You'll be surprised how many story-lines DC hasn't done Trade Paperbacks for yet. I'm going to list some I really want to see.
The Battle of Metropolis/Fall of Metropolis story-line that spanned 9 issues of Superman comics in 94. It ended the Alexander Luther Jr story-line, and was the next major Superman event after the Death and Return of Superman.
The 3 part story that originally introduced Spoiler/Stephanie Brown from 1992 in Detective Comics. Throw some other stuff in to elaborate on it, like early Cluemaster stories to explain him, or later Stephanie centric stories from various Secret Files and Origins books, like the one where she sums up her history to her new born child.
Dead Reckoning, a Batman story that was going on in Detective Comics about the same time Hush was in the Batman title. One that has similarities to it but that some fans liked better.
The Noctruna Arc from the Pre-Crisis 80s Batman Comics, that would probably take more then one Volume. And then one including the Batman story of Detective Comics 566 and Batman 400, the last Pre-Crisis Batman story.
The New Teen Titans/Tales of the Teen Titans comics that deal with the aftermath of The Judas Contract, issues 45-55.
And I'd like to see a sort of prequel Trade for Bruce Wayne Murderer/Fugitive chronicling his relationships with Vesper Fairshild and Sasha.
I'd also like some Infinity Inc and Pre-Crisis Wonder Woman story-lines from the 80s.
And some Bronze Age Supergirl story-lines.
I could also complain about how many TPBs have left out things they should have included.
I wish the Who is Donna Troy TPB had also included the original Origin of Wonder Girl story from Teen Titans 22 in 1969 which was also written by Marv Wolfman.
Even the new two volume collection of War Games that includes many things the old trades didn't left out Batgirl 54 which is the last time we see Stephanie before the inciting incident. Also Catwoman 33 and 37 should have been included for the Prologue and Epilogue parts. And Gotham Central 25 is also an important part of the epilogue.
Wednesday, September 7, 2016
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
Amalgam characters in Comic Book Movies
I used to complain when a Comic Book movie would have some character who really combines the roles of two or three or more characters from the Comics long history. Feeling like it's just lost opportunities.
Thing is, I've been putting more and more thought into how Comic Cook characters to begin with are an amalgamations of older character archetypes. The Batman was basically a combining of The Shadow and Zorro, with a little bit of Sherlock Holmes and Dick Tracey. And the visual motif coming from an old Silent Film, The Bat.
In that context, I realize it's another natural part of how mythology develops, and how stories are retold.
People complain about how different Bane is in The Dark Knight Rises. Thing is that character is also an Amalgam. He is partly Bane with direct references to Knightfall, I've also observed aspects of Deathstroke in him. But in the way TDKR draws on DKR he is very much the Mutant Leader, with Alfred giving a similar speech to Bruce about how he's in his prime and Bruce isn't. And then Bruce loses but later beats him in the rematch by using his head more. And it works for the story that TDKR tells. And also to go outside the Batman universe he's an admitted Vader Clone.
I may edit this post in the future discussing more examples.
Thing is, I've been putting more and more thought into how Comic Cook characters to begin with are an amalgamations of older character archetypes. The Batman was basically a combining of The Shadow and Zorro, with a little bit of Sherlock Holmes and Dick Tracey. And the visual motif coming from an old Silent Film, The Bat.
In that context, I realize it's another natural part of how mythology develops, and how stories are retold.
People complain about how different Bane is in The Dark Knight Rises. Thing is that character is also an Amalgam. He is partly Bane with direct references to Knightfall, I've also observed aspects of Deathstroke in him. But in the way TDKR draws on DKR he is very much the Mutant Leader, with Alfred giving a similar speech to Bruce about how he's in his prime and Bruce isn't. And then Bruce loses but later beats him in the rematch by using his head more. And it works for the story that TDKR tells. And also to go outside the Batman universe he's an admitted Vader Clone.
I may edit this post in the future discussing more examples.
Sunday, September 4, 2016
"Show don't Tell" isn't a universal rule
There are times when many people seem to think it is, or at least in a visual medium like film and animation it is. I see it in Fanboy-Perspective's defense of Batman V Superman and Clark's lack of dialogue in it.
