Topics

I'm covering this on my own blog (http://goo.gl/x6j9Re), and thought I'd open it up to the community here.

This is a thread for us to reminisce about what Batman has meant to us for the length of our fandoms. Whether lifelong or new! How did you get into Batman? What are some of your fondest memories?

Dig deep and take a trip back in your life and share it with the rest of us!

In this past Wednesday's "Amazing Spider-Man" daily strip, we see Spider-Man spying on Harry Osborn in his psychiatrist's office, and makes a comment about great costumed actors...



Either a reference for Birdman or even Batman, but it was cool to see, of all the people Stan could have picked to reference, it was our boy!

Future Batman films: let's think for a moment.

What kind of 'out of the box' elements from the comics would you like to see finally done on screen? Nothing like the Rainbow Batman or Ace the Bat-Hound, but stuff that isn't campy that they just... don't seem like they would ever do?

I would love to see alternate Bat costumes for specific instances. Granted, Schumacher's films did that and it looks like BvS is doing the DKR armor, but I'd like to see it be something of a fixture.

Also, I'd love to see much lesser villains get inserted for small fights. People like Cavilier, Amygdala or Killer Moth.

Howsabout it? What offbeat things would you like to see on the silver screen finally?

Yeah, it's self-promotion, but hey, why not?

I planned originally to have this out for the 25th anniversary exactly, but a month late isn't too bad. I wrote this sucker and packed it full of everything I've ever wanted to say about Batman '89! I fully analyze the film from first frame to last.



If you've got a Kindle, Amazon's your place:
http://www.amazon.com/Exploring-Gothams-Dark-Depths-Burtons-ebook/dp/B00M3K6GQW/ref=sr_sp-atf_title_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1406271398&sr=1-1

For most other eBook readers in ePub format, go here:
http://www.lulu.com/shop/flynn-cook/exploring-gothams-dark-depths-tim-burtons-batman/ebook/product-21729816.html

If you like it, please review, pay-it-forward and "tell all your friends" about it!

Just did up this little ditty! Enjoy!

http://www.batman-online.com/features/2014/6/24/the-75-best-batman-moments#sthash.zMQQPoPO.dpbs

What was fun was compiling the choices, pure-and-simple. I easily pulled all of them from my own memory, but succinctly summing them up in one paragraph each? The kind of reason I became a writer!

Sorry there's no online clip of this yet, but it's so trippy that it's only a matter of time before it hits YouTube...

The recent PBS documentary "Superheroes: A Never-Ending Battle" (a must-see, by the way) features commentary from many people in the industry, but the only on-camera-associated talent interviewed is Adam West and Lynda Carter. West doesn't see much interview time in the main docu (but the Blu-ray has tons more interview stuffs, I'm told), but most fun of all is West voices Batman a few times in motion-comic-like snippits, reading some famous comics dialogue.

In the first part he reads the 'Tec #33 "Superstitious, Cowardly Lot" bit from the origin, which is alright (he sounds too old for it), but most excitingly of all (that I can't stop geeking out over) is when they get to the '80s and Miller's DKR, he reads just a few lines, and he does it completely straight.

He reads the following:

"Do you know who I am, punk?

I'm the worst nightmare you ever had. Kind that made you wake up screaming for your mother.

You've got a mother, don't you? Every punk should have a mother..."

Yeah, it's short, but is it ever sweet. The fun fact is that this is the only time we've had the dream scenario (as poorly realized as it may be) in that a former Batman actor is reprising the role years later for DKR. Even Kevin Conroy didn't voice Bats in the TAS rendition of it (and he was the current actor then anyhow). West does deliver the lines with enough conviction to have a sense of ferocity, but his natural age also adds to the grizzled quality. He reads it with the EXACT qualities I've heard it with in my head all these years, whereas Weller in the movie did it all (for me) wrong.

It just makes me realize Warners really f***ed up by not having him voice Bats in the animated movie. Peter Weller sucked the big one in it.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna rewind the DVR a few times to hear it again and again...

I'm celebrating the 25th already... sort of. I'm working on the be-all, end-all article for the film. Yup. Like my Danny Elfman score article of a few years back, it's time for a long-winded article about the film. And not a short one, either. I'm still writing it and refining it (and trying to make it to-the-point), but I think my Preface is perfected. I don't know if anyone'll care, but here is the preface to whet your appetites and light a fire under my ass to finish the whole thing by June 23rd next year. This is your only taste until the final release, and I'm open to ideas about how to unleash this beast. I'm thinking it'll be akin to a college thesis! Without further ado...

