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?

The Weight of the Bat

"No Pressure. No Pressure. No Pressure"

Millions of people will flood the multiplex this weekend to get their minds blown by Christopher Nolan's dreamy new film "Inception." As soon as they get out, there will be one thought somewhere on their mind. It's a thought that have been on many people's mind since 2008.

Okay, now onto the Dark Knight Sequel

According to Nolan, his brother Jonathan has been working on the script for over a year, and recently Michael Caine confirmed an April 2011 start date, so the time is upon us. Nolan is not only a genius director, but also a tactician when comes to the masses. After delivering a masterpiece in "The Dark Knight" he wisely stepped away from the genre to make something "else." This was hailed as a genius move at the time, people saw what happened with director Sam Raimi when he made nothing but Spiderman movies for five years. But now he has made "Inception" , Nolan has no choice but to focus again on Batman. And this is no easy task.

First, there is the issue of the story. The last film concluded with Batman becoming the "bad guy" and going on the run. Will the new film have Batman on the run the whole time, or will it be some other story where is he good? Second, there is the issue of the villain. Previous villains have all been grounded in reality, and with no one getting re-cast as the Joker there is a lack of quality bad guys. Riddler? - Too much like the joker. Catwoman? - Maybe? Penguin? - Doesn't really fit into the world. Two Face returns ? Maybe.

And finally there is the biggest villain of them all -  the fanboys. Every single nugget of news regarding this movie is going to be dissected on the internet. I'm sure at Warner Brothers right now, they are holding every meeting regarding this bad boy in room similar to the ones in Mission Impossible. At this point, this is most anticipated film in the history of the world (yes more than AVATAR 2). And you know what, while the task is daunting, I think that Nolan can do it. I just hope I'm not dreaming.

Batman 3 Rumor Round Up

Batman Begins 3. The Dark Knight 2. Batman 6. Follow up the greatest comic book movie ever. Don't worry, it is coming out in 2012. Whatever you call it, people are salivating for the tiniest crumb of information regarding it. This week some morsels that were particularly tantalizing fell to the floor. Let's check them out.

The Film Stars Shooting in March
Source: LA TIMES
True? - I'm saying this one is probably accurate. The film is coming out, July 20th, 2012 so in order to make that date, I think a March 2011 date is realistic

Joseph Gordon Levitt as the Riddler
Source: Hollywood Life
True? - No. See above, the film's start date is a rumor, so all casting details must be taken with a major grain of salt. That being said, Levitt does star in Nolan's upcoming film "Inception," and the director is known for using similar actors in many of his films. Eager caped crusaders should look to the storied "Inception" cast for possible ideas for the future adventures of the Gotham hero. My vote: Tom Hardy for the villain. He's in Inception and he's in Bronson (see below). The villain he should play: a london gangster called Mad Hatter.

No Plans For Superman? Maybe DC Comic Doesn't Have Their Act Together

It appears like DC comics may have been smoking a little too much of that bomb ass Kyrptonite Chronic, because today Diane Nelson, head of DC entertainment revealed they have no plans for a new Superman movie. I recently wrote about DC might just be getting their act together, but it appears that I have been deceived. Or per chance, this decision to not forge forward with the man of steel is a good one. After all, he is a bit of a bore. Yet once again, I can't see how a well done Superman flick could suck. I'm thinking Neill Blomkamp should direct.

And while Superman won't be crying about lost love on the silver screen any time soon, I can but read into this announcement as a clue that the new Batman movie is closer than we expect. Ahhh, new Batman flick, now we're talking Dark Knight status.