Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000) [Original Post]
Showing posts with label Batman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Batman. Show all posts
Sunday, November 13, 2022
Wednesday, March 09, 2022
Infinite Wars: Batman vs Riddler
BATMAN versus RIDDLER
Who Riddled The Riddler? (DC)
Where: Batman #490 When: March 1993
Why: Doug Moench How: Jim Aparo
The Story So Far...
A note written in cut-out letters signals the return of The Riddler and his latest deadly puzzle: "What crowns just one but beats a dozen? Bim bam boom. Some percussion."
Commissioner Gordon summons a weak and weary Batman to crack the code, but the grim detective will be beaten to the solution by a man who has vowed to study his every move -- and break him!
Where: Batman #490 When: March 1993
Why: Doug Moench How: Jim Aparo
The Story So Far...
A note written in cut-out letters signals the return of The Riddler and his latest deadly puzzle: "What crowns just one but beats a dozen? Bim bam boom. Some percussion."
Commissioner Gordon summons a weak and weary Batman to crack the code, but the grim detective will be beaten to the solution by a man who has vowed to study his every move -- and break him!
With
the midnight deadline fast approaching; Batman races to the belfry atop
Gotham City Hall where The Riddler awaits -- but a brief encounter with
another shadowy figure has changed The Riddler's game. Will Batman be
ready?
Saturday, February 01, 2020
Infinite Wars: Batman vs Harley Quinn
BATMAN versus HARLEY QUINNOnce More, With FEELING! (DC)
Where: Harley Quinn #25 When: December 2002
Why: Karl Kesel How: Craig Rousseau
The Story So Far...
For four weeks Harley Quinn has staged a minor crime spree on the streets of Gotham City. Three times Batman has attempted to stop her -- and three times she and her Quinntets have managed to give him the slip!
It all started around the same time The Joker busted out of Arkham Asylum, but no one has seen hide nor hair of the so-called Clown Prince of Crime!
When Harley leads her boys on a jewelry store robbery it's another opportunity to score big and blow wind up The Batman -- or is it? All is not as it seems as Harley ups the stakes in an effort to become Batman's #1 arch-nemesis!
Original Full Post: https://secretearths.blogspot.com/2020/02/batman-versus-harley-quinn.html
Saturday, January 25, 2020
Infinite Wars: Bat Family vs Neron's Villains
GOTHAM HEROES versus BLOCKBUSTER, METALLO & GORILLA GRODDSeduction of the Innocent (DC)
Where: Underworld Unleashed #3 When: Late December 1995 Why: Mark Waid How: Howard Porter
The Story So Far...
Hell has a new ruler and his name is Neron. This powerful devil comes baring a simple offer to those who will take it: great power in exchange for their immortal soul!
The demon's temptation lures many whose heart is darkened by desire. Roland Desmond receives the power of Blockbuster with the retention of a brilliant criminal mind; John Corben accepts the ability to summon a new Metallo body from nearby metals so he'll never be crippled again; and Gorilla Grodd enhances his powerful mind with the knowledge to take control of Gorilla City.
While the most powerful members of the Justice League enter the underworld on a mission to stop Neron -- his army of villains spread chaos and terror across a troubled Earth. The remaining heroes of Gotham City must scramble to stop the enhanced villains as they attempt to hijack nuclear weapons!
Thursday, December 26, 2019
Saturday, September 07, 2019
Infinite Wars: Batman vs Red Hood
BATMAN versus RED HOOD
The Killing Joke (DC)
Where: Batman: The Killing Joke When: May 1988
Why: Alan Moore How: Brian Bolland
The Story So Far...
So this guy walks into a bar... He had a plum job working as a Lab Assistant for Ace Chemicals, but all he wants to be is a comedian. So what did he do? Up and quit his job to line up an audition! Only catch is: His girl Jeannie is waiting at home -- six months pregnant in a cruddy one-room apartment with the rent overdue!
So this guy goes to his audition with everything on the line. He's real nervous. He blows a punch line. He's dead! Nobody's laughing! The dream is over before it even began! He goes back home and all Jeannie can say is "oh". Guy feels like a total loser! She makes some joke about him being good in bed, but now all this guy can think about is needing cash. So where's he gonna come up with the loot? That's the joke!
After running around town humiliating himself the guy winds up right back where he started: Ace Chemicals! Only this time it's after hours, and a couple of mobsters convinced him to put on a tuxedo and red dome to guide them to the card store next door. It was bound to go bad, but at least it'll make a great story!
Original Post: https://secretearths.blogspot.com/2019/09/batman-versus-red-hood.html
Where: Batman: The Killing Joke When: May 1988
Why: Alan Moore How: Brian Bolland
The Story So Far...
