Nerds and non-nerds united

It's Saturday. That used to mean comic-day in my world. Now, it just means weddings.

Day 6 | Just cause a guy reads comics doesn't mean he can't start some shiat

In just 6 days, the "Dark Knight" will be upon us. It isn't possible to be more excited about this movie. It just isn't. It's going to be like hitting a walk-off home run, losing your virginity and finding a fifty-dollar bill all rolled into one — for nerds. So, starting today, you could theoretically claim that I've gone bat-guano insane. Or, I've just been overcome with hype. Regardless, to span the time from this very moment that you are reading this to 12:01 a.m. on July 18th, I'll be exploring the good, the bad and the bad-ass about the Batman. Except for today, when I let others do my job for me. Enjoy.

I'm at my brother's wedding today. I hate when blogs get too personal. You don't care about my life. Nor should you.

I just thought you might enjoy a setting.

POW!

Today I turn over my blog to a friend (or two or three) of mine who enjoy the Bat as much as I do.

First is a friend and frink, Jason. He's the one that probably has my collection. Or at least, didn't punch me in the temple when I went to sell my stash.

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Here's his take on the essential comics:

1. The Killing Joke: The single greatest one-shot ever made. This propelled the Joker from crazy cartoon character to psychotic madman. He paralyzed and raped Barbara Gordon while making her father watch it on video on an amusement park ride. Plus you learned his origin. The last part, with him and Batman sharing a laugh over a joke, showed just how much both characters need each other.

2. Letting the fans vote on whether Robin #2 lives or dies: This is sort of forgotten, but, when the Joker blew up Jason Todd in Lebanon (hey, I don’t write this stuff), they actually let fans call in and vote for whether he lived or died. They gave the Russell Crowe thumbs-down, and Robin was dead. This actually lead to Batman killing the Joker after Joker tried to gas the UN (he had been named Ambassador for Iran, and I again must stress that I don’t write it). Truly gut-wrenching stuff.

3. The Knightfall Saga: Sure, this was the clichéd “hero falls and rises again”, but it was brilliantly done. Have every Batman villain, major or minor, break out of Arkham and have Batman have to round them up, which only set him up for getting broken by Bane. Then have a darker, more violent Batman take over, only to have the old Batman return triumphantly. Sure, it went on too long, but it was worth it in the end.

4. All the crossovers: Dracula, the Punisher, the Hulk, the Predator…I could go on and on. I only wish that they had done the Batman/Peanuts crossover I was clamoring for.

5. The Dark Knight Returns: This launched Batman into the modern era. Frank Miller made a dark hero even darker. I’ve only read this one a couple times, but it’s the seminal new Batman book.

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And, just so you don't think all I read is nerd... Here's a female take on the Dark Knight from the non-nerd perspective.

I have existed in a world of NERD (not GERD, though that day is coming) for most of my life, all in happy oblivion. I've spent 21 years as best friend to a nerd who was/is obsessed with Spider-Man, X-Men, the Rocketeer, Nintendo games, things as such. I spend large amounts of time (or did, until they read this) with friends who talk about things like Iron Man, Battlestar Galactica, Pokemon, and other things I can't even discuss, because they make me cringe. I have gained an impeccable ability to tune them out, though, or talk to the other non-nerd in the room. Sometimes I channel my auditory cortex to put good songs into my brain, sometimes I diagram sentences in my head, sometimes I think about what it would be like to ride a dromedary camel, sometimes I make my mind go completely blank and see how long before I start drooling.

I never read comic books or graphic novels. But I respect the combination of art and writing. And as the nerdy best friend once said, comic books are American mythology. I can dig that.

Spider-Man and Superman are the "popular" superheroes everyone knows. The recent flicks were all were fairly entertaining. I've gone to a few midnight showings to witness the nerdiest of the nerds in their natural habitats. X-Men 1 and 2 were pretty good. X-Men 3 was definitely not. I played the Nintendo game a couple times, so I could deal. Transformers turned out better than I expected. I went to Iron Man thinking the worst, except liking Robert Downey Jr., and was very pleasantly surprised. I haven't seen Hulk yet, but again, big Ed Norton fan, and I found the last one appalling.

But I could have lived the rest of my life in peace without seeing any of these flicks.

However, there's one film in 2008 I will not miss, and not for any of the aforementioned reasons... you can already see this coming...The Dark Knight.

And it's not because Heath Ledger is dead. Or because I think Christian Bale is smokin' hot. Batman -- along with some of the original Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation -- is one of the only nerdy things I enjoyed as a kid (This is not an invitation for us to talk Trek). But it wasn't really a nerd thing; it was more of an "I'd rather play with a Batmobile than a Barbie doll" thing. I can't go nerd here and talk about DC Comics or Frank Miller's version or anything, because I have no idea.

But I appreciate a good story, no less. I've never been huge on fantastical stories, and since Batman is the superhero with no supernatural powers, it just seems right. I've watched all the Batman movies since Tim Burton's 1989 version and never thought another actor could properly do Michael Keaton's performance justice, until watching Christian Bale. I also spent the latter half of my adolescence and burgeoning adulthood trying to get that Seal song out of my head from Batman Forever. Terrible. Also, who else is cool enough to put a Batman tattoo on their teeth? No one but Adam West.

Plus, my cousin wanted to be the Penguin when we were kids. As a result, I learned more than I ever needed to learn about every Batman villain. I can almost hear him saying "I'm Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot. Wah wah wah," and walking around with an umbrella. By the way, he still carries an umbrella around. I think he stopped sporting the monocle a couple years ago, but I could be wrong.

Everyone loves a good villain. Ledger's Joker is a dark portrayal of the 1940s comic book character, a huge departure from the Cesar Romero campy TV series portrayal, and still different from Jack Nicholson's dark but likable 1989 archenemy. I haven't completely indulged myself in what Ledger's character will be like, because I like to be surprised about a few things, but by my best guess, he will be some combination of a psychotic sociopath with borderline/histrionic/narcissistic/schizotypal personality disorder. (Yes, I've been immersed in the DSM-IV for a few weeks. And yes, I have diagnosed you and me both already, so you don't have to pay a psychiatrist. Just talk to me.)

So I am anxiously waiting for the movie. Watched Batman Begins over the weekend, and am told I'll be watching it again on BluRay this weekend. Fine.

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And, well, if that wasn't enough for you on this Saturday... then, you can always check out frink Momar Van Der Camp's blog. He's got bat-fever this week as well. We also might be the same person.