3 days apart) my parents and I decided to have a movie marathon at one of our local movie theaters. That Saturday we watched some of the biggest movies of the Summer all in one Saturday (at that time movie tickets were about $3 or $4) including: Ghostbusters II, Star Trek V, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and of course, Batman!
Little did I know, I was already a fan of Tim Burton's films, having little awareness of director's and actor's involvement with movies. I had enjoyed his previous films Pee-Wee's Big Adventure (1985) and Beetlejuice (1988). I even recognized Michael Keaton from one of my parent's favorite comedies Mr. Mom (1983) however, I had not seen some of the more mature movies that Jack Nicholson was famous for like One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest (1975) and The Shining (1980). I can remember before the movie was released, critics and people were talking how Michael Keaton was a poor choice to play the Dark Knight and it had been announced that Robin Williams was set to play the Joker.
I was engrossed in the dark tone of the story, the action, the excitement, Batman's cool gadgets, and of course: The Batmobile! The new Joker was scary and deeply disturbing, no longer the mustachioed and hyperactive Caesar Romero of the 60's, this Joker had a more sinister edge and made me wonder if there were really people like that who killed people for fun. Clowns already scared me and I admit to this day, I have never seen Stephen King's IT in it's entirety. The music was a big part of the experience, and with Danny Elfman's powerful and haunting, bellicose theme, I was drawn into to the action. I think the biggest reason this Batman still resonates today after 25 years is it's originality and timelessness of the movie. Although the additional 80's music by Prince dates it horribly, much of the movie seems to jump right out of the 1940's comic books. It has a noir feel to it as a lot of the characters, detectives and gangsters even wear suits and trench-coats. The city is dark and gritty, with a Gothic style of architecture to it, thanks to Tim Burton's style and production designer Anton Furst. While a lot of the technology Batman uses is also very dated, it remains a very small part of the movie. At the time I had no idea what liberties Burton had taken with Batman's origins and looking back, the choice to make Joker aka Jack Napier, his parent's killer was interesting yet confusing. Batman (1989) still remains my favorite Batman movie, while the franchise declined after Joel Schumacher destroyed it, the recent Christopher Nolan trilogy has brought it back up to it's level, but in my opinion will never truly surpass the 1989 film.
"Batman is very extreme and I love extreme characters. A man who dresses up as a bat and his arch rival who is transformed into a clown are very popular images and one of the reasons why Batman remains so popular. Batman is not a super-hero, he's not a guy from another planet. So I like to take a straightforward approach and just present it." - Tim Burton
COMIC-CON is this weekend! Specifically Comic-Con International: San Diego 2013, THE biggest convention in the world dedicated to all forms of entertainment including comic books, movies, video games, TV and more! Comic-Con International: San Diego is a nonprofit educational corporation dedicated to creating awareness of, and appreciation for, comics and related popular art forms, primarily through the presentation of conventions and events that celebrate the historic and ongoing contribution of comics to art and culture. Comic-Con began in 1970 when a group of comics, movie, and science fiction fans banded together to put on the first comic book convention in southern California. Now over 40 years later it is the largest comics convention in the world, completely selling out every year since 2008. For those like me who aren't able to enjoy Comic-Con in person there are still plenty of websites, blogs and live video feeds covering the event from the comfort of your home. This weekend at Comic-Con, audiences can get their hands on tons of exclusive merchandise, and also attend many exciting panels with creators, artists, writers and celebrities of all kinds, and not to mention, see previews of some of the biggest events in entertainment coming up later this year and next year! CHERNOBOG'S LAIR.com always tries to stay on top of the latest entertainment news through my blog, twitter feed, and Facebook; so this weekend I thought I would post my Top 10 list of Upcoming Events featured at this year's San Diego Comic-Con. Enjoy!
#13 Ender's Game (2013) - Based on the classic Young-Adult, Sci-Fi novel by Orson Scott Card, 70 years after a horrific alien war, an unusually gifted child is sent to an advanced military school in space to prepare for a future invasion. Starring Harrison Ford, Ben Kingsley and Asa Butterfield.