So this guy walks into a bar... He had a plum job working as a Lab Assistant for Ace Chemicals, but all he wants to be is a comedian. So what did he do? Up and quit his job to line up an audition! Only catch is: His girl Jeannie is waiting at home -- six months pregnant in a cruddy one-room apartment with the rent overdue!
So this guy goes to his audition with everything on the line. He's real nervous. He blows a punch line. He's dead! Nobody's laughing! The dream is over before it even began! He goes back home and all Jeannie can say is "oh". Guy feels like a total loser! She makes some joke about him being good in bed, but now all this guy can think about is needing cash. So where's he gonna come up with the loot? That's the joke!
After running around town humiliating himself the guy winds up right back where he started: Ace Chemicals! Only this time it's after hours, and a couple of mobsters convinced him to put on a tuxedo and red dome to guide them to the card store next door. It was bound to go bad, but at least it'll make a great story!
Original Post: https://secretearths.blogspot.com/2019/09/batman-versus-red-hood.html
Thursday, August 29, 2019
Saturday, October 06, 2018
Letterboxd: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Up to this point I've made very little effort to see Batman v
Superman: Dawn of Justice. I've been a fan of Superman and Batman on the
page (and screen) for most of my conscious life, but it was clear from
previews this wasn't going to be for me. What I failed to grasp was how
totally and utterly terrible the experience would be.
It's difficult to think of any arena where this film doesn't meet with failure. At times it barely functions as a narrative film, shuffling from one sequence to the next, clumsily delivering pieces of information for future reference. I wouldn't like to say too many negative things about wardrobe or extras in the film, but nobody is spared the wrath of an ever-present layer of computer-rendered muting, damning almost all facets to condemnation.
The visual hue is evident to announce this as a Zack Snyder film, but it still stuns me the same director who so lovingly adapted Frank Miller's 300 is responsible for this! Sprinkled references to The Dark Knight Returns recall Snyder's previous passions, but the source material is so completely failed, it raises questions about how much blame the director should be allocated. The sense of a compromised vision is here. It's just a question of whether or not Snyder should've been here at all, bending to interests that weren't his.
As Warner Bros play catch-up with Marvel's superhero universe, someone probably thought it would be clever to organically sew the seeds of a Justice League sequel into the plot of Dawn of Justice. If only that were something they actually did! Commerce enters the room every time Gal Gadot is on screen, serving a sub-plot that has nothing to do with the rest of this film! It culminates in an interlude of Quicktime trailers for future DC players who are so utterly tainted by the bad taste of this film - I don't even want to think about seeing more!
No one is more soiled by the whole experience than Superman and Batman themselves. They plod and grimace their way through a film, barely motivated or engaged, full of sound & fury signifying nothing. They enter the movie idiots, long before the war is settled with a very obtuse reference to the ubiquitous "Martha": mother of macguffins.
The biggest shock of the film comes in the final act, when the obligatory rampaging CG monstrosity manages to focus the film toward something more enjoyable. Which is to say, everything in the preceding acts was so utterly miserable. This vision of Doomsday, like every other DC Comics character featured in the film, is only vaguely reminiscent of the comic book original. They managed to make a fairly shallow character even less remarkable.
Wonder Woman doesn't quite steal the show, but comes damn near close, arriving in full costume to cut a car in half, and smack the beast around without the baggage now dragging the title heroes down. Its enough to qualify as one of the three positive things I counted, but the commercial for his spin-off -- a photo -- wasn't necessary.
What were the other two positives? Laurence Fishburne isn't the Perry White of comics fame, but he's always a pleasant presence, and had a nice enough Wizard of Oz joke about Clark Kent disappearing back to Kansas. The other was the music cue for Lex Luthor. Presumably from JunkieXL's contribution, it's deliciously over the top, and could've been very fun had it been in contrast to a more crisp villain. Instead, it trips and smashes its face, accompanying an excruciatingly lame attempt to update an all-time classic.
The rest of the film is miserable. Utterly miserable. I'm stunned just how bad it is. Top to bottom: no good. During the movie I noticed I had a thorn caught in the back of my trousers and accidentally pushed it into my finger tip. That wasn't the worst thing that happened to me! The only benefit to having seen it is that there is absolutely no reason I ever need to think about it again. Except, perhaps, in my nightmares. Not to be confused with a "Knightmare", which probably should've been excised all together. Yeesh!
It's difficult to think of any arena where this film doesn't meet with failure. At times it barely functions as a narrative film, shuffling from one sequence to the next, clumsily delivering pieces of information for future reference. I wouldn't like to say too many negative things about wardrobe or extras in the film, but nobody is spared the wrath of an ever-present layer of computer-rendered muting, damning almost all facets to condemnation.