But there are times when I do feel telling is better then showing. Especially if you're someone who wants less Origin Stories in Superhero movies, what you basically want is to be told not shown. Likewise if you don't like overuse of Flashbacks, you want to be told not shown. I'm annoyed how many fans feel that dead Robin easter egg means some DCEU film HAS to flashback to when that happened, how about we just leave that to the imagination for a change?
If you are the opposite of me on the issue of if movies should be longer or shorter, or if you feel the same. Sometimes telling is shorter and sometimes showing is shorter, it depends on what you're trying to communicate.
And this also ties into how I'm a big supporter of, especially for horror, the idea that what you don't see is more disturbing then what you do.
But the thing about any medium that has acting as one of it's story telling tools. Is what you can do by showing how a character tells something, and how others react while listening. When trying to understand Shakespeare, it's import to know that Elizabethian audiences would have cared more about what they heard then what they saw.
In the 70s TV Miniseries Jesus of Nazareth, there are many things I don't like about it (mainly the White Washing) but also things I think it did well. One of it's highlights was showing Jesus tell the parable of the Prodigal Son to a room full of people, it was a far better choice then cutting to a dramatization of it.
I enjoyed Suicide Squad, but yes it is a flawed movie. One of it's highlights is El Diablo telling his backstory in the bar scene. I feel that could have maybe been improved by not having any flashbacks, but just having him tell the story.
If a movie is ever made of Paul Feval's John Devil. I do not want any "Flashbacks" or whatever you might call a Dramatization of the stories Henri Belcamp tells about his adventures in Australia and on St Helena. One reason is because none of those stories are entirely true, and the audience of a movie tends to assume anything we see play out must have happened.
But also because I want to see Henri Belcamp be an Orator. I want to show how he plays his audience and how they are suckered in by it. Same thing if a movie was made out of The Vampire Countess, another Paul Feval novel translated into English by Brian Stableford.
So no, what I'm saying is we don't need to see everything, it sometimes works to just tell us.
But there are times when I do feel telling is better then showing. Especially if you're someone who wants less Origin Stories in Superhero movies, what you basically want is to be told not shown. Likewise if you don't like overuse of Flashbacks, you want to be told not shown. I'm annoyed how many fans feel that dead Robin easter egg means some DCEU film HAS to flashback to when that happened, how about we just leave that to the imagination for a change?
If you are the opposite of me on the issue of if movies should be longer or shorter, or if you feel the same. Sometimes telling is shorter and sometimes showing is shorter, it depends on what you're trying to communicate.
And this also ties into how I'm a big supporter of, especially for horror, the idea that what you don't see is more disturbing then what you do.
But the thing about any medium that has acting as one of it's story telling tools. Is what you can do by showing how a character tells something, and how others react while listening. When trying to understand Shakespeare, it's import to know that Elizabethian audiences would have cared more about what they heard then what they saw.
In the 70s TV Miniseries Jesus of Nazareth, there are many things I don't like about it (mainly the White Washing) but also things I think it did well. One of it's highlights was showing Jesus tell the parable of the Prodigal Son to a room full of people, it was a far better choice then cutting to a dramatization of it.
I enjoyed Suicide Squad, but yes it is a flawed movie. One of it's highlights is El Diablo telling his backstory in the bar scene. I feel that could have maybe been improved by not having any flashbacks, but just having him tell the story.
If a movie is ever made of Paul Feval's John Devil. I do not want any "Flashbacks" or whatever you might call a Dramatization of the stories Henri Belcamp tells about his adventures in Australia and on St Helena. One reason is because none of those stories are entirely true, and the audience of a movie tends to assume anything we see play out must have happened.
But also because I want to see Henri Belcamp be an Orator. I want to show how he plays his audience and how they are suckered in by it. Same thing if a movie was made out of The Vampire Countess, another Paul Feval novel translated into English by Brian Stableford.
So no, what I'm saying is we don't need to see everything, it sometimes works to just tell us.
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Pretty Little Liars, Season 7A
I enjoyed it, don't feel I have much else to say.
