Fellow genre film fans, I hope you had a good weekend. The summer of superhero movies continues! On Saturday, 19 July 2008, I met Beruk A. and Thomas K.Y. at the AMC Framingham multiplex for Dark Knight, the sequel to Batman Begins. Janice screened the musical Mamma Mia, which she liked.

Here are the usual disclaimers: I've been a Batman fan for many years. I have fond memories of reruns of the campy late-1960s television show and have met Adam West and other stars. I've read numerous DC Comics titles and graphic novels and have a shelf's worth of reference books. I own the excellent animated series of the 1990s and have dressed as the caped crusader for Halloween. Thus, I'm hardly an objective reviewer.

Last week, I watched the anime Gotham Knight and the History Channel's decent special about Batman/Bruce Wayne's psychology. Although I've seen numerous glowing reviews, I had tried to avoid "spoilers" and comparisons between Dark Knight and other recent comic book adaptations. Dark Knight is grim, operatic, and arguably one of the best superhero movies to date. Is it perfect, or is it my ideal live-action take on the cowled detective? No, but it comes pretty close.

The movie opens with billionaire philanthropist and troubled Bruce Wayne continuing his self-appointed war on crime, shortly after the events of director Chris Nolan's Batman Begins. Christian Bale is again solidly intense in three roles: the sincere Bruce known only to close friends, the public playboy Wayne, and the fearsome vigilante Batman.

He is again ably supported by Michael Caine as butler and counselor Alfred Pennyworth, Morgan Freeman as gadgeteer and business steward Lucius Fox, and Gary Oldman as James Gordon, the only noncorrupt policeman in Gotham City. Chicago was used for location shots, which aren't quite as gothic as in Tim Burton's 1989 flick or Batman Begins. A side trip to Hong Kong has even more impressive skyscrapers.

Newcomers include Maggie Gyllenhall as assistant district attorney Rachael Dawes, ably replacing Katie Holmes. Dawes is the love interest of both Wayne and crusading district attorney Harvey Dent, played by Aaron Eckhardt. Batman hopes that Dent will be able to openly and legally clean up Gotham's streets so that he can hang up his cowl forever.

However, Batman must deal with copycat vigilantes and the chaotic and explosive Joker. Much has been said about the late Heath Ledger's performance, and I have to agree that it's worthy of an Oscar. Ledger disappears under the makeup, scars, and nervous ticks of the homicidal maniac, and it's a shame that an accidental drug overdose took this talented performer so young (reminding me of The Crow's Brandon Lee).

As with Caesar Romero, Jack Nicholson, or Mark Hamill, the character is id to Batman's superego, and each performance sets the bar higher. Each time he offers an explanation for his ghastly appearance and objectives, the Joker offers a different one, echoing The Killing Joke. The Joker soon dominates the conflict between law enforcement and organized crime, bringing up the issue of domestic terrorism. Remiding us of the tragic events of 11 September 2001, he uses low-tech methods (timers, grenades, barrels of gasoline) to wreck the order so carefully protected and represented by Dent and Batman.

It's not too much of a spoiler to say that two other members of Batman's rogue's gallery make appearances in this movie, but the dance belongs to Batman, the conflicted Dent, and the Joker. The hero isn't overshadowed by the flashy villain, as Nolan continues to focus on Wayne's motivations and sacrifices for justice. Dark Knight feels more like a crime drama than a standard spandex-clad adventure.

For a PG-13 movie, Dark Knight is very violent. Younger members of the audience tended to find the Joker more amusing than horrifying, but the challenges Batman faces in overcoming his schemes is believable. New gadgets include a "Batpod" motorcycle, sonar lenses, and a cell-phone surveillance system seemingly ripped from recent news.

As in Batman Begins, the fight choreography could have been a bit clearer, and the ending could have been tighter. I'm not a huge fan of body armor on that world's greatest martial artist, but at least Bale can now turn his head, one of many improvements to previous live-action versions. The soundtrack is moody, if not as evocative or memorable as Danny Elfman's score. Wayne's decision to continue his extralegal efforts could have gone differently or been explained better, but the storyline is left open for another sequel.

Several people have asked me how Dark Knight compares with other superhero movies, especially this summer's Iron Man. While they're similar — both are about rich men who don suits of armor to fight crime — they're very different in tone. Iron Man is entertaining and light-hearted even as it considers the moral cost of the U.S.'s current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Along with Incredible Hulk, it begins building a cinematic version of the Marvel universe. Comic books may be struggling in print, but cinematic and direct-to-DVD adaptations are thriving.

Dark Knight is a brooding rumination on the human struggle between order and chaos, freedom and justice. I'd say that Iron Man is still one of the most fun movies so far this year, but in terms of strong acting, a high-quality script and production, and a decisive if dark tone, Dark Knight rules. I'd give it an 8 or 9 out of 10, or an A-.

After the movie, Thomas, Janice, and I had dinner at TGI Friday's. I'll try to blog later in the week about more genre entertainment.

