Frank Miller is back on Batman, but the villains this time are certainly NOT gaudily dressed eccentrics or menacing muscle-bound maniacs. Holy Propaganda Batman!
Speaking at a comic book convention in San Francisco at the weekend, Miller, the author of The Dark Knight Returns and the Sin City series, said Batman could ill afford to chase fantasy villains when the real thing was on his doorstep.
“Not to put too fine a point on it, it’s a piece of propaganda,” he said.
“Superman punched out Hitler. So did Captain America. That’s one of the things they’re there for.“These are our folk heroes. I just think it’s silly to have Batman out chasing the Riddler when you’ve got al-Qaida out there.”
Comparing Batman to Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry character – a lone urban hero fighting a crime wave – Miller said: “Batman kicks al-Qaida’s ass … I wish the entertainers of our time had the spine and the focus of the ones who faced down Hitler.”
In the book, Holy Terror, Batman is “a reminder to people who seem to have forgotten who we’re up against”, the author said.
Miller, 49, is credited with rejuvenating the Batman series when he returned the character to his dark roots in the Dark Knight Returns in the 1980s. He is one of the most successful graphic novelists, and last year turned to film, co-directing the adaptation of his graphic novel series Sin City.
Miller has drawn 120 pages of the 200-page graphic novel. There is no completion date.
Very interesting. Note, first of all, that Miller tells us EXACTLY what this is. Good. Very honest. Note also that Batman didn’t get in on all that Hitler action. For that reason alone, I’m willing to mostly ignore this “story”. With Miller at the helm, the plot of the graphic novel may even be pretty good. Probably not, mind you, but maybe.
Im not really sure how this is going to work out. Is there really enough of a terrorist presence in Gotham City to warrant the use of Batman? How are five guys with box cutters going to be able to last long enough in a fight against the smoke-spewing, batarang-flinging shadows to fill more than a couple of pages?
Or is he going to fight them overseas instead? I really dont think the black garb will adequately conceal him in the barren environment, and i doubt it will provide him much comfort in the opressive desert sun. Although if he keeps his cape tightly gripped around him, a casual glance might mistake him for one of the many heavily-attired women perusing the local bazaar.
I myself find Bruce Wayne himself far more suited for fighting terrorism than his superhero counterpart, as he could use his genius billionaire status to manipulate the petroleum markets, and redirect funds and resources out of the hands of terrorist supporters. He could provide assistance and training to the new Iraqi police force, so that they could better guard and protect their own country, thus hastening American withdrawl and quelling the peoples fears of an indefinite occupation. Surely these things would be of more help than merely pummeling a few swarthy fundamentalists in their respective faces!
Nevermind, BATMAN RULES! GO USA WE’RE #1!!!!!!