A BRIEF HISTORY OF COMIC BOOK MOVIES

A BRIEF HISTORY OF COMIC BOOK MOVIES. Wheeler Winston Dixon and Richard Graham. Palgrave Macmillan; 2017.

This is indeed a very brief overview of comic book and comic strip adaptations that comes off more like a long article than a book. Chapters look at characters from the DC Comic universe, such as Superman and Batman; the characters of the Marvel Universe, such as Iron Man and the Fantastic Four; Japanese anime; and independent films such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The book is breezily written for the most part, makes some good points about these movies, but in some ways comes off like a well-done term paper. There are no photographs. It's strange that the publisher didn't invest in some pictures and thicken the book's page count.

Verdict: Publish or perish? **1/2.

THOSE COOL COMIC BOOK HEROES!

Superman vs Nuclear Man from Superman IV

THOSE COOL COMIC BOOK HEROES! 

This week Great Old Movies looks at films that star famous super-heroes such as Superman and Batman. We first look at comic book heroes whose exploits were adapted for cliffhanger serials (such as Blackhawk and Spy Smasher), then jump to films of the seventies and more recent flicks such as Wonder Woman. We've also got a section on animated features, most of which star Batman or Superman. In other words, we've got more super-powered and/or heroic (or villainous) characters than you can shake a stick at! Enjoy!

NOTE: All of the heroic characters covered this week originally appeared in comic books with the exception of Captain Midnight, whose exploits were first charted on the radio and in the serial before he got his own successful comic book series. 

ANIMATED HEROES

Here's a round-up of several animated super-hero features:

Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam (2010). This DVD compilation of short films features Superman and Captain Marvel battling the sinister Black Adam and also shows how homeless youth Billy Batson became the great Captain Marvel. A Spectre story has the ghostly detective Jim Corrigan solving the murder of a Hollywood producer and providing a very final solution. Green Arrow, with the help of Black Canary (to whom he successfully proposes), saves the life of a young princess targeted by both the bow-slinging assassin Merlyn and the dizziness-inducing Count Vertigo. In perhaps the best story, written by Joe E. Landsale, disfigured western anti-hero Jonah Hex looks for a missing friend and discovers a murderous hooker who is left to a dark but satisfying fate -- it comes off like an EC horror story. All of these stories feature excellent animation, drawing, and direction, with good scoring as well. The big surprise is that a number of name actors do the voice work: Gary Cole, Alyssa Milano, Thomas Jane, Malcolm McDowall, and even James Garner [!] as the old wizard, Shazam. Once upon a time actors used to resort to dinner theater -- now they do voice characterizations for classy cartoons instead! ***.

Son of Batman (2014). Director: Ethan Spaulding. Batman discovers that he has a son, Damian, by his friendly enemy Talia al Ghul. Damian spent ten years with the League of Assassins run by Talia's father and is like no ten-year-old you ever saw. When Ras al Ghul is murdered by the mercenary Deathstoke, Damian vows to kill him. Meanwhile Kirk Langstrom has been importuned to help Deathstroke create mutated warriors that resemble bats. Nightwing and Killer Croc also get into the action. Written by Joe R. Landsdale, this emerges as a very classy cartoon, very well-directed and beautifully drawn. ***1/2.

Amanda Waller of Batman: Assault on Arkham

Batman: Assault on Arkham (2014). Directors: Jay Oliva; Ethan Spaulding. Cold-blooded Amanda Waller, who runs Task Force X of the Suicide Squad, a group of conscripted criminals whose heads are implanted with bombs in case they disobey her, has the group infiltrate Arkham Asylum to kill the Riddler, who knows too much about them. Her team consists of Harley Quinn, Deadshot, King Shark,  KGBeast (who is quickly killed by Waller), Killer Frost, Captain Boomerang, and Black Spider. Batman not only has to contend with this task force, but with the fact that the imprisoned Joker has hid a dirty bomb that could kill millions somewhere in Gotham. While one could argue that this is more a Suicide Squad movie than a Batman flick, Assault on Arkham is well-done, exciting and suspenseful. CCH Pounder makes a great Waller, and the other voice characterizations are also on the money. ***.

