The Batman

     I have been a huge fan of comic books for most of my life, but my favorite has always been Batman. I'm not entirely sure why, but I think he seems more human and relatable than most comic book heroes. Batman can't leap tall buildings in a single bound. He can't run faster than a speeding bullet. He's a human man with human weaknesses. 

    Batman was first seen in May of 1939. It was Detective Comics, issue # 27. Written by Bill Finger and illustrated by Bob Kane, The dark knight would go on to create an entire superhero universe, years of animated and live action television series, video games, and dozens of movies - some of which are still considered among the best movies ever made. As the opening to the 2017 LEGO Batman movie says, "DC, the house that Batman built. Yeah, what Superman? Come at me bro."

I actually have a surprisingly large amount of batman art in my house.

    My personal obsession started in 1993 with the story of Knightfall, the story arc in which Batman is broken  and defeated by Bane. (DC comics got on this kick in the early 90s. The death of Superman storyline also happened in 1993) Bane is a criminal mastermind, one of the few villains to work out that Bruce Wayne is Batman. He is infused with an experimental drug called Venom which gives him superhuman strength. In film he is usually portrayed as a dim, even incoherent villain sidekick, which irks me to no end.

    Like most people who have read the books before seeing the movie, the inconsistencies between the two always bug me. When I see characters with grand story arcs that are completely ignored, I get hot under the collar. For example, I refused to watch Iron Man 3 because of what they did to the Mandarin and Iron Patriot. (I mean really people Iron Patriot isn't even a hero, he's a villain.)  And I haven't watched a single movie with 'Batfleck' (the common derogatory reference to Ben Affleck's time as the caped crusader) because he uses guns. The biggest rule about Batman is no guns. 

I can't fully explain how much this picture ticks me off.

    For me, the trilogy starring Christian Bale as the dark knight will always reign supreme, and rightly so. 2008's The Dark Knight is #3 on IMDB's top movies of all time. (Behind The Shawshank Redemption and The Godfather mind you.) Tragically, Heath Ledger would not live to see the success of his portrayal as the Joker. When word released that Heath Ledger had died shortly after playing the Joker, my first thought (callously, I know) was how great this movie was going to be. In the comics, the Joker has a storied history of being so insane that he causes mental illness in those around him. So when I heard that the man playing him died from causes related to mental health, I knew we would finally see the Joker portrayed as he should be.(like I said, callous, but true. And he received a posthumous Oscar for the role.)

    I bring up all this Batman nostalgia because I just recently finished watching The Batman, the latest film adaptation starring Robert Pattinson as Batman. Like many fans, I was apprehensive at the casting of a man best known as a sparkly vampire to be the dark knight. (Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of the Twilight books, but this is important stuff here.) But after seeing the film (twice) I've got to say, Pattinson kills it. He plays a darker, more violent Batman than other iterations, but it was his portrayal of Bruce Wayne that really got me.

    For the first time in movies or comics, I felt that this Bruce Wayne couldn't possibly be Batman. Bruce Wayne is usually portrayed as a ripped, charismatic socialite that spends lots of time in the spotlight of Gotham's elite. There have been many times when I see a Bruce Wayne and I think (with an eyeroll) 'Seriously, no one thinks that this guy is Batman?'

     

Really think this guy looks like Batman?

    Pattinson's sullen, emo Bruce Wayne is the first time I ever felt like this guy could never be Batman. I greatly enjoyed the movie, and I look forward to the next installment, which I think may be the 'No Man's Land' storyline based on the way the first movie ends. But no spoilers here! 

For more information on Batman, visit your local comic book retailer!