Sunday, June 16, 2013

90 - Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, part 2

    Picking up where the last one ended, this portion ties off Batman's relationship with the Joker, followed by his rivalry with Superman, and his eventual death.
    This was far better than the first half.  In part, because seeing Batman dealing with the Joker is very satisfying.  But it wasn't just that.  It was that this portion had the resolution for the story set up by the first half.  The only way to make both halves work as independent movies would be to restructure the entire story, which could be done, but it would make it less faithful an adaptation.
    The Joker storyline is interesting.  I don't really care about the stories that focus on how the Joker is a response to the existence of Batman (although this is a key point made in their storyline).  What makes this one pay off is how violent the Joker is.  He gasses a studio audience.  Then he runs amok in a fairground.  He escapes from Batman into the Tunnel of Love, during which he runs down the path, casually shooting everyone he sees.  The comics are a little more restrained in showing the deaths, and they usually restrict it to gas-related deaths.
    The showdown between Batman and Superman isn't something that I care too much about.  They're interesting stories, since they rely on Batman going through a lot of planning.  I don't care about their fight too much, but it leads directly into the ending, which is very pleasing.
    What makes this story special is that Batman works as a leader during the second half.  He rallies the gang that has taken his name, and gets them to help out in controlling a crisis.  It seems responsible, and it's good to see Batman inspiring admirable behavior.
    The one storyline that I wish had played out better was the relationship between Batman and Robin.  There was one moment that was very nice, when Batman praises her performance.  But then there was the problem of this Robin not having much of a motivation to become Robin, except for being impressed by Batman.
    Still, the pair is worth watching.  The animation is still cheap, but it isn't terrible.

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