Month: August 2008

Entry for August 11, 2008: Why the Dark Knight shouldn’t return

Batman and Robin in one dark future
Frank Miller's Dark Knight

With this summer’s spate of mostly successful movie adaptations of comic book superheroes (Iron Man, Incredible Hulk, Hellboy 2: the Golden Army, and especially Dark Knight), many fans have demanded that Frank Miller’s dystopic Dark Knight Returns (DKR) be made into a live-action movie. However, here are my top 10 reasons why it shouldn’t be done:

1. It’s dated. Although Watchmen may prove that a film making sociopolitical commentary using metahumans set in an alternate 1980s can be successful, DKR is filled with parodies of people such as President Ronald Reagan that may not resonate with current audiences. Not everyone has fond memories of the end of the Cold War and urban vigilantes such as Bernie Goetz.

2. Its influence is already pervasive. As a move away from the campy Adam West television show of the late 1960s, DKR‘s grim approach to the caped crusader has been cited in Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman, numerous comic books (especially Mark Waid and Alex Ross’ similarly apocalyptic Kingdom Come), and even Batman Begins. Comic book writers have broken Batman’s back and are about to kill or retire him, however temporarily. A live-action version would almost be redundant at this point.

3. It has already been done — in animation. Episodes of The New Batman and Robin Adventures and the more recent The Batman directly alluded to Miller’s work, and the cyberpunk Batman Beyond owed its aged but still-determined Bruce Wayne to DKR. The Dini/Timm cartoons successfully balanced the detective, martial artist, and superhero aspects of Batman.

4. It could be done better — in animation. Warner Brothers’ direct-to-video efforts, including Justice League: The New Frontier, Batman: Gotham Knight, and the upcoming Wonder Woman, have been faithful to the source material and not constrained by effects budgets or live-action’s need for realistic style. Also, they’ve been free to pick and choose from DC Comics’ admittedly convoluted continuity, while a blockbuster movie could define the character — for good or ill — for a generation of potential fans.

5. Frank Miller is overrated. Although DKR is widely regarded as a classic graphic novel, his sequel, DK2: Dark Knight Strikes Again, wasn’t as good, and his All-Star Batman and Robin has been misogynistic, over-the-top camp (ironically, what DKR was supposedly turning away from) and not shipped on time. We’ll see if his version of Will Eisner’s classic masked gumshoe The Spirit is more of the same or truly innovative storytelling.

6. Other Frank Miller works are better. I’ve been impressed at the faithfulness of the film versions of his original noir crime drama Sin City and quasi-historical epic 300, and I’d love to see cyberpunk samurai story Ronin done well.

7. It would conflict with Christopher Nolan’s films. In terms of box-office returns, Warner Brothers will likely weigh this over the other considerations. Although similar in many aspects to DKR, Batman Begins was more directly based on Miller’s restrained Batman: Year One, just as Dark Knight owes much Batman: The Killing Joke and Long Halloween. Nolan has constructed his own version of the Dark Knight that eschews camp for psychological sturm und drang.

8. Other superheroes deserve some attention. As much of a Batman fan as I am, I’d like to eventually see well-done versions of Green Arrow, Flash, Aquaman, and Green Lantern, among other DC heroes. Why should Marvel have all the fun?

9. Why destroy a universe when it’s just being built up? With live-action Superman, Wonder Woman, and Justice League projects stalled for the moment, a deconstruction of the DC pantheon before it has been filmed seems premature at best, and self-defeating at worst.

10. It’s not my favorite incarnation. As I’ve noted before, I’ve enjoyed various versions of Batman in comics, television, and film, but I’m particularly fond of the 1990s animated series led by Bruce Timm and Paul Dini. There’s certainly room for multiple interpretations of Batman, such as fan film Batman: Dead End (just as with his fictional precursor Sherlock Holmes), but we should remember that the hyperviolent, armored warrior on crime is but one of them.

This is just my personal preference, and I realize that many people will strongly disagree with me, but such passions demonstrate how much life the 70-year-old character still has!

Entry for August 07, 2008: 40th birthday bash

Friends, it was good to see so many of you at this past weekend's gathering! On Saturday, 2 August 2008, Janice, Thomas K.Y., and I drove from Massachusetts to Upstate New York for the 40th birthdays of many in our cohort. Although we encountered traffic and heavy rain on the way, we made good time and arrived at Damon F.P. & Nicole P.'s place in Carmel, N.Y., by midafternoon. The Potenzas had done much of the work of organizing the celebration and picked up people from the train station.