#12 Godzilla (2014) - Director Gareth Edwards' (Monsters) remake of the classic Kaiju franchise! A giant radioactive monster called Godzilla awakens from its slumber to wreak destruction on its creators!
#11I, Frankenstein (2014) - Aaron Eckhart stars as Adam, Dr. Frankenstein's (Aden Young) creature, who finds himself caught in an all-out, centuries old war between two immortal clans.
#9 300: Rise of an Empire (2013) - New director Noam Murro's sequel to Zack Snyder's 300 (2006), The Greek general Themistocles (Sullivan Stapleton) battles an invading army of Persians under the mortal-turned-god, Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro)!
#8 Riddick (2013) - Vin Diesel is back as Riddick, after almost 10 years since Chronicles of Riddick (2004). After he is left for dead on a desert planet, Riddick is up against a new alien, predatory species and a group of mercenaries after his head!
#7The World's End (2013) - Director Edgar Wright reunites Simon Pegg and Nick Frost and others in the third installment of "The Cornetto Trilogy"! A group of old friends go on a pub crawl in London when they come to the last pub, "The World's End", they find the town has been taken over by strange alien robots!
#6 Batman: Arkham Origins - The highly anticipated third part of the Arkham Asylum video game series features new villains: Black Mask, Deathstroke, Deadshot, and Copperhead!
#5Kick-Ass 2 (2013) - Kick-Ass (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Hit-Girl (Chloë Grace Moretz) return with a few new allies including Col. Stars & Stripes (Jim Carrey), to take on some new villains including formerly Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse)!
#4 Vikings, Season 2 (March, 2014) - Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel) and the Vikings return to pillage and plunder in the new season on History Channel!
#3 The Walking Dead, Season 4 (October 2013) - Based on Robert Kirkman's award winning graphic novel series, the survivors led by Sheriff Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) live on in the Zombie apocalypse after dealing with the onslaught from The Governor (David Morrissey)!
#2 X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) - Director Bryan Singer returns to the X-Men franchise with Professor X (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellen) reprising their roles as "older" characters from the previous X-Men movies. Also featuring a few new mutants including Bishop (Omar Sy) and introducing a new threat: The Sentinels!
#1 Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Fall 2013) - The new TV series marks the return of Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg), leading a small group of agents from S.H.I.E.L.D. Together they investigate the new, the strange, and the unknown across the globe, protecting the ordinary from the extraordinary.
After the success of director Tim Burton's Batman films (Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992)) on September 5, 1992, Fox Kids aired one of the best and most beloved animated series in the last twenty years: Batman: The Animated Series! From 1992 to 1995, Batman was the most popular animated series on Saturday morning sparking a renewed interest in Batman, especially for kids. By its third season in 1994, the show changed its name to The Adventures of Batman & Robin, (although originally, the show never featured a title until then which was very unusual for an animated series) as Robin (Loren Lester) was featured more prominently in the show, along with Batgirl (Melissa Gilbert). The show's remarkable creative team which included writer/producer Paul Dini and artist/producer Bruce Timm helped to create the unique, dark/deco, style of the show. Some of the best and well-known voice actors like Kevin Conroy (Batman), Efrem Zimbalist Jr. (Alfred), Bob Hastings (Commissioner Gordon), Adrienne Barbeau (Catwoman), Richard Moll (Harvey Dent/Two Face), Paul Williams (The Penguin), Ron Perlman (Clayface) and of course Mark Hamill (The Joker), also added to the shows quality and immense success.
When the series ended after three seasons, The WB Network aired a continuation with The New Batman Adventures (1997-1999) featuring a slightly different animation style including a younger Robin (Tim Drake) with Dick Grayson as Nightwing. The show's success also led to a spin-off: Batman Beyond (1999-2001), a futuristic Batman animated series and the creation of Superman: The Animated Series (1996-2000) later the highly popular Justice League (2001-2004) and Justice League: Unlimited (2004-2006) animated series on Cartoon Network. To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Batman - The Animated Series, CHERNOBOG'S BLOG PROUDLY PRESENTS: My Top 10 Favorite Episodes! (Note: These Top 10 episodes focus only on the original run of the Batman Animated Series with some commentary)...Enjoy!
