Happy Holidays

One last bit of news, then I'm off for the rest of the year.

Kate Beckinsale is doing press for her upcoming movie Nothing But the Truth, and MTV.com was nice enough to ask her about Catwoman:

MTV: Specifically, I know you've talked about Wonder Woman a great deal, but is there a character you'd love to do? Catwoman in a Nolan-directed "Batman 3," for instance?

Beckinsale: Absolutely, that would be awesome. I'd love to do that. One of the things I've done wrong with my career is not have a massive game plan for it. I enjoy being surprised. I was very surprised to ever find myself even considered for an action movie. I'm like the literary, academic geek who's not very good at sports, so it was amazingly shocking that anyone would ever do that. I like to be surprised. Read the whole article here.

If you're looking for something entertaining while I'm gone, Comics Should Be Good is filling in the gaps in their Top 100 Comic Book Battles with quite a few Batman entries and I'm sure more to come.

(That's Catwoman, Huntress, and Black Canary, if you were wondering. Art by Ed Benes)

News & Notes

On the heels of more stupid rumors, various websites appear to be fed up with it.

• Totalfilm ran an article titlted McG to Direct Batman 3!:
  

  Speaking from the moon, McG said: "I went to Great England to seek Nolan's approval. He said that he knows how tough it is to follow a brilliant film, after his experiences on Memento 2: I Still Can't Remember Where I Put My Keys."

• Film School Rejects get the inside scoop straight from Christopher Nolan:
  

  Not only is it a guaranteed go, it’s going to be split into seven 4-hour movies, making the fourth installment a full 28-hours long. There are no rumors yet regarding the film, but expect an avalanche of them soon - including the fact that it will feature over a dozen villains, Alfred’s sex change, and Batman’s death at the hands of his own father who faked his death all those years ago and also happens to be a witch doctor.

• Ain't It Cool News skips the satire and just uses a lot of profanity:
  

  If ANY OF YOU believe any of this [BS], you have found some crazy awesome drugs and I would like to have some of what you're having.

Stupid Rumor of the Day

Seems like for every reasonable sounding casting rumor, there's at least one ridiculous one. So not long after the not too far fetched Rachel Weisz rumor, right on cue, the Sun comes up with one possibly dumber than Cher as Catwoman:

FUNNYMAN EDDIE MURPHY will play The Riddler in the next Batman movie, The Sun can reveal... The film, set for a 2010 release, is being developed under the working title Gotham. Execs have also signed up rising Transformers star SHIA LABEOUF, 22, to play Robin.

They even crudely photoshopped Eddie Murphy in a question mark jumpsuit. Please don't believe any of that for a second (although I wouldn't hate "Gotham" as a title). But since I've been putting up every casting rumor I come across, I don't want to start getting picky now.

I do like that the rumors are racially inclusive, though I'm a little surprised whoever made this up didn't go with Chris Tucker instead of Eddie Murphy. He's a lot closer to the Frank Gorshin/Jim Carrey Riddler that most people remember (note: I don't actually want Chris Tucker to play the Riddler). I bet Don Cheadle could play a great Riddler though.

News & Notes

• Original Sharp Says included the above fan-made poster in their article on Rachel Weisz/Catwoman rumor. It's very well done and not one I remember seeing before. Couldn't find a reference to the poster's creator anywhere, but if anyone knows, drop a comment so I can point a link in their direction.


• I'm not much for the toys (or action figures or whatever), but I had to take note of this one. Someone's selling kits to turn a boring old Joker toy into a really cool Nurse Joker.

Vicki Vale

As requested by a commenter a while back but I've been slow to get to, Vicki Vale is a recurring love interested from Silver Age Batman stories (which mostly read like the Adam West TV series, with some wacky science fiction mixed in). A reporter for the Gotham Gazette, Vale has a lot in common with Superman's Lois Lane. While dating Bruce Wayne and reporting on the activity of Batman, she often has suspicions that the two are one and the same, but by the end of the issue Batman has managed to fool her into thinking her theory can't be true.

Vicki Vale basically disappeared from the comics in the mid-1960s. However, in the 1989 Batman movie with Michael Keaton, Vicki Vale was written in as Batman/Bruce's main love interest, played by Kim Basinger. This resulted in a brief return to the comics, now as a TV talk show host.

She also appeared recently in Frank Miller and Jim Lee's All-Star Batman & Robin, The Boy Wonder (pictured above) as a reporter, though the appearance was somewhat controversial since she spent the bulk of her time on the page in her underwear.

Pros: It's never a bad idea to put a gorgeous redhead in a movie (there's a story -- I don't know if it's true -- that the original Vicki Vale was drawn with a then-unknown Marilyn Monroe in mind, which you can read about here). And as with every other female character I've mentioned, Batman will probably need a love interest of some sort for the next movie.

Cons: Most people associate Vicki Vale with the Tim Burton/Michael Keaton Batman movie, and the Christopher Nolan/Christian Bale movies seem to intentionally distance themselves from that franchise.

How I'd do it: We left off in The Dark Knight with Batman as public enemy #1, so in addition to the cops going after the Bat, the local media would be hot on his trail. Enter Vicki Vale, tough young reporter looking to make her name by breaking the Batman story wide open. She seems to be making more progress than anyone else, so to keep a closer eye on her, Bruce Wayne asks her out. Still heartbroken over the loss of Rachel Dawes, he thinks he won't get emotionally involved, but of course he does.

Casting Guesses: It'd be from the same pool of actresses as Poison Ivy. But while I'd insist on Christina Hendricks for Miss Isley, I think Amy Adams is the best choice for Vicki Vale.

Verdict: I think the connection to the earlier Batman movie makes Vicki Vale somewhat unlikely, but she's a decent enough character who doesn't need any tweaking to fit this universe.

Rachel Weisz?

There's not much reason to believe this is true, since E!'s Ted Casablanca seems to be more about who's sleeping with who than getting actual inside information about the business end of things. But he had a story yesterday that Rachel Weisz is the likely choice to play Catwoman:

Weisz, thank heaven, according to insiders who are currently working on the Warner's production, which hasn't even been officially announced yet. But Weisz's name is so early on, not even Weisz's publicist claims to have knowledge of the casting notion. "Tell them to call her agent!" Weisz's rep screamed.