From there, we went to the Chuang Yen Monastery. The Buddhist shrine was peaceful (and was probably even more so after our large group left). We then went for a short walk on the North County Trailway, while David I.S. and Brian D.H. were on a longer hike. Steve A.L., Steve M.R., and Stuart were there without their families.

Those of us staying at Heidi's Inn in Brewster, N.Y., included out-of-towners such as Dave, Steve M.R., Janice, Thomas, and me, as well as downstate New Yorkers Stuart C.G., Brian, and Erik B.L. & Wei T.L. and Emma M.L. We checked in while the others cleaned up at the home of Damon & Nicole (and their children Aaron and Katie, as well as prize-winning rabbits Oreo and Cookie) in preparation for the buffet dinner.

We reconvened at Maria Bonita Mexican Restaurant for the main event of the weekend. Damon's sister Corinne and her daughter Bianca, as well as one of his neighbors, also joined us. Newlyweds Dexter V.H. & Linda N. arrived late to applause, and we had a great turnout of about 25 people! The main purpose of the walks, meals, and late-night hanging out was to give everyone an opportunity to catch up with one another.

Our conversations ranged from families and travel to politics (mostly, but not exclusively, liberal), technology, and genre entertainment (speculative fiction, fantasy, superheroes, mystery, and horror in books, comics, television shows, movies, and games). In particular, we talked about the current presidential campaigns, potential visits, and Doctor Who's recent season finale. I was pleased that everybody got along and had a good time, even those who hadn't met before.

Aside from weddings, this is the first time in years when so many of my friends were together! I met Carlo R. (and his brother David), Damon, and Steve M. while we were students at Archbishop Stepinac High School in Westchester in the early 1980s. College chums from the State University of New York at Binghamton included David I.S., Steve A.L., Ron J.K., Dexter, Stuart, Janice, and Brian.

Brian, who was also a roommate when I was working for NYPIRG at Queens College-CUNY, pointed out that presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) also worked for the New York Public Interest Research Group.

I've been pals with Steve M.R., Erik B.L., and Jen R. since graduate school at the George Washington University in Washington D.C. in the early 1990s, and for the first time, Thomas and Beruk A. helped represent the current Boston-area social/gaming groups!

Of course, the circles of acquaintances, or "F.O.G." ("friends of Gene") as Erik has dubbed them, are now more likely to meet in their respective regions — metropolitan New York, around Westchester County, in Upstate New York (such as David I.S. and Damon), in Northern Virginia (Steve M.R. was the lone representative this time), or in eastern Massachusetts.

After dinner, some people went home, and the rest of us met back at Stuart's large room at Heidi's Inn. Damon & Nicole and Steve M. filled the refrigerator with hard iced tea and lemonade, Steve M.R. brought some beer, and Brian picked up munchies. Dave, Janice, and I made a late-night run to a nearby Carvel Ice Cream for "flying saucers." Steve A.L. later got a ride with Damon to the train back to Brooklyn.

Dave also set up his PlayStation 3 and demonstrated Guitar Hero. Erik and I weren't particularly good at the video game, but Brian picked it up quickly and impressively. Janice and I had brought board games, and early plans included the possibility of going out to the movies or into Manhattan, but we had more time to chat without going out.

Speaking of games, this was also the first time that a majority of the "Dimensional Corps Online" supergroup for the City of Heroes online game had met face to face. Role-players Dexter, Byron V.O., and possibly Stuart hope to visit the Boston area in late September.

On Sunday, Aug. 3, Damon & Nicole and Katie met the inn crowd at the Carmel Diner and Restaurant for brunch. Dave, Brian, Thomas, and I shared a Reuben in addition to our omelets. Unfortunately, Steve M.R. had to get his car unlocked after leaving his keys in his trunk, and Dave left for another hike. The Potenzas and Lutwins went to a nearby park in Cold Spring, N.Y. (rather than Bear Mountain State Park, as originally planned). Overall, I thought our 40th birthday bash was a success.

Thomas, Janice, and I also had to leave after the meal because Janice and I went to the wake in New Hampshire of a co-worker's spouse who had died unexpectedly and tragically of a heart attack last week. Our thoughts are with their family.