#10 "Trial" (Aired: 5/16/1994) - Many of Batman's deadliest villains including Two-Face, Poison Ivy, and The Mad Hatter kidnap Batman and put him on trial at Arkham Asylum for creating them with The Joker as the judge! With Janet Van Dorn (Stephanie Zimbalist), a shrewd attorney representing him, she proves that they in fact created themselves without Batman's help! I was always excited when the show involved the infamous Arkham Asylum, where all of Batman's villains resided at one time or another. It was always a popular location in the comics and was even later featured as part of the highly popular video game Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009).
#9 Perchance to Dream" (Aired: 10/19/1992) - Bruce Wayne wakes up to discover his parents are still alive, he's engaged to Selina Kyle (a.k.a. Catwoman) and someone else is impersonating Batman! Soon he discovers he is trapped in a dream world created by The Mad Hatter (Roddy McDowall). This was a very different episode giving us a look into what Bruce Wayne's life would be like if his parents had never been murdered and he had never become Batman. You really feel for Bruce when he finally accepts his new life and just want him to be happy but feel just as frustrated when he does realize that it's all a dream.
#8 "Dreams In Darkness" (Aired: 5/3/1993) - Batman is exposed to The Scarecrow's (Henry Polic II) fear toxin, driven insane, Batman is locked up in Arkham Asylum, where he is haunted by terrifying visions of his parents' murder. This was a considerably frightening episode full of disturbing imagery, especially seeing Batman at his weakest point tied in a straight-jacket! The Scarecrow was another one of my favorite villains, and was usually the most frightening. This wasn't so however in his first appearance in the episode "Nothing To Fear" (Aired: 9/15/92) where the Scarecrow's mask was very simple. In "Dreams In Darkness" we are introduced to Scarecrow's new mask which is much more shocking, featuring a distorted burlap face with jagged teeth and straw hair.
#7 "Night of the Ninja"/"Day of the Samurai" (Aired:10/26/92 & 2/23/93) - These two episodes go together perfectly as they both feature the ninja Kyodai Ken (Robert Ito), who was once Bruce Wayne's rival while he trained in the martial arts in Japan under Yoru Sensei (Chao Li Chi). In "Night of the Ninja" Ken tries to destroy the Wayne fortune and ultimately kidnaps him and reporter Summer Gleeson (Mari Devon). Wayne cannot reveal his martial arts talent while Summer watches without a little help from Robin. In "Day of the Samurai" Ken kidnaps a student of Yoru Sensei and challenges Batman to a duel on the slopes of an active volcano. However Ken believes he has an edge as he has learned an ancient, forbidden martial arts technique that can kill with a touch! I have long had a fascination with Japan and the Samurai ever since I saw the Sean Connery/James Bond movie You Only Live Twice (1967) with my Dad. Since then I have been a fan of the Japanese samurai and Jidaigeki/Samurai films, especially those of Akira Kurosawa (i.e. Seven Samurai and Yojimbo). Batman has always had both a certain ninja appeal to his character (as in the movie Batman Begins (2005), he trains in a ninja style with the League of Shadows under Ra's Al Ghul.) But in "Day of the Samurai" Kyodai Ken says to Batman "You would've made a good ninja." Batman replies: "I would prefer to be a Samurai!" Also, the addition of using real Japanese dialogue added to the episode's atmosphere.
#6 "Tyger, Tyger" (Aired: 10/30/1992) - Selina Kyle/Catwoman (Adrienne Barbeau) is kidnapped by Dr. Emile Dorian (Joseph Maher), a mad scientist experimenting with cats, who transforms her into a real Cat-woman! When Batman tracks her to the doctor's island to rescue her, he has to battle the doctor's favorite creation: Tygrus (Jim Cummings), a huge humanoid-cat creature! This episode always fascinated me. Batman had several episodes dealing with animal transformation particularly with the character of Man-Bat ("On Leather Wings" and "Terror In the Sky" or Woman-Bat) and even werewolves ("Moon of the Wolf"). This episode had a very strong Island of Dr. Moreau vibe which I loved and seeing Catwoman in her feline form thrilled me! The reference to and the excerpt from the poem "The Tyger" by William Blake also added a special touch of class to the episode.