Friends, I hope you had a good weekend. On Friday, 11 July 2008, after the latest solid episode of Doctor Who, I watched the season premiere of Stargate: Atlantis. I still prefer and miss the cast from Stargate SG1 (and look forward to the direct-to-DVD Continuum), but the military space-opera spin-off was decent, if predictable.

On Saturday, Janice and I drove to the book shops and restaurants of Moody Street in Waltham, Massachusetts. We had a pizza lunch at The Upper Crust before going to Thomas K.Y.'s condominium in Lexington. Beruk A. joined us, and we screened Hellboy II: The Golden Army in Woburn.

I've been a fan of Hellboy creator Mike Mignola's art since DC Comics' Cosmic Odyssey and Gotham by Gaslight, as well as Disney's Atlantis. Guillermo del Toro directed not only the first live-action Hellboy movie, but also the dark fantasy Pan's Labyrinth. Mignola's lovable freaks and del Toro's fantastical creatures are further developed in The Golden Army. I also own the direct-to-video animated Hellboy: Sword of Storms and Hellboy: Blood and Iron.

Ron Perlman, no stranger to heavy makeup since the Beauty and the Beast television series and the film adaptation of Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose, once again plays "Big Red" as cranky and good-hearted. He is well-supported by Doug Jones as the amphibious Abe Sapien (and the fey chamberlain and a weird angel of death), Selma Blair as pyrokinetic Liz Sherman, and Jeffrey Tambor as barely competent Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense head Tom Manning.

Once again, the BPRD must protect normal humans from a hidden world of magical monsters, this time led by Luke Goss as evil Elf Prince Nuada and Anna Walton as his sister Princess Nuala. Hellboy and his fractious band of friends are joined by Family Guy's Seth McFarlane as the voice of the insubstantial Johann Krauss as they try to prevent the fey realm from using the titular golden army to wage war on New York City. The plot is straightforward, but the characters are still fun. The officious Krauss is most changed from the original Dark Horse comics.

However, no text-based review can do justice to the many varied monsters of Mignola and del Toro's universe, which pay homage to folklore, classic Hammer horror flicks, and more recent movies such as Star Wars' cantina scene, Henson's Labyrinth and Dark Crystal, and Harry Potter's Diagon Alley. One huge flowering menace reminded me of the tragic nature elementals of Hayao Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke, Nausicaa: Valley of the Wind, and Spirited Away, as well as the recent kaiju Cloverfield. We'll see how well del Toro does with the planned Hobbit movie.

I've described Hellboy before as Men In Black with demons instead of aliens, and the same holds true for their respective sequels. While not as innovative as the first films in each series, I liked Hellboy 2, which was rated PG-13 for violence. I'd give it about a 7 or 8 out of 10, or B+, putting it in the middle of my ratings for this summer's comic book adaptations.

After the movie, Thomas, Beruk, Janice, and I went to New Jang Su, a Korean barbeque restaurant in Burlington. Dinner was good, and from there, we returned to Thomas' place, where we viewed my DVD of the anime Batman: Gotham Knight.

Like the postapocalyptic cyberpunk Animatrix, this video is meant to showcase a variety of Asian styles and serve as a bridge between live-action movies (in this case, Batman Begins and the forthcoming Dark Knight). Bruce Timm, who helmed the excellent DC Comics television series of the past 15 years, is in charge of recent animated efforts such as this, Justice League: New Frontier, and the upcoming Wonder Woman.

The superb Kevin Conroy returns as the voice of Bruce Wayne/Batman. Each vignette is connected but takes a different stylistic and storytelling approach to the costumed vigilante's ongoing war on crime in Gotham City, which looks better than ever. Writers and animators proved that while Marvel may currently rule the box office, DC's iconic characters still have life in them. I'd give Gotham Knight a 9 out of 10, or an A.

Speaking of Ron Perlman and anime, I've been watching Samurai 7 on Thursday nights on the Independent Film Channel. It's a cyberpunky adaptation of Akira Kurasawa's classic Seven Samurai, which was brought to the Old West as The Magnificent Seven. Perlman co-starred in Magnificent Seven: the Series.

On Sunday, after the usual City of Heroes teamup, J
anice and I caught up on yardwork and housework, as well as the broadcast of a dog show in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. BBC America's Robin Hood will soon be replaced by science fiction series Primeval, and Avatar: the Last Airbender and Psych are coming back soon. I was pleased with the return of Foyle's War to Masterpiece: Mystery. I've also caught up on local newspapers, but comic books and gaming still beckon.

On Friday, 4 July 2008, Janice's parents Marvin and Linda, her youngest sister Melinda, and Melinda's children Amanda and Joshua joined us from Upstate New York. We ate at a pancake breakfast, then sat through the rain for the local Independence Day parade in Needham Heights, Massachusetts.

After that, we walked through a craft fair and flea market before getting lunch at Dunkin Donuts. We sat and watched a model sailboat regatta as the clouds cleared before heading home. While Janice, Melinda, and their parents caught up on reading and cooked spaghetti and meatballs, I played a simplified version of the HeroClix miniatures game with Amanda and Josh. They've had some exposure to this in videogames such as Marvel Ultimate Alliance.