Spoilers Ahead
Spencer being Mary's kid is illogical, why then was it Aria's file stolen with Noel's?
I think ALi is lying about being Pregnant to get with Emily. It came completely out of no where, and no I don't think that one scene of her puking is sufficient foreshadowing.
I know people are trying to deny that Toby is dead, but that steering wheel was embedded deep in his skull.
I think A.D. is Charlotte.
Spoilers Ahead
Spencer being Mary's kid is illogical, why then was it Aria's file stolen with Noel's?
I think ALi is lying about being Pregnant to get with Emily. It came completely out of no where, and no I don't think that one scene of her puking is sufficient foreshadowing.
I know people are trying to deny that Toby is dead, but that steering wheel was embedded deep in his skull.
I think A.D. is Charlotte.
Thursday, August 25, 2016
In the Comics Rupert Thorne was a politician not a Mob Boss.
Yet Rupert Throne continually becomes a Crime Boss in adaptations.
Batman The Animated Series seems to be largely responsible for popularizing it, yet they didn't do it first, first was Sam Hamm's original Script for the movie that became Tim Burton's Batman, where the Carl Grissom role was played by Rupert Thorne, (and Eckhart was Harvey Bullock). But since then we've seen it in the Cold Open of the pilot of The Batman animated series, and in The Joker Blogs season 2, and other fan films.
But he was originally in the 70s and early 80s Comics a powerful corrupt politician, a member of Gotham's City Council. Mayor Hamilton Hill was a corrupt mayor in his pocket, and Peter Pauling was a corrupt cop they arranged to have replace Jim Gordon as Commissioner.
I have no idea what caused this character to be so consistently changed in adaptations, it's not like the Comics don't provide enough Mob Bosses to work with. In his most notable BTAS appearance he replaces Maroni in Two-Face's origin story. And for a Mob Boss used only to be one The Batman takes down in the prologue right before the rise of The Joker, Falcone would have made more sense. And for the Batman89 script, a Mob Boss employing the guy who shot the Waynes was Lew Moxon in the Pre-Crisis Earth-One continuity. And The Joker Blogs was using him in it's version of the Mask of The Phantasm story, which itself was re-imagining elements of Year Two.
Seeing the political corruption in Gotham City would be a refreshing new subject for a Batman movie or Cartoon. And you could easily connect him to a Mob Boss if you wanna keep that element going.
If I were in charge of the Court of Owls story-line, I might have connected Thorne to them.
Batman The Animated Series seems to be largely responsible for popularizing it, yet they didn't do it first, first was Sam Hamm's original Script for the movie that became Tim Burton's Batman, where the Carl Grissom role was played by Rupert Thorne, (and Eckhart was Harvey Bullock). But since then we've seen it in the Cold Open of the pilot of The Batman animated series, and in The Joker Blogs season 2, and other fan films.
But he was originally in the 70s and early 80s Comics a powerful corrupt politician, a member of Gotham's City Council. Mayor Hamilton Hill was a corrupt mayor in his pocket, and Peter Pauling was a corrupt cop they arranged to have replace Jim Gordon as Commissioner.
I have no idea what caused this character to be so consistently changed in adaptations, it's not like the Comics don't provide enough Mob Bosses to work with. In his most notable BTAS appearance he replaces Maroni in Two-Face's origin story. And for a Mob Boss used only to be one The Batman takes down in the prologue right before the rise of The Joker, Falcone would have made more sense. And for the Batman89 script, a Mob Boss employing the guy who shot the Waynes was Lew Moxon in the Pre-Crisis Earth-One continuity. And The Joker Blogs was using him in it's version of the Mask of The Phantasm story, which itself was re-imagining elements of Year Two.
Seeing the political corruption in Gotham City would be a refreshing new subject for a Batman movie or Cartoon. And you could easily connect him to a Mob Boss if you wanna keep that element going.
If I were in charge of the Court of Owls story-line, I might have connected Thorne to them.