The visual hue is evident to announce this as a Zack Snyder film, but it still stuns me the same director who so lovingly adapted Frank Miller's 300 is responsible for this! Sprinkled references to The Dark Knight Returns recall Snyder's previous passions, but the source material is so completely failed, it raises questions about how much blame the director should be allocated. The sense of a compromised vision is here. It's just a question of whether or not Snyder should've been here at all, bending to interests that weren't his.
As Warner Bros play catch-up with Marvel's superhero universe, someone probably thought it would be clever to organically sew the seeds of a Justice League sequel into the plot of Dawn of Justice. If only that were something they actually did! Commerce enters the room every time Gal Gadot is on screen, serving a sub-plot that has nothing to do with the rest of this film! It culminates in an interlude of Quicktime trailers for future DC players who are so utterly tainted by the bad taste of this film - I don't even want to think about seeing more!
No one is more soiled by the whole experience than Superman and Batman themselves. They plod and grimace their way through a film, barely motivated or engaged, full of sound & fury signifying nothing. They enter the movie idiots, long before the war is settled with a very obtuse reference to the ubiquitous "Martha": mother of macguffins.
The biggest shock of the film comes in the final act, when the obligatory rampaging CG monstrosity manages to focus the film toward something more enjoyable. Which is to say, everything in the preceding acts was so utterly miserable. This vision of Doomsday, like every other DC Comics character featured in the film, is only vaguely reminiscent of the comic book original. They managed to make a fairly shallow character even less remarkable.
Wonder Woman doesn't quite steal the show, but comes damn near close, arriving in full costume to cut a car in half, and smack the beast around without the baggage now dragging the title heroes down. Its enough to qualify as one of the three positive things I counted, but the commercial for his spin-off -- a photo -- wasn't necessary.
What were the other two positives? Laurence Fishburne isn't the Perry White of comics fame, but he's always a pleasant presence, and had a nice enough Wizard of Oz joke about Clark Kent disappearing back to Kansas. The other was the music cue for Lex Luthor. Presumably from JunkieXL's contribution, it's deliciously over the top, and could've been very fun had it been in contrast to a more crisp villain. Instead, it trips and smashes its face, accompanying an excruciatingly lame attempt to update an all-time classic.
The rest of the film is miserable. Utterly miserable. I'm stunned just how bad it is. Top to bottom: no good. During the movie I noticed I had a thorn caught in the back of my trousers and accidentally pushed it into my finger tip. That wasn't the worst thing that happened to me! The only benefit to having seen it is that there is absolutely no reason I ever need to think about it again. Except, perhaps, in my nightmares. Not to be confused with a "Knightmare", which probably should've been excised all together. Yeesh!
Friday, April 08, 2016
Infinite Wars: Batman vs Scorpion
BATMAN versus SCORPIONIn The Doctor's House (DC/Marvel)
Where: DC/Marvel: All Access #3 When: Late January 1997 Why: Ron Marz How: Jackson Guice
The Story So Far...
Life as a university student can be a balancing act at the best of times, but when Axel Asher discovered his destiny as the inter-dimensional hero Access -- he took balancing to a whole new level!
As a hero of two universes, he now carries the burden and responsibility of maintaining all of reality! The two worlds came to blows once, eventuating in the totality of an unnatural Amalgam Universe! This is the unreality he must fight to prevent by keeping the worlds separate -- easier said than done!
Villains from the Marvel Universe are appearing in the DC Universe and Access doesn't know why! With such high stakes in play; he knew it was risky to grant the X-Man Jubilee a return visit with her one-time opponent and star-crossed lover Robin. When the Scorpion crashes the party the real trouble begins!
Full Article: http://secretearths.blogspot.com/2016/04/batman-versus-scorpion.html
Friday, March 18, 2016
Infinite Wars: Captain Marvel & Hawkman vs Superman & Batman
CAPTAIN MARVEL & HAWKMAN versus SUPERMAN & BATMANPublic Enemies Part Four: Battle On (DC)
Where: Superman/Batman #4 When: January 2004
Why: Jeph Loeb How: Ed McGuinness
The Story So Far...
A giant piece of the destroyed planet Krypton is hurtling towards the Earth! The humongous meteorite threatens all life on Earth, but President of the United States Lex Luthor has a plan to thwart what his government claims is a proven attack orchestrated by Superman!
Uniting with Batman; Metropolis' Man of Tomorrow helps devise a plan to stop the celestial threat, and undo Lex Luthor's corrupt political scheme once and for all -- becoming a wanted fugitive in the process!
With a bounty on their heads, the World's Finest evade attacks from some of the most notorious figures in the criminal underworld, before fending off a team of government enlisted heroes. When an accident during the fight causes mass destruction in Tokyo, the big guns of the Justice Society of America finally agree to step in to take the pair down safely and quietly at the rest of Wonder Woman. Enter the JSA's hand-picked heroes for a showdown in the snowy mountains of Japan: Captain Marvel & Hawkman!