Batman vs. Robin (2015). Director: Jay Oliva. Very young Damian Wayne is now living with his father, Bruce Wayne -- who is not exactly Father of the Year --  and going out on dangerous adventures with Batman as the new Robin. Damian is rebellious and disagrees with his father's code against killing. He falls under the influence of a murderous vigilante named Talon, who belongs to a secretive group of the wealthy known as the Court of Owls. Will Talon's persuasiveness cause Damian to give in to his dark side? Like recent Batman comics, Batman vs. Robin is dark and has some interesting psychological aspects to it. Written by J. M. DeMatteis. ***.

Justice League: Gods and Monsters (2015). Director: Sam Liu. Instead of the regular Justice League, this movie presents an alternate universe (and less interesting) version of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, who are criticized for their overly violent methods in dealing with criminals. Then they find they are being framed for the murders of scientists such as Ray Palmer (Will Magnus also figures in the plot).The robotic villains are uninteresting and the movie is more gruesome than it needs to be. Instead of an Amazon, this Wonder Woman comes from New Genesis, home of the "New Gods." Superman is the son of General Zod, and Batman is a vampire. Ultimately, this is just mediocre. Benjamin Bratt sounds completely different as Superman than he does as his normal self. **1/2.

Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders (2016). Director: Rick Morales. Someone had the idea of making a full-length animated feature of the old Batman TV show of the sixties, and using the voices of Adam West, Burt Ward, and Julie Newmar to play Batman, Robin, and Catwoman. The femme fatale and her uncertain partners, Riddler, Joker, and Penguin, do their best to stymie or kill the heroes and get away with the loot. Batman is turned evil with a potion created by Catwoman, and a machine spits out duplicates of the Caped Crusader who do his nasty bidding. The movie is ... cute, but forgettable. The animation is fluid, however, and the movie looks good. **1/2.

Batman: Bad Blood (2016). Director: Jay Oliva. When Batman is seemingly killed, Dick Grayson takes over as the Caped Crusader with the help/hindrance of little Damian Wayne (or Robin), and the assistance of Batwoman, Batwing, and Alfred. Meanwhile, Damian's mother, Talia al Ghul, and the League of Shadows, enact a deadly plot to take over the world. Talia is surprisingly malevolent in this, more like her father, and proves she has little maternal love for her child. The movie does not decline to deal with Batwoman's gay sexuality, which is handled positively. With fluid and exciting visuals, a good musical score, and a host of creditable voice actors, this adds up to a very entertaining animated Bat-flick. ***

The Joker from Batman: The Killing Joke

Batman: The Killing Joke (2016). Director: Sam Liu. In this disappointing adaptation of a classic graphic novel, we are presented with a possible origin for the Joker, who was once an unsuccessful comic whose life took a tragic turn, but too much time in this film is taken up with the lame character of Batgirl. Unconvincing sequences include Batgirl and Batman suddenly having sex (not graphically portrayed) on a rooftop, and The Joker getting Batman to laugh out loud with a joke that isn't even that funny. Much of the story takes place in an abandoned amusement park where the Joker tortures Commissioner Gordon. As usual, Kevin Conroy makes a perfect Batman/Bruce Wayne, and Mark Hamill is splendid as the Joker. It's strange that this was given an "R" rating when it doesn't seem that different from other DC animated features that are generally rated PG-13. **1/2.

Justice League Dark (2017). Director: Jay Olivia. When the Justice League comes up against a magical menace that causes innocent people to murder friends and family, Batman gathers together a team that can deal with the supernatural aspects of the case: John Constantine, Zatanna, Deadman, Jason Blood (aka the Demon Etrigan), with some extra help from Swamp Thing. The main villain at first appears to be old-time JLA foe  Felix Faust, but there are even more sinister forces at work. The movie is well-directed and exciting, with excellent voice characterizations. The actors include everyone from Jason O'Mara and Jerry O'Connell to Alfred Molina. Based on a short-lived DC Comic book. In this movie Jason Blood and the Demon are at last separated and the centuries-old Blood (a knight at Camelot) passes on. ***.