Friday, August 19, 2016
I love watching Fan Trailers on Youtube
Most of the ones I've watched are DC based with a heavy bias for Batman. I have a playlist on Youtube of many of my favorites. The first video on that Playlist is one I wrote myself, I had the idea in my head for awhile, but I have no real video editing skills, but because I made a thread on the subject on IMDB SolyentBrak1 wound up editing the idea together for me and he did a great job. I have other Brak fan trailers on the playlist as well.
Most in that playlist are Fan Edited trailers, but there are a few full on Fan Films that are really just trailers like Grayson.
I first discovered them in the era of trailers being made to speculate what the third Nolan movie would be, The Riddler was popular.
I've seen many more then what I've put on the Playlist. I want to mention a few things some do that for me personally at least take me out of it, and so I'd recommend avoiding.
Using any audio from Animated projects, whether voice over, dialogue or even music. Even if I haven't seen the animated project being used it always sounds like a cartoon to me. Plus I want the voices to match the physical actors. Whether it's using voices from the Dark Knight Returns cartoon, or Flashpoint, or even Amanda Waller from Assault on Arkham or the DCAU, that actress could be a good live action Waller, but from those projects her voice always sounds like animated voice acting. So for DKR or Flashpoint it may be an easy way to get direct quotes of the Comic in your trailer, but it's just not worth the awkwardness. The worst offenders are those Batman/Dracula trailers that use the narrator from the commercials for The Batman vs Dracula. The best Batman/Dracula trailer is the one in my playlist with Burton's Batman and Hammer's Dracula.
Every rule has one or two exceptions they say. In this case a lot of people would like to see Jensen Ackles as a Live Action Jaosn Todd/Red Hood, and in fan trailers based on that premise using Jensen's voice work from the Under The Red Hood animated film tends to work. The voice does match the actor, and I think also Jensen simply wasn't doing it like usual voice acting, which would normally tick me off in an animated film but his performance was good. However even in some of those if any other actor's voices from that same movie is used it ruins it, I like Bruce Greenwood's Batman voice, but I don't wanna hear that when I'm looking at Ben Affleck or Christian Bale.
Also using visuals from Video Games like DC Online or Injustice, or the Arkham games. Unless it's something that absolutely would be fully CG in a LA film anyway like a Darkside or Doomsday, or maybe Brainiac, that just never looks right. And even then it needs to be a really high quality graphics video game, PS3 level at least. But I've seen trailers do it for Batman and The Flash. And using the Black Mask or Deathstroke from the Arkahm Origns trailer is really popular. To me it always stands out awkwardly.
It amazes me how often someone makes a bad decision in the music/score department. There are now a few Superman/Batman trailers premised on it staring Christopher Reeve and Michael Keaton. Most use neither's Iconic score, one uses the Williams score but for Batman uses the Nolan theme, that simply doesn't match. Keaton without the Elfman score works sometimes, but if that specific nostalgic crossover is the gimmick, I wanna hear both Iconic scores.
Those are my constructive criticisms. Now I'm going to throw out into the ether some ideas I'd like to see that haven't been done yet, not that I can find anyway.
The potential is out there to make a decent Dark Knight Returns trailer using material from the Nolan Batman films and Batman V Superman. They all take some elements. Begins has thanks to the fear toxin the mot surreal moments, TDK has the gun touting Batman copycats. Rises has the cop saying "you're in for a show tonight" line, and Alfred talking about Bane being in his Prime is similar to what Alfred says in DKR about the Mutant Leader. And BvS has Batman fighting Superman with many of the same elements, and a nuked Superman being healed by the Sun.
In costume which Batman you use shouldn't matter, but I'd favor Affleck who looks older for Bruce Wayne, yet Michael Cain for Alfred due to the scene I mentioned. And Snyder's take on the killing of the Waynes and falling into the cave fits better, just leave out him flying. Only appearance of Harvey Dent I'd put in the trailer is him saying "There is no Escape from this". Also throw in stuff from the Gotham Tonight special features segments to help get the whole Batman in the news vibe going.