Full Article: http://secretearths.blogspot.com/2016/03/captain-marvel-hawkman-versus-superman.html
Saturday, April 18, 2015
Sunday, March 15, 2015
Friday, February 27, 2015
Friday, February 06, 2015
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Monday, December 12, 2011
Running the Asylum: Lessons Learned from Batman
Adrift in the white noise of what seems to be generally good feelings about the now passed Bat-sequel; I must confess to having almost no knowledge of, or experience with, Arkham City. Amidst rumors of yet another expansion toward something along the lines of an 'Arkham World,' I feel some reticence toward any assertion that these are the greatest games the comics-to-gaming world has, and will ever see, but the point remains -- Rocksteady did make some very good games!
Personally, I've never been a big believer in writing off titles simply because they're derived from something else. The world has undeniably seen its fair share of hideous adaptations, but that blanket attitude has done more than lead many a soul to miss a hidden gem, canonizing an opinion as fact to such an extent as to condemn an entire sub-genre, by consensus, and by self-fulfilling production. At least, that's the theory. A brand as powerful as Batman can be counted on to fight through just about any prejudice (for the time being), and there are always the unwashed masses who buy even the most reviled adaptations, if they're within Wal-reach and the price is Wal-right.
As much as I'd love to spend time sharing my take on consumer wisdom, a more interesting, if equally dismaying point, has taken my fancy. It's a subject intertwined with a good deal of blogging I've done on 1UP over the past couple years, but is the kind of boneheaded, blisteringly obvious point that bares constant repeating, if only because it hasn't been adopted as a widely accepted truth: games should reference the source.
I suppose the implication of "referencing the source" is a project that intends to make use of the parent license, and if you're making use of a license from comic books, then your focus is primarily to reference design and ideas.
Games have never completely abandoned their penchant for storytelling, but for a while there, it seemed there might actually be a conceited push to get away from inconveniences such as plot, motivation, and other things that don't always accomodate a grey-brown palette and running and gunning. Comics can do both, as famous for their face pounding superheroes as they are their elaborate literature of pictures and words. Batman: Arkham Asylum brought The Dark Knight Detective's chops to both arenas, improving upon the motion of being the ultimate hero, as well as the poetry of his world. I've got my issues with both areas, but for all intents and purposes, the success of Asylum was an important moment for everyone to take note of -- and they clearly have.
Warner Bros. Montreal (via MTV Splash Page) inspired this blog by citing the current Batman games, as well as Activision's now classic Spider-man for the PlayStation, as the contemporary standard for this type of product. It's the kind of no brainer statement that makes me a little sad for the need to say it, but pleased that the right people are reaching the right conclusions, however late. As they prepare to tackle other properties from the DC Comics pantheon, they note, "They were just taking that really rich fiction from the comic books and exploring the characters. It's not about hitting the movie date or some arbitrary date – it was giving the game the time it needs to be successful and really just concentrating on the quality of it."
It's worth remembering that Batman: Arkham Asylum -- one of the games of 2009 -- emerged as a belated, unofficial compliment to one of the films of 2008 - The Dark Knight. The film influence can be found in elements of the close quarters fighting, or the steady orchestral drone of score that occasionally swells during play, but it was otherwise a surprising shift away from the direct adaptation that was met with mixed reviews for Batman Begins. For a time, a Dark Knight game was reported and assumed, but in the end, through design or inadvertent juggling, we got something much better, sourced from the comics (with a smattering of other references).
Consider for a moment that Arkham Asylum had the all-black costume of the movie Batman, and revolved around a slightly different plot, and you might appreciate the importance of recognising that games based on popular movies don't necessarily need to fail. Activision's development of the Spider-man universe arguably peaked with Spider-man 2, the second film sequel that gave the wall crawler a complete city (with streets and select interiors), and added new complexity to the act of web-slinging. Of those first four games, divded evenly between comics and films, each sequel improved upon the experience of its predecessor.
Where movie-based games are most immediately prone to fail is in the storytelling department. Personally, I think it goes without saying that a game that literally retells the plot of a movie, even with occasional insertions, is going to fall short, however ironic that might be. It's a redundancy that isn't completely without virtue, but typically has all the charm and intrigue of a second-hand account of last night's cinema trip from your parents, whose droning confusion equates to scene-extended fetch quests and time trial chase sequences. If your parents are anything like mine, it probably also rings true that the notation of a familiar actor (or character) takes precedent over anything even remotely relating to the film -- but I digress...
