05-13-2005, 03:40 AM
>Another problem with the original Batman movies is that, in large part, they were made off the sudden popularity of the Frank Miller graphic novel The Dark
Knight Returns.
I agree that Burton pretty much stole most of the look from TDKR, but unfortunately left out everything else that was worth stealing from the book.
>Unfortunately much of this book contains the same type of charcter descrepancies as the movies do. Being as that novel is more of a What-If? story I don't think any continuity based book, or movie for that matter, should base much of it's mood/character on them.
I gotta ask, why not? I personally rather have a good story that features Batman, than a boring story\toy commercial that slavishly follows 'continuity'.
> And it really is unfortunate because a much better Frank Miller book to base a Batman movie on would be his work in Batman: Year One. I still get a little nauseus when i'm at the comic shop and i hear some crankshaft going on about how great TDKR is and 2 seconds later it becomes apparant that their whole concept of what the Batman universe is about is based on this one book.
I liked TDKR. I liked Year One. I liked most of the Neal Adams Batman. And even though I don't think it's one of his better work, I liked Alan Moore's the Killing Joke. But really when it comes down to it, Batman is a pretty broad character. He can exist anywhere from the ridicilously campy to the nearly psychopathic.
And I'm a bit curious, so what if some person's whole concept of the Bat-universe is derived from TDKR? Doesn't that say something about the book's worth if it's accessible to more than just avid bat-fans? And while I understand some people's view on continuity, in the bigger picture most people really only care about the quality of the story.
>I also think that any writer or director that might attempt to takle a batman film would sorely lacking if they didn't spend a good bit of time studying the works of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale in The Long Halloween and Dark Victory as well as the graphic novel Arkham Asylum as it is the rawest batman book ever made and as close to the core of these characters as you are likely to get.
All those are good, though where's the Paul Dini and Bruce Timm's interpretations? Even if they admit they do not strictly follow the official DC comic continuity ;P the way they handle character and story is worth the study in my opinion.