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What does everyone think happened to 'Gotham's favourite son'?  Do you think he used his wealth to get revenge on Catwoman or Batman for his father's death?  Did he proceed with the power plant, or was he completely clueless about its existence?

Anyway, I liked Andrew Bryniarski in this role (despite his funny speech inflections: "Daaad, Mr Maayoor.  It's time to bring joooy to the maasses").  He reminded me of a cross between Christian Bale's fake Bruce Wayne playboy persona, and Jim, the bully from Edward Scissorhands.

What did you all make of the Ice Princess? 

I thought she was utterly adorable, even if she was a complete bubble-head.  It's a pity she had to die, although she didn't really help herself - she could easily have jumped off the ledge before Batman got to the roof, and she really should have paid more attention to the news, as she might then have had some idea who Oswald Cobblepot was!   

Can anyone who has got the new Blue-Ray disc tell me what the book is like?  Is there anything in it that we won't have seen before?  Is it worth purchasing?

Thanks

[Batman Strikes Back]

The current topic is my attempt at a Batman fanfic, with acknowledgment to some of the ideas explored by 'Gotham Knight' and 'Catwoman' in their respective stories.  I apologise for the rather unimaginative title; I suppose it's meant to evoke 'The Empire Strikes Back' in the sense that this story should be perceived as the bridge between the first part of a saga 'Batman' (1989), and the hero's subsequent 'Return'.

Batman Strikes Back

Written by Johnny Gobbs

Characters by Bob Kane, Bill Finger, Sam Hamm, Daniel Waters, Wesley Strick, Akiva Goldsman and Johnny Gobbs

The following story takes place between the events of the first Batman film and Batman Returns, during the period between Fall 1989 and Christmas 1991.

Chapter One: Gotham City

Gotham City, Thursday 7th December 1967, Evening.  The front exit of the Monarch Theatre was throbbing with an exuberant crowd of wealthy patrons, several of them adorned in lavish furs or finely-cut tuxedos, many of them couples accompanied by similarly well-dressed children; all of them giddy with unbridled joy and beaming with goofy, unselfconscious grins of the type that could only be induced by the kind of uproarious, knockabout entertainment they had just enjoyed.  'Footlight Frenzy', a fast-moving and physically relentless 'behind-the-scenes' comedy had just premiered, and if the ecstatic reception of its first-night audience was any reliable sign, it was sure to enjoy an exceedingly healthy run.  

Although perhaps the exiting crowd's heightened state of euphoria wasn't entirely attributable to the delightful show.  It was early December, and the pre-Christmas exuberance particularly familiar to those families with young children had begun to seize upon these privileged Gothamites.  One such family, an apparently young but well-heeled couple and their son, a spirited boy not much older than ten, who was clutching an old-fashioned paper popcorn carton, seemed to best evoke this idyllic, Norman Rockwellesque atmosphere.  From a distance one could see the three of them stride across the bright, crowded streets that lined up to form a circumference around Gotham's central concourse.  At the small strip of grass that lined the centre of the concourse, a group of workmen were hoisting up a mammoth Christmas Tree as various officials directed this gargantuan effort from a safe distance, all in time for tomorrow's annual tree-lighting ceremony which would, of course be presided over by this year's newly crowned 'Ice Princess'.  

Although slightly obscured by the many couples and families also making their way from the Monarch to the assorted taxi cabs and chauffeured Rolls-Royces that lined up against the pavement, it appeared that the young boy was striding slightly ahead of his oh so dignified parents.  From the giddy manner in which he seemed to be addressing his father, it looked as if he was still recounting in no small detail, the various scenes they had just witnessed on stage.  Onward the family moved, past the concourse and the workman and officials frantically trying to prepare for tomorrow's ceremony; past the wealthy families being solicitously ushered into their Rolls and further up the street, their less privileged peers desperately trying to secure one of the few remaining cab rides before it got too late; past the large, inviting department stores and elegant government offices that eventually gave way to small Italian restaurants and the less auspicious five and dime stores; and past the comforting throng of Gotham's commercial district and into one of the long desolate side alleys that eventually led to their apparent destination.  A car perhaps, and from the way these people were dressed more than likely another chauffeur-attended Rolls, considerately waiting a few hundred yards away from the city centre's 'no parking zone'.  How 'sensible'!

Still conversing but in a more hushed manner that suggested they were not so comfortable in these unfamiliar environs, the family continued through Gotham's less salubrious streets.  The further they proceeded, the quieter they became.  Were they being naturally cautious, or had they heard something?  Foot-steps, perhaps?  Yes, and worse those steps were from only a few yards behind, in precise tandem with their own, quickening and tightening as soon as theirs had.  The parents huddled closely, each embracing the boy from the front side so that he was entirely obscured from whoever or whatever was behind them.  Suddenly the click of a gun barrel sliding into place reverberated throughout the narrow alleyway, and the father immediately recognising the sound, spun round a hapless expression of dread spread across his face.  'What was happening!'  'Who were these people?'  Before either he or his wife had any chance of properly registering their assailants, a pair of hands reached out to forcibly grab her pearl necklace from under her throat.  The husband drastically lunged at those very hands, struggling to remove them from his wife.  Suddenly, the pistol shot, three times in rapid succession, each time aimed straight at the man's heart.  The close proximity of the offending weapon punctuated the impact of each bullet causing the man to contort and slump almost instantly onto the ground.  The woman recoiled in horror as her husband collapsed, and tried in vain to let out a scream but even before her assailant's hands could successfully snatch those pearls, the same gun released a second wave of gunfire into her abdomen, causing both her and the pearls to crumple immediately.

