Batman: Earth One Review

Read Batman: Earth One, which is intended to be a "modernised" take on the character for a "new generation" of Batman fans. Like what All Star Batman was meant to be before Frank Miller went Wiseau and claimed that it was actually a comedy.

It fairs better than the Superman: Earth One comic, where Superman was reimagined as a gloomy hoodie wearing teenager in a move apparently targetted at the Emo or Twilight fan set, though maybe that's because a dark and brooding Batman is the standard model while when you try to write Superman the same way... things get weird.

Basic plot? Batman begins his campaign to investigate the death of his parents, mayorial candidate Thomas Wayne and his wife/campaign manager Martha Arkham-Wayne, who were killed in the middle of the election against theovertly corrupt mayor Oswald Cobblepot (never called the Penguin in-story, though they do reference him wearing a " trademark Penguin suit"). And while this is going on, former celebrity cop Harvey Bullock arrives in Gotham and is partnered up with the thoroughly beaten down Jim Gordon, loudly announcing that he's going to solve the Waynes' murder and get himself back in the limelight...

Overall, non-spoiler review? The art by Gary Frank is good, though occasionally a little dead-eyed, with the decision to actually show Bruce's eyes while he's in the costume actually improving how he emotions for the most part. The characterisation and dialogue worked for the most part, though there are some questionable things there.

 Some parts worked, some didn't, and you could really tell that it was written by Geoff Johns in places, considering some of the stuff inserted into the story to make it more "mature". Brings some new things to the table and presents them in such a way that they work in unexpected ways. Would read again, though I'm looking forward to the sequel more, considering the hint that they dropped about various characters.

Spoilers Follow

Similar, Yet Different: The Three Moriartys

With the recent Guy Richie Sherlock Holmes sequel, 'a Game of Shadows', and last Sunday's conclusion of Stephen Moffat's second series of 'Sherlock', I was struck by a number of things I thought were interesting. Namely, the ways that they portrayed Sherlock Holmes' archenemy: James Moriarty.

Now, the original one from the books was interesting in his own right: a celebrated mathematician and author of an early book on astrophysics who, at the same time, controlled all crime within the city of London. Every pickpocket, burglar, blackmailer or armed robber in town made sure that they gave the Professor a cut of their loot, in exchange for support setting up their capers as well as money for additional expenses if required.

Now both big and small screen incarnations of the character bear similarities to both each other, and their original source material, but how much so?

Here I cover the similarities and differences between the characters, and see whether sticking to source material effects the portrayal in a postive or negative manner. Is being original better than being being faithful to the books.

Now this contains spoilers for both Guy Richie movies as well as seasons one and two of Sherlock, so beware all ye who enter here. And, just to say, this is kind of my opinion, but if you have a different one, please let me know. Discussions are interesting.

Terry Pratchett's 'Snuff'

WANT!

According to the writer of the best selling crime novel ever to have been published in the city of Ankh-Morpork, it is a truth universally acknowledged that a policeman taking a holiday would barely have had time to open his suitcase before he finds his first corpse.

And Commander Sam Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch is on holiday in the pleasant and innocent countryside, but not for him a mere body in the wardrobe, but many, many bodies and an ancient crime more terrible than murder.

He is out of his jurisdiction, out of his depth, out of bacon sandwiches, occasionally snookered and occasionally out of his mind, but not out of guile. Where there is a crime there must be a finding, there must be a chase and there must be a punishment.

They say that in the end all sins are forgiven.

But not quite all…

Publication: 13th October 2011