Batman v Superman Trailer *Updated*

The new Batman v Superman trailer has been out for a bit so now that the dust has settled critique wise I'd like to have a crack at it.

I usually approach these things in a step by step fashion and run through items of interest in a chronological  order.  I think this time, I'll intercede with some thoughts and jump ahead from time to time with theories and thoughts as they come to mind.

Take the character of Senator Finch played by Holly Hunter.  We open the trailer with a voice over from her and, later, we see her again as she meets with Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg.)

(Did you notice she can barely get the word, "truth" out of her mouth?)

She looks to be holding a Senate hearing into the aftermath of the Zod and Superman fight and she warns her audience "That kind of power is very dangerous."

But how legitimate are her concerns?  Does she really take the welfare of American citizens to heart or she just a prop for a larger force?

To answer that question, all we have to do is skip ahead in the trailer to find her at that meeting with  Lex Luthor.  Luthor tells her devils come from the sky.  She's also at Luthor's place (mansion?) and if we can trust the trailer, Luthor has showed her evidence of Superman's "guilt."  I think from here we can conclude from this that Senator Finch is in Luthor's pocket and his influence extends into the Senate through his proxy Senator Finch. 

She's been bought.

The trailer moves on to Superman's appearance before the Senate.  Superman, he of the furrowed brow.

I like Henry Cavill.  He portrays Superman as such a sympathetic figure.  As Superman, he always seems legitimately concerned.

Later, even as Martha Kent explains to him that he doesn't owe the people of Earth anything he looks genuinely puzzled that she should say such a thing.

As for Martha, Diane Lane continues the cynical approach Zack Snyder has imbued her character with.  The same was done with Kevin Costner's Pa Kent in the first Snyder Superman movie.  This is a departure from the usual "folksy" take we have of the Kents where everything is rosy.

We move to that riveting scene where Ben Affleck's Bruce Wayne is running towards the carnage of Metropolis seen in the Man of Steel movie.  Now that's a hero.  How many people do you know that run towards a collapsing building?

I should mention Bruce Wayne being in Metropolis during the Zod fight is a big deal.  As we find out, it provides the impetus for Batman's disdain for all things Superman.

To continue,  Bruce Wayne bears first hand the fighting between Zod and Superman.  He seems to be desperately calling anyone in that building to get out as soon as possible.

Heat vision cuts like a scythe through glass and steel and in an instant a figure comes darting out of the skyscraper as the building falls in his wake.

In the rubble of once was the Wayne Financial building, Bruce Wayne looks skyward.  He hold in tight embrace the figure of a young girl.  The lone survivor?  A future figure in Batman's life?

Wayne is transfixed in his gaze.  Is he staring at Superman as he hovers in the midst of battle?  Of this I have no doubt.  Wayne's own heat vision is internalized and it is powered by the contempt for the caped figure that has destroyed part of his corporate family.

I say corporate family because in the next sequence Wayne has received a newspaper clipping of the day his building was destroyed.  Across it someone has scrawled, "You let your family die."  This is a doubled edged dagger to the heart for Bruce.  It invokes Wayne's family dying before his eyes as a child and of course the most recent disaster in Metropolis.

Who would send such a letter?

I'm betting it was sent by Lex Luthor.  I think it is a double pronged effort to taunt his corporate rival and perhaps elicit an angry response from the Batman.  Luthor would have to know that Wayne is Batman of course and he may well.  In the comics, Luthor is known as the second smartest man on the planet.

Wayne being the first.

The Wayne vignette actually starts with a lone figure striding towards a mansion whose grounds have gone to seed and the manse stands hollow and broken.  A metaphor for Batman?

The voice we hear is that of Jeremy Irons who plays Alfred the Wayne Butler.  It could be Wayne strolling to the mansion but I am convinced it is Irons.

The scene cuts immediately to the Batcave.  Another figure cuts from from right to left in the distance behind some glass.  I believe this to be Bruce Wayne.  Is Batman semi-retired?  The Batmobile seen on one of the levels is covered in a tarp suggesting a lack of use.

