I wrote this last year for my graphic novel class.
My
favorite of the Batman comics so far are Batman by Gaslight because of its
exquisite artwork and interesting Freudian/Jack the Ripper story and Rainbow
Batman for its downright campiness. I understand these two stories are at the
most extreme ends of the Batman arc. One
celebrating a Batman who takes himself oh so seriously conversing with Freud
later accused of being Jack the Ripper and the other changing his costume more
than Madonna in an 80s concert including a black and white target and a
multi-color cape and tight ensemble. But that is the fun of Batman just like in
the films he ranges from Clooney to Keaton, Kilmer to West, and of course
Christian Bale in the heavy handed 3D Dark Knight. Because no matter how
serious or silly, as David Cronenberg said, 'It's still Batman running around
in a stupid cape.'
Four Batmans, One Cape
Nya Patrinos
Over the last week and a half I
have read four different Batman Comics: Batman 32, Batman 241 (The Rainbow
Batman), Batman 395 (The Case of the Waiting Graves), and A Tale of Batman –
Gotham by Gaslight. I enjoyed reading all of them and I believe it has helped my
understanding of the character Batman, as well as, the history of Comics. I
have never read a Batman comic before last week but I have already met many
Batmans from watching TV and movies. Each Batman comic I read possessed an
individual story, environmental design, character design and movement style.
In Batman 32, Batman is the most
simply drawn of the four comic books. He is all cape and ears rendered in his
traditional blue black costume. He is
more shape than form driven in his depiction. In the panels he seems to move
from one iconic pose to another. The world he inhabits isn’t one of rigid
perspective but of a fairy tale landscape perhaps imagined in a dream or a children’s
book. In Batman 241, Batman has become more muscular and less ethereal. Sculpted and heroic is the Batman in 395, the
muscles in his calves, thighs and chest are clearly defined as if drawn by
Michelangelo.
In Gotham by Gaslight we see much
more of Bruce Wayne than Batman. Bruce
is a big muscular guy. When he sits in
prison I am struck at how beefy he looks even in his striped suit. I am sure
nothing bad will happen to him. In Batman 32, we never see or hear about Bruce
Wayne and only inhabit the world of the Batman.
A Tale of Batman – Gotham by
Gaslight begins in world of dreams with the comic opening in a monochrome
palette with Batman recounting his parents’ murder to Freud. Like Batman 32,
nature is more important than architecture is this first scene. But in contrast
to Batman 32, we leave the dream world and move into a world of wide shots
filled with complex color, architecture and traditional perspective drawing.
In Batman 395, Batman 32 and the beginning
of Tale of Batman, Batman finds himself outside of Gotham City. 395 takes place in Mexico, 32 in Hungary and
Tale of Batman in Vienna and London. The worlds of these three Batman comics
are filled with horror or horrible creatures. In contrast, Rainbow Batman is
much lighter fare reminiscent of the wisecracking live action TV Batman and
Robin.
Rainbow Batman is text heavy and
filled with perspective following architecture.
Rainbow Batman’s world is not a moody world of fairy tale. His Gotham is
crowded and chaotic with most scenes happening in the daytime (or night lit as
if it were day). Rainbow Batman like his
world is not as dark and mysterious as the Batman in we meet in Batman 32.
Only Rainbow Batman works with his
sidekick Robin. Batman 395 has Robin in the issue but his story is separate
from Batman’s. So far in my reading
Batman with a sidekick is less serious than Batman, the loner.
A Tale of
Batman has the most sophisticated paneling using different color stories,
camera angles and innovative use of text. Batman 32, 241 and 395 make use
mainly of two and three panels across. In general, the later the Batman the
more interesting the paneling is.
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Namaste,
Nya