Can I Ask You Comics Folks Some Questions?

[PhoebePreble]

So, I'm sort of the Batman equivalent of a fair-weather fan. I know all the characters and have read some of the comic books and it's all pretty dang awesome. Anyway, what with the movies and things, the whole Batman franchise is totally going crazy. I wanted to ask all you hard-core fans of both the movies and the comic books what you guys thought about a few things. I just want to know.

1. Did you guys like Heath Ledger's potrayal of the Joker? Was it loyal to the comic books?
2. If you're a Ledger fan, would you be all right with a new Joker in the next movie, or would that character have to be retired for a few years?
3. Who do you want to appear in the next movie? Catwoman seems to be the general consensus, but personally, I'm pretty opposed to it. Come on. That whole idea was pretty much spent in the Catwoman movie, which was terrible.
4. Say the Penguin was in Movie 3. Who do you want to play him?
5. Say the Riddler was in Movie 3. Who then?
6. What about Anarky?!
7. And Robin! (Could he be sufficiently de-lamified?) (PS. Don't take offense. I'm very opinionated on the subject of Robin.)

Go ahead and post on any of these subjects if you like.

[GrifterWC]

1. Did you guys like Heath Ledger's potrayal of the Joker? Was it loyal to the comic books?

I thought Ledger was tremendous as the Joker, and besides the small changes (make-up instead of white skin) he was as close to the comic character you can get IMO.

2. If you're a Ledger fan, would you be all right with a new Joker in the next movie, or would that character have to be retired for a few years?

It would be great but I don't think it's going to happen. It would be too soon bringing in another actor to play that role, the focus would be on how well/bad he compares to Ledgers character.

3. Who do you want to appear in the next movie? Catwoman seems to be the general consensus, but personally, I'm pretty opposed to it. Come on. That whole idea was pretty much spent in the Catwoman movie, which was terrible.

As long as the movie has a great script and cast I don't really care who the villain's are but I'd like to see Catwoman, Penguin or Black Mask.

4. Say the Penguin was in Movie 3. Who do you want to play him?

Phillip Seymour Hoffman or Bob Hoskins

5. Say the Riddler was in Movie 3. Who then?

I'm not sure.

6. What about Anarky?!

As a minor character maybe, but not as someone important to the story.

7. And Robin! (Could he be sufficiently de-lamified?)

I really don't want to see Robin.

[shaxper]

1. Did you guys like Heath Ledger's potrayal of the Joker? Was it loyal to the comic books?

First off, I think it's important to clarify that Nolan's Batman film franchise is not attempting to resemble the comic books. It's taking them to a new and very different level. In the most basic of ways, Ledger's Joker is very much in tune with the comic book character, but I would hesitate to call it or anything in the film "loyal" to the comic.


2. If you're a Ledger fan, would you be all right with a new Joker in the next movie, or would that character have to be retired for a few years?

I think he's too important and symbolic a presence in Nolan's Gotham to have him disappear off the face of the Earth. He isn't just a villain -- he's an embodiment of chaos, corruption, and anti-idealism. His presence is critical to Batman's central conflict of attempting to save Gotham and help it to realize the potential that his father once saw in it.


3. Who do you want to appear in the next movie? Catwoman seems to be the general consensus, but personally, I'm pretty opposed to it. Come on. That whole idea was pretty much spent in the Catwoman movie, which was terrible.

I think Catwoman and The Riddler are the only two logical choices from the rogue's gallery that could contribute to the franchise rather than simply take up space. Of course, I don't think it's beyond Nolan to pull out an unexpected second rate villain and make him amazing -- Mad Hatter, anyone?


4. Say the Penguin was in Movie 3. Who do you want to play him?

Penguin was a bad idea of a character to begin with, more in tune with the world of Dick Tracy than that of Batman. I don't ever want to see him in a Batman film again, regardless of what they do with him.


5. Say the Riddler was in Movie 3. Who then?

I wouldn't feel qualified to judge. I was the first to bitch when Ledger was chosen to play Joker, so I apparently know nothing about good casting decisions.


6. What about Anarky?! Now there's an excellent choice for a villain. Very much in tune with the themes explored in the first two films. Of course, Anarchy was a blatant rip-off of V for Vendetta, and I'm sure a lot of viewers would recognize this since that movie was in theaters not too long ago.


7. And Robin! (Could he be sufficiently de-lamified?) (PS. Don't take offense. I'm very opinionated on the subject of Robin.)
Yes, but not yet. Batman still has a lot of individual transformations to undertake before he's ready to share the dramatic center with a side-kick.

[Astonishing X-Fan]

1. Did you guys like Heath Ledger's potrayal of the Joker? Was it loyal to the comic books?

His portrayal was awesome, and very true to the comic version, perhaps even outdoing it. Might be the best Joker ever, in any medium.

2. If you're a Ledger fan, would you be all right with a new Joker in the next movie, or would that character have to be retired for a few years?

I'd be okay with it. Even if the replacement actor isn't as good, I like continuity and with Joker surviving I think it would be a shame to drop his character completely from the series. I don't think he should be the main villain again anytime soon but an appearance would be nice.