As a longtime role-player, I was pleased to see how much they enjoyed playing the DC and Marvel superheroes. Josh's action figure collection is almost as impressive as mine, and Amanda did especially well with the villains. As I've noted before, with the many movies and television shows inspired by comic books lately, it's no surprise that some of my friends have been enjoying City of Heroes online and others are eager to return to my "S.J.I.: Drake's Port" scenarios using the D20 Mutants & Masterminds 2nd Ed. game.

The next day, we visited the animal shelter where Janice usually volunteers on Sunday mornings, mainly to see a new foal. We had lunch at Friendly's in Needham. That afternoon, Janice took her folks to a music store in Brookline, Mass., and presented her refurbished childhood violin to Amanda. The next day, we caught up on yard work. Coming soon: More movies and Dungeons & Dragons Fourth Edition sessions!

To continue my vacation report, on Thursday, 26 June 2008, Janice and I went into Burlington, the largest city in Vermont. Despite the rain and wind, we walked along the waterfront, saw the kid-friendly Echo Lake Aquarium and Science Center, and visited the Lake Champlain Chocolates factory showroom, where we of course tasted its wares.

After taking a bus back downtown, we had a good lunch at the Vermont Pub & Brewery, and the clouds parted as we enjoyed the Church Street Pedestrian Mall. Among other shops, we patronized the well-organized Earth Prime Comics and Quarterstaff Games and the Peace & Justice Store. I bought stuff at each of these. We're such bibliophiles that we actually shipped a box of books back home to Virginia during our honeymoon in Boston over a decade ago.

A note about culture: Since I'm politically liberal, I was comfortable in the progressive setting of Vermont, which one amusing bumper sticker called "the West Coast of New England." That's accurate, since like California, the state faces water, many of its inhabitants are laid-back, and it is known for tolerance and independent-mindedness (although the museums in Montpelier showed that forging consensus has been as elusive as in the rest of the U.S.). Many people might object to equating the current controversy over homosexual marriage to the civil rights struggles of African Americans or women's suffrage, but I think the majority should always be mindful of the freedoms that minorities of any kind are entitled to.

On Friday, June 27, we drove back to Montpelier and Barre (pronounced "Barry," not "bar" as I had assumed). The Vermont Historical Society Museum had modern displays and discussed the issues I just mentioned. We had a tasty lunch at La Brioche, one of several local restaurants affiliated with the New England Culinary Institute.

After that, we toured the Rock of Ages granite quarry, where the viewing platform was 600 feet above the workers cutting stone! We stopped in Waterbury to pick up some souvenirs, and at the Bolton Valley Ski Resort rec center, we played a round of pool. I also found a log-sling bridge over a creek my family had visited years earlier.

On Saturday, June 28, we reluctantly left the Black Bear Inn. On the way back to Massachusetts, we saw the Quechee Gorge and a nearby bridge and dam, the aviary at the Vermont Institute of Natural Science, and the King Arthur Flour Bakery & Store. The rest of the weekend was spent catching up on yard work, reading, and e-mail. Coming soon: Independence Day, gaming, and comic books!

On Monday, 23 June 2008, Janice and I began our vacation in Vermont. We drove up from Massachusetts to the sleepy town of Bethel, where we had lunch at the Cockledoodledoo Pizza Cafe. From there, we visited the state capital of Montpelier, where we got a personal tour of the impressive state house.

We liked the atmosphere of the relatively small New England city, and visited a few shops, including Rivendell Books, Bear Pond Books, and the Book Garden, before continuing on our way to the Black Bear Inn in Bolton, Vermont.

I had stayed at the inn with my family about 20 years ago, and had some fuzzy memories from that time. Janice and I were pleased to find that the inn was in good condition, the staff was very friendly, and the food was excellent (breakfasts and dinners were included). I would heartily recommend the Black Bear Inn to anyone.

From our lodgings in north-central Vermont, we made day trips in various directions. On Tuesday, June 24, we visited Waterbury and Stowe. The Von Trapp Family Lodge and grounds were indeed reminiscent of the Alps that partly inspired The Sound of Music, and the Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream factory tour is of course a major tourist attraction.

We also stopped by the Cabot Cheese Annex, the Cold Hollow Cider Mill, and the Grand View Winery Store. The cider was refreshing on a warm summer afternoon, and we were disappointed that we couldn't buy more cheeses and chocolates because they wouldn't hold up well over a long trip.

Janice and I strolled among the art galleries and craft shops of downtown Stowe, as well as Laughing Moon Chocolates. While wet weather that week kept us from doing more hiking or any boating, we managed to see quite a bit anyway, eating our way across the forested mountains.

The next day, Janice drove us to Shelburne, where we visited the cheese-making demonstration, artisan bakery, children's educational center, and wide grounds of Shelburne Farms. The Shelburne Museum was a fascinating mix of 18th century buildings and artifacts, 19th century vehicles, and art compiled by wealthy relatives of the Vanderbilts. That night, we played Scrabble back at the inn. (I've also been playing Scrabulous through Facebook online with Janice, grad school chum Erik B.L., my boss Michele L.D'F., and co-workers Ken G., Rob M., and Barbara K.) More vacation report to come!