Leto's Joker would fit this more then Ledger's. Use scenes from Suicide Squad trailers, or that Music Video. Use the Gotham skyline from Gotham on Fox since it has those twin towers similar to yet distinct from the World Trade center. Include stock footage of Ronald Reagan as President on TV. And throw in the Bat Demon from the bat-cave in Batman Forever and it's deleted scenes, also use Forever's establishing shots of Arkham. And you could make a pretty convincing DKR live action trailer without any need to cheat by taking audio from the animated movies.
A few cool Teen Titans fan trailers have been made, they can show us where to start.
But my main disappointment is none are able to include either Wonder Girl. You'd have to be creative but you can find a way, there was a time when we had Gal Gadot as WW in fan trailers when we hadn't seen her in costume yet. I want a trailer that looks like either the Wolfman/Perez 80s Teen Titans, or the Geoff Johns 2003-2006 Teen Titans line ups. (I don't want just the animated series line up.) Cyborg, Raven, Beast Boy/Changling and Starfire (and maybe Jericho) are part of both those, they go from being the new team members to the older ones.
Troian Bellisaro has become an ideal pick to me for Donna Troy. I haven't seen much of what she's done outside Pretty Little Liars (just the two episode of NCIS). But I know on that show in Season 4 Episode 1 we see her investigating a burned down building, in a TT fan trailer that could easily make fans think of the orphanage in Who Is Donna Troy?
There was a TV spot for that old Cartoon Network show that had what looked like a convincing real life Titan's Tower. Perhaps you could throw that in.
But you have to use the Arrowverse Deathtroke over Smallville's horrible one, (or maybe the DCEU one that is now coming soon, but on Arrow he interacts with potential Titans characters).
The existing trailers have a tendency to mix and match the line up, I'd prefer to avoid that also. If the Robin is Dick Grayson then Donna should be Wonder Girl, Wally West should be Kid Flash (we have him in Costume now from the Flash season 3 previews) and Roy Harper as Speedy/Arsenal, and only this older lineup should have Terra. If Tim Drake is the Robin then Cassandra Sandmack should be Wonder Girl, Bart Allen should be Impulse/Kidflash, Mia/Thea for Speedy and have Conner Kent/Kon-El/Superboy. Bart and Conner would have to be taken from Smallville.
I used to think the ideal Batman Beyond fan trailer needed Clint Eastwood as Batman, but he's more DKR Batman, which I do prefer to see as distinct.
There is a trailer on my Playlist for a Dark Knight Returns film starting a contemporary Michael Keaton. It's cool but doesn't feel like it references anything specific from the comic. And Keaton simply isn't a harsh enough character in any role for that.
But it got me thinking that a version of Batman Beyond with Michael Keaton could be cool.
I still like Stephen R McQueen for Terry McGinnis (and maybe Chad McQueen for his father), Malese Jow for Dana Tan but perhaps Janel Parrish for a second choice. And either Jessica Parker Kennedy or Zendaya for Max Gibson. And Sasha Petierse for Chelsea Cunningham.
Angie Harmon for Barbara Gordon because she played an authority figure on Law and Order, so maybe she could be the second rare exception after Jensen Akcles. In case you don't know she voiced Barbara in Return of The Joker.
Not entirely sure what to do for The Jokers.
Perhaps Cameo Appearances from modern Kim Bassinger, Michelle Pheifer, and Billy Dee Williams, or the actor who played Knox if he's done anything recently.
I don't have a compelling suggestion for Derek Powers or his son just yet.
I like the idea of taking the original The Dark Knight teaser trailer and replacing it's blue tint with red. The Nolan bat-symbol is similar in shape to the Beyond one.
Some Batman Beyond fan trailers have already started using Beyond Fan Films for Terry in Costume.
Last but not least, Crisis on Infinite Earths or Infinite Crisis or anything vaguely like that. Multiverse ideas.
These became more popular over the last year, Season 2 of The Flash provided the key exposition source material needed. And some made already I quite enjoy. But none have used George Reeves. I want him as the Earth-Two Superman, he was in color in the latter seasons. Earth-Two Superman is the most important, he, Kara and Barry make the key heroic sacrifices. George Reeves was a WWII vet and had the right basic look by the time the show was in color.
And Lynda Carter is naturally the Earth-Two Wonder Woman.