It's my hope that, if nothing else, superhero video games can learn valuable lessons from the success of the Batman games, but it's no sure thing. Batman has often been a brand to lead the way down a golden path, only to have it soiled by hamfisted misinterpretations.
Anyone partaking in the online sport of mocking nineties comics (and folks like Rob Liefeld) would probably like to trace their bombastic, grit-toothed origins to the grim 'n' gritty explosion led by iconic eighties matter like The Dark Knight Returns -- a tome expected to play key to influencing Christopher Nolan's 2012 blockbuster, The Dark Knight Rises. Nolan himself has been the source of widespread mediocrity, empowering a terrifying trend of brainless franchise remakes that extends to video games, and coincides with new products that share a skewed, misguided influence taken from the "realistic" Bat-reboots. Even DC hasn't been immune, bungling their way to one of the flops of the decade, the glowing missed opportunity of Green Lantern, which attempted to combine ideals of the successful Batman and Iron Man franchises with insulting results.
Even as we speak, a designer or publisher somewhere in the world is contemplating ways to recreate the success of the Arkham games with no appreciation for how a product was arrived at. Accounts from those that ventured there give the impression it was the mechanical formula of the Arkham series that gave motion to a lacklustre film tie-in based on Captain America. It certainly seemed to be that type of affair, not quite worth the dollars to find out [consumer beats commentator].
Unfortunately, some of these more shallow, corporate-driven trends have infiltrated the comics themselves. If you know about the heavily publicized DC Comics "New 52" reboot, you know that the four-colour format is as fickle as ever, prone to ditching its history at the first sign of digital sales (to a degree), contrary to old wisdom. With worlds that demand reason to fill the far reaching corners of an ever expanding sandbox, I like to think video games have the opportunity to take the best from the Batman lesson, doing as the comics haven't by making a sales pitch of a rich and involving universe.
Arkham Asylum makes a meal of all available materials, borrowing iconic thrills from comics like Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth and Arkham Asylum: Living Hell, while also picking up on colourful strands from scary places like 1997's reviled Schumacher film, Batman & Robin. The story isn't a dense tome of text and cut scenes, but often that's the intended meaning of good storytelling, remembering the importance to acknowledge medium, genre and any other influences that might shape a story. Things fell apart at the end of Arkham Asylum, but for the most part, there was a servicable effort to make all that trapsing seem pretty worthwhile, at least while it was happening. By referencing the comics, it ensured the entire affair was as visually and conceptually interesting as it should be, unbound in ways the films, by their own choice, haven't always been.
The films have a similar strong foundation in the comics, owing much to stories like Batman: Year One and Batman: Dark Victory. With that in mind, the lesson of Batman's many successes should almost certainly be one of respect for the source, rather than dollar-signs-in-the-eyes that might suggest any Batman is good Batman. It's an endorsement of the influence of the original, just as Warner Bros. Montreal profess.
Meandering to a blog conclusion, I think back to the turn-of-the-decade phenomenon of The Matrix. The 1999 breakout hit brought Hong Kong wirework to the Hollywood fore and similarly endorsed the ideals of a comic book and anime audience, steeped in expansive universes and interesting concepts, bolstered by graphic design. Famously left to the devices of the Wachowski siblings who put the pieces together (in distant Australia), the film was a landmark endorsement of the creator, confirming the action-packed auteur theory that offered a gateway to the superheroes who've taken over that ideaspace (for better or worse).
Let's just hope things end better for Batman.
Personally, I've never been a big believer in writing off titles simply because they're derived from something else. The world has undeniably seen its fair share of hideous adaptations, but that blanket attitude has done more than lead many a soul to miss a hidden gem, canonizing an opinion as fact to such an extent as to condemn an entire sub-genre, by consensus, and by self-fulfilling production. At least, that's the theory. A brand as powerful as Batman can be counted on to fight through just about any prejudice (for the time being), and there are always the unwashed masses who buy even the most reviled adaptations, if they're within Wal-reach and the price is Wal-right.
As much as I'd love to spend time sharing my take on consumer wisdom, a more interesting, if equally dismaying point, has taken my fancy. It's a subject intertwined with a good deal of blogging I've done on 1UP over the past couple years, but is the kind of boneheaded, blisteringly obvious point that bares constant repeating, if only because it hasn't been adopted as a widely accepted truth: games should reference the source.
I suppose the implication of "referencing the source" is a project that intends to make use of the parent license, and if you're making use of a license from comic books, then your focus is primarily to reference design and ideas.
Games have never completely abandoned their penchant for storytelling, but for a while there, it seemed there might actually be a conceited push to get away from inconveniences such as plot, motivation, and other things that don't always accomodate a grey-brown palette and running and gunning. Comics can do both, as famous for their face pounding superheroes as they are their elaborate literature of pictures and words. Batman: Arkham Asylum brought The Dark Knight Detective's chops to both arenas, improving upon the motion of being the ultimate hero, as well as the poetry of his world. I've got my issues with both areas, but for all intents and purposes, the success of Asylum was an important moment for everyone to take note of -- and they clearly have.