Alfred continues his voice over.  He speaks of a fever and a rage that turns "good men cruel."  (In the background a video monitor seems to show Superman in action.)

Not coincidentally, Batman's costume is revealed and Bruce Wayne takes a hard look at it.  Has it been a while?  Did the Batman turn cruel?  What prompted this cruel turn?

Perry White (Laurence Fishburne) continues the voice over.  He's berating Clark Kent over his fascination with the Batman.  Is Clark using his position as a Daily Planet reporter to get intel into the Batman.  Pehaps stepping over the bounds of a normal reporter?

Our trailer turns to some quality time between Superman and Amy Adams' Lois Lane.  She reminds Clark that the symbol on his chest stands for hope.  As she intones this reminder we get a scene of Superman appearing before some flood stricken people.  One lady in particular lifts an outstretched arm as Superman hovers above.

This strikes me as particularly odd.  I mean it is a great cinematic hero scene with Superman being back lit by the sun in god-like fashion.  But would Superman really just hover there just to look awesomely cool?  Wouldn't he just swoop in and rescue those people?

Is he that hesitant/damaged by his Metropolis experience that he can't decide what to do?

This is where we pickup the Martha Kent monologue.   She basically tells him to be the angel people look to or just junk it all because he doesn't owe them a thing.  It's an odd discourse and I don't blame Supes for looking confused.  As I said before, these Kents are a lot more cynical.  It's my thinking that Martha is reacting to the backlash by the public in general which is no odoubt being orchestrated by Luthor behind the scenes.

Luthor takes over with his "Devils" speech to Senator Finch and the dead visage of General Zod is revealed.  There is a lot of people on the internet that believe Luthor is set on cloning Zod to form an army of beings to rid the world of Superman.  Perhaps even "Doomsday" from the comics.

I, instead, have a crackpot theory.

What if these cloning experiments go wrong and instead of a Doomsday being we get this.

Bizarro Superman.

This is how Bizarro Superman looks in the comics now.  It would take a lot of guts to introduce this strange creature to the movies but it shouldn't be out of the realm of possibility.

Now here's a telling sequence.

Bruce Waynes speaks and he tells of his twenty years in Gotham.  "How many good guys are left, how many stayed that way?"  As we start this sequence Wayne looks at the empty suit of what is commonly believed to be that of Robin.  A deceased Robin.  Quite possibly the Jason Todd Robin that died in the comics. (To be played by Zack Snyder's son Eli?)

Jason Todd took a turn for the worse, is this who Wayne is talking about?  Does he include Selina Kyle as someone that didn't stay good?  How about The Huntress?

The empty suit has "The Joke's on you Batman" scrawled across it.  Was it the Joker's assassination of Jason Todd that turned Batman cruel?  Or did it drive him into retirement?

If I may I want to speak on the rod the Robin suit is holding.

In the first trailer we see Batman holding a similar rod as he stands in the shadows.  Later, he stands atop a building with what looks to be the same instrument.  Has Robin's rod been modified as a weapon to take out Superman?  Is it tipped with Kryptonite?  Is Batman really holding a rifle in the second frame that shoots a magic bullet of kryptonite?

 Or is it the "Spear of Destiny?"   Now that would be pretty profound.

Wayne further intones,, "He has the power to wipe out the entire human race and we have to destroy him."

It's now, "Go time" for the trailer as it really takes off.

First, we get some quick cuts of Thomas Wayne being cut down to remind us of Batman's bitterness. Then, what looks to be the Batwing setting a city on fire.  Is the Batwing's devastation testimony of how cruel Batman has become in that he willing to destroy entire neighborhoods in order to achieve his goals?

Now we are really rocking as Wonder Woman is introduced.  (We saw her briefly as Diana Prince when Wayne spoke of good guys.)

I love the look on Gal Gadot's face as she is thrown back during battle.  It's as if she is saying, "You dare?"  (GIF courtesy of Kokatu.com)

I have a feeling the battle we are witnessing is a three way fight between Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman.  It occurs at a time when they really don't get each other.  In fact Batman and Wonder Woman may be allied against Superman.

