10 Batman arcs to prepare you for 'The Dark Knight Rises'
Which stories have inspired Christopher Nolan's trilogy?
A classic image from "Batman Begins," which was largely inspired by Frank Miller's "Batman: Year One"
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This Friday the giant zit that is "The Dark Knight Rises" hype will finally be popped and the anticipation for Christopher Nolan's superhero denouement will give way to discovery. But the great thing about Batman is that the character endures, even if Nolan's interpretation takes its leave.
"Definitive" will be a word thrown around a lot when considering these films, but -- and not to take anything away from Nolan -- when stacked against what? Nothing that came before understood the character well enough to be considered the mold. So I hope future filmmakers will not feel trepidation when saddling up to give their take. In this world of reboots, we all know it's coming. But I wouldn't let Nolan's trilogy cast too daunting a shadow. Again, the character endures. He was here long before Nolan.
And indeed, one of the reasons I'd argue this series has been so successful has been its reverence for that source material. Story arcs from Batman's 70-plus years were fruitful inspiration for the filmmakers, and with the closing installment right around the corner, it seemed like a good time to call back to those yarns from the pages of DC Comics.
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Some of you may be planning to take in trilogy events or re-watch the first two films at home before checking out the third installment. So while this isn't a list dedicated exclusively to "The Dark Knight Rises," it's a good primer for wallowing in everything the films have taken into account so far.
Nolan and company did an interesting job of bringing this material into play. "Organic" was always a key word, folding and weaving events and themes from the character's lineage that spoke to what he wanted to show on screen. There are plenty of direct references and even some repurposed moments, but there was extensive and smart use of compositing throughout as well.
So with that, let's take a look at the stories that most informed Nolan's vision of the character. Batman, like all great superheroes, is a character defined by his story's themes. And those themes were mined considerably for this trilogy.
Naturally, I had to leave a few out. The cross-title "Legacy" arc gets into Bane's connections with the League of Shadows (though that story's more pertinent prequel is included on the list). Ed Brubaker's "The Man Who Laughs" had some modest connections to "Batman Begins," including the unveiling of the Bat signal. And the "Leviathan" story currently playing out in the pages of "Batman Incorporated" is coming at a serendipitous time, I must say. But the 10 below are the purest inspirations for the series, I think.
(Speaking of Brubaker, he must be feeling good after Marvel revealed the subtitle of the "Captain America" sequel: "The Winter Soldier.")
SPOILER note: If you want to stay super pure and unspoiled on "The Dark Knight Rises," maybe it would be a good idea to steer clear of this list for the next few days (not that speculation hasn't pretty much uncovered a number of the reveals already). While I'm not ruining plot points and specifics in my copy, I am obviously detailing story arcs that could make you draw connections you'd rather not draw yet.
Feel free to offer up your favorite Batman arcs in the comments section below. You can also, as always, rate my selections as you go. (No numbered ranking from me. We'll be going in chronological order.)
"The Dark Knight Rises" opens everywhere Friday.
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July 17, 2012 at 2:37PM EST Reply to CommentGreat list. I re-read Killing Joke the other day and it was not nearly as good as I remembered. Interesting take on the joker but it all sort of felt hollow to me. I get the thoughts on breaking and all, and I really liked the whole 'inevitability of killing each other' thing, but it all adds up to little more than that.
James
July 17, 2012 at 3:42PM EST Reply to CommentThe Rotten Tomatoes Issue:
As a hugh Nolan fan and a somewhat supporter of the previous Batman films, I'm disappointed by the repulsive attacks by crying fanboys/girls that haven't seen the film yet. I knew it would happen, but it's disappointing nonetheless. I read your twitter feed so I know you agree with me on that matter. When David Edelstein got attacked for giving his honest and well written review of The Dark Knight I was stunned and repelled by the fanboy response. In 2012, I've seen this disgusting phenomenon so many times that I sadly is getting used to it.
