As any professor would tell you, "No".Jrecee wrote:I've read a lot of wikipedia articles, does that count?
Not saying you need to go all out, but you should understand the defining characteristics of the character you are writing about.
Batman
Re: Batman
Not saying you need to go all out, but you should understand the defining characteristics of the character you are writing about.
Re: Batman
Considering how long batman has been around, and how hundreds if not thousands of people have injected their take on him into the comics, I don't think there's one exact version of batman that's the right one. Look at the original 1989 Batman movie, Tim Burton clearly didn't know much about batman, yet he still made a really great movie that had his take on the characters. Fans will of course argue that batman kills in these movies, but it's more like that over the top movie killing that heroes got away with in the 80s (Indiana Jones). I thought Michael Keaton was interesting as both Batman and Bruce Wayne. On the other side you've got Christian Bale, who practically played 2 completely different roles which was more like the Clark Kent/Superman role that Christopher Reeve did. In the few batman comics I've read, and in all the other movies/shows I've seen, nobody has played up the phony playboy role as much as Christian Bale did in Begins and The Dark Knight. Then of course you have the old Adam West batman who was the complete opposite of the comic version, and yet he's still probably the most recognizable and iconic takes on batman so far.
I think if you asked people what they're definitive take on batman was they'd all have conflicting opinions.
I think if you asked people what they're definitive take on batman was they'd all have conflicting opinions.
Re: Batman
It's never a bad idea to have a "fresh take" on a known character, but it's also not a good idea to tackle an iconic character without knowing his/hers beginnings.
Do you need an origin story?
No. That's what made the Joker so great in DARK KNIGHT.
Do you need to know a character's almost 100 year history?
No. Too many facets, too much baggage.
Do you need to know the characters that define the character?
Yes.
Take it as you will. Just trying to help. A friend of mine writes Buffy/Spike/Angel comics, and you wouldn't believe how many readers complain if the character does anything, and I mean anything, that is out of character.
Do you need an origin story?
No. That's what made the Joker so great in DARK KNIGHT.
Do you need to know a character's almost 100 year history?
No. Too many facets, too much baggage.
Do you need to know the characters that define the character?
Yes.
Take it as you will. Just trying to help. A friend of mine writes Buffy/Spike/Angel comics, and you wouldn't believe how many readers complain if the character does anything, and I mean anything, that is out of character.
Re: Batman
Well comics nerds will always find something to complain about. Spiderman uses webshooters! Batman would have saved ra's al ghul! Wolverine wears a mask! etc. I'm trying to think what batman could do that would be completely out of character... Also, I think people give more leeway in an adaptation, as opposed to what a character does in issue 3 of a comic, and then what they do in issue 4. If batman acts like Christian Bale in episode 1, and then is acting like adam west in the next, that would be an issue. I'm not even going to attempt to write this to please every fan, that would be impossible. I think they summed up batman pretty easily in the dark knight; "I only have one rule".
You suggested, for example, that I should at the very least read The Untold Legend of Batman. Someone else would probably suggest I just read the long halloween. Someone else would say The Dark Knight Returns. I don't think the general concept behind batman is particularly complex. I think the complexity is added by whoever is writing that particular issue or story.
You suggested, for example, that I should at the very least read The Untold Legend of Batman. Someone else would probably suggest I just read the long halloween. Someone else would say The Dark Knight Returns. I don't think the general concept behind batman is particularly complex. I think the complexity is added by whoever is writing that particular issue or story.