Teen Titans: The Judas Contract (2017). Director: Sam Liu. Based on a storyline that appeared in the New Teen Titans comic book in the 90's, this has new member Terra (Christina Ricci), joining the group at the direction of villainous Deathstroke, who is in the employ of Brother Blood. Blood, who appeared in New Teen Titans, but was not part of this particular storyline, is well-voiced by Gregg Henry. This animated feature has its fun and exciting moments, but in no way does it compare to the original comic book stories. **1/2. 

JUSTICE LEAGUE: DOOM

Vandal Savage explains his plan

JUSTICE LEAGUE: DOOM (2012). Director: Lauren Montgomery.

In this direct-to-video animated feature, the members of the Justice League -- Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash etc. -- engage the Royal Flush Gang in a fight and wonder where the criminals got their rather high-tech weaponry. Turns out the JL's real enemy is Vandal Savage [a character first introduced way back in the golden age of comics], a former caveman who has lived a thousand lifetimes, accumulated vast knowledge, and naturally wants to control the earth, planning to destroy half of it first with a solar flame. Headquartered in his Hall of Doom, Savage has gathered together a group of the League's arch enemies into a group he calls the Legion of Doom: Bane, The Cheetah, Metallo, Star Sapphire, and others. A sub-plot has the league members discovering that Batman secretly had contingency plans for stopping each member should they ever go rogue, which doesn't sit well with most of them. With good music and good [if not great] animation, and an exciting climax, Justice League: Doom has lots of super-hero vs super-villain action and is a good bet for comic book fans, and Justice League fans in particular. Voice actors include Kevin Controy (Batman) and Tim Daly (Superman). NOTE: You can read more about the Justice League in The Silver Age of Comics.

Verdict: Until that much-announced live-action Justice League movie comes along ... ***. 

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

Tom Hardy as Bane and Christian Bale as Batman

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2012). Director: Christopher Nolan.

"You're not living. You're just waiting -- waiting for things to go bad again."

This is the sequel to The Dark Knight and the third in a trilogy of films made by Christopher Nolan about Batman, and probably the worst of the three. Bruce Wayne/Batman (Christian Bale) has been laying low since the events of The Dark Knight but has to come out of retirement to take on the threat of Bane (Tom Hardy), a grotesque killer that he thinks is the son of old enemy Ras Al Ghul. Bane not only manages to kidnap and imprison Batman in a hole called the Pit, but takes over Manhattan Island -- uh, I mean Gotham -- and holds everyone hostage with a nuclear bomb that is going to go off eventually whether he detonates it or not. [This leads to a mini-revolution that makes Occupy Wall Street look like a walk in the park.] This a perfectly workable plot and this might have amounted to a thrilling movie if Nolan was content to make a satisfying and exciting action film with good characterizations and acting [which this has for the most part]. Instead Nolan drags his meandering movie out for nearly three hours, has lots and lots of talking and brooding, and fails to craft one single memorable set piece throughout the entire movie -- yes, there is not one really memorable sequence. The Dark Knight, which started out very badly, eventually became compelling and entertaining, but The Dark Knight Rises never really amounts to much despite all the busyness and the pretentious stabs at profundity. Even the Batman comic books have had more meaningful stories than this. Worse, The Dark Knight Rises isn't especially well directed, edited or photographed, and at times you get the impression that the music [Hans Zimmer], as is often the case, is doing most of the work [at keeping the audience awake, for one thing], although even the score is nothing special.