I briefly mentioned her as a possibility way back here, and I'm not any more sure about her now than I was then. I can definitely picture her in the outfit, but that's just because she's a fine looking woman. I can see her as Selina out of costume, too. What I can't picture is her posing a physical threat to Batman, or running along rooftops, or any of that stuff. It's a tall order to find someone who fits every aspect of the character, and maybe if Weisz is cast she'll surprise me. But I won't worry too much about it unless this rumor starts to gain momentum.

Casablanca followed up later in this article, repeating the Weisz/Catwoman rumor, and said that Batman 3 with Christopher Nolan directing is pretty much on, which I certainly hope is true:

Despite some recent interviews in which he down-played the possibility of returning as director again, Christopher Nolan (who helmed Knight) will for sure be back directing the third flick, we're assured by a production mole. Christian Bale will obviously rejoin his director pal, and we're very pleased to report that he'll be playing a "sexier" Bruce Wayne. This is heaven-sent news, as, let's face it, Bale couldn't have looked any more constipated in that last flick....

By the by, even though Warners did not comment on any of the above movie talk, additional studio sources did confirm it's certainly "expected" Bale and Nolan will be back, pending a script which is being written as we gossip

Joker Article

As part of their "Stars Icons" series (whatever that is) IGN has a feature on the Joker with a bunch of random info and some nifty images.

(this particular image, not from the article, was stolen by me from crump3t)

DVD/Blu Ray Today

It's DVD/Blu Ray launch day today. Check out slashfilm for all the details on the various versions with different promotional junk from different stores.

Also, tomorrow the trade paperback for Joker's Asylum comes out. It was a pretty hit or miss series for me, with one shot stories featuring villains like Two-Face, Scarecrow, and Poison Ivy, but I enjoyed the Penguin issue written by Scalped's Jason Aaron enough that I'd cautiously recommend the trade to fans of Batman's enemies.

Still More Nolan on Batman 3

Apparently making the publicity rounds for the DVD/Blu Ray release tomorrow, Christopher Nolan talked to USA Today and had this to say:

...most third acts in Hollywood stink. Look at the disappointing threequels for The Godfather, Superman and the original Batman. The conclusions weren't much better for the more recent Shrek, Spider-Man and Pirates of the Caribbean.

"I don't know why they're hard to do," Nolan says. "Maybe there's so much expectation to them. But I wouldn't want to do one if it weren't going to be as good as the first or second. That's not respectful to the fans."

And:

"The worst thing you could do now that you've gotten the plane back in the air is mess up the landing."

More Notlan on Batman 3

Over at All Things Fangirl, there's a recap of a Blu Ray release event that took place the other night, which included Christopher Nolan talking a little more about a third Batman movie:

If he made a third film, it would be for no reason but the continuation of story. He is currently looking into where the story would go and if it needs to go there. He maintained that it's very hard to make a movie of this scale (and specified he wasn't asking for our sympathy, drawing a laugh from the crowd) - it's two hard years and you gotta love it. One of his biggest fears is getting halfway through making a film and realizing it's unnecessary and he doesn't want to make it anymore. If there is a third story that needs to be told, there will be a third film, but nothing is set in stone or a given.

There's more about Blu Ray features, some kind of live on-line commentary with Nolan, and some other stuff, so it's worth reading the whole thing.

Dark Knight Re-release

The Dark Knight comes back to theatres on January 23rd:

Batman film The Dark Knight is to be re-released in US cinemas in January, upping its chances of its box-office takings crossing the $1 billion mark.

News & Notes

Wanderingbert on flickr is undertaking the Batman Villain Project, where he intends "to draw as many batman villains as possible. Even the obscure and mostly unknown ones. And even the dumb ones that may look interesting but suck as actual villains. Even them." Pictured above is one of "them," Doctor Phosphorus.

Elsewhere, Comics Should Be Good has a gallery of comic book covers where Batman gets punched.

News & Notes

Plenty of fun stuff showed up over the long weekend, here's the first batch of links:

• thinkernik made some posters for Batman 3, he wants to see Clive Owen as Black Mask and Eva Green as Catwoman. I could live with that.


• Batman on Film has a rumor that Batman production offices are set to open up in February. As much as I like the idea of things getting underway, I'd like to see Christopher Nolan signed on first.


• Two sites are considering titles for the next movie: Mr. Geekman says The Caped Crusader while Obsessed with Film wants The Dark Knight Returns. Personally, I don't really like either. The Dark Knight Returns should be reserved for an adaptation of Frank Miller's story, and The Caped Crusader sounds very Adam West-y. I'd prefer either something story-specific, like Batman: Fugitive or Batman: Redemption, or if it's going to be a more generic Batman title, Shadow of the Bat.

Elsewhere, Batman #681 came out this past week, wrapping up the Batman: R.I.P. storyline. The finale had some nice touches, but Batman R.I.P. wasn't really my cup of tea. Sandman writer Neil Gaiman takes over the Batman title for a couple of issues next, which has people pretty excited.

News & Notes

Rope of Silicon has their Top 10 reasons to make Batman 3 and why Chris Nolan needs to direct it, following up their earlier list of reasons not to make it. I like this one better, obviously.

Cool Catwoman

I have absolutely no news and no time for a character*, but I was looking over DC Comics' solicitations for January and this cover for Batman #685 looks pretty awesome. Cover artist Alex Ross normally doesn't do the modern costumes, and I've never cared for the old school Catwoman outfits.

* - Mr. Whisper, Onyx, Orpheus, Batwoman, and Sarah Gordon are the only ones left on my list, and I'm having a hard time motivating myself to write about a bunch of characters that don't interest me.

Harvey Bullock

Harvey Bullock is an old school tough guy detective. He's a donut-eating, cigar-smoking, loud-mouthed gumshoe who doesn't mind roughing up a suspect for a lead. When he and his partner play "good cop, bad cop," he's always the bad cop. And he's plagued by rumors that he's on the take or excessively violent with suspects. But for the most part, he does seem to be a good cop.

