1755 - The Dark Knight

I'm in the midst of putting together the final pieces of my geek-office and so I thought I'd throw this on in the background while I worked.  This is not a background kind of film.  It's the kind of film that just absolutely consumes you and draws you in, in no small part to the man in the photo above.  There isn't much here that I can say about Heath's performance in this film that hasn't been said already.  It's truly magnificent and it's the large reason why this film is the strongest of the Nolan-Batman trilogy. 
The plotting of the story in this one is quite masterful.  The theme of chaos and order, what's fair and what just happens because the world can be a shitty place.  It doesn't feel like the stuff of comic books so much as it feels like the stuff of real life.
I can't wait till one day down the line when I can sit down and marathon this entire trilogy.  Probably won't be until my kid(s) are old enough to watch. 
If you haven't seen it, it's your loss.  Not only is it one of the best comic book films of all time - it's just a great goddamn movie as well.

1754 - The Dark Knight Rises

I'm on this a few days late (was shooting this weekend!).  I think I expected that the world, in general, was bound to be disappointed by this film in some way.  The love for The Dark Knight was so wonderfully grand that to surmount it would be near impossible.  And so, honestly, it's almost unfair to even try and compare the two.  But then you get guys like Harry Knowles rip it to shreds because he doesn't believe that the film got what Batman was all about.  Well godforbid that someone decides to shake things up in a decades old character…
I have to say that it's a feat in and of itself to make a nearly-three-hour film feel like it moved along at a non-stop pace.  I never found myself bored or lacking enjoyment.  I was glued and enjoying it the entire time.  Bale has never really been the reason for me to enjoy this series - nothing against him by any means, he's just not one of those actors that really does anything for me one way or another (although I quite like him in The Prestige).  Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt all shine like the top of the Christler building here and give us characters and story to care about.  Given how complicated the plot is I was impressed that each of the characters had a pretty decent arc.  One thing that was quite interesting was hot little 'Batman' there actually was.  I'm not going to get into specifics at all here because the film has just come out and I want you to enjoy it yourselves.  I will say that it's a very satisfying conclusion to a pretty damn fine trilogy.  Nolan has done what may in time be considered his masterwork, and if it is, there's no shame in it whatsoever.  I look forward to a time where I can sit back and marathon the entire series.

The Dark Knight Returns

I picked this up a very long time ago and decided to give it a go since the newest instalment in the Nolan Batman series is upon us.  For those who don't know, this one has us visiting Batman ten years after he has retired.  He's 55 and his body isn't quite what it used to, and Gotham, and the world, are worse than ever.  It's enough to make an old man question what difference he's made, if any, to his world.  And just as Batman steps out of the woodwork and back into the spotlight, so do his enemies of old including Two-Face, The Joker, and even Superman when they realize that the world isn't big enough for the two heroes with different perspectives on what the world needs.
Written by comic heavy-weight Frank Miller this is a really great Batman story.  It really gets to the core of the character and redefines him in a smart and clever way, using his age as a way of really being sharp about what it means to be Bruce Wayne, to know what he knows, and how to deal with that.  The thing is full of some really great stuff.  I assume that most fans of the Bat have probably already delved into this (almost 20 year old) mini-series.  I'll aim to pick up the sequel, The Dark Night Strikes Back at some point when I'm out comic-shopping.  It's a nice little read, especially when gearing up for The Dark Night Rises.