Preface: Growing Up with the Greatest

   Twenty-Five years; wow. That's a quarter of a century! It makes me feel old to have memories (just about) as old as the film is, about said film! I've always referred to BATMAN as "The 1989 Masterpiece," a statement I have never and will never shy away from. It's just one of those films that gets better with age; as we move further from its release, it becomes clearer just how exceptional it is and how much it was a perfect storm of events. There isn't an aspect of the film that I can say falters. From the script, to the casting, to the music, the Academy Award-winning production design, the costumes, the tone, the direction and even the thematic elements. In terms of films about the character, I don't think I could ever find BATMAN surpassed.

   I vaguely recall memories about the craze surrounding the film from when I was two years old in '89. Not much, but even at such a young age, the buzz about the film gripped me. I was familiar with Batman from the reruns of the 1960s television series that were in-vogue because of the movie's release. My firmer memories start the following year when I was finally able to process the film on any kind of memorable level. I hadn't seen it before then, I don't think. From the first time I saw it, it became embedded in my head. By the time I was five, I had already become intimately familiar with the film, and as the years have gone by, there is now not a single element of the film that I don't have emblazoned in my memory. I can quote it verbatim, know the dialogue beats timed to the music score, and yet I still have that primal fondness for it that will never go away. I recall camera angles, specific shots, know endless behind-the-scenes stories and can describe whole elements with barely any hesitation. I think any film fan has their "one;" the film that they have become all-but-apart-of. BATMAN is mine.

   I daresay I may know the film better than Tim Burton does.

   But I digress. For as much as this film has meant to me, it's meant far more to the character of Batman than most people can realize. Many characters have their "lightning rod" showcase event. Batman has had a few, but I think it's arguable that were it not for this specific film, Batman would not be what he is today. Oh, he'd still be around in the comics, but BATMAN made the world fall in love with the character in a way that can never be undone now. Bats was a household name thanks to the 1960s series, but because of its tone and it's specific 60s-flavored niche, Batman was remembered as a relic of that time, no matter how long it had been and how much the comics had since moved away from it. Frank Miller's The Dark Knight mini-series is largely credited by the general populace with bringing Batman back to darkness, but it's untrue. The camp in the comics that mirrored the show was gone by the time that show had ended, and although the grittiness would take a few years to come back in, by 1969 in Batman #217, the character had went definitely back into "dark avenger of the night" territory. Elements that many mistakenly label "campy" today; such as Batman being well known by the citizenry and police, being kind to non-criminals and having larger-than-life adventures remained. But the tone was finally settled back into the seriousness (in comics, melodrama) that spawned the character. So Miller's mini only made a splash for the non-comic reading public, though admittedly it was far more sardonic than the character had even been seen before, hence the splash.

   Unfortunately for Batman, the general populace (even today) doesn't read his monthly adventures, so for almost two decades, people were unaware that he was a grim figure once more, or that he'd ever even been one to begin with. Batman was still portrayed like Adam West's square, dashing adventurer on a few cartoon shows such as the Superfriends franchise throughout the 70s and into the 80s. Any commercial using the character to sell its wares were a pastiche of the television series (Batman being used to shill for random corporations would be very unlikely today), including car commercials and ads for several types of retail stores. These commercial are abundant on YouTube, and it's pretty shocking to think that the world had not moved on from the Adam West stereotype. So pervasive was it that it pigeonholed the character from being seen in any new light until BATMAN came out. For all intents, the campy take was felt in the public consciousness as the default setting for the character, because what did they know of the original comics that had portrayed him darkly to begin with? The public at large wasn't paying any attention to the character in 1939 when those adventures were in print. Many of the average public didn't know about Batman until the 1966 series.

   Batman was a 'nothing' brand to anyone outside of the comics community. A campy 60s television property like Gilligan's Island or I Dream of Jeannie, and have those properties ever broken into bigger franchises? Well, had it not been for producer Michael Uslan and company, Batman would never have, either.

   Resistance to accepting the movie was strong. As well detailed in the film's Blu-ray special features, it took around six years to get any company to even give the property a fair thought. But once the production was moving, the public was divided. Many were sticklers for West's portrayal, and when the film's final direction was decided to be serious as opposed to campy, that was a whole group of fans alienated; arguably the largest group as that included any members of the general populace that cared to begin with. Comic fans were aghast at Michael Keaton's casting, and this rocked their faith in the production, a feeling that no comic fan would shake for certain until they actually saw the film. The famed teaser-trailer that was rushed out to quell fears of the film's tone only did that; it let people know the tone was dramatic as opposed to comedic. This did nothing to prove that the film would be good, so considerable doubt remained until the release.