In the Officer Down storyline (spoilers to follow), Jim Gordon is shot, and after a series of twists and turns, GCPD finds out who did it, but the shooter enters the witness protection program to testify against the mob. Extremely loyal to Gordon, Bullock refuses to let an attempted cop killer walk free, so he gives up the shooter's identity to the mafia. When details about his involvement emerge, Bullock turns in his badge. He was seen from time to time as a private detective, but recently returned to the force (the details of how that happened are yet to be revealed).

Much like I confused Anna Ramirez in The Dark Knight with Renee Montoya, I thought Harvey Bullock was in The Dark Knight until the character's name was revealed as Det. Stephens. With Montoya, I wonder if there weren't issues with money (since Renee Montoya was created for the animated series, someone from that show might've been entitled to money if they used her in the movie), but Harvey Bullock was created in the comics, so Warner Bros. almost certainly owns his rights (WB, the studio that made The Dark Knight, owns DC comics).

Pros: He's a great character, well known, and like I've been saying, I'd like to see a good cop from the comics included in the movies.

Cons: Although I think his character was somewhat of a novelty in superhero comics, I think the cop who plays by his own set of rules is well-worn territory in movies.

How I'd do it: Just bring him on as a cop in the hunt for Batman.

Casting Guesses: There's actually a thread on the superherohype.com boards with casting ideas. Forest Whitaker is an interesting thought, though Bob Hoskins might be the best in terms of fitting the character (see Who Framed Roger Rabbit? for a perfect Harvey Bullock). But James Gandolfini was the first name I thought of, and he would probably offer the right mix of being faithful to the comics while adding something new.

Verdict: I'd love to see him, and can't think of a compelling reason to exclude him.

Crispus Allen

Crispus Allen was a cop from Metropolis who was hired by the Gotham City police department to be Renee Montoya's partner after Mackenzie Bock was promoted. Allen, coming from a city with a superhero who tended to work within the law, didn't like Batman's brand of vigilante justice. But after spending some time in Gotham, he learned just how crazy the city was, and that by the book police work wasn't going to keep the streets safe. But he never saw Batman as anything better than the lesser of two evils.

While working a case, Allen suspected a crime scene investigator of tampering with evidence and began investigating him. The man was tipped off that he was being investigated and murdered Allen, then used his experience with crime scenes to ensure that he wouldn't be caught. Allen was brought back to life by the Spectre, a spirit that resides in a human host, trying to bring justice to the world. I'm not big on those kinds of stories, so I stopped paying attention to Allen at this point, so check out wikipedia for what happened after that.

Pros: A good Gotham cop with a unique view of Batman would be a welcome addition.

Cons: He's a very minor character. His origin, though easily changed, ties to Metropolis, and from reading that interview with Christopher Nolan a while back, I think his vision of Gotham doesn't exist in the same world as Superman.

How I'd do it: Like every other cop, just have him join up with Gordon. Possibly out of Gordon's attempts to find the only good cop(s) in Gotham. But I would skip the Metropolis bit.

Casting Guesses: Don Cheadle's the obvious answer, since he really looks the part (and he's a fantastic actor), but I doubt Allen would be a big enough role for Don Cheadle to consider. Gary Dourdan from CSI provided Allen's voice in the Gotham Knight animated feature that came out around the same time as The Dark Knight, and he wouldn't be too bad either.

Verdict: Sure, he's a good fit.

News & Notes

Some nifty fan art of a "Nolan-ized" Harley Quinn.

And here's a list of the top 10 reasons not to make Batman 3. My favorites are #6 ("Its Awesomeness Could Kill People") and #3 ("The Inevitable Dumbass Villain-Guessing Game for the 4th Film").

And some quick updates on the last two notes posts: Batman: The Brave and the Bold was good, Batman: Cacophony was not.

Wrath

Batman had two different enemies named Wrath. The first, whose real name was never disclosed, had an anti-Batman origin very similar to Prometheus. One night, while sneaking out of their apartment to avoid paying rent, Wrath's parents were mistaken for burglars by the police and shot dead. Wrath became obsessed with taking revenge on police and other law-enforcers, which lead to a career as an assassin.

The second Wrath, Elliot Caldwell, was an orphan, one of five abducted by the original Wrath to become the equivalent of Robin, but Caldwell was the only one of the five to survive Wrath's training. Eventually, Caldwell took over as the new Wrath.

Pros: The purple costume is kind of cool, though it might not work in the Nolan-verse. Wrath's anti-Batman origin isn't as contrived as Prometheus'.

Cons: It's still a little contrived. And he's a total no-name villain.

How I'd do it: Show his parents' murder, then just cut straight to the pimpin' purple costume.

Casting Guesses: It could be anyone, so I'll say Clive Owen, cause I like him.

Verdict: Nah. If they announced Wrath, even most dedicated fanboys would be rushing to google to figure out who he is.

News & Notes

Busy with work, so I haven't been able to put up any characters in a couple days, but just FYI, the animated Batman: The Brave and The Bold premieres on the Cartoon Network tonight at 8. The series looks very kid-friendly, Dick Sprang style art but with modern-looking action, and feature Batman teaming up with a different hero every week, starting with the Blue Beetle tonight (I'm not sure if it's Ted Kord or Jaime Reyes, but Blue Beetle is cool either way). Check out the Cartoon Network site for more.

News & Notes

Haven't done one of these in a while, mostly because there hasn't been much to talk about. The biggest news has been that Batman Turkey thing, which is amusing, but pointless. But I thought I'd mention that Kevin Smith (Clerks, Chasing Amy, Mallrats, Zack and Miri, other assorted geek movies) wrote a Batman comic, and the first issue (of three) comes out today. It's called Batman: Cacophony, and I've read absolutely nothing about it (I'm afraid of spoilers), but there's some preview text at that link, and a look at the first few pages here.

