The Dark Knight: 1st Review

Originally Posted by RJman

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It's the comic featuring John Constantine.

Worth reading? Where should I start and is it collected in some form, I don't want to start buying 25 pages comic books every month and wouldn't know where anyway...I appreciate graphic novels if they're well done although I rarely read some. The best would be an amazon book that I'd ad to my read-list, please do the work for me

Originally Posted by dusty

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Exactly. Though it's worth noting that there was a camp period even in the comics (as a direct result of the TV show).

I once read a piece outlining how the movies parallel the evolution of the comics, with the first "Batman" reflecting the dark Deco '30s (Like the early comic character, Keaton's Batman even kills some people, IIRC), "Batman Returns" the vampy '40s, "Batman and Robin" the outrageous '50s and then "Batman Forever" the campy '60s. Doesn't make the last one a better movie, but it was still interesting.

You could even say Batman Begins reflects the dark-knight detective reimagining by Adams and O'Neil in the '70s. The villain fits perfectly, too.

Originally Posted by Fuuma

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Worth reading? Where should I start and is it collected in some form, I don't want to start buying 25 pages comic books every month and wouldn't know where anyway...I appreciate graphic novels if they're well done although I rarely read some. The best would be an amazon book that I'd ad to my read-list, please do the work for me

The Family Man was IMO, the best story in Hellblazer and you can find it collected here:
http://www.amazon.com/Hellblazer-Fam...4664476&sr=8-9


Dangerous Habits formed most of the inspiration for the Constantine movie, IIRC.
http://www.amazon.com/John-Constanti...4664476&sr=8-3

Neil Gaiman also did an issue or two of Hellblazer, if you enjoy his work.

Re: Batman Begins. I thought it took much of its inspiration from Batman Year One and was made just different enough so they wouldn't have to pay Frank Miller any royalties - but perhaps I'm a cynic.

re: Katie Holmes. I could watch her read the phone book. It's only a few more years until her contract with Tom ends.

I'm looking forward to this movie, and I HOPE it is better than the first. I agree that they took a few items out of Miller's Year One, but there was too many extraneous BS. And I think Iron Man is one of the finest comic book hero adaptations made.

Before being accused of not being a comic nerd and told to GTFO... I have been a collector since high school and have the original first runs of the comics mentioned here: Miller's Dark Knight Returns, Year One, and the first issue of Constantine.

I just re-read Year One this morning for the first time in probably 15 years, and it is still great. Dumbasses should have made that into a movie.

I agree with that. I think it was going to be based on Year One when Darren Aronofsky was attached to direct.

From what I read, Aronofsky's version would've been even darker, with Bats being a seriously fucked up dude who likes dressing up as a bat. The Batmobile would've been just an old cadillac or chevy with like a bus engine or something crazy like that.

I don't think his plans got very far tho. A shame, but it seems like Nolan's going in the right direction with Dark Knight.

Originally Posted by T4phage

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I'm looking forward to this movie, and I HOPE it is better than the first. I agree that they took a few items out of Miller's Year One, but there was too many extraneous BS. And I think Iron Man is one of the finest comic book hero adaptations made.
phew... I'm glad at least one comic book nerd somewhat agrees with me there...

The thing that I really felt ruined batman begins was the editing. On a big screen, every action scene had so many quick cuts of blurring and flashing lights. It felt like an epileptic seizure waiting to happen.

Flashing lights are no substitute for solidly constructed longer shots.

Another positive review:

http://emanuellevy.com/article.php?articleID=10176

Originally Posted by lithium180

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The thing that I really felt ruined batman begins was the editing. On a big screen, every action scene had so many quick cuts of blurring and flashing lights. It felt like an epileptic seizure waiting to happen.

Flashing lights are no substitute for solidly constructed longer shots.

That was my biggest problem with Batman Begins.

I like how people are denigrating Batman for trying to be "serious", and moving away from the midlife "campy" image - and yet letting Bond slide for doing the same. I am waiting for someone to say how much they miss the crappy gadgets and Roger Moore wooden acting in the Quantum Of Solace thread.

Anyone else?


I actually thought that the "fighting" in Batman Begins was incredibly well done. I mean, yes, its an "action" movie and people expect there to be all kinds of stylized fight choreography and etc. But I think the too-fast-to-be-clearly-seen fights, and the disorienting camera work during the fight scenes was probably one of the most original and realistic parts of that movie. Anyone else who's been in a fight with five or more people simultaneously can back me up on this.

Anyone who likes old batman movies with the fruitloop outfits and horrid acting is a clown.

Could we rename this thread "Official Internet Tough Guys thread" ? kthx

Originally Posted by Tokyo Slim

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This is like someone (under 40) telling me that their favorite candy is black licorice. I know that statistically, it must be true, it's just that if that's the case, you are rarer than Unicorns.
I ain't never seen no Unicorns. Must be on account of the mounds of black licorice in my room. Seriously. Salt licorice is the best, followed by All sorts. MMmmmmm. licorice. What about the Long Halloween? I think that has got to be my favorite Batman story, followed by Year One, followed by Dark Knight Returns. I might lost any credibility for saying this, but I also REALLY enjoyed the Nightfall saga.