There are some good things, however. There is an unexpected development late in the picture regarding one of the characters which I found to be a genuine surprise [and which I should have seen coming]. The acting is quite good, with Bale making an effective caped crusader, and Michael Caine a strong and sympathetic Alfred. I don't know what to make of the weird voice Tom Hardy uses in his turn as Bane [which could be his normal voice, of course] but it doesn't seem to suit the character. Anne Hathaway is good as Selina Kyle [never referred to as the Catwoman, although that's who she is], although her character is pretty unlikable, and Marion Cotillard [Nine] really scores as Miranda, who is involved in Wayne industries and dallies with Brucie Boy in the bedroom. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is fine as the cop, Blake, who sort of functions as an uncostumed Robin, and there are satisfactory turns from Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Matthew Modine, and others.

Verdict: Pick up a good Batman comic book instead. **.

BATMAN: UNDER THE RED HOOD

BATMAN: UNDER THE RED HOOD  (2010). Director: Brandon Vietti.

Years ago, after the original Robin, Dick Grayson, became an adult and changed his name to Nightwing, DC Comics decided to give Batman/Bruce Wayne a new boy partner in the person of one Jason Todd, who became the new Robin. Only a year or two after introducing the character, the powers-that-be at DC completely changed his origin, in effect creating an entirely different character who never caught on with fans. These same fans also preferred the darker version of Batman, who worked best alone, so Jason Todd was killed off in an effective story arc called "A Death in the Family." Decades later Batman discovered that Jason was alive, but he had become a grim crusader -- Red Hood -- who had no problem murdering his opponents, and even tried to kill Batman. The whole story is told in this entertaining animated feature which features excellent voice performances from Bruce Greenwood as Batman and John Di Maggio as the Joker. Neil Patrick Harris, Jensen Ackles, and Jason Isaacs are also swell as, respectively, Nightwing, Jason Todd, and Bat-opponent Ra's Al Ghul. With fluid animation and a surprisingly moving wind-up, this is actually better than the live-action Batman movies, including Tim Burton's Batman and The Dark Night.

Verdict: One of the most interesting Batman stories ever. ***1/2.

JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRISIS ON TWO EARTHS

JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRISIS ON TWO EARTHS (Direct-to-Video/2010). Directors: Sam Liu; Lauren Montgomery.

This is an offshoot of the Justice League animated series, but its origins date back to the 1960's and the silver age of comics. The Justice League comic book introduced the concept of parallel worlds that basically resembled each other but had certain differences. In the 29th and 30th issues of their comic the Justice League discovered that on an "Earth-3" there lived an evil counterpart of their league called the Crime Syndicate. These nasty characters reappeared several times over the years, including stories of the modern age. In this feature-length cartoon, Earth-3's benevolent counterpart of the evil Lex Luther comes to the League's Earth to ask their help in defeating the Crime Syndicate, who have essentially taken over the entire world. Earth-2's American president is afraid to fight against them for fear that the Syndicate will retaliate against the populace, leading his daughter to speak out against the evil group herself. One of the syndicate's members, Owl Man, wants to wipe out all of reality with a special bomb he's made. The assorted super-heroes and super-villains are voiced by the likes of William Baldwin, Gina Torres, James Woods, Mark Harmon, Chris Noth and many others. This is colorful fun for super-hero fans of all ages. The movie was written by Dwayne McDuffie, a talented comic book professional who died much too young. NOTE; To read more about the silver age adventures of the Justice League, Earth-3, and the Crime Syndicate see The Silver Age of Comics.

Verdict: You can't keep good heroes -- and villains -- down. ***

BATMAN (1989)

BATMAN (1989). Director: Tim Burton.

"I am the world's first fully-functioning homicidal artist." -- The Joker.

In Gotham City there are rumors of a bat-like creature preying on criminals. A mobster named Jack Napier (Jack Nicholson) falls into a vat of chemicals while battling this creature -- Batman (Michael Keaton) -- and turns into the grotesque Clown Prince of Crime, the Joker, who causes numerous deaths by poisoning various cosmetics and household supplies. Batman must then stop his nemesis from not only slaughtering thousands of Gothamites at a celebration, but must rescue his lady love, reporter Vicki Vale (Kim Basinger) from the Joker at a climax in a cathedral. Batman, whose human dramatics are awkwardly written and played, is more a campy black comedy than anything else, and is a bit slow and dull to boot. The movie is overlong and over-produced, although it gets points for its striking scenic design if little else. Keaton is miscast, and Nicholson walks off with the movie, although his psychotic Joker is never really scary. There are some moments that are dumber than anything in the old Batman serials. The climax, which may or may not have been intended as a homage to Vertigo's bell tower sequence, is stretched out to a tedious degree. Jack Palance and Michael Gough are good as hoodlum Grissom and Alfred the butler, respectively.

