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.