Warner Bros. Montreal (via MTV Splash Page) inspired this blog by citing the current Batman games, as well as Activision's now classic Spider-man for the PlayStation, as the contemporary standard for this type of product. It's the kind of no brainer statement that makes me a little sad for the need to say it, but pleased that the right people are reaching the right conclusions, however late. As they prepare to tackle other properties from the DC Comics pantheon, they note, "They were just taking that really rich fiction from the comic books and exploring the characters. It's not about hitting the movie date or some arbitrary date – it was giving the game the time it needs to be successful and really just concentrating on the quality of it."
It's worth remembering that Batman: Arkham Asylum -- one of the games of 2009 -- emerged as a belated, unofficial compliment to one of the films of 2008 - The Dark Knight. The film influence can be found in elements of the close quarters fighting, or the steady orchestral drone of score that occasionally swells during play, but it was otherwise a surprising shift away from the direct adaptation that was met with mixed reviews for Batman Begins. For a time, a Dark Knight game was reported and assumed, but in the end, through design or inadvertent juggling, we got something much better, sourced from the comics (with a smattering of other references).
Consider for a moment that Arkham Asylum had the all-black costume of the movie Batman, and revolved around a slightly different plot, and you might appreciate the importance of recognising that games based on popular movies don't necessarily need to fail. Activision's development of the Spider-man universe arguably peaked with Spider-man 2, the second film sequel that gave the wall crawler a complete city (with streets and select interiors), and added new complexity to the act of web-slinging. Of those first four games, divded evenly between comics and films, each sequel improved upon the experience of its predecessor.
Where movie-based games are most immediately prone to fail is in the storytelling department. Personally, I think it goes without saying that a game that literally retells the plot of a movie, even with occasional insertions, is going to fall short, however ironic that might be. It's a redundancy that isn't completely without virtue, but typically has all the charm and intrigue of a second-hand account of last night's cinema trip from your parents, whose droning confusion equates to scene-extended fetch quests and time trial chase sequences. If your parents are anything like mine, it probably also rings true that the notation of a familiar actor (or character) takes precedent over anything even remotely relating to the film -- but I digress...
It's my hope that, if nothing else, superhero video games can learn valuable lessons from the success of the Batman games, but it's no sure thing. Batman has often been a brand to lead the way down a golden path, only to have it soiled by hamfisted misinterpretations.
Anyone partaking in the online sport of mocking nineties comics (and folks like Rob Liefeld) would probably like to trace their bombastic, grit-toothed origins to the grim 'n' gritty explosion led by iconic eighties matter like The Dark Knight Returns -- a tome expected to play key to influencing Christopher Nolan's 2012 blockbuster, The Dark Knight Rises. Nolan himself has been the source of widespread mediocrity, empowering a terrifying trend of brainless franchise remakes that extends to video games, and coincides with new products that share a skewed, misguided influence taken from the "realistic" Bat-reboots. Even DC hasn't been immune, bungling their way to one of the flops of the decade, the glowing missed opportunity of Green Lantern, which attempted to combine ideals of the successful Batman and Iron Man franchises with insulting results.
Even as we speak, a designer or publisher somewhere in the world is contemplating ways to recreate the success of the Arkham games with no appreciation for how a product was arrived at. Accounts from those that ventured there give the impression it was the mechanical formula of the Arkham series that gave motion to a lacklustre film tie-in based on Captain America. It certainly seemed to be that type of affair, not quite worth the dollars to find out [consumer beats commentator].
Unfortunately, some of these more shallow, corporate-driven trends have infiltrated the comics themselves. If you know about the heavily publicized DC Comics "New 52" reboot, you know that the four-colour format is as fickle as ever, prone to ditching its history at the first sign of digital sales (to a degree), contrary to old wisdom. With worlds that demand reason to fill the far reaching corners of an ever expanding sandbox, I like to think video games have the opportunity to take the best from the Batman lesson, doing as the comics haven't by making a sales pitch of a rich and involving universe.
Arkham Asylum makes a meal of all available materials, borrowing iconic thrills from comics like Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth and Arkham Asylum: Living Hell, while also picking up on colourful strands from scary places like 1997's reviled Schumacher film, Batman & Robin. The story isn't a dense tome of text and cut scenes, but often that's the intended meaning of good storytelling, remembering the importance to acknowledge medium, genre and any other influences that might shape a story. Things fell apart at the end of Arkham Asylum, but for the most part, there was a servicable effort to make all that trapsing seem pretty worthwhile, at least while it was happening. By referencing the comics, it ensured the entire affair was as visually and conceptually interesting as it should be, unbound in ways the films, by their own choice, haven't always been.
