Messages

Sneak Peak.

The implication is that the series takes place right as Harry returns to work after his ordeal with the nurse. It also appears that we will get a replication of the scene where Dexter kills her.  You will remember that she was his first.

So, this trailer doesn't give anything away for OS, but it does have a huge Resurrection tease: Original Sin will be framed as Dexter's life flashing before his eyes as he lay dying.

That's a neat touch. Seeing younger versions of the characters I grew up watching all those years ago is more exciting and emotional than I was expecting it to be. I think we're going to enjoy Original Sin quite a lot.

I assumed that they'd overlap somehow. Same universe, title character, show-runner, but I didn't expect it quite this early and I must admit it is pretty clever. I wonder how they'll handle the framing in future seasons of OS as I'm sure the first season will end on Dexter waking up in the hospital. Will they dare to do something complex like parallel stories? Will a killer who escaped Dexter in the 90s resurface in the present day? Part 1 in OS to be continued in RES?

New trailer, spoilers below.

So, this trailer doesn't give anything away for OS, but it does have a huge Resurrection tease: Original Sin will be framed as Dexter's life flashing before his eyes as he lay dying.

Also rumors abound that Peter Dinklage and Gillian Anderson are being eyed for roles in Resurrection.

These connections feel much more pronounced in the extended cut, which better lets us into Bruce's head space, better depicting Batman as regretful of his choices, in need of reconciliation, and reluctant to lead Grayson down the same path. For my money I'd argue that Batman Forever is a better entry for a returning actor, in this case, Keaton. The story, especially the extended cut, better suits a Batman we are familiar with, as the themes are all dependent on you accepting that this is the same guy from the previous films. My respect for Kilmer's turn is a recent development. I more readily accept him these days and will even dare to say that he is very underrated. Still, an inopportune time to lose Keaton. I'm now convinced that Keaton should have just done the gig.

Miller trying to re-litigate the cathedral stuff (which I opaquely referenced in my review) is the major sticking point I have. The other issues have mostly washed away with a second and now third read.

My issue is that it never needed explaining why the Joker's goons were in the cathedral, which the book ends up admitting at the end, conceding that 'yeah the cathedral was always the Joker's exit strategy'. And I'm like 'duh'.

Joker knowing Batman's identity is also a simple explanation. Batman purposefully revealed it by quoting Jack's tagline back at him using Bruce Wayne's voice. Easy. And once again the book obsesses with finding the answer only for it to just hand wave it away at the end. 'The Joker babbles incoherently anyway. Who Cares?' Well, you did, apparently. It was better keeping to the simplest explanations or better to just not bring it up if the answer is ultimately that you, the author who drew attention to it, do not care.

I, like the commentators above, also expect that BATMAN REVOLUTION will fare better not leaning so hard on the first adventure. Returns established a very stand alone tone for the franchise. I think that ought to make a comeback. Are we allowed to talk about that yet? I don't want to spoil.

Another huge spoiler I think will be a big topic of discussion: The Batman '89 comic is definitely canon, which is a tad odd considering that Miller went out of his way to say that it wasn't necessarily canon, but that Resurrection wouldn't step on its toes. Batman'89 is absolutely canon, as Drake Winston of Royal Auto has a cameo. Also, it should be noted that something the current run of the '89 comic has been hinting at now makes sense. '89: Echoes has referenced Hugo Strange several times as Crane's former mentor and Bruce keeps mentioning that Hugo worked for him in the past. This now makes sense and also explains why the comic has been delayed several times: These two stories overlap. Hugo did in fact work for Wayne...in Resurrection under the alias of Hugh Auslander and is the principle villain of the novel. So, yeah, these stories literally cross over with each other. I expect the final issues will lay this out.

Also Hugo is supposed to be the guy Joker talks to during the scene at Axis where Joker shouts "Have you shipped a million of those things!" Hugo is the scientist to shouts back "Yes, sir!"

Anyway it will be interesting to hear what people thing about that.

Thanks for your thoughts, GK. My copy is yet to arrive. I'm expecting to feel similar to you. A decent read that generally does a good job, but not without niggles.