#5 "The Demon's Quest" (Aired: 11/3/1992) - Written by Dennis O' Neil and based on his story "Daughter of the Demon" (Detective Comics #232, June 1971). When Robin and is kidnapped, Ra's Al Ghul (David Warner) reveals himself to Batman/Bruce Wayne and embarks on a world-wide quest to rescue him and his daughter Talia (Helen Slater). Batman was unaware that Ra's Al Ghul was the one responsible for the kidnapping and wished to test Batman to see if he was worthy of becoming his heir. Batman denies and later foils Ra's megalomaniacal plot to destroy the world using the power of the Lazarus Pits which has granted him longer life. Ra's Al Ghul quickly became my favorite Batman villain and I sought out older stories including "Tales of the Demon" by Dennis O'Neil, who also became my favorite Batman writer. This episode has such an epic feel, right out of the comics it is almost like the original story somewhat condensed. The climactic sword duel between Batman and Ra's Al Ghul is a particularly exciting moment!
#4 "Almost Got 'Im" (Aired: 11/10/1992) - The Joker, Two-Face, Penguin, Poison Ivy and Killer Croc gather to play Poker and reminisce about the times they "almost got" Batman. This is a delightful, although very far-fetched episode. It allows for an interesting look at the villains in an almost normal but comical setting. The only one who doesn't get a vignette is Killer Croc (Aron Kincaid) whose very short story always makes me laugh:
Killer Croc: "He [Batman] was getting closer... Closer...!"
Poison Ivy: "And?"
Killer Croc: "I threw a rock at him!"
[Awkward Silence as they all stare at him.]
Killer Croc: "It was a big rock..."
Harley Quinn
#3 "I Am The Night" (Aired: 11/9/1992) - During a botched stakeout, Commissioner Gordon (Bob Hastings) is shot by Jimmy "The Jazzman" Peake (Brian George). Meanwhile Batman helps a young drifter named Wizard (Seth Green) turn his life around. This was a very emotionally powerful episode. We see Batman at his ultimate low having failed Commissioner Gordon and basically throwing a fit, even smashing his own equipment with outbursts of rage! As he contemplates whether or not being Batman is actually helping the police he comes the closest to actually quiting. Gordon recovers and Batman has a renewed outlook on his purpose.
#2 "The Laughing Fish" (Aired: 1/10/1993) - Based on "The Laughing Fish" and "Sign of the Joker", (Detective Comics #475-476, Feb./Mar. 1978), The Joker chemically enhances all the fish in Gotham, luring Batman into a death-trap with a Great White Shark! This episode features Harley Quinn (a.k.a. Dr. Harleen Quinzel, Arleen Sorkin) who was created specifically for the show and was first introduced in the episode "Joker's Favor" (9/11/92) as Joker's hench-wench, who quickly became a fan favorite and soon appeared in the regular Batman comic books, achieving her own title.
#1 "Beware the Gray Ghost" (Aired: 11/4/1992) - During a series of bombings, Batman/Bruce Wayne is reminded of a TV show from his childhood: "The Gray Ghost". When he tracks down the star, Simon Trent (Adam West), now a has-been actor, Batman teams up with his child-hood TV hero to bring a the mad bomber to justice! This has always been my favorite episode, most obviously for the reason that Adam West, the Batman of the '60's made an appearance (who I instantly recognized). The fact that it always spoke to my love of nostalgia, I have always related to it. I can always see myself when it shows a flashback of a young Bruce Wayne watching "The Gray Ghost" on the floor in front of the TV, clutching his Gray Ghost action figure and wearing a Gray Ghost hat and cape.
