It’s not really a defense, but it was fairly standard back in the day for comic strip creators to employ “ghosts” and never publicly credit them, including Milt Caniff and Al Capp, among many others. However Kane obviously took it to ridiculous extremes and tried to keep up the lie for decades after he’d stopped doing anything whatsoever on Batman, other than cash the checks. It doesn’t help that even the art he did crank out was almost entirely swiped from someone else’s work. He was IMO one of the worst artists of the Golden Age, which is really saying something, and arguably Batman’s greatest villain.
The Bond films are obviously a different kettle of fish. The guilds would never have allowed the screenwriters to go uncredited. Kane’s sweetheart deal with DC was so far as I know unique even in the shady world of comic book publishing, helped along apparently by the fact that his dad was a shrewd lawyer.
Understandable from a legal standpoint. But I hope you understand where I’m coming from comparing the two.
As for Batman villains getting spinoff movies. I’m ok with this. However, this is why I don’t debate about Bond villains getting novel spinoffs. While I think it could be an interesting idea, I can definitely see why people wouldn’t like the idea. Same with Batman villains.
I never understood why villains should get that supersize treatment. And too many people start identifying with them, thinking these are the real heroes.
A few days ago there was a column on rogerebert.com in which the author defended the Glenn Close character in Fatal Attraction. Yes, boiling bunnies and attempting to kill a family is not that bad anymore, just a plea for sympathy.
It’s the spirit of the times, black is white, wrong is right, rapists and stalkers are now ‘incels’ and demand attention and respect.
I’m in two minds about this. On one level the change of perspective can reveal a lot about the villains and their motives - think Brady Hartsfield or Lloyd Henreid - or offer interesting interpretations of ‘known’ stories (KARATE KID/Cobra Kai).
Then again, consequently thought through, this ‘we’re the heroes, no matter how debased and disgusting we behave’ mindset is ultimately refusing any and all values, refusing every moral faculty that doesn’t subscribe to the law of the strongest. Humankind’s aspirations don’t seem to have been hoping for that outcome exactly, if we’re looking at history. Somewhere we must have been taking a wrong turn if we don’t recognise this as a cul-de-sac any more.
This, it’s entirely this. Unfortunately in the 30’s until (depressingly) the mid 80s, this was standard. Writers and artists were hired on commission and were entitled to nothing other than the pay check they got on the next Friday.
It is important to understand criminal behaviour, and to depict the character as realistic as possible.
But the „coolness“ of the irreverent and rule breaking villain has become so pervasive that morality is now „uncool“, to be ridiculed and declared as old school.
The Craig era did use that notion with Bond always going rogue, following only his own agendas.
It’s not going anywhere. If nothing else, it’ll get worse as things continue to crumble in the real world.
We’ll eventually see the villains in the various rogues galleries get their own franchises and begin to sideline the heroes and turn them into the “villains” of these “new” franchises.
I liked this trailer better than the teaser. Still I hope Egger had a good reason to remake this.
But one thing is so utterly weird: why not release this for Halloween? Who wants to see this on Christmas? They apparently forgot how The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo proved that there is no Christmas counterprogramming which works.
On the one hand reviewers beat the same old horse („it leaves out so much of the book!“), on the other hand nobody is mentioning anymore that WB forced the filmmakers to recut and recut until this short version appeared.
I still hope that the atmosphere of the trailer will be what keeps the film interesting.
Really excited about this actually! Similar to James Bond, a lot of spinoffs for Batman’s supporting cast seem to be on their way! However, compared to IFP, we know that WB and DC are definitely keeping Batman in the spotlight. Plus, most of these spinoffs seem to be movies. Still, it’s a great time to be a fan of the supporting characters in both worlds!