   But perhaps the biggest power the film had was over the undecided. The people who didn't have an opinion either way and would be wooed based on if the film was any good at all, comic fandom or television loyalists be-damned. And it is here where the film's legacy was well-and-truly defined. To anyone who'd be open to that kind of film in the first place, you don't ever see anyone who doesn't like the film on at least some kind of level. It has an entertainment value and a resonance that works beyond words. If you're not a picky fanboy or a pretentious film-snob, the film will connect with you in some way. Many cite the film's marketing campaign as what won people over, but I cry foul on a logistical level. If the film hadn't been any good, the marketing would have just made it a colossal disappointment and it would have lived in infamy. Films like Super Mario Bros. and even the third sequel to our topic film (Batman & Robin) are perfect examples of the buzz helping draw attention to a weak product. It's one thing to create hype; it's another to live up to it.

   BATMAN was perhaps the most important "lightning rod" moment in the character's history because it broke all the rules of Hollywood productions of the time, shattered any-and-all audience expectations, and in one rare historical moment, altered public consciousness for all time. Although the 1960s television series is still remembered, the '89 film single-handedly re-wrote the way people thought of Batman the character so effectively that whereas Frank Miller's The Dark Knight made a ripple that had people saying "Hmmm, That's an interesting twist on Batman," Tim Burton's BATMAN made people everywhere realize "This is Batman!" A dark Batman was no longer the exception, but the rule. So the 1960s series had let people know he existed, but this new film made him a permanently appreciated phenomenon.

   It spawned sequels and a series that did for television animation what Disney had done for feature animation back in 1937. It also made Batman 'hip' for the first time since 1966, in a way that was more enduring than the fad that erupted in the 60s. Batman now resonated with a broad demographic and it made his celebrity universal. The star generated by the 60s show had become sour and ironic, but even beyond the '89 film, Batman himself was now forever cool. In a post-BATMAN world, the character would now be treasured in such a way that when the aforementioned Batman & Robin was considered too silly in tone, it was more than just Bat fans crying in disgust; it was all audiences. That's something that wouldn't have happened before '89.

   No one person involved in the production of BATMAN can be ascribed these honors for what they've done for the character, but it's certain that everyone involved in the product helped turn Batman from a well-known fictional character into a treasured pop culture icon. The heavy work had been done so effectively that when Christopher Nolan had to restart the film series after Batman & Robin, he didn't have anywhere near as difficult a job. All he had to do was make a serious film and the audience expectations created by Uslan and friends in '89 would do the rest. Seldom do character revivals and reinventions go well (in fact, almost never). But the summer of 1989 saw that rare feat happen with ease. Everyone saw the film upon its release. Men, women and children of all colors and countries were interested, an accomplishment that no comic book film has replicated until 2002's Spider-Man and more comparably, 2012's The Avengers.

   I titled this preface "Growing up with the Greatest" for a few reasons. After twenty-five years, the world has obviously grown and changed, and the film has remained strongly in the public consciousness. Its luster may have tempered during the reign of Christopher Nolan's "Dark Knight Trilogy," but only temporarily, as it seems the film is regenerating its appreciation every day as people rediscover it. Obviously, I've also grown with it; even today I can watch the film and find new elements I hadn't seen or thought about before; its layers are many and every time I peel one off, there's much more to see. Also reasoned for the title is that I think the film is the greatest single Batman story as it contains all of the elements one could want in a standalone tale of the Caped Crusader.

More-to-the-point, I chose the preface title because in 1989's publication The Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told, that was the title of its introduction by Dick Giordano. And coming from the same year as the film itself, I felt borrowing that title was appropriate because BATMAN is also one of those "Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told."

What follows is what I hope to be the final, definitive analysis of the film; from one of its most devout loyalists. The intention is not to summarize the film necessarily, but to explore its themes, ideas, subtext and overall brilliance, a little bit of both a text commentary and essay. We'll be analyzing all three acts of the film, with their themes and ideas, followed by a detailed look at the characters, concluding with a look at the film's narrative merits.

What's your pick?

Mine's down to three choices: 1963's The Haunting, 1981's The Evil Dead and 1982's The Thing.