PERSONAL NOTE: The Batman animated series came at a perfect time in my life when I was growing up. I was already a big Batman fan, having seen reruns of the older 1970's Batman and Super Friends and '80s Super Powers cartoons and of course, I enjoyed the "Batman" (1966) TV show starring Adam West. I distinctly remember seeing the 1989 Batman movie on or around my 10th birthday and from then on I was a Bat-fan for life! I began collecting the Batman comic books and when the new animated series aired, I was extremely excited. I felt that the '90s animated series was MY Batman, and I have enjoyed it for many years. I even own all 4 of the DVD volumes and still watch them to this day. See you next time fellow Bat-Fans, "same bat-Time, same Bat-Channel"!
NOTE: Be sure to check out the wonderful book Batman: Animated by Paul Dini and Chip Kidd! LINKS: Watch full episodes of Batman: The Animated Series on The WB.com, Batman: The Animated Series is currently airing late-night on The Hub cable channel.
Now that the hype over The Dark Knight Rises has calmed down a little and not to mention the subsequent reaction over the Aurora, Colorado theater shootings, I would like to continue blogging as usual...and since it's Wednesday, being new comic book day, I wanted to look back at all the great Batman stories that have impressed and inspired over the years. I have been a huge Batman fan almost all my life. Ever since watching the "Super-Friends" and "Batman" cartoons of the late 70's reruns and the "Super-Powers" show. I even enjoyed the laughable '60's TV show when I was a kid and grew up during the height of the original Tim Burton Batman movie and of course remarkable "Batman: The Animated Series". Since his first appearance in "Detective Comics" #27 in May, 1939, THE Batman has gone through many different incarnations from dark avenger to family-friendly crusader and back again. For over 70-years there have been many talented writers and artists who have added to the Batman mythos some changing the character forever or forgotten in the annals of comics history. Creator Bob Kane left a legacy for generations of readers and fans and all those involved from Bill Finger, Denny O'Neil, Neal Adams, Alan Moore, Frank Miller, Jeph Loeb, Jim Lee and many others who have kept the Bat-signal lit over the years. CHERNOBOG'S BLOG Proudly Presents The Top 10 Batman Stories...Enjoy!
#10 "Gotham By Gaslight" (Feb. 1989) Written by Brian Augustyn, art by Michael Mignola - Originally a DC Comics one-shot it is considered to be the first "Elseworlds" story. Set in 1889, Batman searches for a murderer in Gotham City whose crimes resemble Jack the Ripper! The story spawned a sequel: "Master of the Future" in 1991.
#9 "The Long Halloween" (1996-1997) Written by Jeph Loeb, art by Tim Sale - With the success of the "Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Specials" by Loeb and Sale, the team reunited and published a 13-issue maxi-series featuring holiday themed storylines with some of Batman's major villains. Set in the early years of Batman's career, Batman tracks down a villain known as Holiday, who kills on holidays.
Breaking of the Bat
#8 "Batman: A Death in the Family" (1988-1989) Written by Jim Starlin, art by Jim Aparo with covers by Mike Mignola - Featured in the pages of "Batman" #s 426-429, the story followed the infamous events that lead to death of the second Robin (Jason Todd) who died at the hands of the Joker. The unique aspect to the story was that DC Comics planned two alternate endings where Robin either lived or died and left it to the readers to a vote by phone call to a 1-900 number. The vote was close, but ultimately Robin died horrifically in a bomb explosion. The disadvantage to the vote was that many who voted were not current readers and thought it was deciding the fate of the original Robin (Dick Grayson) who had recently become Nightwing.
#7 "Hush" (2002-2003) Written by Jeph Loeb, art by Jim Lee - A 12-issue storyline in featured in Batman #'s 608-619, Hush, is a mysterious stalker later revealed to be Dr. Thomas "Tommy" Elliot, a former childhood friend of Bruce Wayne's, who attempts to destroy Batman by manipulating many of Batman's allies and enemies.