However, when are people going to point out that many of these bad reviews are blatant shameless self-promotion? Marshall Fines review is obviously a comment on the (ridiculous) hyperbole and since I haven't seen the film I can't say much more about that particular review. But Christy Lemires "come at be bro" comments on twitter, that many of here colleges are retweeting, is just poor journalism and should be slammed as well. Her review is fine, but talk about unprofessionalism. Review the movie and not the noise around it.
Being on the extreme of things is what give you traffic, and this is sadly what a lot of you guys are doing. That goes both ways. Give me a level headed review with some genuine thoughts about the film. I'm tired of the hyperbole reviews.
Kristopher Tapley "You guys"
July 17, 2012 at 3:56PM EST?
James Wasn't aimed at you or any of the hitfix/incontention people. Sorry if it read that way. I didn't want to name names; "You know of whom I speak"
July 17, 2012 at 4:15PM ESTm1 I thought Marshall Fine's review was well-written and did not seem like he was trying to get attention.
July 17, 2012 at 4:19PM ESTJames M1: "Premature? Hell, I'd say that anyone forecasting serious Oscar love for this lumpish, tedious film has been smoking too much of that potent, prescription California weed. The Dark Knight Rises rarely gets off the ground. It's certainly not Oscar material."
July 17, 2012 at 4:44PM ESTAs I wrote, I haven't seen the film myself. I may very well be wrong on this particular review and I never said it was poorly written. I was generalizing a bit. There is plenty of these every time a film is hyped up. It's either a LANDMARK or AWFUL.
And comments like "action sucked" -"action was incredible" don't give me shit. WHY is the action good or bad is what I want as a reader. I don't care for too often lazy comparing with other movies either. (like comparing TDKR and Avengers)
I could rant about this forever, but I'm just to perplexed by lazy critics to bother.
Alex L. So...anyway. My favorite Batman arc is probably Year One through to Dark Victory. I know that's like three arc but I don't care. I see them all as one story. There's just so much there for me. You have origins on everybody and we get the introduction of Robin by the end. The only thing that felt derpy to me was the Maroni/Falconi crime family storylines. Maybe it's just because I always hated the look of Sofia "Gigante" Falcone. When I looked at her she always reminded me of one of the witches from Spirited Away. WHY WAS HER BODY SO BIG! And then *Spoiler Alert* her death is way to abrupt.
July 17, 2012 at 6:17PM ESTTom Armbruster
July 18, 2012 at 12:00AM EST Reply to CommentOk, seriously? Comparing a movie I'm looking forward to to a zit does NOT make me want to read the rest of your article.
Kristopher Tapley The hype, not the movie.
July 18, 2012 at 2:58AM ESTAnd boy are there worse things to read than that.
Sean
July 18, 2012 at 12:07AM EST Reply to Comment"Nothing that came before understood the character well enough to be considered the mold."
This is just silly. All of the previous film interpretations of Batman are valid. The point is there is no mold. The character of Batman is malleable; especially in the comic books. Batman constantly changes from decade to decade and from creative team to creative team.
Alex L. I understand Chris fully and I think you're giving the Burton films a lot of credit and any other source you believe to be the "valid" Batman. Re-reading the comics this week I've noticed it as well. What Nolan did well with his incarnation was the character of Bruce/Batman. A lot of him is stripped right out of the panels.
July 18, 2012 at 1:23AM ESTI understand that what you are saying is that Batman doesn't have to be a straight adaptation of what he is in the comics, but what Nolan did wasn't a straight adaptation at all. His Gotham is in no way the seedy gotham I see when I read the novels. But what Nolan's interpretation does best is with the characters. He has put his Bruce/Batman through an evolution just as you are exclaiming in your last statement.
I haven't seen The Dark Knight Rises yet but I'm certainly excited for it and that's all Kris was trying to do by writing this article. Get people excited. And in a non hateful way. Something that doesn't have to do with the quality of our anticipated movie. Because we are all sick of this bullshit.
