Why The Batman-Superman Team-Up Movie Is A Huge Risk

I was at Comic Con with my fellow movie/comic book nerds when Zack Synder announced that Batman would be joining Superman in the sequel to "Man of Steel." And even though it had been spoiled on twitter hours before, my mind was still blown to pieces when I heard it. It's no secret I'm a big fan of the Batman movies and while there were some good parts in "Man of Steel," I generally thought it was too long, too emotionally cold, and had way too much unnecessary destruction. And I'm not alone in this, critically "Man of Steel" received a mix reaction and the hardcore fans were mainly distraught over the insane amount of violence that Superman dishes out compared to the amount of people he actually saved. Which is why I think Batman is being added to the next Superman movie to save the Superman franchise from itself. This is not a good thing.

You see, for all their flaws, the Batman that we all know and love these days is the Christopher Nolan Batman. This is a Batman that is grounded so firmly in reality, there is never any mention of anyone having super-powers EVER in the movies. And you know what, audiences loved it, ask anyone why the Batman movies are awesome and you'll get a response along the lines of "it's so gritty and real," which is true. And even though "The Dark Knight" trilogy ended with a firm conclusion, we all still identify with this Batman and hope/expect to see him again. And the character appearing on screen again, like it or not, we will be bringing our pre-conceptions of the Nolan Batman with us.

We're doing for a massive moment of reckoning when the Batman that appears in this epic team-up is different than Nolanized version of the character. The reason for this is that if you're playing by the rules established in "Man of Steel," he totally has to be. How the hell is a Nolan era Batman going to compete with a dude who can punch people through buildings? Hell, he barely could handle Bane and he was (super) human! The answer is that the Batman we get in this movie is going to be radically different, he'll probably have to be way more intelligent and have access to serious technology. A great comic book friend pointed out that there is no mention of Kryptonite in "Man of Steel" so maybe Batman creates/discovers it? But keep in mind that the Nolan Batman is very physical, or at least he was in "The Dark Knight Rises," and he's not that smart, he got duped by Miranda Tate and tricked into a weak fight by Bane! Are you ready for this somewhat nerdy version of Batman? I don't think I am. I'm concerned that this new hero will come across as cheesy and bizarre, which is the opposite of what the Nolan films were all about.

I realize that DC didn't really have much choice and that had to put the two characters together. After all they had to compete with the Marvel cinematic Universe somehow, I just extremely worried that whatever this mash-up looks like will come across and totally strange and foreign. Let's hope that Synder is up for the task, because let's be clear about this, in the eyes of everyone he's not making a sequel to "Man of Steel," he's making a follow up to "The Dark Knight" trilogy, which is a super-heroic undertaking itself.

TPG Batman Facts

My thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and families of the tragic attacks in Aurora. I struggled if I should post this but since the character of Batman has brought me and so many others great joy and memories for so long, I think it's fitting that a personal reflection on the character gets posted. Seeing Christian Bale visit the victims on his own accord reminded me of the power of this character, so here you go, some real deep TPG Batman Utility Belt tools.

1. I endured two Christmas and two Birthdays of not getting the "Batcave Commander Center" toy. Do you you know what it's like to expect the Batcave Command Center and end up with some bullshit like the Baxter Building. Whatever, that was my first true test of Batman fandom and it made me the fan I am today.
2. In the build-up to to The Dark Knight Rises I once theorized that Tom Hardy was going to be playing Superman and that Superman would be the villain in the film. Right actor/wrong villain.
3. My good friend Jesse, notable comic book guru and internet music deity gave me his copy of The Dark Knight Returns to read when I was in 9th grade. Best Batman story in any medium ever made. Read it.
4. Someone is borrowing my copy of that, if you have it, please give it back.
5. I've been deep in the potential Knightfall storyline connections to the film for a while. Peep my post here. For good reason though, my oldest brother is a huge fan, and made sure that my other brother and I were totally immersed in the story. When we scored this epic poster of the Azrael Batman for his birthday it was the greatest gift I've ever given my brother.
6. The first comic I ever bought was a Tim Drake Robin comic where he fights the Joker when Batman is overseas. Bought it at Bob City Comics in Natick. Bought it cause it had a hologram on it. Holograms are still cool btw.
7. The Batman Forever soundtrack was a key part of my childhood. Full of choice songs from U2, Method Man, and The Flaming Lips.
8. Batman Forever was the first Batman movie I saw in theaters. Batman & Robin was one of my first cinematic disappointment experiences. Bad explosions, stupid villains, and somehow they made the girl from Clueless not hot.
9. I once wrote a college essay on the connection between Batman and Gothic literature. Got an A and everyone thought I was a nerd...am I a nerd?
10. Bruce Wayne is cooler than Tony Stark? Do I believe that? Not sure. Do you?

Friday At the Movies: Punishment

Punisher: War Zone opens today across the land, and like many of you, I, will not be seeing it. The fact that I'm not excited for this film, is a little heartbreaking for me because I consider myself a mid-level Punisher fan; I've read his comic, seen the other movies, played the video games, OK so But with this recent film, I can't help but wonder if this character has overstayed his welcome.

The character who was first introduced in 1974, really became popular in the 80's. He was the prototype embodiment of1980's vigilante justice, a fictional counterparts to the Bernie Goetz of the era. His origin is basically the same as Batman (family killed by parents, seeks vengeance), but unlike Bats, Punisher has no problem icing fools like a baker (ZING!).

Yet, vigilantes aren't that cool anymore. With this rise of Barrack Obama, suddenly people really don't need the bullet, cause the ballot actually worked for once. People don't want insane violence because it dominates the news (terrorist attacks and two wars raging). What do they want, apparently vampire romances, and heroes like James Bond and Batman, who are violent, yet know their limits. Unlike the 80's, where excess reigned supreme, looks like this Punisher just doesn't belong anymore (just so you know I spared you from a lame, he should be punished joke)