loud mysterious

[sergebroom]

I saw The Dark Knight over the weekend and, although I wasn't bored, I could have lived without having seen it. Yes, Heath Ledger was great as the Joker, but...

I'm not sure how to describe what my problem was with the movie, and with Batman Begins. There was a line in 1986's graphic novel The Dark Knight Returns where Green Arrow tells Batman that he's always been a mysterious figure, but a loud kind of mysterious. Let's put it this way. Did you ever see Daredevil? Everybody but my wife and I hated that movie. There is a scene where a wifebeater is celebrating his not having gone to jail, and a good time is being had all around. Then everybody becomes quiet and looks up at the skylight, and Daredevil is staring down at them. That's the Batman movie I'd have wanted to see, and that may be the one that Joss Whedon would have given us, but, hey, this one is making lots of money. They can afford to cry all the way to the bank in spite of my disapproval.

Oh well. I've always been more a Marvel fan than a DC fan, except for the latter's Superman, Green Arrow. And, of course, the Martian Manhunter.

Comments

[kouredios.livejournal.com]

I'm still not quite sure what "loud mysterious" means. Like, he's mysterious, but still gets a message across?

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

He's supposed to be a creature of the night, one fleetingly seen except by the results of his work, but he's not exactly maintaining a low profile, especially when he's zipping around the city in his monstrous car. (I've often wondered where he parks the darn thing when he's on a mission.)

By the way, do you know Green Arrow's nickname for Batman?
'Chuckles'.

[kouredios.livejournal.com]

I remember a scene in the first movie (1990) where the car has all-over body armor in place while it's parked in an alley. Hee.

So, there's not so much Batman being clearly visible to evildoers in these two movies? I remember some of that from the earlier ones. I only just saw Batman Begins last week, due to all the Batmania on TV right now, and figured his profile was lower because he was just getting started, and had no reputation with folks who might be inclined to fight him or lock him up if he showed his face too much, not knowing he's one of the "good guys." Could that be the case in The Dark Knight still?

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

Sure, nobody can break into his car, but it rather stands out and should make it difficult for him to sneak around. If you were an evildoer and if one of your henchpeople reported seeing that vehicle parked in your neighborhood, wouldn't you take extra precautions so that you-know-who doesn't go "Surprise!" on your lair's inhabitants?

His profile was rather high in Batman Begins, and probably was raised by his driving his car on a church's roof without the whole thing collapsing from under him. By Dark Knight, he's become so visible that copycats are going around dressed like him, but with guns.

[kouredios.livejournal.com]

So, I'm confused. You wanted him to be louder or quieter mysterious? :D It sounds like he was pretty loud in TDK.

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

I'd have preferred a quieter mysterious. (Sorry for the confusion. I blame my insufficient ingestion of caffeine. That's my story anyway, and I'm sticking to it. Heheheh.)

On the other hand, people don't go see comic-book-based movies wanting them to be quiet and restrained.

[kouredios.livejournal.com]

Ah-ha! Okay, that makes a lot more sense. I thought you wanted them to conform to what the Green Arrow says, and I wasn't sure how they didn't do that... :D


And, yeah. It would be neat if they could be both, though. That's the hope I'm holding on to for Watchmen... (hmm...need a Watchmen icon...)

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

At the risk of further confusing things... Green Arrow was criticizing Bats for being loudly mysterious, implying that you can't have both, and I'd tend to agree. Of course Green Arrow himself has gone for loud, big-time. Mystery isn't his thing, which is just as well, when you're wearing bright green tights.

:-)

As for Watchmen... My fingers are crossed.

[kouredios.livejournal.com]

Right, but that's still how Batman is yes? So it's at least true to form that he's loudly mysterious in the movie?

Remember too, that I haven't seen it, so I have no idea personally. :D

And here's the new Watchmen icon I just uploaded. I wanted a non-movie image, just in case...

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

True, the comic-book Batman is also loudly mysterious, but he does other things besides beating up bad guys, and blowing things up around Gotham City. For one thing, he is also a detective who uses his brain to figure out what the bad guy is up to.

The bottom line is that you may like the movie. It's all about how YMMV.

[kouredios.livejournal.com]

"It's all about how YMMV."

That pretty much describes everything, IMHO. :D

I'm mostly excited that TDK (and possibly even Watchmen) are things Jay is willing to see. He's generally not interested in my geeky interests. :(

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

Hmmm...

Your choice for a Watchmen icon is quite troubling.
Remind me to always be nice to you.
Heheheh.