1521 - Confessions of a Superhero

I'd heard about this awhile back and so was happy to get a chance to check it out.  On one of the episodes of Carlawood we did we had a segment that involved some of these "characters", a few of which were actually in the documentary.  A lot of what's going on here has a lot to do with why I have no desire to move out to L.A. to "make it".  That town is just filled to the brim with people desperate for their break, and I think that the poor actors have it worse off than anyone.  I personally can't imagine having to go through the rejection that actors do.  It's insane.  Not that filmmakers don't have their fair share of rejection - we do - but not on such a level, or so frequent.  God bless them all.
So this documentary focuses on four people who dress up as famous superheroes and walk along Hollywood Boulevard in L.A. "accepting tips" in exchange for posing for photographs.  Some remark that it's a slight step up from panhandling.  The doc focuses on a Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Incredible Hulk.  And each of them is messed up in their own special way - except for Wonder Woman (Jennifer Wenger) - who I'm glad to see is starting to get a bit of an actual acting career going - she's the typical girl who got off the bus from a small town and is trying to make it.  The rest are all semi-delusional middle aged men.  They're all waiting for Hollywood to discover them and turn them into leading men and women, and believe that this somehow gains them good exposure.  Batman, not unlike his namesake, is a bit of a sociopath.  On camera he confesses to a shrink about a time in his past where a loved one of his way killed and he "left a pile of bodies in the pursuit of her killer".  Whether he's telling the truth or not - this guy is messed up.  The Superman, a Christopher Reeves lookalike, is obsessed in a sincere way with the Man of Steel - to the point where he travels across the country for a costume competition - where he thinks he's a shoe-in because Reeves has just passed away.  The results may just break your heart a little.
It's a fun little film that gives you an insight into just what some of these poor bastards go through, and why they go through it.  It's not super sad, but it's by no means uplifting.  An interesting doc.
Confessions of a Superhero  Confessions of a Superhero - Music from the Motion Picture

Gotham Central: Dead Robin

And so it ends. And like expected, not with a bang, but a whimper - but at least the whimper was from someone unexpected...
So before I get into more specific details, let me just talk about the series as a whole. If I was to pitch this I would say it's "The Wire with Batman". Now I know it's not fair to compare things, especially in different mediums, but I think it's a fair assessment. Not in in the way that it examines the different sides of a city or even simply the law, it just sticks to the police really, but just in it's grittiness. If Gotham existed with all the insanity of the 'freaks' in it - this is what it would be like to be a cop there. So for those of you who are missing 'The Wire' this is about as close as you're going to get from the cop angle.
So this final book is called 'Dead Robin' but that's not even the story that's the most interesting, it's the final, brutal story which, thankfully, is Batman free. How ironic that I feel that way. I always enjoy when he pops in in this series, but I ALWAYS want the cops to solve the case before he does. And that's a huge accomplishment.
I don't want to give away specific details except to say that this is writing that just demands to be read. You can't put it down for very long - and that's a good thing. Brubaker only pulls half duty here - but I'll definitely read anything he's got his pen on. Can't wait to dig into more of his 'Criminal' work.
So I recommend this series about as highly as I can. It's wonderful. Please please please read it. But start from the beginning.

Gotham Central: The Quick & the Dead

I've lost the numbering structure of this series as the hardcover and trade numbers don't line up. Also I believe that there was a cross-over book that happened between this and the last in which Batman did something to piss off the G.C.P.D. and so when we enter here, they're taking down the Bat-Signal. The Cops and The Cape are not on speaking terms, and not everyone shares the opinion.
It would seem that Allen and Montoya are the lead characters of this series, if it has lead characters. They're the most interesting and most written about anyway. The last arc in this book was the most interesting to me, in particular because I know nothing of Doctor Alchemy and was really excited to see where they would take the storyline. It's a bit anti-climatic, but in a wonderful way. Again, I really enjoy when the cops triumph instead of Batman.
Looking forward to the next, and apparently, final volume in this series where the G.C.P.D. is after The Bat himself...

Gotham Central #2: Jokers & Madmen

You kind of have to wonder if the Nolan's didn't take some pieces of this and make it their own for The Dark Knight. Or perhaps the ideas were just surfacing around the same time. Regardless. There's some really great writing in this series (and a little 'meh' writing), but the good outweighs the 'meh'. And the 'meh' isn't even that bad - it's just not as amazing as the best of, in this case.
We get to see some characters fleshed out a bit more, the mystery of Bullock (who I just learned was apparently a big character in the 80's Batman comics). What I love about reading this the most is how much I want the cops to get to the villains before Batman does, I'm rooting for the average Joe over the Bat. Which is a testament to the fine writing.
This is a really clever and great series and would make a fantastic television show at some point if they found a way to make it work. Like The Wire but with superheroes and villains. It could work!