#6 "Birthof the Demon" (1992) Written by Dennis O'Neil, art by Norm Breyfogle - Following the campy 1966 Batman TV show as the 1960's came to a close and the 70's began, Batman was going through some major changes. Under the direction of DC Comics editor Julius Schwartz and with the help of writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Neal Adams, Batman would once again return to his darker roots. With the change also came the introduction a new major villain: Ra's Al Ghul, The Demon's Head! Created by O'Neal and Adams, Ra's first appeared in Batman #232, June 1971, with the story "Daughter of the Demon" the daughter of Ra's al Ghul, Talia and Robin are kidnapped but it turns out all to be a plot by Ra's to prove whether Batman was worthy. "Birth of the Demon" is the telling of Ra's al Ghul's origin and the death of his wife surrounding a story where a dying Ra's sends his forces to search for new Lazarus pits which leads to the ultimate confrontation between The Demon and The Detective!
#5 "Batman: Arkham Asylum (A Serious House on Serious Earth)" (1989) Written by Grant Morrison, Illustrated by Dave McKean, lettering by Gaspar Saladino - A fully-painted graphic novel All Hell breaks loose when the inmates of Arkham Asylum led by the Joker takes over and takes the staff hostage and threatens to kill them unless Batman agrees to meet with them. "Arkham Asylum" is a truly unique and disturbing story and an artistic masterpiece!
#4 "Knightfall" (1993-1994), Quite possibly the longest running crossover storyline in Batman's history with multiple writers and artists contributing to five different titles including "Detective Comics", "Batman", "Legends of the Dark Knight", "Shadow of the Bat" and spin-off titles "Robin" and "Catwoman". The story featured a new villain Bane, who plotted to "break" the Batman, first by releasing the inmates of Arkham Asylum and then beating Batman and breaking his back. The story continued with "KnightQuest" which featured a new Batman: Jean-Paul Valley (now Azrael) and his exploits as he defeats Bane and grows unstable until the conclusion "KnightsEnd" as Bruce Wayne returns and fights Valley for the title of Batman. Bruce wins but ultimately passes on the mantle of the Batman to Dick Grayson concluding the story with "KnightsEnd: Aftermath".
The Dark Knight Retunrs
#3 "Batman: Year One" (1987), Written by Frank Miller, art by David Mazzucchelli - Following the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985-1986), DC Comics rebooted many of it's titles including Superman and Batman. Featured in the pages of Batman #'s 404-407, this modern retelling of the origin and early career of The Batman, featuring Selina Kyle as the Catwoman a dominatrix prostitute. The story continued with Year Two in 1987 but with the events of Zero Hour in 1994, Year Two was erased from continuity. Later, Year Three retold the origin of Robin.
#2 "The Dark Knight Returns" (1986), Written by and art by Frank Miller - This Four-issue limited series tells the story of an aged Batman who comes out of retirement to battle the rising crime-rate of Gotham City, recruiting a young female Robin (Carrie Kelly). Batman goes to extremes in battling a gang called The Mutants, nearly killing The Joker and almost beating Superman to death! Afterward, Batman has a heart-attack and fakes his death.
#1 "Batman: The Killing Joke" (1988), Written by Alan Moore, art by Brian Bolland - This monumental one-shot graphic novel features the origin of The Joker, who started out as a petty-costumed criminal known as The Red Hood, who jumps into a vat of chemicals to escape the Batman but emerges permanently altered with white-skin, green hair and red-lips. Later The Joker attempts to drive Police Commissioner Gordon insane by imprisoning him in a cage at a freak show, then shoots and paralyzes Barbara Gordon (Batgirl, who later becomes Oracle). Batman soon tracks down the Joker but instead of fighting him attempts to offer to help him, putting an end to the madness. Joker declines and instead tells him a joke that actually makes Batman laugh.