Verdict: All too typical of movies that pay more attention to production design and FX than they do to story and character. **.

BATMAN AND ROBIN (1949)

BATMAN AND ROBIN 1949 15-chapter Columbia serial. Director: Spencer Bennet. 

Batman (Robert Lowery) and Robin (John Duncan) cross wits and figurative swords with a criminal mastermind known only as the Wizard. The suspects for his real identity are numerous: the grumpy old Professor Hammil (William Fawcett) who seems to be crippled but can attach himself to a certain energy device; Dunn, the skulking private eye (Michael Whalen); radio announcer Barry Brown (Rick Vallin), who always seems to know what everyone is up to ahead of time; or Carter (Leonard Penn), Hammil's unctuous butler. [The Wizard's voice appears to be dubbed by Gerald Mohr.] The relatively colorless Jane Adams plays photographer Vicki Vale, who has a crooked brother named Jimmy. Lyle Talbot plays Commissioner Gordon. The Wizard employs such devices as a remote control machine that can stop cars and trains in their tracks, and another machine that turns him invisible to wreak more havoc. Robert Lowery makes an okay Batman/Bruce Wayne, and 26-year-old John Duncan is fine and credible as an adult Robin. The near-operatic theme music is also quite memorable. 

Verdict: Suspenseful and fun. ***.

BATMAN SERIAL

BATMAN (15-chapter Columbia serial/1943). Director: Lambert Hillyer. 

"Don't be absurd! That simpering idiot could never be the Batman!" -- Dr. Daka. 

"Another Batman killed, eh? I hope that is the last of them." -- Ditto. 

Batman (Lewis Wilson) and Robin (Douglas Croft) tangle with the members of the League of the New Order, who are after supplies of radium for their special gun -- and worse -- an atom disintegrator. The League consists of American traitors being led by Japanese spy Dr. Tito Daka (J. Carrol Naish), who has a brain machine that turns men -- and women -- into slaves, as well as two pet gators [Nojo-nojo and Soko-soko] waiting hungrily beneath a trap door in his interesting headquarters (which is located inside a chamber of horrors). The league has a getaway car that cleverly changes color via the use of a special gas, and at one point Daka employs poisoned cigarettes to off some of his enemies. An amusing scene has a Japanese man in suspended animation arrive in a case to deliver a brief message and then die. Bruce Wayne's friend Linda Page (Shirley Patterson) gets involved when her wrongly accused Uncle Marty (Gus Glassmire) gets out of jail and becomes one of Daka's first mind-slaves. The Batman -- the article is always used in classic fashion -- works out of a "Bat's Cave" and leaves a bat insignia on the foreheads of thugs in the manner of pulp [and serial hero] the Spider. Wilson and Croft are fine as Bruce/Batman and Dick/Robin, and William Austin is excellent and amusing as their plucky butler Alfred. Charles Middleton -- Ming the Merciless himself -- shows up in a sympathetic role of the old miner, Ken Colton, illustrating Middleton's versatility. Shirley Patterson is swell; under the name Shawn Smith she appeared in such nifty items as It, The Terror from Beyond Space, World Without End and The Land Unknown. While it may not be considered his best performance and he is hardly Japanese, J. Carrol Naish is terrific as Daka and seems to be having a lot of fun as well. The fisticuffs in the film don't compare to the well-choreographed fight scenes in Republic's cliffhangers, but they get better as the serial proceeds. There are some nifty cliffhangers, including a descending freight elevator in chapter 7, and closing walls with spikes -- even as Linda faces a mind-blowout -- in chapter 13. Lee Zahler's dramatic theme music is also memorable. The "Bat's Cave" of this serial was later carried over and put in the comics, as was the secret entrance to it inside a grandfather's clock. Alfred in the comics was made thinner to look more like William Austin. 