We get some terrific shots here as Batman nearly gets zapped by heat vision and Wonder Woman is quickly losing her patience.

Luthor appears and wouldn't you know he seems to have some Krypotonite.  Not too close Lex that stuff may make your hair fall out.  (Man, that is a bad wig.)

Luthor tells Senator Finch, "The red capes are coming, the red capes are coming" and this is what leads people to believe Luthor has been trying to clone General Zod.

Please let it be Bizarro Supermen.

Our trailer culminates as Superman rips off the doors to the Batmobile.  Batman stands in defiance to a far more powerful being.  God, the Dark Knight has some brass ones.

It looks as though Superman has followed Batman to Gotham Gity as the gas pumps say Gotham City Gas.  Good work Clark.

So, what does everyone think?  Wondering why I left out the "Super Nazis" and the "Desert Batman?"  Sound off below with your thoughts!

Update Alert!

 
I left out this image in my first take of the Batman v Superman trailer as I wasn't certain of it's significance. It shows a be-booted individual walking amongst shell casings, a deflated basketball and what seems to be an injured security guard.

Now we have this image from Empire Magazine showing Lex inside a gym with basketballs in the background.  It's not a leap to deduce the shooting from the above image took place in LexCorp's gym.  (BTW, who puts a giant neon sign inside a gym?  Someone with a giant ego?)

We could have made that deduction as evidenced from a motorcycle racing to the scene of some Lexcorp devastation but I think this seals it.  Who is the motorcycle rider?  My guess it is Lex himself alerted to the explosive incident.  Was it Superman that caused the devastation?  He did like to destroy things in the Man of Steel movie.  I'm thinking it was rather the Batman investigating Lexcorp and leaving a wake of destruction in his path.  The injured security guard may spell Batman's aversion to killing and the hundreds of shell casings show what a hard target he is.

It's possible a fight between Batman and Superman took place in the gym.  Those two do know how to break things.  We may find out more in the near future.

Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below!

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The Joker as Monster

Spoilers for Batman #39

It's been a while since I've written here so I thought I might return with a little commentary from Batman #39.  Specifically the efforts put forth by Greg Capullo and Scott Snyder.

Capullo's latest visual take on The Joker is in a word, "monstrous."  Don't get me wrong I like it and this new iteration of the returned The Joker is ably abetted by Scot Snyder's writing.

This Joker is not just an evil genius, he is a clear cut psychopath with a homicidal bent. 

This is different you're saying?

I guess it is because of the way Capullo is drawing him.  There is a bit more musculature to the Clown Prince of Crime and gone is the overly narrow skull with the extra long shock of green hair.

This Joker looks ready for the movies.

(Word is, Jared Leto who will portray The Joker in the "Suicide Six" movie out in 2016 is also packing on the muscle.)

Here is the typical artistic take on The Joker.  A lot more wild green hair.  The omnipresent purple suit.  The overwrought maniacal look on his face.  But most of all, the narrowness of the head especially as it leads towards the jawline.

Capullo's widening of the skull adds a certain aspect to The Joker that I think my subconscious translated into this...

Capullo's Joker has that "put together" look much like Frankenstein's monster.   In fact, it wasn't long ago that The Joker in the comics was reattaching his own face.

The parallels to the Capullo/Snyder Joker and the Frankenstein monster go further in that. 

The Monster was a creation of Victor Frankenstein and it has often been noted in the pages of comics and on the silver screen, The Joker claims to be a creation of Batman.

"You made me."

In Shelly's book, Victor and the Monster grappled to the ends of the earth.  In the comics, Batman and The Joker are fated to do battle in perpetuity.

A Monstrous Act.

I haven't this shocked by a panel since the big reveal in the Batman "Flashpoint" series.  Which, not surprisingly, also dealt with The Joker.

In Batman issue 39, The Joker gains access to the Batcave.  He is confronted by the heroic Alfred and for his trouble he is left without his right hand.

Monstrous indeed!

