I'm really not tempted or taken by the Dark Knight trailers. I should be. I'm a lifelong (since the age of three anyway) Batmaniac - more than a fan, but not quite a geek - a fanorak I suppose.But I've been put off by sequential superhero cinematic letdowns, the all black outfit which makes the Dark Knight Detective look like Robobat, and the Joker seemingly styled on Wurzel Gummidge meets Leigh Bowery and not the clipped, edgy deadly dandy he actually is.
What I hope to see at some point is an adaptation of Batman's equivalent of Elvis's 68 Special. A period when after spending most of the sixties lost in the wilderness of wackery and camp, the Caped Crusdaer became regenerated and revived by the dynamic duo of Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams.
Adams almost draughtsman like artwork, expressive cape and the make over of Batman's build (Adams felt that Batman and Superman shouldn't share the same body type - Batman should be athletic rather than powerful) and O'Neil's Gotham goes Hammer Horror stories - 'The Demon Of Gothos Mansion', 'The Secret of the waiting Graves' 'Night Of The Reaper' 'Daughter Of The Demon' - all late night tales of haunted mansions, ghostly lovers and freak show runaways, that created a magical arc of dark art and returned Batman to the spooky moonlight roots of his earliest appearances.
Now that would be something to tempt me out of the shadows and into the cinema.
Recommended Readingwww.nealadams.com/
Neal Adams Batman Cover Gallery
Dennis O'Neil - Wiki entry
6 comments:
I was wondering whether you had plans to see "Dark Knight"
And now I know!
I like your idea; Gotham goes Hammer Horror!
A man after me own heart mondo... Can't beat a bit of bat (apart from the 1st twenty odd years of course, which are unreadable).
My mate went to see DK on the opening night, and to be honest was expecting little after the hype.. He's a big big movie fan, and came out saying it was the best superhero film... EVER! (yup, even better than those late 70's Captain America films!).
Reckons you must see in at the flicks too as it's really dark n moody. I'm well up for it.. fancy a couple of hours babysittin mondo?
P
You'd love that O Neil/Adams period Gotham goes Goth Lil - and the artwork is superb.
P - could be tempted then? Any whispers about a Roger Ramjet film?
On the subject of comics PM, i've just this week started me own little strip!! Yes, the 1st 2 strips have just gone up over on my blog. Don't expect Gothic Gotham tho, more 'shitty sarfend' - give it a whirl?
P
Was never a fan of Neal Adams Batman. I think my favourite Batman artist was Marshall Rogers, although there were a few JLA stories by George Perez that had some great looking Batman moments. That would have been pretty good.
I always associate Batman with horror anyway...we got into Batman because we liked the Dracula Comic...it was the Bat thing and the cloak/cape.
I've got Strange Apparitions with Marshall Rogers art - even though my fave period is the Adams years - for artwork it will always be Carmine Infantino - there's something so fun, fresh but pop art about his work that I never get bored of it (stories can be hard work though)this is possibly my favourite Batman portrait of all time, a blurry version of it anyway.
Post a Comment