Verdict: Fast-paced and atmospheric for the most part, this captures some of the flavor of the comics of the period. ***.

BATMAN AND ROBIN

BATMAN AND ROBIN (1997). Director: Joel Shumacher.

Batman (George Clooney) and Robin (Chris O'Donnell) have their hands full with the crazy Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger), when he teams up with the equally crazy Poison Ivy (Uma Thurman) and her silent confederate, Bane (Jeep Swenson). They hope to flash-freeze the entire planet so that the world can start anew, and Ivy's mutant plant-animals can overrun the globe. Alfred's niece Barbara (Alicia Silverstone) becomes Batgirl so she can help the boys overcome the threat. Absurd but colorful Batman feature is too silly, too campy, illogical, and way, way too long, but it has its exciting and amusing moments. The stand-out bit is a thrilling moment near the opening when the boys are aboard Mr. Freeze's runaway rocket; the climax also has its share of exciting stunts and last-second saves. George Clooney isn't bad as an ultra-cool, reign-in-the-emotions Batman, O'Donnell is perky, Silverstone is adequate, and Michael Gough is excellent, as usual. Schwarzenegger walks off with the picture, however. As the fragile Dr. Isley AKA sexy Poison Ivy, the attractively homely Thurman acts as if she's seen one too many Mae West movies and sometimes seems to be in a different movie from everyone else, but she's acceptable as a camp-villainess. The true stars of the picture are those responsible for the special effects (especially Arnold's amazing freeze gun) and for the stunning art direction and scenic design (the observatory building is something to behold). Script-wise, the movie sort of seems thrown together, and despite all the action, it seems three hours long. Former super-model Elle Macpherson makes little impression as Bruce Wayne's girlfriend, Julie Madison. Batman and Robin resembles the comic book from different time periods, with a bit of the TV show and cliffhanger serials thrown in for good measure. Very different from The Dark Knight.

Verdict: Kind of exhausting but fun if you're game. **1/2.

THE BATMAN VS DRACULA

THE BATMAN VS DRACULA (2005). Director: Michael Goguen.

This is a feature-length animated film using the latest incarnation of The Batman from the WB's recent cartoon series. Bruce Wayne is no longer a pretty boy, but attractive in an average way. Butler Alfred Pennysworth is a bit on the uppity side. Although updated versions of both The Penguin and The Joker take part in the action, Batman's main adversary is no less than Dracula himself, whose remains somehow wound up in an underground cavern of Gotham cemetery. [Dracula is voiced none too well by actor Peter Stormare; Rino Romano is fine as Batman/Bruce.] Reporter Vicky Vale is the love interest and damsel in distress. While this has some exciting scenes and some fluid animation, it's still a fairly standard comic book adventure.

Verdict: For fans of The Batman only. **1/2.

THE GREAT MOVIE SERIALS

THE GREAT MOVIE SERIALS: Their Sound and Fury. Jim Harmon and Donald F. Glut. Doubleday; 1972.

An entertaining look at the great and not-so-great cliffhanger serials, with chapters on the imperiled girls such as Pauline and Nyoka; Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers and other space heroes; western heroes such as the Lone Ranger; the aviator heroes; detectives such as Dick Tracy; classic villains; and superheroes like Captain Marvel, Superman and Batman. There are also photographs and interviews with several serial stars, and a foreword by actor Kirk Alyn (Superman and Blackhawk, among others). Harmon and Glut not only tell the stories of many of the most memorable serials, but also go behind the scenes, telling how certain stunts were done, and which serials borrowed footage from previous chapterplays and movies, and which were merely re-releases under another name. The authors' enthusiasm for these great old serials informs every page and makes you wish that more of them were available. [Luckily thanks to the video and DVD revolution many of these serials can be seen in their entirety, which was not true at the time of this book's publication.]

Verdict: Great!