All three still scare the sh*t out of me. If I can't watch it alone at night, that tells me all I need to know.

Here's something fun: name what you think are the best movie taglines ever. Here's a few off the top of my head:

"In the shadows of Gotham... death wears a smile and hope flies through the sky in black.... but only one will claim the night." (BATMAN, obviously unused)

"He was never in time for his classes... he wasn't in time for his dinner... and then one day, he wasn't in his time at all." (Back to the Future)

and what I think is the best, bar-none:

"In space, no one can hear you scream." (Alien)

Have at ye!

This is becoming a movement....!

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x12mkhf_in-defense-of-joel-schumacher-s-batman_shortfilms?fbc=353

Warning for language.

Also, another guy's defense (in two parts) for those who haven't seen them (again warning for language, I think):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMIH7Sp2tEM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wyLysZHIHc

Just thought this'd be fun. What ideas would have have to fix the film (if you find it frustratingly close to great as I do), but keep in mind you basically have to do another 'draft,' meaning that you can't do an entirely different film. You have to work within most of the existing framework of the film. And it has to be a sequel to the TDK and BB we did get.

1. I would have named John Blake Jean-Paul Valley instead, simply so we wouldn't have to have the silly 'reveal.' Real fans would know.

2. I would give Bane a better mask, something closer to the comics. I'm fine with the depiction as it is sans mask and funny voice. Not the Bane I'd like to have but with those fixes it would have been good enough for me.

3. I'd have The Bat look more like a traditional Batwing, dammit!

4. Have Bruce be much more severely disabled so it gives some more tension to the story instead of the hurt leg that miraculously heals itself later in the movie without the brace device... Basically, Bruce is in good enough shape to handle regular crooks, but it makes Bane more deadly in that he's better than Batman can be at this point in time, so akin to Knightfall, Batman's at a disadvantage from the get-go.

5. Move up Bane revealing the bomb in the stadium to before Batman gets taken out, so it not only comes out of left field for Batman, but it also puts serious pressure on him to go after Bane before he's prepared, making it more heart-wrenching/tense when Bane defeats him.

6. Don't have Batman fight like an idiot in the first encounter. Throwing those smoke bombs at Bane when he clearly isn't superstitious/cowardly/dumb, for example, is the dumbest thing I've seen Batman do in a movie. Period. He also is fighting completely like an idiot, leaving himself open for hits and also swinging punches wildly with no control.

7. When Bane has the speech outside Blackgate, I would totally pay homage to the opening moment of 'Tec #664 where Bane publically announces Batman's defeat. I'd have him reveal Batman's innocence with Dent first, and then I'd show the citizens watching getting their hopes up that, since they saw Batman back in action, he will save them again... only to have Bane hold up the broken mask and announce that "their savior" is broken and defeated, and nothing can save them now. I get chills just thinking about that!

8. I actually would have Lucius out of town on business so that he can meet up with Alfred outside Gotham once the city goes No Man's Land, and I would have them deduce Bruce's location and resuce him from the prison.

9. Now here's something of a big change, but one that fixes some major problems for me and adds more tension to the finale. I would have Lucius reveal something he'd been woking up for Bruce: a full-body version of the brace that he used on his leg (no prison chiropractory!), so that he can come back to Gotham and defeat Bane, but the catch is that it requires such huge amounts of electricity to run, and it's a prototype, so at most Bruce can only get like 72 hours out of it before it's out of commission. So Bruce has only 72 hours left to ever be Batman again, during which he must defeat Bane and save Gotham one last time. This would fix the stupid back repair, but also be an homage to the full body brace Bruce wears in Kingdom Come. Also, this would give more resonance to his line to Catwoman: "[I haven't given them] everything. Not yet." Because he really wouldn't have.

10. His return, I would have be announced to Gotham with the actual Bat Signal, not an improbably flame bat. It'd be more symbolic and heroic if you ask me.

11. Thus, since he's wheelchair bound for life, it makes perfect sense for him to: a) find a replacement and b) retire from being Batman. If he's still able, he should keep being Batman. That's how I see the character. I'd also probably imply that he'd be there to coach/train his replacement, sort of like the end of the other DKR.

What a find! This is a video recording of a lecture Anton Furst gave about his career and his experience on films. Very detailed and very loose discussion--If you're offended by swearing, Anton will definitely offend. He shares his art designs for BATMAN, some we've seen before but MANY we haven't, his anecdotes about the filming (including the unbelieveable death-defying dropping of the 1.5 ton bell past the Batman Stuntman in the Cathedral stairway), and also shows stills taken with Tim before filming began, showing the set lit in ways not done during production--beautifully showing the Gotham we know so well in fascinatingly new, gothic detail.

