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Name: Scott Kanter
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Comic Books Discussion, Podcasts and Community
Name: Scott Kanter
Bio:
iFanboy Social:
Copyright © Great Northern Media
Some rights reserved.
To Conor:
Go rent "Batoru rowaiaru." It's the adaptaion of "Battle Royale." It came out in 2000. It's even more insane and amazing then the graphic novel. Do it or you're a fool!
You had me at Hebrew and Japanese...
Finally, an episode where I could have detroyed you thanks to my larger knowledge of manga, Japanese culture and art. Plus, my pronounciation is ten times better.
I agree that the Joker is the best villian, but one must consider sheer volume and quality in comparison to others. He's one of our oldest villians culturally and most celebrated outside of comics in other media. Others don't get a fair shake because of lack of recognition.
I agree with Josh and Conor about how we fear that which cannot be explained by reason or logic. However, you're forgetting the MOST IMPORTANT QUALITY--the villian has to see what he is doing as right, good, and even necessary.
This is what provides a villian with layers beyond campy world domination and hackneyed schemes. If a villian wants to kill or destroy because he thinks it is right then the villian becomes memorable based on motivation.
The characters' morality, or notion of it, is what makes us read!!!!!!!!!!
Ask any actor or writer what makes a good villian and they will all answer that.
1) Why stay near Navy Pier when the Sanctuary of Chicago is available in Chicago? That being my apartment.
2) I adhere to Tim Burton's quote about trailers and conventions. When he was a little boy Mr. Burton enjoyed going to movies where he only knew the title and nothing else. Didn't it seem that people used to complain about spoilers and how trailers are too long and give everything away? Yet, now people want to go to a crowded convention hall and see a bunch of those. I could see the Dark Knight or I could read the plot summary on wikipedia the day it's released. As for me, I'd like to hide in a cave and not know anything about an upcoming television show or movie.
...or I could just stay in my sanctuary of solitude.
@Conor and Josh. Bale is signed on for a third movie so to think there will not be one is almost silly. Nolan has hinted he's seen this as a trilogy and has hinted about his return.
Certainly this is an epic and features an amazing war both in theme, action, and ideas.
Yet, the third film can be a reconstruction and a rebirth of Batman, Gordon, the police force, and Gotham. Allow me to use this allusion of sorts, and just go with me.
The first one shows the factors that make the war and begin it. Part 2 is the war itself. Part 3 is the reconstruction. You are not making a movie to top or compare to this as much as you are to extend the story, and I can think of several ways that a quiet reconstruction can work and what enemies can challenge Batman in a unique way within the context of the story.
With all the hyperboles and well deserved praise being tossed about, I congratulate the three of you for being unique and bringing in a "Jurassic Park 3" connection to "The Dark Knight."
Josh's comment should go on every DVD cover.
As for the next villian, I'm holding out for King Tut, Egghead, Book Worm, or the greatest Batman enemy there is...The Schumacher.
@flagthecat. You raise some interesting points. However, from a storytelling point-of-view as a writer and audience member, it's tougher for a hero to deal with a monster or villian that is unexplained and whose motives are unclear. That causes much more dramatic tension and a larger climax. It's harder to fight something we don't understand. If you know someone's motives and goals, or their origins, then a solution is much easier and less exciting.
Critics of The Dark Knight say this Joker is truly terrifying, because all he believes is watching the world blow-up and is brings anarchy and raises chaos. It's a bolder and bigger evil to face off with when we cannot understand why.
Quickly list some of your favorite villians in whatever form, and then think about why they are so. The villians we are most drawn to are ones we cannot understand, because human psychology clearly shows that we FEAR THE UNKNOWN THE MOST! Another way of looking at it, "that which we cannot understand scares us the most."
Another way of framing my argument is think of the scariest and most exciting moments, it's usually when something unexpected happens and that is a manifestation of the unknown. Hitchcock explains that scary moments come from the unexpected, a bomb going off suddenly, and suspense comes from knowing a bomb is going to go off and what happens with that expectation.
Alfred Hitchock: The more successful the villian, the more successful the picture.
We want our villians scary and memorable, and the stronger that is, the more thrilling the hero's win is.
Dealing with inner demons is very scary, but we can control them because we can grasp them. Plus dramatically, they are a tougher sell from a writer's point-of-view. Internal conflict is tougher to present well than external conflict. It's the monster, the alien, the disease (how often do we hear about how much we hate a specific disease because it attacks without warning, name, or face?!), the killer that appears that scares us the most.
Part of Batman's allure is rooted in some of these same points, and while Nolan's film is very good, I felt he bludgeoned me to death with all the tiniest of details.
Also, I prfer my Batmobile skinny if for no other reason than what happens if villians go down an alley that monster truck cannot get to?!