So if you're not a comic book reader but do like Kevin Smith, it might be a good chance to find your local comic shop and give it a try. In addition to Cacophony, there's a recent Joker Hardcover that wasn't bad. I'd stay away from the Batman title right now if you're a new reader, it's weird and confusing. And Detective Comics has been straightforward and ok, but the last of a 5 part story arc comes out today, so that's not a great point to jump on to either. But ask at the folks working at the shop, they might have the previous four parts, they could point you to some trades (multiple issues usually forming a complete story collected into a paperback book), some other comics you might be interested in like Iron Man or Superman, or something you might never have heard of but would love.

Disclaimer: Cacophony might turn out to be terrible, so don't hold it against me if it is.
Disclaimer 2: Several of those titles linked at the end are not appropriate for kids (Atomic Robo, Nextwave, Invincible, and Runaways, however, are fun for the whole family).

And this concludes my pitch to get people into comics, as well as my pitch to get people to not necessarily just read the standard DC & Marvel superheroes.

Prometheus

Haven't done a villain in a while, so it seemed like a good time for Prometheus. Yet another of those anti-Batmen, Prometheus' criminal parents were killed by a cop when he was young. He raided their supplies of cash after their death to fund his travels around the world, training to be the best criminal he could be. He invented a device that let him download fighting styles into his brain, allowing him to defeat almost anyone hand to hand.

Prometheus carefully planned an assault on the Justice League headquarters, defeating the Flash, Martian Manhunter, Batman, and others, but ended up being defeated because he was unprepared for Catwoman, who had broken into the Justice League hoping to steal some stuff. So despite his almost Batman-like penchant for preparation, an unexpected event can really throw the guy off.

Pros: Contrasting Batman with the villain he faces is kind of nice.

Cons: Prometheus' origin is too perfectly opposite Batman, it stretches disbelief that a person would mirror Bruce's life so completely. Also, his equipment is far too science fiction-y for what we've seen in Batman movies so far.

How I'd do it: A master criminal who's as obsessive and skilled as Batman. He doesn't need to be Batman's perfect polar opposite.

Casting Guesses: I can't even remember what the guy looks like with no mask on, so I guess it doesn't matter too much as far as looks go. Maybe Jeffrey Donovan, the guy from Burn Notice?

Verdict: Nah. The character's too new, too contrived to be Batman's opposite, and too attached to his advanced technology to work in a Batman 3.

Mackenzie Bock

Mackenzie Bock -- nicknamed "Hardback" because he liked to read -- is a Gotham cop who partnered for a while with Renee Montoya. He was generally suspicious of Batman and didn't like vigilantes interfering with poice work. During No Man's Land, when Gotham is destroyed by an earthquake, evacuated, and cut off from the rest of the country, Bock stays behind with the police to try to deal with the chaos in the city, taking only a brief break to help rebuild his old neighborhood. After his stint with Montoya, he was promoted to the head of the Organized Crime department at Gotham City PD, and eventually Chief of Police, but upon receiving that job he basically disappeared from the comics.

Pros: The movie Gotham could use a tough, honest cop.

Cons: A fairly insignificant character, I'm not sure he even lasted 5 years as a regular in the comics.

How I'd do it: Have Bock be one of Gordon's Lieutenants.

Casting Guesses: Richard T. Jones? D.B. Woodside? Someone like that.

Verdict: He wouldn't be in a big role, but Bock would fit perfectly.

Bat-Mite

Bat-Mite is Batman's biggest fan, who also happens to be from another dimension. He has seemingly magical powers, much like Superman's foe Mxyzptlk, but rather than using them to create havocc like Mxyzpltk, Bat-Mite just creates scenarios where he can observe Batman's heroism.

After DC Comics rebooted their universe in the 1980s, Bat-Mite mostly disappeared until recently. In the current continuity, Bat-Mite is an element of "The Batman of Zur En Arrh," a persona Batman implanted into his subconscious that takes over if Batman loses his mind. The whole Zur En Arrh thing seems kinda dumb to me, but it's nice to see Bat-Mite back.

Pros: A little dude in an ill-fitting Batman costume with magical powers playing games with Batman? There's something pretty awesome about that.

Cons:None of that belongs in the kind of world where The Dark Knight takes place.

How I'd do it: Gotham toy makers try capitalize on the news about Batman by selling Batman toys that look like Bat-Mite?

Casting Guesses: No one? If they really want to to Bat-Mite, it should be CGI.

Verdict: I sure hope not.

Renee Montoya

Renee Montoya, like Harley Quinn, was created for the 1992 Batman Animated Series, and worked well enough to cross over into the comics. For a little bit, I thought Montoya had actually been written into The Dark Knight, since there was a hispanic woman working on Gordon's team, but it turned out to be Anna Ramirez.

For many years, Montoya was partnered with Harvey Bullock, a Gotham City PD detective who's been in the comics since the 70s. His traditional tough cop who goes by his gut played well off of her more modern, educated, analytical style (though she certainly is tough as well). They both learned from each other and seemed to become very close. Eventually, Bullock was promoted and Renee then partnered with Crispus Allen, a detective from Metropolis who isn't used to the kind of rule bending that is more common in Gotham.

Further on down the line, Two-Face becomes infatuated with her, finds out she's a lesbian, and threatens to out her. Allen ended up being killed, Renee then resigns from the force and becomes The Question (taking over from original Question, Vic Sage, on whom Rorschach from Watchmen was based), and she starts up a relationship with Kate Kane, aka BatWoman.

Pros: Other than Gordon, the Gotham cops have been pretty awful people, so it'd be nice to have another good one. And she's an interesting character in general.

Cons: Sad to say, but having another Latina on the force might get people her mixed up with Ramirez.

How I'd do it: No real secret to this, just make her one of the cops.

Casting Guesses: I hate to say it, because she doesn't seem like the greatest person in the world after her stint on Lost, but Michelle Rodriguez would make a pretty good Renee Montoya. I haven't watched much of Life, but Sarah Shahi might not be too bad either, although she almost looks too pretty or too small or something.

Verdict: Like most any cop that's been a regular in the comics, she'd be a great fit.