3. Who do you want to appear in the next movie? Catwoman seems to be the general consensus, but personally, I'm pretty opposed to it. Come on. That whole idea was pretty much spent in the Catwoman movie, which was terrible.

They have yet to do a Catwoman on the big screen that is actually faithful to the comic version. Returns and the Halle movie both were far departures from what the character really is, and the comic book Catwoman would fit very, VERY well into the current franchise. She shouldn't be the main villain, Catwoman works best straddling the line between hero and villain.

4. Say the Penguin was in Movie 3. Who do you want to play him?

I don't really have an idea, to be honest. As long as they don't ham it up like Devito's version of the character. Penguin's an intelligent, cultured crime boos who happens to be pretty ugly. No freaky mutants who bite people noses off please.

5. Say the Riddler was in Movie 3. Who then?

I'm not sure, but i don't know if I like the idea of Depp being cast. He's a great actor, but Riddler is supposed to be cool and calculated, and I can't help but think that a Depp version would be a little too wacky.

6. What about Anarky?!

Don't really know the character, so no comment

7. And Robin! (Could he be sufficiently de-lamified?) (PS. Don't take offense. I'm very opinionated on the subject of Robin.)

I don't consider Robin lame at all when written well, specifically Tim Drake. However, I wouldn't mind if they went the Nightwing route instead in the movie franchise. Like Bruce takes Dick Grayson in and begins to train him as a partner, but Dick doesn't agree with his idealology or methods and decides to break away, and becomes Nightwing.

I think out of the "Bat-family"...the ones that would work best in Nolan's movies would be Nightwing and Huntress.

[Dr. Ghost]

I would like to see David Tennant play the Riddler.
Dr. Who fans will know what I'm talking about.

I'm not sure about Robin, but I think Nightwing would be ok.
Maybe show Dick as Robin as a flashback.

[JerryvonKramer]

1. Did you guys like Heath Ledger's potrayal of the Joker? Was it loyal to the comic books?

My biggest concern before watching it, was that they'd just make him a pyscho, they didn't, he was everything the Joker should be. A showman, a psychologist, obviously insane, and f***king dark.

2. If you're a Ledger fan, would you be all right with a new Joker in the next movie, or would that character have to be retired for a few years?

I think it would be a mistake to re-cast the Joker. Why go over old ground when Ledger did such a great job? Especially given that Batman has the best rogues gallery in the world.

3. Who do you want to appear in the next movie? Catwoman seems to be the general consensus, but personally, I'm pretty opposed to it. Come on. That whole idea was pretty much spent in the Catwoman movie, which was terrible.

She could have a role to play. I can see Nolan liking the moral ambiguity of Catwoman, there's no Black and White in Nolan's Batman, and Catwoman is all grey.

Personally I'd like to see a Riddler/ Penguin combo. With Riddler as the criminal genius and Penguin as the kingpin/ mob boss who is taking over the city. Double whammy! Topic on this here: http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?t=232065

4. Say the Penguin was in Movie 3. Who do you want to play him?

Phillip Seymour Hoffman for sure.

5. Say the Riddler was in Movie 3. Who then?

This is my own idiosyncratic choice but Woody Harrelson (http://www.virginmedia.com/images/woody-harrelson-sag-280x400.jpg). I like the Riddler in his classic B:TAS (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/45/Animated_Riddler.jpg/150px-Animated_Riddler.jpg) look best and Harrelson looks like him.

[ComicBreak]

1. Did you guys like Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker? Was it loyal to the comic books?
I thought it was outstanding. As mentioned above, Nolan's movies aren't trying to be loyal to the comics but are more of a re-imagining but his Joker embodied the character better than any Batman movie ever.

2. If you're a Ledger fan, would you be all right with a new Joker in the next movie, or would that character have to be retired for a few years?
Out of respect, I think it's too soon to re-cast the part plus whoever did take on the role would have huge shoes to fill and wouldn't be judged on his own merits.

3. Who do you want to appear in the next movie? Catwoman seems to be the general consensus, but personally, I'm pretty opposed to it. Come on. That whole idea was pretty much spent in the Catwoman movie, which was terrible.
I don't care as long as the story is good. Catwoman makes sense because Bruce needs a love interest now that Rachel is dead.

4. Say the Penguin was in Movie 3. Who do you want to play him?
I have no idea.

5. Say the Riddler was in Movie 3. Who then?
Again, no idea.

6. What about Anarky?!
Good character but I don't think he could carry a movie.

7. And Robin! (Could he be sufficiently de-lamified?) (PS. Don't take offense. I'm very opinionated on the subject of Robin.)
Please, no Robin and no Batgirl. Ever.

[Captain Jim]

Hey, Phoebe, welcome to CBR. We're glad to have you here.

No offense, but we already have entire threads on most of the questions you've asked here, and I find this one to be pretty redundant. (Not to mention, way too much to cover in a single thread.) I suggest you read some of the other threads that have been posted here since the release of The Dark Knight for the answers to your questions.