17 replies to this topic

[Moore Not Less]

Here is an article from the BBC's website that may interest you.

http://news.bbc.co.u...ent/4717696.stm

Comic book hero takes on al-Qaeda
The latest Batman adventure will see the Caped Crusader take on al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden.

Comic book artist Frank Miller is midway through writing Holy Terror, Batman, which sees Batman defending Gotham City from a terrorist attack.

"It is, not to put too fine a point on it, a piece of propaganda," said Miller at a US comic book convention.

The veteran writer called it "a reminder to people who seem to have forgotten who we're up against".

He said the story was "an explosion from my gut reaction of what is happening now".

Honourable tradition

Batman has typically faced off fictional villains including Catwoman, the Penguin and the Riddler, but this is the first time he will have confronted a real-life threat.

However, Miller - who revived Batman's popularity some 20 years ago with The Dark Knight Returns - said using comic book heroes for propaganda was an honourable tradition.

"Superman punched out Hitler. So did Captain America. That's one of the things they're there for," Miller said.

Batman returned to the big screen last year in the prequel Batman Begins, starring Christian Bale and Katie Holmes.

[Tarl_Cabot]

that's just lame.

[Harmsway]

Frank Miller has definitely just gone down the tubes these days. I hate his political commentaries (or rather *attempts* at political commentaries), so I'll just leave HOLY TERROR, BATMAN! alone.

[killkenny kid]

Frank Miller has definitely just gone down the tubes these days. I hate his political commentaries (or rather *attempts* at political commentaries), so I'll just leave HOLY TERROR, BATMAN! alone.

indeed, it is time for Frank to move on.

[Scottlee]

It sounds a bit a dubious, but after the great job they did on the first movie I think I'll at least see it and give it a chance.

[Harmsway]

It sounds a bit a dubious, but after the great job they did on the first movie I think I'll at least see it and give it a chance.

This isn't a film they're talking about. It's a graphic novel.

[Number 6]

Frank, please don't do this...

[TortillaFactory]

Am I the only one who doesn't see anything horribly upsetting about this?

...so it would seem. Carry on.

[Tarl_Cabot]

It's not upsetting but rather embarrassing.

[Scottlee]

It sounds a bit a dubious, but after the great job they did on the first movie I think I'll at least see it and give it a chance.

This isn't a film they're talking about. It's a graphic novel.

Oh lol! I presumed by "writing Holy Terror" it meant 'writing the script for'. Well, can't say I'm gutted.

[dunmall]

right ok fair enough. I'd prefer my fictional heroes and the reality of the world to stay far away from each other...

By the way, that is THE worst pun title in history, I almost sprayed coffee over my screen.

[hcmv007]

For signs Frank Miller has gone off the Deep End-Check out this exchange b/t Batman and Dick Grayson:

DG: Who are you?
BM: Who do you think? I am the Goddamn Batman!

(Batman and Robin All Star #2)

No I will not buy anything he does for Batman anymore.

[Frostyak]

For signs Frank Miller has gone off the Deep End-Check out this exchange b/t Batman and Dick Grayson:

DG: Who are you?
BM: Who do you think? I am the Goddamn Batman!

(Batman and Robin All Star #2)

No I will not buy anything he does for Batman anymore.

That series will become a classic example of precisely what NOT to do. For me the only thing that saves it is Jim Lee's art. The first two or three issues have taken place almost exclusively in the Batmobile with some of the worst dialogue I have ever read. I wish I could somehow wipe my mind clean of having read that and just view Lee's art untouched by the childish writing of Frank Miller.

- Chris

Edited by Frostyak, 17 February 2006 - 07:22 PM.

[Jim]

Forgive me if I have this wrong, but wasn't the idea behind Batman Begins that the villains were a similar organisation, in all but name.

I appreciate that to use the "real" version is a stage beyond - questionable taste.

[TortillaFactory]

I appreciate that to use the "real" version is a stage beyond - questionable taste.

Probably, but:

"Superman punched out Hitler. So did Captain America. That's one of the things they're there for," Miller said.

He makes a valid point. Surely this is nowhere near as offensive as the Superman "slap a Jap" offal from a scant few decades ago. I spend an inordinate amount of my free time at superdickery.com, which probably says more about me than it does about Mr. Kent, but I've learned that comic book heroes have always been tools for propoganda.

Miller's writing skills may be called into question, but there is nothing inherently embarrassing about the dark knight taking on a man who has promised to destroy America. It might be, of course, if it's badly done. But that remains to be seen.

[Harmsway]

Forgive me if I have this wrong, but wasn't the idea behind Batman Begins that the villains were a similar organisation, in all but name.

No. It wasn't. "The League of Shadows" (which is actually an algamation of two different comic names for Ra's al Ghul's organization) has been around with the character for decades. They were just trying to be faithful to the character and give him this sort of James Bond-scale organization. I don't believe it was meant to be like al-Qaeda in any way.

[Jim]

Forgive me if I have this wrong, but wasn't the idea behind Batman Begins that the villains were a similar organisation, in all but name.

No. It wasn't. "The League of Shadows" (which is actually an algamation of two different comic names for Ra's al Ghul's organization) has been around with the character for decades. They were just trying to be faithful to the character and give him this sort of James Bond-scale organization. I don't believe it was meant to be like al-Qaeda in any way.

That's very interesting - I don't know anything about Batman save for watching the films and the old tv series; as a Batvirgin, that really was how that organisation came across to me. I'd be very surprised if they didn't "accidentally" intend such resonance. But I accept that this may be out of a misunderstanding by me of Batman, or al-Qaeda, or both.

[Harmsway]

Forgive me if I have this wrong, but wasn't the idea behind Batman Begins that the villains were a similar organisation, in all but name.

No. It wasn't. "The League of Shadows" (which is actually an algamation of two different comic names for Ra's al Ghul's organization) has been around with the character for decades. They were just trying to be faithful to the character and give him this sort of James Bond-scale organization. I don't believe it was meant to be like al-Qaeda in any way.

That's very interesting - I don't know anything about Batman save for watching the films and the old tv series; as a Batvirgin, that really was how that organisation came across to me. I'd be very surprised if they didn't "accidentally" intend such resonance. But I accept that this may be out of a misunderstanding by me of Batman, or al-Qaeda, or both.

Well, I honestly didn't see a whole lot of ties between al-Qaeda and the League of Shadows, myself. Their purpose and mechanics were entirely different, IMO.