Sasha Bordeaux

After an incident with Dr. Hugo Strange, Lucius Fox, who in the comics has no idea that Bruce Wayne is Batman, decides that Bruce Wayne needs protection. For obvious reasons, Bruce doesn't feel he needs it, but Lucius insists. So Sasha Bordeaux is hired to become Bruce's 24-hour bodyguard.

This makes things a little tricky, since the times Bruce wants to sneak out to become Batman are the exact times Sasha wants to stick closest to him. After a number of incidents where he disappears in the middle of the night, Sasha becomes suspicious and eventually does discover his identity. Because of some kind of bodyguard code, she keeps his identity secret, but insists that she must extend her protection duties to his time as Batman. So Bruce puts her through grueling training to get her in shape to take on the dangers he faces, and she starts accompanying him as a sidekick of sorts.

It's at this point that the Bruce Wayne - Murderer? story kicks off. Batman and Sasha return to Wayne Manor after a night of crimefighting to find the body of Vesper Fairchild, Bruce's ex-girlfriend. Their only alibi is Bruce's identity as Batman, but both refuse to say anything. Lacking any other explanation, Bruce and Sasha are arrested. Sasha appears to be killed in prison, but her death was faked as part of her recruitment into the secret government organization Checkmate.

Pros: She's a strong woman who can hold her own with Batman. Her role as Bruce's bodyguard made for some fun situations where Bruce had to improvise ways to change into his costume, or stop a villain without becoming Batman.

Cons: There would have to be a whole new introduction scenario, since the movie version of Lucius knows Bruce's identity. And even though Sasha was a pretty good character, she was mostly introduced, I think, to set up the Vesper Fairchild murder story.

How I'd do it: Instead of Lucius Fox doing it, have the FBI show up and send Agent Sasha Bordeaux to provide round the clock protection for Bruce.

Casting Guesses: Jessica Biel always look like she could kick my ass without breaking a sweat, which seems bodyguard-like.

Verdict: It's highly unlikely. Sasha's a relatively recent, relatively minor character, who's probably more associated with Checkmate than with Batman. But you never know, I guess if there's a story that works with a bodyguard, she'd work well.

Aunt Harriet

Harriet Cooper is Dick Grayson's Aunt, who comes to live at Wayne Manor after the death of Alfred Pennyworth. She was a recurring character on the Adam West TV show, and though many believe she was created specifically for that series, she appeared in the comic books well before the television adaptation.

Fredric Wertham's 1954 book Seduction of the Innocent claimed that comic books were an evil influence on young children, and specifically pointed to Batman and Robin as promoting a homosexual lifestyle. In an effort to address those concerns, writers killed off Alfred so they could add a female presence at home for Bruce and Dick.

Eventually Alfred came back to life, and Aunt Harriet left without too much explanation, slowly fading from memory. When DC comics rebooted their continuity in the 1980s, Aunt Harriet was eliminated, since she didn't fit with the grim and gritty style of Batman established by Batman: Year One.

Pros: With Rachel gone, Batman really does need a female presence.

Cons: You can't have Aunt Harriet without Dick Grayson. Also, she's a pretty uninteresting character.

How I'd do it: I wouldn't.

Casting Guesses: I dunno, Carol Burnett? She vaguely reminds me of the TV Aunt Harriet while still being great. But she would stick out like a sore thumb in a Christopher Nolan Batman movie.

Verdict: Nope.

Harold Allnut

Harold Allnut is a mute hunchback with a gift for building and repairing electronics, machines, and computers. He was never an incredibly important part of Batman's life or anything, but he had some nice moments along the way.

In his introduction to Batman's world, the Penguin discovered Harold's talent for technology, and forced him to build devices to aid in the Penguin's schemes. After taking care of the Penguin, Batman recognized Harold's genuis, and recruited him to work on Bat-gadgets. Harold took up residence in the Bat-Cave for many years, repairing and building all kinds of things. Though he basically never left the cave, he seemed happy to have a purpose in life.

In No Man's Land, a terrible earthquake destroys most of Gotham, and since Batman would not be using the cave for some time, Harold went out into Gotham for the first time in years. He was shocked to find the city falling apart, and went to work on anything in sight that needed fixing.

Later, in the Hush storyline, Hush repairs Harold's spine and his voice and Hush forces him to betray Batman. Harold confesses to Batman, but before he can reveal Hush's identity, Hush kills him. Until that point, no one knew Harold's last name, so Batman had to research his life to give him a proper headstone at his grave.

Pros: Although Wayne Enterprises supplies all of Batman's equipment in the movies, someone would have to do maintenance on the Batmobile, and I can't imagine Bruce just bringing it back for repairs. Having Harold around would at least explain how the repairs happen.

Cons: Harold's unexplained ability to work with technology doesn't make a whole lot of sense, and only works in comic books because those kinds of things always happen in comics. Also, I'm not sure if it's politically correct or whatever to have a mute hunchback servant guy.

How I'd do it: Have a guy named Harold who's an excellent mechanic blackmailed into working for a villain, Batman rescues him, and sets him up with a secret garage where he'll bring the Batmobile (or pod or whatever else) for repairs. I don't think he needs to be in the cave, know Batman's identity, be a mute with a spinal deformity, or any of that.

Casting Guesses: It could literally be anyone, so I'll say Luis Guzman, since he's great
at everything.

Verdict: The Batmobile didn't make it out of the Dark Knight in one piece, so it's possible there could be a Harold-type character.

Ace the Bat-Hound

As his name would suggest, Ace the Bat-Hound is Batman's dog. Well technically Ace is Bruce Wayne's dog, and the Bat-Hound is Batman's dog, but you get the idea.

Originally, Ace belonged to an engraver who was kidnapped by criminals hoping to use his skills for counterfeiting, and Batman used Ace's nose to help track his owner down. When the engraver was rescued, he took a new job which left him no time to care for Ace, and Bruce Wayne offered to adopt the dog. To keep Ace's distinguishing marks hidden when palling around with Batman, he gave Ace a Batman-style hood.

In modern comics, Ace has basically disappeared, since he's considered to be too campy for current readers.

Pros: A dog in a Batman mask is pretty awesome, in a Chris Sims sort of way.