In 2005, director Christopher Nolan presented a new perspective on one of the most beloved comic book heroes of all time: Batman. With the film Batman Begins, Nolan reinvented the character and gave a darker and more realistic tone to the Batman origin story. With actor Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman, portraying a much more believable and human character as he embarks on a journey to become The Dark Knight after his parents murder. Batman Begins was a huge success both critically and in the box office. With the teaser of the arrival of The Joker at the end of the movie, fans eagerly awaited the sequel. With The Dark Knight (2008), Nolan re-introduced Batman's arch-enemy: The Joker, as played by Heath Ledger, whose unique and disturbing depiction resonated deeply with fans and critics. Unfortunately, the untimely death of Heath Ledger occurred six months before the release of the movie. Although his death had a huge impact on the release, the aggressive, viral advertising campaign by the studio made the movie a huge success. (Read my review!) While a third movie was in the works, it was admitted that Christopher Nolan was hesitant about returning to the franchise, but agreed to come back to conclude the series with the help of his brother Jonathan Nolan and David S. Goyer who also helped to write the screenplay. The Dark Knight Rises takes place eight years after the events of The Dark Knight when Batman took the blame for the death of D.A. Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) a.k.a. Two-Face. Since that time, the Batman has disappeared but Gotham City has enforced the new Dent Act which helped to rid the city of organized crime. While Commissioner Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) is conflicted in revealing the truth about Harvey Dent, Gotham honors the anniversary of his death with "Harvey Dent Day". Bruce Wayne, having given-up being Batman, has now become a feeble recluse, injured and having to use a cane. With the arrival of the mercenary Bane, Bruce must face him as Batman once again in order to save Gotham from chaos and destruction. After his fall, now he must rise as Batman returns better than ever to confront his most dangerous and formidable adversary yet! In The Dark knight Rises we are introduced to four new characters: one is Officer John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who at first seems like an ancillary character representing the new guard of Gotham's police force, but who later becomes an important figure in the plot. The new "love-interest" for Bruce Wayne is Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard), a wealthy investor working on a clean energy project. The Dark Knight Rises marks the return of Batman's most popular femme fatale: Catwoman! Anne Hathaway plays Selina Kyle, a talented jewel thief, dubbed a "Cat" burglar in the news. Although she is never actually called "Catwoman" in the movie, her black cat-suit and cat-like mask makes it obvious. Catwoman previously appeared in Batman Returns (1992) played by Michelle Pfeiffer and also laughably by Halle Berry in Catwoman (2004). While Pfeiffer's Catwoman was a more supernaturally endowed, sultry/sexy Catwoman, Hathaway's Catwoman is much more subtle and realistic, but with a strong, independent, confidence.
Tom Hardy as Bane
The most anticipated of characters is the introduction of the villain Bane, played by (Tom Hardy), Bane is a mysterious mercenary, bent on the destruction of Gotham City. The character of Bane, who is a more modern Batman villain having broken Batman's back in the "Knightfall" storyline during the 1990's, had also previously appeared briefly in the campy Batman & Robin (1997) played by Jeep Swenson, a former WCW wrestler who coincidentally died shortly after the release of the movie. The Dark Knight Rises' Bane is a much more menacing and imposing villain, with an odd face-mask that electronically modulates his voice. Whereas the comic book Bane merely wore a Mexican-wrestler mask and was fueled by the steroid-like drug "Venom" (also in the Joel Schumacher movie), this Bane has a very strong Darth Vader-like presence. His role as a crime-boss/terrorist/mercenary is a much more believable and realistic antagonist. The final battle between Bane and Batman is an intense moment as Bane has literally taken Gotham hostage, threatening to destroy it with a nuclear bomb. The new Bane has met with a lot of speculation and criticism from the beginning since the first teaser trailers and we first heard the "muffled" words of Tom Hardy's character. While his face-mask is both intended as functional and visually striking. The practicality of it however, seems somewhat bizarre as Bane often has very long and articulate dialogue which is often very hard to understand at times. Also, the bizarre inflections of his voice makes his words seem both melodramatic and threatening at the same time. Unlike the previous movie Bane, this Bane is presented more like the comic book version as a highly-intelligent, articulate and extraordinarily strong character. As with the introduction of The Joker in The Dark Knight (2008), (which is never mentioned once in The Dark Knight Rises, either out of respect to Heath Ledger or to not take focus off of the purveying plot of the trilogy.) The introduction of Bane is particularly unique and suspenseful, it involves a botched CIA plane ride where Bane has already made a name for himself in the underground and a desperate CIA agent attempts to reveal bane's identity and his plans but to no avail. It is somewhat disturbing and confusing to discover Bruce Wayne's fate after the events of The Dark Knight, where once stood a confident and powerful man, now is a broken, disheveled, shut-in making us wonder how he could have ever been The Dark Knight at all. Surprisingly Anne Hathaway's portrayal of Catwoman is very close to both the modern Catwoman and "Year One" Catwoman. She is constantly playing off Batman as both an ally and an enemy, which is what makes her character interesting and a fan-favorite. As a fan I think my favorite aspect of this movie is how the story comes together full circle, referencing the events of the first film, particularly the plot involving Ra's al Ghul (Liam Neeson), who is my favorite Batman villain.