This was recorded little more than a year before his suicide. The BATMAN discussion begins at about 58 minutes, but the slides start showing the art designs at about 49 minutes. NOT TO BE MISSED!

http://sma.sciarc.edu/video/anton-furst/

[Adam West]

Speaks for itself! All incarnations applicable, and do say a word or two about why!

#10. The Adventures of Batman: "How Many Herring in a Wheelbarrow?" (1968)
------------------
A little Joker story, and one I've enjoyed since childhood. A fun tale that reflects Bats' more adventurous stories of the 70s more than the campy ones of the 60s.

#9. The Batman: "Q&A"
------------------
An unexpectedly great episode featuring a newly invented character. An eerie story of childhood obsession, perhaps darkly mirroring Bruce's (the episode says as much).

#8. Batman: The Brave and the Bold: "Mitefall!"
------------------
A hilarious tale which metatextually sees Bat-Mite trying to get the show cancelled by 'ruining' Batman. References to being "toyetic" and shark-jumping abound. The episode ends as no other Batman show has or will again: knowing their show is finished, the cast is having a farewell party in the Batcave and Deidrich Bader's Batman gives the audience (us) a heartfelt goodbye. Very touching in an bizarre way.

#7. The Batman: "The Rubberface of Comedy/The Clayface of Tragedy"
------------------
This version of a Clayface tale just barely edged out TAS' "Feat of Clay" for inclusion on my list, if only because this Clayface being Bruce's friend is just more tragic and heartening.

#6. Batman: The Animated Series: "His Silicon Soul"
------------------
I love evil doppleganger stories. I admit it. And this one has it all: it's eerie, it's exciting, and it's touching.

#5. Batman: The Animated Series: "Heart of Ice"
------------------
What needs to be said? This episode still gets to me. Every time.

#4. Batman: The Animated Series: "If You're So Smart, Why Aren't You Rich?"
------------------
Probably what made The Riddler my favorite Batman rogue. A little chilling, but largely a rousing journey, showing off Batman's intellect.

#3. Batman: The Animated Series: "The Laughing Fish"
------------------
A chilling and brilliant adaptation of two of the best Batman stories ever told in the comics: the titular original and "The Joker's Five Way Revenge." For my money, it's the best TV episode of anything Batman to feature the Clown Prince.

#2. The Adventures of Batman & Robin: "Baby Doll"
------------------
Like "Q&A," this is an original character driving the story. It's compelling, it's creepy, and it has my favorite finale of any TAS episode. The fact that Batman is so sympathetic to Dahl and not just ready to kick the crap out of her speaks volumes about Batman. He's a compassionate soul and if the people he fights sometimes need it, he understands. Poignancy, thy name is "Baby Doll."

#1. Batman: The Brave and the Bold: "Chill of the Night!"
------------------
My favorite portrayal of Batman's origin is the 1980 mini-series "The Untold Legend of the Batman," which is really an amalgamation of all of the pre-crisis elements of Batman's origins. This episode adapts those best elements and is dark, moody, emotional, moving and powerful. Excellent cast performances and well-written drama makes this my favorite TV episode of anything Batman.

Honorable mention: The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians: "The Fear"
------------------
The first portrayal of Batman's origin outside the comics! Servicable and nothing spectacular, but Adam West's turn at protraying Batman seriously is a must-see treat. Particularly his narration about growing up is chilling and very powerful, particularly the line "So I found myself alone in the world. A young boy who secretly screamed for justice..."

Here's the first one, I'll be making more as the year goes on!

Well, they did it.

Those DC Dickheads let Morrison do it.

Batman is dead. Killed while taking down Darkseid.

Y'know, I hate Morrison. Never liked him. Not only is he something of a real-life asshole (from what I gather) but he's also a self-important dick, and can't write his way out of a f***in' paper bag. His stories are like some kind of nerd in-joke. Whatever I read of his, it feels like there's an in-joke I missed out on. And I f***ing hate that. The R.I.P. story makes no f***ing sense, and although Batman's death isn't necessarily confusing, he goes out in two pages in what's prettymuch a f***ing afterthought.

I mean, I don't mind if you kill off Bruce Wayne. I'm not happy about the idea, sure, but I'll live. But the way they did it?! I suggest everybody go read it for themselves to see how it was handled. But needless to say, it was rushed, half-hearted and, frankly, forgettable.