However, as is typical with the Burtonverse's forays into the expanded canon, we have the same old issues. It isn't as extensive as the 89 comic run, but we still have to deal with a few big problems: trying to re-litigate the films, straying too far from the voices we recognize, and trying to make it more like the comics. It starts off well enough, but as the narrative progresses it becomes apparent that this isn't quite the 89 universe, particularly where Batman is concerned.

Not surprising. Any Burton continuation that has a closer relationship with Gordon or has references to Arkham Asylum gets an automatic red mark against it from me. These things didn't happen in the first two films and I see no reason they would have in a third. I believe Resurrection features a scene of Batman in daylight, and while that was an unused idea for B89, it nonetheless didn't feature and I just can't imagine this incarnation doing that.

Yes, TDK, you are correct. The scene would have played better if Bruce had to makeshift a disguise or put on a balaclava mask during this daylight scene. Instead it has to explicitly be a daylight batsuit with gray on it because gray is comic book. End spoiler.
As for Batman, I accept some of the character expansions because it does allow for understanding why the GCPD endorsed this version and the scene where it is most prominent involves children who are in need of rescue, so I can only complain so much. It really is a solid book that I'm anxious to discuss. Waiting on you guys!

I've read the entire novel. My thoughts in brief are that it is a very solid book that is not in line with your typical tie in books, which are typically breezy, thin, afternoon novellas that can be devoured quickly. This book is much more in line with that of a proper novel, ambitious in its telling, embellishing the world and the head spaces of the main characters. However, as is typical with the Burtonverse's forays into the expanded canon, we have the same old issues. It isn't as extensive as the 89 comic run, but we still have to deal with a few big problems: trying to re-litigate the films, straying too far from the voices we recognize, and trying to make it more like the comics. It starts off well enough, but as the narrative progresses it becomes apparent that this isn't quite the 89 universe, particularly where Batman is concerned. He's much closer to the mark than Hamm's comic, but you still see it run off course. The novel stumbles when it needlessly tries to answer what it thinks are dangling questions from the first film, questions that frankly already had sufficient answers in the film or didn't need addressing.

I'd still give the prose and the crisp, professional hand of John Miller praise enough to give this a solid 7.5 out of ten and a hardy recommendation to ardent 89 fans.

Also, be on the look out for the just announced sequel, also penned by Miller, entitled BATMAN: REVOLUTION...spoiler likely a Riddler story.. That's all from me until we get into discussions.

Biehn is a great choice. He has very similar qualities to Keaton, especially where Burton's ideas for Batman are concerned. It all boils down to 'what kind of person has to dress up as a bat'. Biehn has a reputation for being a guy who can play tough, troubled characters despite not having the physical presence of a Schwarzenegger. Burton's direction is that this guy isn't Superman and has to pretend he is more than what he is, which of course is just a guy. He's unassuming at a glance, but when you add the troubled psychology (IE good acting chops) and the suit then POP there you go! Batman!

I feel like the audience response is very similar, almost the same in fact, to the response toward Glass. What's baffling in both cases is we have a series that is an unconventional foray into the world of comics-- very unconventional. The series and its creator are very upfront about that and that's actually (one of the reasons) why people love it, but when the series sticks to that instead of embracing convention in its final act, which is what Joker 2 is, the audience turns on it. This counts double because the Batman fandom is especially horrible. Now J2 is stuck with a rabid and toxic fan base that is furious because it stuck to the intentions laid out for it, and also because it interrogates the first movie, and that pisses off the 'Joker is Right' people. In fact, that's the best thing it does as the first film makes up its mind early and fails precisely because it allows Joker to be right in the absence of rebuttal.

For my money, I don't love Joker 2. I think, like the first film, it is a deeply flawed film that only ever manages very baseline observations, but is a masterpiece of technical aspects that celebrates the indulgent but passionate Hollywood of yesteryear. That's why despite being a C+ movie, Joker 1 captivated. It got shots, not 'coverage.' It's a movie, not content. However, J2 also suffers because it plays like one giant anticlimactic final act and cannot capture tension and flow like the first film and thus is a far more ponderous experience.

Joker 2 is okay, but you cannot make YouTube videos with titles like that. It either has to be a masterpiece or an abomination, and with Batman fans involved you can't engage without getting filthy in the cesspool. A happy Batman fan is one who limits how much they engage with the fan base. If you can do that, you'll find something here.