Some more of my thoughts on the DC Cinematic Multiverse I discuses in my last Batman V Superman post.
And with no particular idea of what fan trailer to feature her in, I've recently thought of Ashley Benson for Stephanie Brown.
So those are some ideas I'm throwing out there. Feel free to use them. Let me know about any Fan Trailers you've made or seen you think I might like and if I do I'll add em to the Playlist and promote em.
Most in that playlist are Fan Edited trailers, but there are a few full on Fan Films that are really just trailers like Grayson.
I first discovered them in the era of trailers being made to speculate what the third Nolan movie would be, The Riddler was popular.
I've seen many more then what I've put on the Playlist. I want to mention a few things some do that for me personally at least take me out of it, and so I'd recommend avoiding.
Using any audio from Animated projects, whether voice over, dialogue or even music. Even if I haven't seen the animated project being used it always sounds like a cartoon to me. Plus I want the voices to match the physical actors. Whether it's using voices from the Dark Knight Returns cartoon, or Flashpoint, or even Amanda Waller from Assault on Arkham or the DCAU, that actress could be a good live action Waller, but from those projects her voice always sounds like animated voice acting. So for DKR or Flashpoint it may be an easy way to get direct quotes of the Comic in your trailer, but it's just not worth the awkwardness. The worst offenders are those Batman/Dracula trailers that use the narrator from the commercials for The Batman vs Dracula. The best Batman/Dracula trailer is the one in my playlist with Burton's Batman and Hammer's Dracula.
Every rule has one or two exceptions they say. In this case a lot of people would like to see Jensen Ackles as a Live Action Jaosn Todd/Red Hood, and in fan trailers based on that premise using Jensen's voice work from the Under The Red Hood animated film tends to work. The voice does match the actor, and I think also Jensen simply wasn't doing it like usual voice acting, which would normally tick me off in an animated film but his performance was good. However even in some of those if any other actor's voices from that same movie is used it ruins it, I like Bruce Greenwood's Batman voice, but I don't wanna hear that when I'm looking at Ben Affleck or Christian Bale.
Also using visuals from Video Games like DC Online or Injustice, or the Arkham games. Unless it's something that absolutely would be fully CG in a LA film anyway like a Darkside or Doomsday, or maybe Brainiac, that just never looks right. And even then it needs to be a really high quality graphics video game, PS3 level at least. But I've seen trailers do it for Batman and The Flash. And using the Black Mask or Deathstroke from the Arkahm Origns trailer is really popular. To me it always stands out awkwardly.
It amazes me how often someone makes a bad decision in the music/score department. There are now a few Superman/Batman trailers premised on it staring Christopher Reeve and Michael Keaton. Most use neither's Iconic score, one uses the Williams score but for Batman uses the Nolan theme, that simply doesn't match. Keaton without the Elfman score works sometimes, but if that specific nostalgic crossover is the gimmick, I wanna hear both Iconic scores.
Those are my constructive criticisms. Now I'm going to throw out into the ether some ideas I'd like to see that haven't been done yet, not that I can find anyway.
The potential is out there to make a decent Dark Knight Returns trailer using material from the Nolan Batman films and Batman V Superman. They all take some elements. Begins has thanks to the fear toxin the mot surreal moments, TDK has the gun touting Batman copycats. Rises has the cop saying "you're in for a show tonight" line, and Alfred talking about Bane being in his Prime is similar to what Alfred says in DKR about the Mutant Leader. And BvS has Batman fighting Superman with many of the same elements, and a nuked Superman being healed by the Sun.
In costume which Batman you use shouldn't matter, but I'd favor Affleck who looks older for Bruce Wayne, yet Michael Cain for Alfred due to the scene I mentioned. And Snyder's take on the killing of the Waynes and falling into the cave fits better, just leave out him flying. Only appearance of Harvey Dent I'd put in the trailer is him saying "There is no Escape from this". Also throw in stuff from the Gotham Tonight special features segments to help get the whole Batman in the news vibe going.