Whereas, by comparison, Barry Allen (The 2nd Flash, who is now alive again, anyway) in the first Crisis had the most beautiful send-off I've ever seen in comics, even to this day, with Bruce's crippling at the hands of Bane being 2nd.

Barry's death was memorable, tear-jerking and summed up everything he was made of. The last portion of Barry' series was one of torture for him, not only did the Reverse Flash kill his first love (Iris West), but he tried to do it again, to Barry's new love on their WEDDING DAY, and Barry killed HIM to protect her. As if that's not hard enough to handle, he's taken to COURT over it, jailed for murder. Through two years worth of Flash issues; torturous, harrowing experiences, Barry is found innocent, and he retires to the 30th century to live with his original love (Now saved, and in the future), and his series ended happily, after all he'd been through.

And then the first Crisis happens, and because Barry can hop dimensions, the Anti-Monitor (the big bad guy in COIE) imprisons him so that he can't interfere. Takes him from his beloved Iris, and locks him up and leaves him, barely able to survive. After a while in COIE, Barry learns that The Anti-Monitor is about to use a doomsaday device and finally shatter all life on all Earths. Barry, spurred on only by the drive to save the lives of billions, forces himself to break free and run faster than he ever had before, fast enough to contain the machine's pulse wave, and use it to destroy the machine. As he does, he begins to wither away, his life flashing before his eyes. And still, even as he feels that he's dying, that life is slipping away, he keeps going, for all of those people, hero OR villain, that deserve to live.

Barry runs himself to death, and ends up going back in time to become the lightning bolt that ended up giving him his own powers in the first place. The Monitor's weapon is destroyed and the other heroes would not have been able to defeat the Anti-Monitor without Barry's sacrifice. It was the centerpiece of COIE, and as I said, the most beautiful send-off in Comics history. It was obviously NOT for shock value.

Compare it to Batman's death. He uses a gun to shoot Darkseid with a bullet, and it hits Darkseid the same time a laser beam he fires kills Batman.

That's it. And it's done in 2 pages. Was there a great story in Detective or Batman to make it more resonant? Did the RIP storyline do for Bruce what Barry's last days did for Barry's death?

No. Not even f***ing close. Not that I can tell for sure because nothing Morrison writes makes any f***ing sense.

Now, Barry's back to life, and Jason Todd is, too. Both are breaches I don't mind, because it allows for poignant evolution for them. Likewise, I would be interested to see a beautiful death for Bruce, something even more powerful than Barry's back in the 80s. That's right, if done well, I wouldn't care if they killed off my most favorite literary character of all time.

The problem is, it's complete and utter sh*t. Thrown in PURELY for sales and shock value. His death was a f***ing wash, so he'd better NOT be dead. If this is for-sure how Bruce Wayne goes out, DC will no longer recieve any of my cash from now until I die for new comics. I will completely stop reading them.

Even Knightfall was handled beautifully. If Bane HAD actually killed Bruce THEN, it would have been the perfect death (although, maybe I would have prefurred that he die in a blaze of glory as opposed to Bane killing him at the end of his endurance).

it just comes down to the fact that they DON'T make comics like they used to. Not even close.

Figured this thread might be of interest to you all. As they're mostly wallpapers.

First, here's the 20th anniversay DVD cover I created last night....



A wallpaper made with images from the B89 comic adaptation...



The same for BR...



Keaton is the Bat!



"Tradgedy... Loss... Vengeance."



You Know His Name.



The BR Logo behind snow (a great Christmas wallpaper!)



THE Logo.



A commemorative wallpaper I made when B89 showed at a local theatre early last year...



A quick photoshop that wasn't very convincing, but didn't matter. Keaton's Bats and Reeve's Supes, hanging out...

What was your single favorite B89/BR video games? Which games did you feel totally capture the essence of their respective film?

For BATMAN, it's far-and-away the Arcade game. Has digitized speech from Keaton and Nicholson, solid gameplay, authentic renderings of Anton Furst's Gotham City designs, great graphics and an authentically replicated Danny Elfman score. Despite this being #1, I can't think of anything I didn't like from the other adaptations.

For Batman Returns, it's harder for me to decide, as there's no game as definitive for Returns as there is BATMAN. I think I'm going to have to go with the Super Nintendo iteration. It's like the entire street fight scene against the Red Triangle Circus Gang, and stretched out to fit the entire film.