Gotham Central #1: In the Line of Duty

So to start off, this book is by the same writer as Criminal, that noir comic that I was gushing about below. So you've got a great crime writer taking on Batman in a Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead sort of way and what happens as a result is "Batman meets The Wire'.
So the premise is that we're following the Gotham Police Department, the men and women that work in one of the most crime infested cities in the world, and not only do they have to deal with the criminal element but also on a masked vigilante hell-bent on defeating crime themselves. The writing is fantastic. The characters excellent. Relevant. Smart. It keeps you guessing and wondering yourself. You've got one side of the force who sees Batman as one of them, but off the books, and another side who becomes insanely happy when they can solve a crime without the Bat's help at all. I've never really read much of Batman in comic form, but if there is a Batman book that's better than this one, please let me know ASAP.
Needless to say, I'm very much looking forward to the rest of this series.

1095 - The Dark Knight

It's been a long time since I saw a film twice in the theaters, but this one is worth it. It really is a great film, and is even better on the second viewing, even when you know all the turns it's going to take, it's still a great ride. There are a lot of elements working for this film, but the key is the Joker, and he's perfect. From how he almost appears out of thin air to 'cause chaos, and does he ever. The beauty of this film is how as each side tries to keep a step ahead they each keep under or over estimating the other. Scene by scene, beat by beat, this film is a near masterpiece. Give it a couple of years and we'll see how it stands up. But as far as I'm concerned this is probably one of, if not the movie of the year.

1083 - The Dark Knight

The hype machine for this film was absolutely incredible. Over the whole thing is the air of melancholy with Heath's death, but it almost works for it, which I'm sure the Warner Bros brass are happy with. And just as a warning THERE WILL BE SPOILERS IN THIS POST. READ AHEAD AT YOUR OWN FREEWILL!!!

I like Nolan's world for Batman. I think it's great and real and gritty, and I do worry that you can only take it so far before you run out of villains that you can realistically bring into this world. Was Heath great? He sure was. But no better than Aaron Eckhardt, who I'm sure won't get the praise that Ledger does, and understandably so. The most ironic part is that the character that survives won't be available for the sequel unless they recast, in which case, all the best luck to the fanboy hates to whatever unlucky soles steps into those big feet. There's this beautiful moment at the end of this film where Joker pontificates on why neither he or Batman can or will kill the other. He blames Batman's moral code for the reason he can't kill the Joker, and the Joker simply just tells him that he's too much fun, and that "We'll probably do this for forever." A sad sad moment that pulls you back to reality.

There was a great improvement in this film on dialogue and some wonderfully surprising story beats. Love that they killed the damsel in distress, but honestly, I never had a problem with the Katie Holmes casting, and I'll admit that the moment would have been that much more emotional if it was a character I'd seen over two films. The re-casting kills it a bit, and no fault to Maggie - I love her dearly, perhaps she's just a better actress than they needed.

Was it fun? Yeah! Did it give me everything I wanted. Sure! Perhaps more. It was a long film, feeling probably longer than it did. Can't complain that there wasn't enough Joker, just a bit sad that his counter-part can't make it around for the next installment.

Great ending, can't wait to see where they take it.

1082 - Batman Begins

Watched this to gear up for the newest installment "The Dark Knight". Emily (the wife) hasn't seen it so I tried to make her watch it, but she fell asleep. It's not surprising. The film is a tad slow considering that it's a superhero film. But then again part of it's charm is the epic treatment that it's been given. The only problem with that is that the epic scope doesn't match a lot of the cheesy dialogue that comes and goes with the picture, never quite fitting. Great origin story, I remember being really blown away after the first viewing -- this one, not so much. Still liked it, and still made me jazzed for the next one.