Leto's Joker would fit this more then Ledger's. Use scenes from Suicide Squad trailers, or that Music Video. Use the Gotham skyline from Gotham on Fox since it has those twin towers similar to yet distinct from the World Trade center. Include stock footage of Ronald Reagan as President on TV. And throw in the Bat Demon from the bat-cave in Batman Forever and it's deleted scenes, also use Forever's establishing shots of Arkham. And you could make a pretty convincing DKR live action trailer without any need to cheat by taking audio from the animated movies.
A few cool Teen Titans fan trailers have been made, they can show us where to start.
But my main disappointment is none are able to include either Wonder Girl. You'd have to be creative but you can find a way, there was a time when we had Gal Gadot as WW in fan trailers when we hadn't seen her in costume yet. I want a trailer that looks like either the Wolfman/Perez 80s Teen Titans, or the Geoff Johns 2003-2006 Teen Titans line ups. (I don't want just the animated series line up.) Cyborg, Raven, Beast Boy/Changling and Starfire (and maybe Jericho) are part of both those, they go from being the new team members to the older ones.
Troian Bellisaro has become an ideal pick to me for Donna Troy. I haven't seen much of what she's done outside Pretty Little Liars (just the two episode of NCIS). But I know on that show in Season 4 Episode 1 we see her investigating a burned down building, in a TT fan trailer that could easily make fans think of the orphanage in Who Is Donna Troy?
There was a TV spot for that old Cartoon Network show that had what looked like a convincing real life Titan's Tower. Perhaps you could throw that in.
But you have to use the Arrowverse Deathtroke over Smallville's horrible one, (or maybe the DCEU one that is now coming soon, but on Arrow he interacts with potential Titans characters).
The existing trailers have a tendency to mix and match the line up, I'd prefer to avoid that also. If the Robin is Dick Grayson then Donna should be Wonder Girl, Wally West should be Kid Flash (we have him in Costume now from the Flash season 3 previews) and Roy Harper as Speedy/Arsenal, and only this older lineup should have Terra. If Tim Drake is the Robin then Cassandra Sandmack should be Wonder Girl, Bart Allen should be Impulse/Kidflash, Mia/Thea for Speedy and have Conner Kent/Kon-El/Superboy. Bart and Conner would have to be taken from Smallville.
I used to think the ideal Batman Beyond fan trailer needed Clint Eastwood as Batman, but he's more DKR Batman, which I do prefer to see as distinct.
There is a trailer on my Playlist for a Dark Knight Returns film starting a contemporary Michael Keaton. It's cool but doesn't feel like it references anything specific from the comic. And Keaton simply isn't a harsh enough character in any role for that.
But it got me thinking that a version of Batman Beyond with Michael Keaton could be cool.
I still like Stephen R McQueen for Terry McGinnis (and maybe Chad McQueen for his father), Malese Jow for Dana Tan but perhaps Janel Parrish for a second choice. And either Jessica Parker Kennedy or Zendaya for Max Gibson. And Sasha Petierse for Chelsea Cunningham.
Angie Harmon for Barbara Gordon because she played an authority figure on Law and Order, so maybe she could be the second rare exception after Jensen Akcles. In case you don't know she voiced Barbara in Return of The Joker.
Not entirely sure what to do for The Jokers.
Perhaps Cameo Appearances from modern Kim Bassinger, Michelle Pheifer, and Billy Dee Williams, or the actor who played Knox if he's done anything recently.
I don't have a compelling suggestion for Derek Powers or his son just yet.
I like the idea of taking the original The Dark Knight teaser trailer and replacing it's blue tint with red. The Nolan bat-symbol is similar in shape to the Beyond one.
Some Batman Beyond fan trailers have already started using Beyond Fan Films for Terry in Costume.
Last but not least, Crisis on Infinite Earths or Infinite Crisis or anything vaguely like that. Multiverse ideas.
These became more popular over the last year, Season 2 of The Flash provided the key exposition source material needed. And some made already I quite enjoy. But none have used George Reeves. I want him as the Earth-Two Superman, he was in color in the latter seasons. Earth-Two Superman is the most important, he, Kara and Barry make the key heroic sacrifices. George Reeves was a WWII vet and had the right basic look by the time the show was in color.
