News & Notes

From around the web:

• That Cher as Catwoman rumor was shot down quickly.


• There's a top 25 Batman villains poll on the CBR forums. Submit your top 10 to Tigereyes.


• The Dark Knight Returns came in at number 107 on the USA Today bestseller list the week of August 24th.


• And some good old fashioned random villain speculation

Only a couple days left on the Riddler poll to the right, it's a tight race between Johnny Depp and David Tennant, but my personal favorite isn't far behind (and someone actually voted for Cher!).

Amygdala

Aaron Helzinger had some serious anger management issues, so a doctor removed his amygdala, a part of the brain that controls emotional responses. But the surgery resulted in him becoming easily manipulated, and just as prone to fits of rage. Until somewhat recently, when he became largely cured and an ally of Dick Grayson, nearly every one of Amygdala's appearances have involved another villain convincing Amygdala to attack Batman.

Pros: A medical treatment gone awry could work in the movie universe, realism-wise, and Batman really hasn't dealt with an opponent who was purely a physical threat yet.

Cons: He's kind of a poor man's Hulk. Childlike mind, anger issues, freakishly strong (though I've never been clear how strong Amygdala is, relative to Bane or Killer Croc or anything). And you certainly can't have a whole movie based around him as the villain, since he's just a strong, not very bright guy.

How I'd do it: You'd have to have another villain calling the shots.

Casting Guesses: Some huge wrestler? I have no idea. Or Dalip Sing, the huge guy from Get Smart and The Longest Yard remake, who I just learned is also a wrestler.

Verdict: I'm tempted to say no chance, but he's the kind of guy who could get a tiny background appearance like Zsasz had in the first movie.

Zeiss

Not only did Phil Zeiss's parents die when he was a boy, but so did any other relative that might take care of him. So a Sicilian mobster took him under his wing, and decided the boy was cut out to be a hitman for the mob. In addition to regular old training on how to kill people, Zeiss underwent surgery to have his nervous system enhanced with cybernetics. His reflexes and vision have been enhanced, and he wears special goggles wired into his brain that let him see the world as if it's in slow motion.

Zeiss's most notable personality trait is his obsession with being the best fighter in the world, which has proven problematic. On one occasion, he was hired as a bodyguard to protect an aging Gotham mobster. Zeiss spotted Batman, also there to protect the mobster, and engaged him in hand to hand combat in order to prove himself superior. With the two protectors occupied, Deadshot waltzed in and shot the guy.

Pros: With the exception of the cybernetics, his origin and his abilities fit with the realism levels. And Batman pissing off organized crime in the first two movies makes bringing in assassins very likely.

Cons: He's a lesser-known comics assassin, and much of his appeal (and design) is based around the goggles and enhanced reflexes.

How I'd do it: I guess just eliminate the cybernetics. And just to be sure he still looks like Zeiss, give him weird looking sunglasses.

Casting Guesses: Zeiss is Swiss. I don't know of any Swiss actors, but there might be some out there. By looks alone (and Zeiss has changed his look a few times, most recently with a shaved head), I might go with someone like Jason Statham, but I'm not sure he can sound like anything but a Londoner.

Verdict: It's possible, but there are lots of assassins to choose from, and Zeiss wouldn't be at the top of my list.

News & Notes

From around the web:

• The Dark Knight script is available as a giant pdf.


• The Dark Knight is a study in game theory. If you're at least slightly math-nerdy, it's a great read.


• And the Hollywood Reporter has more on how Christopher Nolan may or may not be back for a third movie:
  

  And Warners and Legendary are both interested in doing a third in the series, but all involved say it will be up to Nolan to come to them with a story and a plan.
  
  "There are a lot of us who emotionally would love to do it," [producer Charles] Roven says. "But it's really Chris' call. Chris is the kind of filmmaker who just doesn't think about the next movie before he has completely finished the movie he is working on."
  
  For now, Nolan is taking a well-earned vacation.
  
  Says Roven, "When he comes back, we will see how he feels."

Abattoir

Arnold Etchison is a regular old crazy person. A serial killer. The twist is that his victims are people he's related to, believing that he gains their strength when he kills them. I don't think he eats their brains or hearts or anything, but there's a limit to the gore you can have in all-ages Batman comics, so I bet they at least wanted him to. While acting as Batman, Jean-Paul Valley allowed Abattoir to fall to his death (which became part of the reason for Bruce Wayne to become Batman again). Etchison came back as a ghost in a later Batman storyline that's probably best forgotten.

Pros: No supernatural stuff (not counting the ghost part).

Cons: He's not all that interesting.

How I'd do it: You don't really have to change the character, except come up with some way for the audience to be frightened by him.

Casting Guesses: James Spader. I have no idea why, but I feel like he'd be a good crazy Abattoir.

Verdict: Nah. If you're going to have a regular crazy murderer, Zsasz is the best choice.