The films have a similar strong foundation in the comics, owing much to stories like Batman: Year One and Batman: Dark Victory. With that in mind, the lesson of Batman's many successes should almost certainly be one of respect for the source, rather than dollar-signs-in-the-eyes that might suggest any Batman is good Batman. It's an endorsement of the influence of the original, just as Warner Bros. Montreal profess.
Meandering to a blog conclusion, I think back to the turn-of-the-decade phenomenon of The Matrix. The 1999 breakout hit brought Hong Kong wirework to the Hollywood fore and similarly endorsed the ideals of a comic book and anime audience, steeped in expansive universes and interesting concepts, bolstered by graphic design. Famously left to the devices of the Wachowski siblings who put the pieces together (in distant Australia), the film was a landmark endorsement of the creator, confirming the action-packed auteur theory that offered a gateway to the superheroes who've taken over that ideaspace (for better or worse).
Let's just hope things end better for Batman.
Friday, January 07, 2011
Infinite Wars: Superman vs Batman
SUPERMAN versus BATMAN"Who Would Win?" (DC)
Where: Superman/Batman #78
When: January 2011
Why: Joe Kelly & Jack Kelly How: Ed Benes
The Story So Far...
Violence. The will to fight for survival.
It is a trait manifested in nature across almost every level of dominating species. For those who possess it, it is a skill measurable in the darkest aspects of social heirarchy, and equally revered in sport and entertainment. For many creatures who exist within universes, and beyond them, power over the physical is an attraction whose lure attracts great fascination and mathematical speculation.
In a world where superhumans bare symbols and insignia, the lines of conflict and sport can blur. Beyond the multiverse exists a place known as The Comic Book Fight Club, where the struggles of everyday super-beings are watched and analysed. Within the universe itself, similar beings do much the same, dwelling on the powers of their greatest champions, whilst pondering their farthest limitations.
On a planet known to some as "New Earth", two beings, children, Gus and Skyler, indulge in such speculation. Representing the heroes known as Superman and Batman, they pit the two titans' tested combat repertoires againt each other in a battle of wits and wherewithal. No killing, no mind control, no Bat-Mite, no Mr. Mxyzptlik, no magic. A scenario of irreconcilable difference and the will to answer one simple question: "Who Would Win?!"
Full Article: http://secretearths.blogspot.com/2011/01/superman-versus-batman-who-would-win-dc_07.html
Monday, June 08, 2009
Hero of the Week #2: Batman
BATMAN (DC) Real Name: Dick Grayson
First Appearance: Detective Comics #38 (April, 1940)
Group Affiliation: Bat-Family, The Titans
Gaming Credentials: Adventures of Batman & Robin (1994); Batman Forever (1995); Batman & Robin (1998); Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu (2003); Lego Batman (2008); DC Universe Online (TBA)
Infinite Wars Cumulative Ranking: #29
Not a dream! Not a hoax! Not a misprint! Not an imaginary story!
Up until now you were probably comfortable in the fact that Batman is Bruce Wayne, but all of that changed last week when Dick Grayson made his first official outing as the Dark Knight in the pages of Batman & Robin #1!
Long story cut short: when Darkseid and the evil New Gods fell from the Fourth World, they walked the Earth as men, bringing a new reign of destruction upon an unsuspecting humanity! During the Final Crisis, evil won, and all but a pocket of resistance was enslaved to the Anti-Life Equation spread by Darkseid and his army of Purifiers.
While Mr. Terrific, Supergirl, Lex Luthor, and others turned the tables in the field; Batman escaped the shackles that bound him in the early goings, to come face-to-face with Darkseid himself! With life on Earth hanging in the balance, Batman broke the stalemate of their stand-off, willingly sacrificing himself before a blast from Darkseid's Omega Sanction eyebeam in order to fire one shot from a timegun containing a Radion bullet! The wound would end Darkseid's evil and save humanity, but for Batman, life and death have become one and the same!
The truth behind Bruce Wayne's circumstances remain unknown to both the reader, and the heroes he fought for.
When Superman returned from adventures through time and space, he reigned down upon Darkseid and the villains with a fury, emerging with what appeared to Bruce Wayne's corpse. Is this merely the vestigal shell of a man whose consciousness and soul have been thrust through time and space [a fate much the same as that which once befell Crisis hero, Sonny Sumo], or is Batman truly dead? For Dick Grayson, Alfred Pennyworth, Tim Drake, and the other members of the extended Bat-family, the facts were simple -- their mentor and ally was gone with no signs of coming back.