Alfred is pretty much an untouchable character.  He has taken his lumps time and again but nothing like this.  Will "Comic book rules" be invoked and the loss of limb be "ret-conned?"  The Convergence series is coming to DC comics.  Will the rewriting of time and space in the DC universe fix Alfred's lost hand?

I for one want to see Batman's reaction to this.  Will he react in kind, an "eye for an eye?"

Hopefully, we'll get a chance to see this.  Convergence looks like a major re-write and if it is, The Joker may become reacquainted with whatever limb Batman feels to lop off beforehand.

(No pun intended.)

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Gotham - Harvey Dent

Two Face. Two Faced. Two Faces.

I was going to approach this blog post from the perspective of Gotham's characters having two faces or more accurately being two faced.

However, not everyone was "two faced" in other words, disingenuous.  Some remained true to themselves and who they are as characters on this show.

Take Bruce for example.  (Seen here channeling Aquaman.)  He remained true to himself by continuing his dogged (batty?) pursuit for challenging himself.   Selina thought he was absolutely nuts.  She called him out on his privileged background and warned him that no one fights with gloves on in the street.  (Note to Selina, Batman wears gloves.) 

For her part, Selina revealed a side of herself that she takes great pains to hide.   Her capacity for being surprised.  When she found out she was going to Wayne Manor she was stunned.  So much for the street smarts.  She's already been to Wayne Manor and she's been a keen observer of Bruce.  But to go there and hang out.  That shocked her.

That doesn't make her "two faced."  It just revealed a side of herself that she wasn't too familiar with.  She's vulnerable.

 

It was that vulnerability that led her to chastise Bruce by the pool.  She didn't like to see it in herself and it bothered her to see it in Bruce.  It was a seminal moment for the future Batman.  Selina was harsh but she felt Bruce needed to know you can't survive on the street without displaying a little anger and supplement it with a dash of ruthlessness.

Who'd a thunk that it took a meeting between two twelve year olds that would form the persona of a future superhero.  It also laid the cornerstone between the offtimes adversaries and lovers.

 

Also not two faced.

 

The Penguin.  Still a schemer, still a rat.  

Oswald played true to form by leveraging an alliance with Liza.  Okay, he blackmails her but that's still true to form for him.

Let's get to the real two face, Harvey Dent.

What the heck was this?

So that's the way "Gotham" wants to play it.  Harvey is already a little nuts just beneath the surface. 

We're used to seeing the early Harvey as straight laced and driven.  Yes, he's always had his own "dogged pursuit" of justice but I don't think we've ever seen him as a lunatic waiting to be unleashed.  The Harvey we know was turned because he suffered a traumatic event.   This guy is halfway there.  Oh, I get it, halfway. 

That's fine.  "Gotham" did say they were going to experiment a little with the characters.  We'll see how this goes.

That wide eyed look of his reminded me a little of the Joker.  A little too close perhaps.

Speaking of the Clown Prince of Crime, I think we got a couple of tangential references  to the Joker.

Remember when the Joker set a pile of cash afire during The Dark Knight?  (GIF courtesy of theonewithjb.com.)  We saw something similiar in this episode.

I thought of it right away.  One can't be a Batman fan and see burning cash and not think of the Joker.

Any other Joker clues?

Sure.  There was the "Smile" graffiti on the cityscape that quickly panned by our sleepy eyes.  (Well, I was a little sleepy.)  The Joker is known for his infamous smile.  Something that was featured in the Tim Burton Batman movie.  Who could forget "Smylex" and "Love that Joker!"

Smile!

Let's get back to our two face theme.

How about these two faces?

Barbara Kean sure is weak isn't she?  At least Renee Montoya is honest with herself and what she wants.  I suppose this opens the door for more relationships for Jim Gordon.

Sarah Essen is waiting in the wings and perhaps Dr. Leslie Thompkins when she appears later on in the season.  But where do they go with Barbara from here?  Do we really need her aside from being some plot device?  "Gotham" may have painted themselves in a corner with this character.