Cons: A dog in a Batman mask is pretty silly, too. And I think that would earn protests from PETA.

How I'd do it: Give Bruce a dog, call him Ace. No mask.

Casting Guesses: Ace was a German Shepherd (and I'm pretty sure a ripoff of Ace the Wonder Dog), so... some German Shepherd.

Verdict: Possible, if it's just Ace the dog, but no chance for Ace the Bat-Hound.

Jason Bard

As the world's greatest detective, Batman doesn't always show much respect for other detectives. Although he occasionally consults with other detectives like The Elongated Man or Bobo the Detective Chimp, Jason Bard is the only detective I can think of that Batman has ever actually hired.

A former Gotham City cop who was wounded in the line of duty by Killer Moth. He quit the force and opened up his own business as a private investigator. Around the same time, he started dating his former boss's daughter, Barbara Gordon. They were pretty serious, but after Barbara was attacked by the Joker, she left him. He reappeared years later when Barbara was running the Birds of Prey, and he was actually temporarily blinded in an accident while helping out her team, but he wasn't able to rekindle his relationship with Barbara.

His relationship with Batman would begin after all this, when Batman was concerned that Harvey Dent, who had been reformed, had lost his way. Having been absent from Gotham, there wasn't enough time for Batman to chase all his leads, so he hired Jason to investigate the disappearance of Orca.


Pros: The movies have played up the physical and psychological aspects of Batman, but haven't paid much attention to his skills as a detective. Including Jason Bard in the third movie would certainly push the story in that direction.

Cons: Jason would take the focus away from Batman and whoever the central villain of the movie might be. Plus, it really wouldn't sell Batman's detective skills very well if the first time he really needed them in a movie, he had to hire someone else to assist.

How I'd do it: Nothing too fancy, just have something that needs investigating during daylight hours, maybe have a scene where Bruce Wayne tries to look into it, but he's too recognizable out of costume to accomplish anything, so he hires Bard.

Casting Guesses: James Marsden. He looks sorta like Jason Bard, and has the right personality too.

Verdict: I doubt it. But if there is a private eye somewhere in Batman 3, they might just name him Jason Bard to pander to fans, but I can't imagine much time spent on a Jason Bard character.

News & Notes

Even after a long break for me, only one piece of news, but at least it's a good one. The LA Times interviewed Christopher Nolan, and he talked some about a third Batman movie:

There are two things to be said. One is the emphasis on story. What’s the story? Is there a story that’s going to keep me emotionally invested for the couple of years that it will take to make another one? That’s the overriding question. On a more superficial level, I have to ask the question: How many good third movies in a franchise can people name? [Laughs.] At the same time, in taking on the second one, we had the challenge of trying to make a great second movie, and there haven't been too many of those either. It’s all about the story really. If the story is there, everything is possible. I hope that was a suitably slippery answer.

That third franchise movie question is a good one. X-Men, Superman, Spider-Man, Jaws, Pirates of the Caribbean, Shrek, Jurassic Park, Star Trek, The Terminator, and The Matrix all come to mind as franchises with lousy third movies. Rocky 3 was a little ridiculous at least, and it could just be nostalgia (at the time, I was pretty sure Mr. T. was the coolest guy who ever lived) keeping it off that list. But Indiana Jones, Star Wars, and the Lord of the Rings (if you don't count that as one 9+ hour movie, which it kinda was) all had solid third outings.

Anyway, I completely understand Nolan's hesitance, I just hope his caution leads them to wait for the right story, rather than leading the studio to pick anther director and rush out a lousy third movie (which, sadly, I would still end up seeing on opening night, because I'm dumb like that... but you know you would too, so shut up).

Dr. Leslie Thompkins

Skipping back to good guys for a bit, since I'm still running out of villains, let's talk Dr. Leslie Thompkins. Just as Alfred Pennyworth has been a father figure to Bruce Wayne, Leslie has traditionally been like a mother to Bruce. A friend and colleague of Dr. Thomas Wayne, she took an active role in helping to raise Bruce after his parents' murder. In some versions of the Batman origin story, Leslie is among the first to arrive at the scene of the murder.

Leslie eventually learns that Bruce has become Batman to fight crime in Gotham, but unlike Alfred, she does not approve. As a pacifist, she believes that Batman's vigilantism will only lead to more violence. Though she tolerates him and occasionally provides medical help, she takes every opportunity to try to talk him into hanging up the cape and cowl. Her most radical attempt was during War Games, when Black Mask tortured Spoiler nearly to death, Batman brought her to Leslie. Leslie allowed her to die, hoping her death would convince him to end his crusade against crime. Much later, it was revealed that she had only faked Spoiler's death, and that Batman had suspected as much, but their relationship seems to still be strained.

Pros: Although a few people have learned that Bruce is Batman, everyone seems to agree with his way of thinking. It would be nice to see someone challenge his reasoning and really try to convince him to stop.

Cons: She's a relatively late (1976) addition to the Batman mythology and it might not work to cram her back into the origin story with new flashbacks. Alfred seems to work fine as a single parent figure, so there's no real need for a "mother."

How I'd do it: I suppose you could skip any flashbacks, and just have Batman injured. Unable to summon the Batmobile and too wounded to make it back to the cave (or the basement thing, if he still hasn't moved back to Wayne Manor), he realizes he's near a free clinic run by an old friend. He stumbles into Leslie's office, she's briefly startled but he takes off his mask, and naturally she tends to his injuries, but when he wakes up the next day she scolds him for being reckless and ignoring everything she'd ever taught him about violence. That's basically how half of Leslie Thompkins' appearances in the comics have gone, but it's a formula that works, I think.

Casting Guesses: Diana Muldaur (Dr. Pulaski from Star Trek: The Next Generation) voiced Dr. Thompkins in the Batman animated series from the 1990s, and did a fine job, but it looks like she may have retired from acting. Most of these types of parts go to Judi Dench or Hellen Mirren, but I'd like to think there's someone else perfectly capable of it. Ellen Burstyn maybe?

Verdict: A definite possiblity. Considerably more likely that any of the Robins, at least.