And Lynda Carter is naturally the Earth-Two Wonder Woman.
Some more of my thoughts on the DC Cinematic Multiverse I discuses in my last Batman V Superman post.
And with no particular idea of what fan trailer to feature her in, I've recently thought of Ashley Benson for Stephanie Brown.
So those are some ideas I'm throwing out there. Feel free to use them. Let me know about any Fan Trailers you've made or seen you think I might like and if I do I'll add em to the Playlist and promote em.
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
Harvey Dent can have a happy ending.
We're used to thinking of Harvey Dent as having no hope for redemption. This starts with what Frank Miller did in Dark Knight Returns, which was a very powerful scene. Then continues with BTAS consistently making sure every villain's attempts at redemption fail, and then it's clear Nolan wants us to think Harvey Dent died at the end of TDK, I still choose to imagine otherwise however.
But it wasn't always this way. The Golden Age Two-Face, the Harvey Dent of Earth-Two (sometimes called Harvey Kent) did find redemption and a happy ending.
He was introduced in Detective Comics 66 in August 1942 "The Crimes of Two-Face". The origin story part really isn't drawn out how modern re-imaginings do it, he's scarred at the start of the story. His second appearance is in Detective Comics 68 where he is still conflicted. His third story was in October of 1943, Detective Comics 80 and in it he's redeemed, and the Earth-Two Two-Face never relapsed or reverted.
He appeared in three stories involving other people taking on the Two-Face mantle, the most interesting one being Paul Salone in Batman 68, he was the middle one of the three.
Then in Superman Family 211 we see him attend Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle's wedding. in 1955
So the original version of the character was never meant to be hopeless.
The Golden Age Batman comics are often alleged to be what most inspired Tim Burton. Lately I started imagining in my head a version of Batman Beyond that followed the Burton films with Michael Keaton as Batman. And figured It'd be cool to do an episode with Billy Dee Williams to show he had became Two Face but also found redemption.
With that animated Batman Return of the Caped Crusaders cartoon coming out starting Adam West, Burt Ward and Julie Newmare. It has me thinking about similar things you could do, an animated return for the Lynda Carter Wonder Woman I think would be fitting next year.
And also, since Billy Dee Williams seems to like to do animated work as Lando Calrissian. Perhaps he'd be up to returning to the role of Harvey Dent? Even if he's the only actor from the films to return it'd still be worth it to me. Two-Face is the main Batman villain to not get a spotlight in an animated film yet.
So, who agrees?
But it wasn't always this way. The Golden Age Two-Face, the Harvey Dent of Earth-Two (sometimes called Harvey Kent) did find redemption and a happy ending.
He was introduced in Detective Comics 66 in August 1942 "The Crimes of Two-Face". The origin story part really isn't drawn out how modern re-imaginings do it, he's scarred at the start of the story. His second appearance is in Detective Comics 68 where he is still conflicted. His third story was in October of 1943, Detective Comics 80 and in it he's redeemed, and the Earth-Two Two-Face never relapsed or reverted.
He appeared in three stories involving other people taking on the Two-Face mantle, the most interesting one being Paul Salone in Batman 68, he was the middle one of the three.
Then in Superman Family 211 we see him attend Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle's wedding. in 1955
So the original version of the character was never meant to be hopeless.
The Golden Age Batman comics are often alleged to be what most inspired Tim Burton. Lately I started imagining in my head a version of Batman Beyond that followed the Burton films with Michael Keaton as Batman. And figured It'd be cool to do an episode with Billy Dee Williams to show he had became Two Face but also found redemption.
With that animated Batman Return of the Caped Crusaders cartoon coming out starting Adam West, Burt Ward and Julie Newmare. It has me thinking about similar things you could do, an animated return for the Lynda Carter Wonder Woman I think would be fitting next year.
And also, since Billy Dee Williams seems to like to do animated work as Lando Calrissian. Perhaps he'd be up to returning to the role of Harvey Dent? Even if he's the only actor from the films to return it'd still be worth it to me. Two-Face is the main Batman villain to not get a spotlight in an animated film yet.
So, who agrees?
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