Selina was trying to intimidate Bruce during the episode when she was teasing him with a kiss.  She was trying to throw him off guard a little and retain the high ground.  But if we look at the future couple pictured above I guess they end up a little two faced after all.

Notice the masks or rather two faces.  

Bruce and Selina don't cavort too much publicly in the future.  But throw on the masks and their true selves come out.

Maybe being two faced isn't so bad after all.

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Gotham - The Mask

You know, this is at least the third episode of Gotham where we find a masked man.  Some have been good but most evil.  I wonder what Gotham is trying to tell us.  (Just kidding, I get it.)  Hopefully soon I can do a blog post on all of the masked men we've seen so far.

Gotham continues to mature as a series and while this wasn't their best entry it still introduced us to many interesting concepts and characters.

The main plot point of the "Fight Club" business was tepid at best.  We've seen it.

I got a real "Wolf of Wall Street" vibe when we caught glimpses of the feral and entitled staff too.

No, the best thing about this episode was how Gotham handled the dynamic between the main characters and how their stories are interwoven.

The relationship between Alfred and Bruce was a high point.  In fact, this was a pretty good "Bruce" episode.  Alfred has been a bit of a disappointment but bringing young Bruce to confront Tommy Elliot and reassuring Bruce he can teach him how to fight was valuable indeed.

Alfred proved he could be parental if need be but he also showed he is a worthy mentor and a bit of a best friend too.  In the above frame, Bruce confesses to the fire of being angry all the time and I got a big time Batman rush from that statement.

I've had my doubts about David Mazouz as Bruce but his beat down of Tommy Elliot using his Dad's watch was rather thrilling.  Yes, that sounds a little sick but we are seeing the future Batman at his earliest moments.  Sometimes the Bat just can't contain himself and it took Alfred to pull the reins back.  The use of the watch was highly symbolic as Elliot was taunting Bruce over the loss of his parents.  Bruce channeled their loss and used that memory to teach Elliot a valuable if not bloody lesson.

 

And, whoa!  I forgot they were going to introduce Tommy Elliot.  I think a Hush came over my darkened psyche.   Cole Vallis made quite the impression as Elliot.  I hate him already!  He was cruel and entitled and hopefully he will become a recurring character.  When Tommy grows up to be Hush he will become a powerful villain in the Batman mythology.  For now, as young Tommy, let's hope we see more of him as he will provide Bruce as an off and on friend, competitor and foil that Bruce can measure himself against.

Speaking of off and on allies, Selina made her return in a cameo.  The great thing about this is it ties her fate back in with Gordon and it is Gordon that is investigating the murder of the Waynes.  You know, the murder that set Gotham City on it's downward spiral as characterized by Captain Essen.  That was a pretty big moment in my regard.

Another dynamic that played itself out was the one between Bullock and Gordon.  I still have my doubts concerning Bullock and sometimes I think he is too earnest when he tries to convince Gordon he is on his side.  (I have a theory that Bullock is still in league with Fish Mooney and to the detriment of Gordon.)

Take a look at Bullock in Essen's office as he gazes upon the beleaguered Gordon.  It was quite telling.  It shows Bullock as shaded to different degrees.  Not all of which are honest.  He sympathizes with Gordon and do doubt sees a bit of himself as he once was.  Harvey's in deep now and I think the tentacles of Mooney and Falcone reach deep inside him.  Gordon wants to trust him but I would be wary as of now.

Speaking of Essen, did anyone else get a romantic vibe here?  In the comics this comes to pass.

Allies of a different sort were displayed when the Cobblepots were seen together.  The fast rising Penguin tried his "hand" at smoothing things over with Fish Mooney but she had a different point to deliver.  Penguin learned his lesson.  But thanks to Mama Cobblepot, Oswald found out there is more than one way to trap a rat.  This episode didn't belong to the Penguin but as always Robin Lord Taylor stole every scene he was in.  In fact when the family dynamic is played out between the Cobblepots I don't know which one is more oddly magnetic, Oswald or Gertrude.

Maybe they should get their own spin off series.