Thank you Kris and Guy and everybody at incontention and hitfix for being a constant source of level headed thinking in an internet landscape that's anything but.
Alex L. Wow I said "Chris" instead of Kris in the beginning but then I spell it "Kris" at the end. (FACEPALM) Too much Christopher Nolan headlines :/
July 18, 2012 at 1:24AM ESTSean Sorry to add to the bullshit, Alex L. But I don't think you understood what I'm saying at all. I'm saying there is no "right" way to interpret Batman, because Batman is constantly changing. He can be a noir vigilante. Or a comedic figure. Or a healer and caregiver. And he has been all of these incarnations over the years, in comics and film.
July 18, 2012 at 1:36AM ESTBob Kane's interpretation of the Batman is just as valid as Grant Morrisons. And Tim Burton's is just as valid as Christopher Nolan's.
Alex L. Kris's article headline specifically states "10 Batman arcs to prepare you for THE DARK KNIGHT RISES." And yes I do understand what you are saying. I just think that what Kris was trying to say was Nolan's interpretation of the character is the closest being a definitive.
July 18, 2012 at 1:56AM ESTYes, Batman can be silly (I.E. Schumacher) Yes, he can be dark (I.E. Burton) But Nolan's version is the version that closely represents the character I read in the comics. It's an opinion. The internet is full of them.
Sean And I'm saying that there is no such thing as "definitive" when it comes to Batman.
July 18, 2012 at 2:07AM ESTIf the internet is full of opinions can I have mine and disagree with something in the article without you referring to it as bullshit? Or is an opinion only valid when it's yours?
Alex L. I wasn't referring to your opinion as bullshit. I was referring to the clusterfuck that nolanites have been doing over at rottentomatoes. And I never said you can't have your opinion. I'm just trying to clarify what Kris was trying to do because I felt your attack wasn't justified.
July 18, 2012 at 2:43AM ESTSean Is it "my opinion" or is it an "attack." Make up your mind.
July 18, 2012 at 2:52AM ESTKristopher Tapley I love Tim Burton's first Batman film. Not so hot on the rest. But it's an elseworlds tale. It doesn't get fundamental basics about the character.
July 18, 2012 at 2:59AM ESTAlex L. Everybody over at Rottentomatoes think that their comments are an opinion. An opinion can be an attack. Example: I think Rush Limbaugh is an ignorant, invalid, fatass.
July 18, 2012 at 3:00AM ESTYeah. That was an attack. But it was also my opinion. They can blur the lines. What I'm trying to say is that your opinion sounded offensive.
Sean Wow, Alex L, if you were offended by my initial post, you may need to grow a backbone. Or at least not hang out on commentary boards, because you are going to be offended a lot.
July 18, 2012 at 3:12AM ESTAnd Kris, I'm saying that there are no fundamental basics about Batman; the character is fluid. One of the things people don't like about Burton's Batman is that Batman kills; but even in his earliest incarnation Batman wasn't afraid to kill: Bob Kane had him packing a .45 in his tool belt. Whether it's in the mainstream comic or an offshoot like elseworlds (he wasn't afraid to kill in The Dark Knight Returns either), Batman as a character goes through various metamorphoses, and there is no set archetype for the character.
Alex L. I said your opinion sounded offensive. I didn't say I was offended by it. And you proceeding to say I have no backbone is really self aggrandizing. Throughout this whole thread I never once came negatively at your character. I disagreed with your opinion from the beginning. I didn't rip out your guts and feed them to the dogs.
July 18, 2012 at 3:32AM ESTSean For those adamant that Batman absolutely does not kill in the comics and that any directors take on Batman where he does in fact kill is not an authentic depiction of the character, here's a great article by Comics Alliance for you to chew on:
July 19, 2012 at 8:21PM ESThttp://www.comicsalliance.com/2010/03/22/batman-kills-murderer/