News & Notes

A really nifty photo set on flickr detailing the origin of Two-Face in Legos.

Poll results: 2 villains seems to be working for half of you, with 27% wanting a whole bunch of villains at once, and a few wanting to see one or three.

I'm headed out of town for a few days, so there probably won't be any updates until Monday.

Cornelius Stirk

Cornelius Stirk likes to eat people's hearts. But he finds that they're tastiest when flavored with "fight or flight" hormones like norepinephrine, so he likes to scare the bejeezus out of them before they die. He has a "hypnotic aura" that lets him make people see him as anyone he wants, which helps him gain people's trust and get close to him (in a few stories, he has used the image of Abe Lincoln), and it also helps with the scaring part (though his natural face is already pretty frightening).

During Knightfall, Stirk teams up with the Joker and they kidnap Commissioner Gordon. Stirk uses his abilities to appear to be Batman and mercilessly tortures the Commissioner. Batman, of course, saves the day, eventually, but Stirk's treatment left Gordon awfully shaken up.

Pros: Abe Lincoln is always funny. And he's a nice contrast to Batman, who is out to do good but projects a terrifying image, while Stirk is out to kill but projects an image to put his victims at ease before he strikes.

Cons: He's a little bit too much like Scarecrow with the whole fear thing, except with supernatural powers that would be hard to believe. And killing people and eating their hearts is a little much for a PG-13 movie, I think.

How I'd do it: His original introduction was when someone was found murdered, and had been seen earlier that night at a bar, talking to a guy who looked like Lincoln. I liked that. I guess I'd rather have him be a master of disguise, disfigured under his masks/makeup, who puts on trustworthy faces to get close to his victims. And I guess keep the heart eating thing, but figure out how to do it with heavy implications but not actually showing it.

Casting Guesses: An unknown. Usually movies where a famous actor is a "master of disguise", we're so familiar with their voice and face that even in an elaborate latex mask, they just seem like the movie star we know in a latex mask. An unknown would be a blank slate, and could actually fool us.

Verdict: I can't see it happening, it's mostly the Scarecrow thing, but he's also not a high profile villain at all, and he'd take some reworking to deal with his supernatural powers.

Ten-Eyed Man

Philip Reardon had his face blown up twice (once in Vietnam, once in Gotham City) leaving him blind. An experimental surgery attached his optic nerves to his fingers, and he was somehow given the ability to see through his fingertips.

This, in addition to his combat training in Vietnam, somehow was supposed to have made him a very powerful foe, but no one seems to be clear on what was so dangerous about someone who could see through his fingertips.

Pros: Ten-Eyed Man has a cult following, not unlike Killer Moth. Seanbaby.com is a fan (sort of).

Cons: His ability isn't that powerful for fighting purposes (though I bet it could be handy for a spy), and the fingertip eyeball thing isn't at all believable.

How I'd do it: I guess make it Iraq or Afghanistan instead of Vietnam. That's about all I can think of.

Casting Guesses: He sometimes has the crazy look on his face like Mel Gibson in his mug shot, so I'd go with him.

Verdict: Nope.

Great White Shark

Warren White was a corrupt businessman who tries to avoid conviction for embezzlement by getting his case transferred to Gotham City. He thinks he's pulling a fast one by faking an insanity plea, but when he ends up in Arkham Asylum, he realizes he's made a huge mistake.

Passed around from villain to villain, he's tortured by Killer Croc who cuts gills into White's throat, basically Two-Face's bitch (or "coin boy") for a while, and he's locked in a refrigerated cell designed for Mr. Freeze. The frostbite gives White what would become his trademark appearance: white skin stretched to expose his teeth, a stump of a nose, and hairless head. Although he was only pretending to be crazy to go into Arkham, his time there ended up driving him mad.

Though he remains incarcerated, the Great White Shark uses his connections in both the professional and criminal worlds as well as his business acumen to run a criminal enterprice from his cell. His business's hitman, The Tally Man, notably killed a number of Batman's villains at White's order.

Pros: He's a striking looking villain.

Cons: His origin relies on being put into Arkham with a bunch of familliar crazy bad guys. Since, as far as we know, the Joker is the only villain to survive in these Batman movies and Heath Ledger's death would make Joker's return the longest of long shots, having a whole Great White Shark origin would require several other origins, and then half your movie is gone before you even have Batman appear.

How I'd do it: If the script called for a crooked rich guy from out of town, I'd name him Warren White as an easter egg for fans. That's about as far as I'd go for White.

Casting Guesses: I forget what White looked like before his ordeal in Arkham, but it seems like a role I'd want Steve Buscemi for. Sort of a supervillainous Mr. Pink.

Verdict: Almost certainly not. He's a very new and very unknown villain. The only chance is for dropping his name as an easter egg, but even that seems remote.

News & Notes

From around the web:

• First rumor in a while: former Lara Croft model Rhona Mitra as Catwoman. Total speculation, I doubt there's anything to it. She looks right for the part, but the last role I saw her in she was kind of average as an actress, and it'd be easy to vanish surrounded by the kind of acting talent these Batman movies have. And Selina Kyle is the type to only vanish when she's being chased by big guys with guns (or batarangs).


• Den of Geek has 10 fan-made trailers for Batman 3. The quality doesn't measure up to the fan-made posters out there, but they're still interesting. I thought this was the best:

• And speaking of those posters, MTV asked Kristen Bell about this Harley Quinn one:
  
  
  
  I still don't really see a good way to put Harley in the movie without the Joker, but after seeing that, if they do cast Harley and it's not Kristen Bell, I'll be pretty upset.

The Clock King

There are a few significant clock kings out there. First, there's William Tockman, a Green Arrow villain who attempted to rob a bank by memorizing the timing of the bank's operation, only to be stopped by a silent alarm. As a career criminal, Tockman's crimes were always time-themed. This version was also adapted for the 1960s Batman TV series, played by Walter Slezak.

