Better than the real thing ...

... sometimes it actually happens - that the film is better than the book. If these two can be even be described. What this is all about? -Well 'the Bat' of course.

Batman - the Dark Knight Returns as a film and comic can't really be compared on the same day so I won't, but that said - the comic is great and the film better.

The comic then, well it's Frank Miller and it is neatly drawn. I do like even more flashy crisp fully colorized drawings than this but it works. (I still hold a good Wolverine number of this over this compare: Blood & Sorrow)

The story on the other hand is a great one. The plot in short - Bruce Wayne has put his costumed alter ego Batman to a rest for ten years, Commissioner Gordon is a week from retirement but things get messy in Gotham City as they often do. Bruce can't resist the urge to clean the mess up and Commissioner Gordon wants to leave his post with a clear conscience and the town in a good shape.

Throughout the book we are pulled through the classical dramaturgic roller coaster, we get to see the rise and fall and in-betweens of Batman and his allies. But what I lack is the villains. Sure there's one or two tossed in here and there but the main enemy now is a horde, a grey mass of "Mutants" without personality and seemingly even without any other vicious grand motives than to destroy Gotham. Where's the Joker's world-wide-affecting smile-bombs and the Penguin's army of robot penguins or whatever.

Still we got some gadgetry and motors of the more evil kind - the "Batmobile" is nothing short of an indestructible truck and we get to see Batman bleed and torment, we get to see an aged Clark Kent steer off a Russian nuke as a little hint to cold war clashes between the US and them.

All in all this is indeed comics and especially super hero comics at its best but I expected even more. But then again I demanded nothing short of '300' of "This shit is the best I've ever read and seen"-level and I didn't get that. Can't wait to get down to the local dealer and get something new to sink my teeth into - Suggestions?

Wanted [Comic]

I've read the comic Wanted a few weeks ago but haven't gotten around to review it just yet.


"Average Joe"-type of guy finds out his dad is an infamous villain that is part of a large organization of criminals ruling the world after they had battled out all the superheros in the grand battle a decade or two ago.

This is the starting plot in a great read with quite adult content, no not that kind of adult, but explicit language and sex scenes and such. For a generation like me that is brought up on "Bamse" and "Donald Duck" it is great to see the bad guys actually beating the crap out of the good guys and so on.

The way Weslay finds this out is in many ways a parallell to what Nemo does in Matrix and in the same way I can't help but seeing how similar the character Wesley and Eminen are and even more so his "fan" Stan.

All in all you get what you expect, some twists and turns, not overly thick plot, but greatly drawn panels in a colored realistic modern way - exactly how I like my comics.

But what is more important this brings me one step closer towards unwrapping the plastic around my "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns"
Mark Millar - Frank Miller ... so similar names, yet they play in different leagues.

See you next Batbloggpost, same Battime, same batchannel.

What would Banksy do?

The girl of my dreams, woman of my life, live-in, friend, lover and apparantly soon-to-be partner-in-crime. Came up with an idea or if it rather was a "dream" she shared I am not to sure which.

But she thought it would be cool to make a stencil and post somewhere - something that was our own. Well if this isn't our own then I don't know what. Time will tell where it'll end up. But be sure to look out on the city's walls while in Oslo next time


For those of you that are inclined to crime and would even consider making one yourself, here's how to:

1. While in Photoshop - Image - Desaturate
2. Image - Posterize (2 levels)
3. Filter - CutoutClean it - make sure there's no isolated areas of white, can't cut that way.
   
4. Trim uneven edges and simplify graphics
5. Print
6. Cut with a razor or scalpell
7. Tape it up on the designated spot
8. Spray - remove paper - watch it dry
9. Enjoy the new streetcred earned!