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

That pretty much describes everything

Indeed. That's why, when someone asks me if a book I just finished reading was good, I usually respond that I liked it. There is such a thing as personal taste, and it is a valid basis for judgment.

Glad that hubby is willing to see those movies. When is Watchmen coming out, by the way?

[fledgist.livejournal.com]

The Martian Manhunter?

[kouredios.livejournal.com]

3-6-09, I believe.

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

So far away. And, two month later, there'll be Wolverine, and the reboot of Star Trek.

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

Here's a link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martian_Manhunter

He is the last Martian still alive - or used to be anyway - snatched away to Earth by a scientist's teleportation experiment. A shapeshifter, J'onn J'onzz is known by most people as John Jones. He's a minor DC character, but I rediscovered him in an early-1990s miniseries set in the late 1950s that featured Fidel Castro and people exploding during a live TV gameshow.

[etumukutenyak.livejournal.com]

I've always liked Plastic Man, myself.

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

Is he still around? I go to my usual bookstore once a week, but I don't remember seeing him on any cover. I suppose he may still be popping in as a guest in some comics.

[etumukutenyak.livejournal.com]

I've no idea -- I stopped reading comic books about 14 years ago -- just suddenly stopped, and didn't even realize it for a few years. I'm not sure I'll pick up the habit again. I still have most of my collection though, stored safely in my house now (where Mom can't accidentally throw it out with the other childhood stuff).

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

Fourteen years ago? That's when I came back to comics. Actually, I was still reading some comics before then, but it was more out of habit than for any other reason. Then Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross published their graphic novel Marvels, which, by showing a comic-book world from the point of view of a normal person, rekindled my love.

By the way, you still read comics. What else can one call the adventures of Agatha Heterodyne?

(As for keeping one's things safe from Mom,I understand the need all too well.)

[etumukutenyak.livejournal.com]

Hm. You're right. OK, 14 years minus 6 months of GGO. ;-)

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

14 years minus 6 months of GG

It's not like anybody is counting, eh?

[etumukutenyak.livejournal.com]

As we like to say, "good enough for government work". ;-) Fourteen years plus or minus one, and six months plus or minus two...and a small sample bias as well.

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

good enough for government work

Meanwhile, I work for a corporation, which means that we're told when we must have things ready. No plus or minus, not without having the higherups express some unhappiness. Right now, I've had a a few projects dumped in my lap that must be done by September 19 and at the same time my manager wants me to use up some of my vacation between now and then otherwise I'll have too many days to carry over to 2009. I smell a situation where I'll take time off then work 12-hour days to make up for the time when I wasn't working.

[etumukutenyak.livejournal.com]

Wasn't this a Dilbert cartoon a few years ago? I think it's one of the ones I cut out. You've entered The Boss Zone!

We get mandatory vacation days, only we call it "use or lose"; I have to schedule the rest of my vacation time this year but I do have a bit more flexibility. Part of my problem is that I get comp time for being on call (weekend/holiday). This means I don't need as many vacation days as I earn. Bosses just like to make life rough for everyone, don't they?

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

As for myself, my status changed a few months ago. That means they must pay me if I work overtime, which means I am seldom allowed to work overtime.

Yes, my head hurts.

We used to be allowed to carry as many one year's vacation days over to the following year, provided we used them by March 31. Not anymore. My higherup's higherups changed the rules last year. By December 31, we must not have more than five vacation days to carry over to the next year. I'm not sure if I'd lose days beyond the five. Well, with my wife getting her knee replaced in mid-November, I am planning to take a couple of weeks off. Maybe I'll take advantage of the situation to set up the Xmas Tree(*) before Turkey Day. Heck, it's not like my wife would be in a position to stop me. Bwahahahahah!!!

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(*) Yes, I am an atheist, but I like the Tree.

[etumukutenyak.livejournal.com]

Ah, I don't get overtime -- anyone above GS-9 doesn't.

I'm non-religious too, and technically Jewish (mother's side of the family); I grew up with Xmas trees and Hannukah bushes and all sorts of silly combinations. We like to put up a tree and now we have a lovely large room for a lovely large tree. It was very nice last winter.

Your wife might not be able to stop you, but she can still make you pay!!

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

she can still make you pay!!

If you mean that she'll threaten me with one of those go-sleep-on-the-couch warnings, that doesn't scare me because I expect it. You see, last year, when she had that knee surgery that didn't work out, we found that it took little to make her go 'Ouch' when sharing the bed with three dogs and me. I of course was let go.

As for the Tree, last year's had only one ornament among all the light:
http://pics.livejournal.com/serge_lj/pic/0002t6pt/g1