And spinning out of control are Barbara and Jim.  Should I really comment on these two?  Have another drink Barbara and don't let the door hit you on the way out.  Sheesh, not again with her!

Lastly we got a good look at Edward Nygma.  He really wan't paired off with anyone but as usual he seemed a little "at sea" when it came to working with others.  Ed continues to be pushed away by just about everyone and it is only a matter of time before his resentment builds to the point where he'll take all the knowledge working for the police and use it against them.

Cory Michael Smith who plays the future Riddler has a nice comedic touch.  His scene with the deceased office worker was pretty funny.  The riddle he posed to the stiff was unsolvable and I got a kick out of him just talking to the dearly departed.  Cobblepot gets so many good scenes maybe it is high time Ed got his share. 

Alas, the next episode is titled "Harvey Dent" so the stage will have to be shared with another baddie.  How much room is there for another super villain?

Enough for Killer Croc?  I hope so!  Don't go down in the sewers anytime soon Jim.

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Gotham - Penguin's Umbrella

Holy conspiracy Batman I didn't see that one coming!

Did anyone?  I hope not.  Spoiler enthusiasts don't count.

So The Penguin, or just, "Penguin" as he is refereed to on Gotham, is in cahoots with Carmine Falcone.  Awesome. 

Cobblepott has used his sniveling cowardice as an asset and has turned his propensity as a snitch into a major power play.  Not only is he moving up the ladder with Maroni but he is surreptitiously drawing closer to Falcone.

Make no mistake, Penguin only needs these two gentlemen as long as they serve his purpose and that is to be the crime boss of Gotham himself.  No doubt, Penguin will set Falcone and Maroni against each other in hopes of the two wiping out each other.

Too bad he doesn't have a crystal ball.  If Batman mythology holds true, Penguin won't be the only kingpin in town.  The Riddler is still waiting in the wings as is Catwoman, Poison Ivy, the still unseen Joker and as of last night, Victor Zsasz. 

That's a lot of competition.  It will be interesting to see how Gotham will spin it's tale as the season progresses.  Penguin is right though, there is a war coming and he is starting it.

The fact that we have such a rich conspiracy as this is a testimony to Gotham's maturity as a series.  7 episodes in and we'd almost forget this show deals with the time before Batman and the long shadow he casts over everything.  Despite the fact that we've seen so many characters the show is actually narrowing it's focus and letting the true talent come forward.   The real stars of this show are Robin Lord Taylor, Jada Pinkett Smith, Ben McKenzie, Donal Logue and John Doman.

In that order!

Let's hope Gotham continues to let these few shine the brightest.

While we're on the topic of conspiracies here's another one for you.

Don't you think Bullock switched gears awfully quickly to Jim Gordon's side?  Yes, it was just last week during "Spirit of the Goat" that we learned Harvey once had a heart and it beat with the pulse of a real detective.

Have we been set up?

Harvey has his own mythology and he eventually turns out all right.  But the writers have intimated that we should expect a few changes and this may be one of them.

Who was the big loser in this episode (a key ally and lover gunned down) and who has an inside still on the police force?

 Right, Fish Mooney.  It won't be long before she realizes Falcone is on to her and with Bullock staying close to Gordon she'll get all the information she needs about Penguin as Cobblepot will continue to weave Gordon into his plans.

Now that is a conspiracy.

Cobblepot will tease information learned from Falcone to Gordon to help him along and Mooney will get this gold from Bullock. 

What's in it for Bullock?  If Mooney climbs the ladder the more valuable he becomes.  He may be able to maneuver Gordon and Essen out of the way and if he can't Mooney will.

There are very high stakes involved for all.

Odds and Ends

What did everyone think of Victor Zsasz?  As portrayed by Anthony Carrigan I thought he did a pretty good job.  Not over the top crazy but pretty damned intense.  We should see more of him and the good news is he wasn't introduced as a ten year old!

In other good news, he brought his scars along with him.   Not good news for his victims.  He is just getting started.

See you next week for, "The Mask."

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