Anne Hathaway as Catwoman
The Dark Knight Rises is the final chapter in Christopher Nolan's "Dark Knight Trilogy". Like the third act to any epic story, The Dark Knight Rises is literally the rise after the fall. As Thomas Wayne (Linus Roache) said in Batman Begins, "And why do we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves up."The Dark Knight Rises is a bold, intense, edge-of-your-seat experience! It is the culmination of years of hard work from a truly devoted and remarkable director, who approached these films as a serious epic. Christopher Nolan utilized a human-centered story as well as state-of-the-art camera technology and special effects to tell a story that is both unique and thought provoking. I believe these films to be the definitive Dark Knight films. While both the Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher movies added to the Batman film canon, in attempting to capture on film both the dark side and the campiness of Batman. After Batman's 70-year-long history in many mediums, he has become more than just a comic book character; he is an idea, a symbol. To paraphrase Bruce Wayne/Christian Bale in Batman Begins as a symbol, Batman can be "incorruptible and everlasting."While Nolan's films have been a success both critically and financially there will always be those who will deride his efforts. Even before the release, this movie has been met with an enormous amount of both hype and criticism from the media, critics and fans alike. (Who Cares What Critics Think?) After seeing it I felt an enormous amount of awe and relief that this trilogy has successfully come to an end. Not since the original Star Wars Trilogy or even the Indiana Jones franchise have I felt that a film franchise has met the expectations of it's responsibility to the movie-goers and fans. In an age where comic-book movies have dominated the box-office and set trends in Hollywood for the last decade and all other franchises have met with disappointment in the end to their respective trilogies. As with Blade: Trinity (2004), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) and Spider-Man 3 (2007), and even further back with the original Superman franchise with Superman III (1983), have all failed miserably! But with The Dark Knight Rises, having come full-circle, I believe it can be considered to be a "perfect trilogy", bringing all three films together successfully into one epic finale!
Personal Note: I was able to see The Dark Knight Rises at the midnight screening at one of my local theaters. It is always quite an experience to go to these events. Yes the theater is packed with people; it's crammed, hot and noisy. The roar of applause and the cheer from the fans with every epic moment "brings a smile to my face"! I enjoy seeing the die-hard fans dress up in costumes both store-bought, professionally made and even amateur/half-assed. As a fan, you feel comfort and acceptance knowing you are surrounded by your fellow fans. Never would I have considered that something so positive like this could bring so much fear and uncertainty. In response to the tragedy where Gunman killed 12 people at The Dark knight Rises screening in Aurora, Colorado, in our post Columbine or 9/11 world, where can we truly consider ourselves safe? It only takes one person who chooses to act in the form of violence to make us think and realize that we have to be vigilant and careful. Any number of things could have been done to prevent this but ultimately something like this is unpredictable and it will happen. It is a harsh reminder of our reality and while it is true that life imitates art or vice-versa art cannot be blamed entirely for someone’s actions. The fact that the media is blaming the violence in the film for this act is ridiculous and I think this TIME article says it best as "Nolan does not use violence in his movie gratuitously. His message is one of economic disparity and of desperate people driven to desperate acts." We wish that there were superheroes like Batman, and in these troubled times especially. We turn to escapism and fantasy during hard times, just as depression-era children turned to Batman in the first place. We must face the fact that we can never really escape reality. Instead we learn from heroes like Batman and his message and strive to make the world a better place.