Second, there's a recurring Clock King villain from Batman: the Animated Series. On his way to an important day at work, Temple Fugate is inadvertantly delayed by lawyer Hamilton Hill, and the delay ends up costing Fugate his job. Distraught over the disruption in timing, Fugate becomes obsessed with time, and obsessed with revenge on Hamilton Hill, who had since become Mayor of Gotham. Notable for his precise timing of every event, he's a master planner, so much so that his character returns for a Justice League Unlimited episode where he plans a Suicide Squad raid on Justice League headquarters down to the second.

Third, there's a new Clock King in Teen Titans comic books (pictured above), who apparently can see a few seconds into the future. Obviously, in the wrong hands, this is a powerful and dangerous ability.

Small confession: I've never read a comic book with the Clock King in it. But since the comic book versions of the Clock King are more Green Arrow/Teen Titans enemies, that doesn't really affect the Batman angle.

Pros: There's nothing technically supernatural about the first or second Clock Kings, and someone with that kind of ability to coordinate timed events is very dangerous.

Cons: The Joker's opening heist in The Dark Knight demonstrated a similar planning/timing ability, so that might seem repetitive.

How I'd do it: I rather liked the Temple Fugate character, so if I had to do the Clock King I might just rip off that story completely.

Casting Guesses: I've got the animated series character in my head, so without question it'd be Jonathan Pryce. He's a fine actor and looks a lot like Temple Fugate.

Verdict: Nah. It's not that great a character to begin with, but the big knock on him is the similarity to how the Joker operated in his bank heist.

The Reaper

The Reaper was the main villain in Batman: Year Two by Mike W. Barr and several artists. Gotham City's original costumed vigilante, predating Batman by many years, Judson Caspian took up crime fighting when his wife was murdered in a robbery. Unlike Batman, he took a more violent approach, often using lethal force.

In Year Two, one of my least favorite Batman stories ever (though some people do think highly of it), Bruce Wayne falls in love with Caspian's daughter while Batman tries to stop the Reaper, who's returned to the streets after a long absence. Inexplicably, Batman teams up with Joe Chill, the guy who killed Thomas and Martha Wayne, to stop the Reaper, and Batman even carries a gun for a decent portion of the series. So... not my favorite.

But as much as I didn't like the story, the Reaper wasn't a terrible character. And the folks behind the Batman animated series thought so as well, using parts of the Reaper character for their Mask of the Phantasm direct to video movie.

Pros: The introduction of the Reaper's daughter is an easy to way to bring in a love interest. The violent, Punisher-style vigilante forces Batman to examine the rationale of his non-lethal methods. Isn't there a point where you realize someone just won't be rehabilitated and you're just better off killing them? Or is the chance that you're wrong worth risking all those lives the villain will probably take in the future? Decent questions to center a movie around.

Cons: The scythes and the skull helmet and everything are kind of cool in a comic book way, but I think they'd look pretty silly on screen.

How I'd do it: Skip the Joe Chill element, and just have an old school vigilante come back to town, and have his daughter come as well.

Casting Guesses: An older guy, but still tough. Sam Shepard?

Verdict: It could happen. I'd prefer it didn't, because it would make me want to read Year Two again, which I would rather not do.

News & Notes

No real news, so some fan art instead. David Theriault gives us the above image of The Ventriloquist. David's got some more cool art at his blog and on his website.

The only other thing I've got is an article on how to make a Joker costume. It covers the wardrobe nicely, but - I'm not a costume guy so I couldn't say for sure - the makeup part seems like it would be the trickiest, getting the scars to look scar-like, but this article barely mentions it.

Rupert Thorne

Returning to villains after two weeks covering allies, let's start with Rupert Thorne. Thorne was a corrupt politician, a City Councilman who spearheaded anti-Batman policies in City government. He was determined to become Mayor of Gotham so that he could expand his influence, but, having staked his career on the pursuit of Batman, felt that capturing the Bat was the only way to win the mayoral race.

When Dr. Hugo Strange learned Batman's secret identity, I think in Strange Apparitions, it was Thorne who decided to skip the auction of Batman's real name and instead try to torture Batman's identity out of Hugo Strange.

Eventually Thorne is defeated in his quest to be Mayor, but the next election cycle he comes up with a better solution: a puppet candidate. Mayor Hamilton Hill ran Gotham for many years in the comics, and Rupert Thorne ran Hamilton Hill.

Thorne has been largely absent from comics for the past 20 years or so, but he did become the main recurring gangster on Batman: The Animated Series in the 90s.

Pros: A corrupt politician who tries to make the hunt for Batman a major issue is a perfect fit for how The Dark Knight left off.

Cons: I kind of wonder if it might be easier to just make the corrupt politician a Falcone or a Maroni, since those families have already been introduced, but that's all I can think of.

How I'd do it: The city has declared Batman to be public enemy number one, and in every crisis like this there's at least one politician who decides to be the face of the issue, hogging any camera in sight to talk about it. Thorne would obviously be that guy. Whether he's just corrupt, blackmailed by the mob, or running his own criminal enterprise depends on how the rest of the story is set up, but it's easy to see how he fits in.

Casting Guesses: I keep picturing Marlon Brando in the role, and obviously he can't do it. Fred Thompson would be great, but I'm not sure he would want to play a crooked politician so close to his attempt to resurrect his own political career. Maybe Billy Bob Thornton? I at least feel like he can give that smile that politicians give that is supposed to seem reassuring but mostly just makes it look like they're up to no good.

Verdict: One of the best fits I've covered in a while. Thanks to commenter Ray for pointing out that I'd forgotten him.

News & Notes

From around the web:

• Writer David S. Goyer basically says everything I've put in these news updates is bunk.


• Latino Review talks to a WB exec who says the future of Superman movies is on hold until Batman 3 details are worked out.


• And Bill Murray talks to MTV about the rumors that he was considered for 1989's Batman:
  

  MTV: You were once considered to play Batman?
  
  Murray: So I hear. I would have been a fine Batman. You know, there have been a number of Batmen. I like them. ... I thought Mike Keaton did a great job as Batman. It's obviously — it's a great role.

The Robin poll closed, with Dick Grayson dominating, a little love for Tim Drake, and only one vote combined for Jason Todd and the girl-Robins. A new poll's up, asking how many bad guys you want to see in the next movie.