Still, there was a third body to take care of.  The gunman's arm fully extended, the barrel once again clicked into place and the pistol aimed directly dead on target at the little boy before it.  The boy was still facing away from the gunman and his accomplice, and his face was entirely obscured by his cloth cap, but this forlorn figure was now fully exposed, his parents who had moments ago stood in unison as his protectors, now suddenly slumped on the ground either side of him.

Slowly, the child began to swivel round so that his face would finally meet the man who had robbed his parents of their lives in a mere matter of seconds.  Something was wrong though.  This was not the anguished, petrified face of a child who had had just seen his parents murdered, and was moments away from meeting the same fate.  This child wasn't crying; nor frowning; nor was he spooked.  No, as poorly illuminated as this back-street alley was, there was no mistaking the expression on this boy's face, especially one with such a bright pallor.  This young child, barely ten years of age was grinning an almost unfeasibly broad smile that stretched his mouth into a perfect crescent.  The ruby red lips were the only traces of colour on his pancake white face, and his eyebrows were almost impossibly furrowed into his brow. This wasn't the face of a ten-year old boy.  This was something out of the worst recesses of hell; a demonic, twisted clown.  "Tell me," he uttered in a deep, malevolent, most definitely unchildlike rasp "have you ever danced with the Devil in the pale moon light?" before unleashing the most hysterical and blood-curdling of laughs.

Bruce awoke with an abrupt jolt.  He instinctively turned to ensure that Vicki had not been stirred.  Thankfully, her classically beautiful features were a picture of tranquillity, and her head was still snugly nestled against his chest.  Cautiously he manoeuvred his athletic body from the side of the bed, careful to avoid arousing Vicki from her slumber, and walked over to the bedroom window.  It was still nightfall but there was no sign of the signal tonight.  Damn!  

What was it going to take to relieve him of these nightmares?  Bruce thought it would be over, but the 'inner demons' that plagued him throughout his life had become worse, more lurid.  He never thought it would be so simple, and it had certainly never been his plan, at least not consciously, but the death a year ago of his parents' murderer, the man called Jack Napier, should surely have marked the beginning of the end of these torments.  Maybe, even the end of the very goal that had sustained him all these years.  Yet, even with the love of a compassionate and sympathetic companion like Vicki, and the infatigable support of Alfred, who had essentially raised him as a son since the age of ten onwards, Bruce had rarely felt as he did now, the overwhelming need to don the literal and figurative cocoon the Batsuit provided him with.

To be continued...

[Alternative Bruce Wayne/Batman]

I'm curious as to what actors other members would like to see in further Batman films.  Here are some of my choices:

Alternative Bruce Wayne/Batman - Jon Hamm (Mad Men).  If Bale ever quits the role, or WB decide to do a reboot for whatever reason I think Hamm would be perfect to play a Wayne with a similar appearance and personality to the Batman Animated Series version.
Alternative Alfred Pennyworth - John Cleese.  I'm a massive Michael Caine fan and I think he does wonders for the role but if he ever decided to leave the series I'd like to see a more classic gentleman type in the role.

Detective Sarah Essen - Annie Wersching (24: Series 7)
Detective Harvey Bullock - Daniel Baldwin
Barbara Gordon/ Batgirl - Kate Mara (Brokeback Mountain)

Oswald Cobblepot/ The Penguin - Toby Jones (W and Frost/Nixon)
Selina Kyle/Catwoman - Angelina Jolie (an obvious choice I know, but I think she would be perfect as almost any of the various comic incarnations of this character.)
Edward Nygma/ The Riddler - Casey Affleck (this choice has been cited elsewhere, and I must admit I can't think of anyone else who'd be better.)
Dr. Harleen Quinzel/ Harley Quinn - Scarlett Johansson (I think she has the right combination of slinkiness and calculating intelligence.)
Roman Sionis/ Black Mask - Brad Pitt (he wouldn't want the role, but ideally I'd love to see him play this twisted rich boy version of Bruce Wayne.)
Talia Ras A Ghul - Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace)
Dr. Victor Fries/ Mr Freeze - Stellan Skarsgard (Pirates of the Caribbean)
Bane - Mickey Roarke (I'd prefer a Latino actor in the role to Roarke, so if anyone has any suggestions I'd love to read them.  Most importantly though, the part should be played by a decent actor, like Roarke and not just somebody from WWE.)
Rupert Thorne - Colm Meaney (The Damned United)

I was recently looking through the 'making of' books for each of the initial four Batman films (yes, I even own one for Batman & Robin  .)  It caught my attention that whilst the Batman & Robin book authored by on-set publicist Michael Singer is 128 pages, the Batman Returns book also by Singer is only a relatively scant 90 pages long.  Say what you like about the film, but the Batman & Robin book is a highly informative and thorough look behind-the-scenes.  I just wish the Batman Returns book (which admittedly contains several excellent photos and interviews) received the same treatment.

I don't think this was an intentional snub by Warner Bros, since the merchandise for Returns was released months before the film was at the receiving end of its backlash.  Nevertheless, it got me thinking whether Warners will release a 20th Anniversary book for Returns' Blue-Ray release in 2012, since it is often regarded as the 'black sheep' of the Batman film 'family'.

In fact, if I was to categorise the Batman movies as respective members of a family this is how I would describe them:
Batman - the older, favourite son who paved the way for his siblings.
Batman Returns - the gothic 'black sheep' of the family whose parents are too ashamed to talk about (kind of like The Penguin in fact).
Batman Forever - the bland, easy-to-please jock of the family.  Not especially remarkable, but a safe 'C+' student.
Batman & Robin - the embarrassing, intellectually challenged younger brother (c. Buster in Arrested Development) who convinced his parents to stop conceiving at four.

I also liken the new Batman franchise to a parent (Warner Bros) leaving his former partner for someone new (Nolan) and hereby ignoring their first family's kids and effectively sweeping their existence under the carpet.