Despite a will and testament that compelled Grayson to leave the Bat-mantle in the grave with Wayne, Gotham City makes a compelling argument for the necessity of a Batman. When chaos gripped the city already known for it's madness, the former-Robin was forced to accept that it was always he that was groomed to be the heir to the Batman. After fending off unwanted attempts by the black sheep of the family [Jason Todd] to claim the mantle, Dick was finally able to end the brief battle for the cowl, to finally don the cape and mantle as a new Batman.As with much of the DC Universe; Dick Grayson is slated to appear in the aptly titled MMO, DC Universe Online. Chances are you shouldn't expect the changes to carry over, however. Dick Grayson has already been announced to appear alongside the Dark Knight Detective in his better known contemporary guise of Nightwing.
The change might not be permenant enough to warrant confusing the issue in licensed media, but Dick Grayson's stepping out as Batman is more than enough to make him Hero of the Week!
Secret Wars on Infinite Earths: The Comic Book Fight Club is updated with varying consistency, promising a feature fight for every Friday on the calendar (even if sometimes they're late). The site acts as an information resource, discussion site, review blog, and general good time. Be sure to check it out!
<< Hero of the Week 06/15: Flash [Home] Hero of the Week 06/01: Wolverine >>
Original Post: http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=8993943
Friday, September 28, 2007
Infinite Wars: Batman vs Catwoman
BATMAN versus CATWOMANDate Knight (DC comics)
Where: Solo #1 When: December 2004
Why: Darwyn Cooke How: Tim Sale
The story so far...
A string of clues lead the Dark Knight Detective to a Gotham City museum exibit, where someone has broken in; neutralized the nightguard; disabled security systems; and breached the defenses of an expensive cat artifact. So why is the statue still in it's case?
It seems Catwoman wants to play, and the perfect way to get the attentions of her Bat-themed lover is a midnight burglary, complete with scented clues to lead him to their rendezvous.
The sassy Selina Kyle leads the Batman on a pursuit across the Gotham skyline, in a date night only she could provide. Will the Dark Knight pursue criminal justice, or when the cheque arrives, will he do the gentlemanly thing? Mmmreow, stay tuned to find out!
Full Article: http://secretearths.blogspot.com/2007/09/batman-versus-catwoman-date-knight-dc.html
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Infinite Wars: Batman Double Feature
QUICK FIX DOUBLE FEATURE: Under the Influence/Ones We Love
ROBIN versus BATMAN
As the Crow Flies Part Four: Shotgun (DC)
Where: Batman #629 When: August 2004
Why: Judd Winick How: Dustin Nguyen
Quick Fix...
So, Galactus and I might not have a lot in common, but there is one indisputable commonality: We're both sticklers for rules, especially our own.
Which brings us to now. Up against the wire, I feel an obligation to turn in a Street Fighter post for Sunday, a Marvel Ultimate Alliance post for Monday, and, well, okay, that's really about all... But still, here we are, as the clock ticks over to Sunday (here in the future), and I'm starting a post for Saturday! Egads, what sinister plot could provoke such madness?!
A couple of days ago The Fortress Keeper had some interesting things to say about the state of Batman, with a particular slant towards an evolution away from the grim and gritty mania that has gripped the character for the best part of three decades. I, of course, subscribe to that classic take within reason, actually fairly disinterested in progress being made by Grant Morrison to return the hairy chested love-god to his globe trotting throne; but I digress...
Inevitably one travels from Batman's world and state of mind, to the relationships important to his life.
Full Article: http://secretearths.blogspot.com/2007/09/quick-fix-double-feature-under.html
ROBIN versus BATMANAs the Crow Flies Part Four: Shotgun (DC)
Where: Batman #629 When: August 2004
Why: Judd Winick How: Dustin Nguyen
Quick Fix...
So, Galactus and I might not have a lot in common, but there is one indisputable commonality: We're both sticklers for rules, especially our own.
Which brings us to now. Up against the wire, I feel an obligation to turn in a Street Fighter post for Sunday, a Marvel Ultimate Alliance post for Monday, and, well, okay, that's really about all... But still, here we are, as the clock ticks over to Sunday (here in the future), and I'm starting a post for Saturday! Egads, what sinister plot could provoke such madness?!
A couple of days ago The Fortress Keeper had some interesting things to say about the state of Batman, with a particular slant towards an evolution away from the grim and gritty mania that has gripped the character for the best part of three decades. I, of course, subscribe to that classic take within reason, actually fairly disinterested in progress being made by Grant Morrison to return the hairy chested love-god to his globe trotting throne; but I digress...
Inevitably one travels from Batman's world and state of mind, to the relationships important to his life.
Full Article: http://secretearths.blogspot.com/2007/09/quick-fix-double-feature-under.html
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