January 31-February 5, 2011
It’s Batman Week on The Idler!
Mike Vincent traces the surprising depth of the catalog of cover versions of the theme song from the 1960s Batman TV series. Including one by a pug. Read “Bat-tunes”
Kevin Mattison watches all of the big screen Batman feature films, so you don’t have to. Even though you should. Even Batman and Robin. Just once. Read “What kind of man dresses up like a bat?! More to the point, what kind of director puts nipples on that man’s bat costume?”
There have been a lot of Batman comics, and arguably, a lot of Batmen. Ana Hoguin and Matt Dyer help you find your way around with their “Encyclopedia Batannica”
Kate Sloan reads Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns and finds beyond the surprisingly dated 80s references a homohero for the ages. Read “Gaying up Gotham”
Gavin Craig plays the first, great Batman video game. No, not that one. LEGO Batman. Really. Read “Worth the wait”
The Gamers’ Club will return next week.
Rosemary Van Deuren watches the film that inspired the creation of the Joker, sort of. Read “Joker Veidt: He who laughs last, laughs best”
There’s been a lot of the Caped Crusader since we were kids. Lindsey Malta traces a lifetime of the Batman in “Batman: a memoir in media”
The Batman is (or should be) sneaky, smart, and a little bit crazy. Read Gavin Craig’s take on how to make the best Batman in “What makes the Bat?”
Bat-tunes
I have always loved Batman. Always. Once of the greatest thrills I have encountered as a parent has been my son’s love of Batman. It sure seems easier now to be a fan at a young age, what with all the cartoons on the tube or the toys at the fast food joints. For this … Continue reading
What kind of man dresses up like a bat?! More to the point, what kind of director puts nipples on that man’s bat costume?
Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in 1939. Since then he has been called The Bat-Man, the Caped Crusader, the World’s Greatest Detective and the Dark Knight, amongst other names. He is a character that has been lent to as many interpretations as nicknames (more, actually) over the years and has graced the silver … Continue reading
Encyclopedia Batannica
Riddle me this: Who is your favorite Batman? For me it’s a toss up between the super cheesy Bat-dork of TV and the uber gritty reeeeally-needs-a-therapist types. For Batman Week my husband and in-house Batman expert, Matthew Dyer, helped me out with. . . dun, dun, dun. . . A Taxonomy of Batmen. Use the … Continue reading
Gaying up Gotham
I was always sure I loved Batman. In fact, I was so sure that I never took the time to actually get to know him. It was a celebrity crush that dissolved as quickly as when I read Bieber’s autobio: First Step 2 Forever: My Story. It’s not pretty, friends, this broken heart of mine. … Continue reading
Worth the wait
For years, Batman fans have suffered. Though many of us are avid video game players (it should be no surprise that a large portion of the demographics for comic books and video games overlap), we’ve been presented with subpar game after subpar game. Jump, run, throw things, and repeat until you get to the guy … Continue reading
They knew it was Batman Week
BleedingCool.com reports that “4 pages of 1939 production proofs from Detective Comics #27 [the first appearance of Batman] just surfaced, having been in the possession of a man living in an apartment building were Bob Kane once lived, who rescued it from the curbside trash some 45 years ago.” There’s some great pics. Check it … Continue reading
Joker Veidt: He who laughs last, laughs best
Despite the fact that my fiancé has drawn a hell of a lot of comics, we are not superhero people. We are, however, silent movie people, and apparently we weren’t the first to notice that the grotesque, prosthetic smile once worn onscreen by German actor Conrad Veidt looks an awful lot like the Joker. As … Continue reading
Batman: a memoir in media
As far back as I can remember I’ve always been a fan of Batman. As a young girl who wasn’t one to read anything unless I had to, I never (and still haven’t, I’m only mildly ashamed to say) got into the comic books. I’m certain I’m still allowed to love Batman despite this fact. … Continue reading
What makes the Bat?
In honor of the upcoming The Dark Knight sequel (and the continuing and somewhat problematic Christian Bale interpretation of Bruce Wayne), here are five key traits of the Batman, according to Gavin. (Sources will be cited, but like Frank Miller’s bat-universe, my bat-universe may diverge slightly from accepted continuity.) 1. Bruce Wayne is the mask. … Continue reading
