The Dark Knight Rises Hugo Strange

[conan69]

Hmmm. What if Strange attempts to auction Batman's secret identity to the mob, in a homage to "Strange Apparitions"?

This is what I was guessing at, when Millar made his comments about knowing who the villian is, and it being based on one of his fav stoylines from his childhood. It was just a guess.

Problem is, Millar, based on comments Ive read here on SHH, is known for stretching the truth.

 

[Keyser Soze]

My five issues of Prey arrived in the mail today. Would people object to me posting my thoughts on each issue as I read it in this thread?

Legends of the Dark Knight #11: Prey, Part 1

As a set-up issue, I quite enjoyed this. Even more than The Long Halloween, this story feels like a direct sequel to Batman: Year One, right down to the dual Gordon/Batman narration. And like with Year One, I actually found Gordon to be a more compelling protagonist than Batman. Having said that, though, I did like Batman's portrayal here too, with him actually considering how some of Hugo Strange's assertions about Batman could be accurate, as well as his respect of Gordon.

But it really was Hugo Strange that stole the show for me. Right from his first appearance on the talk show (imagine a recreation of this scene, only with Mayor Garcia: Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy and Nestor Carbonell all sharing the screen?) he oozes this sense of smug, squirming arrogance that makes him instantly hateable even before he's overtly revealed as the villain of the piece. If this dynamic between Gordon, the Mayor and Hugo Strange were to be lifted for The Dark Knight Rises, I can imagine - and forgive the cheesy analogy - Hugo Strange being something like the Dolores Umbridge to Gordon's Dumbledore.

But things got really great once we see what Hugo Strange is like behind closed doors, and what a fruit loop he really is. His obsession with Batman was brilliantly conceived, touching on the dangerous thrills one might get out of assuming the mantle (reminding me of something poster breyfogle-rules said about what Catwoman could embody in the film - I sense a new theme emerging!) and not shying away from the fetishistic elements of the persona - "Yes, I can understand the compulsion... the tight fit of the costume." And the design of Hugo's Batman cosplay is marvelously creepy.

Another character I found surprisingly interesting was Max Cort - an honest cop, but getting increasingly unhinged in his hatred of Batman's law-breaking ways. Less interesting here was Catwoman. I hope future issues amend the problem, but here it seemed she was included just to include her, she didn't really do anything.

Overall, a strong start to the arc, and a brilliant intro to Hugo Strange for anyone wanting to learn more about the character's potential.

 

[PreK]

Catwoman, for whatever reason, only serves as a cameo in each issue. Totally pointless role in the story.

Hugo's private moments acting out his Batman obsession is particularly interesting though. Shot right and with a compelling actor, these 'quiet' scenes could come off as sincerely twisted and creepy.

 

[Keyser Soze]

Legends of the Dark Knight #12: Prey, Part 2

The plot thickened here, with Max Cort's obsession turning violent and arguably homicidal, and Gordon at risk after his alliance with Batman is uncovered. Again, Catwoman is flitting around the sidelines, her exact role in the narrative unclear, but her role manages to be a little more substantial than in the first issue.

Hugo Strange continues to get more fascinatingly twisted. Seeing him get into an argument with his mannequin girlfriend, then later hurriedly stuff her into a wardrobe and tell her "not to make too much noise" when the doorbell rings further emphasises how batpoop crazy the guy actually is. It was also a nice touch picking up on his in-costume rooftop boasting that ended last issue by seeing him slip and almost fall off the roof here, with him bemoaning the fact that, as much as he wants to be Batman, he just doesn't have the physical capabilities to pull it off.

There's also an awful lot of talk about sex and sexuality in this issue, which surprised me. Much of Strange's musings tell on the sexual kick Batman (and he, while pretending to be Batman) gets from doing what he does. And you also get a sense that Hugo's obsession with Batman borders on the sexual, what with him dressing up his mannequin girlfriend in his Batman mask and telling her how much more attractive to him that makes her. His half-hearted attempt at chatting up the mayor's daughter, and later his compliments of Max Cort's physique further hint that Strange could be a closeted homosexual with a "crush" of sorts on Batman.

 

[Dark Knight]

Hugo's private moments acting out his Batman obsession is particularly interesting though. Shot right and with a compelling actor, these 'quiet' scenes could come off as sincerely twisted and creepy.

Agreed!

Viggo Mortensen or Robin Williams as Hugo Strange please!

Tom Hardy as Sgt Floyd Lawton/Deadshot please also!

 

[Keyser Soze]

Agreed!

Viggo Mortensen or Robin Williams as Hugo Strange please!

Tom Hardy as Sgt Floyd Lawton/Deadshot please also!

I'll be happy if its just Tom Hardy playing Hugo Strange.

Though if this does turn out to be a case of Hugo Strange being in the movie but Tom Hardy not playing him, and them skewing older in the casting for Hugo Strange.... Bryan Cranston all the way.

 

[Jokers_Wild]

Though if this does turn out to be a case of Hugo Strange being in the movie but Tom Hardy not playing him, and them skewing older in the casting for Hugo Strange.... Bryan Cranston all the way.

I'd skew older too...but Robin Williams all the way for me!

 

[Boom]

There are so many actors that could work as Hugo Strange.

Tom Hardy
Robin Williams
Viggo Mortensen
Bryan Cranston
Ben Kingsley
Frank Langella
Christoph Waltz

And those are just to name a few. Out of those names, Williams gets my vote, but I'd be perfectly content with Hardy.

 

[DCRanger]

Another character I found surprisingly interesting was Max Cort - an honest cop, but getting increasingly unhinged in his hatred of Batman's law-breaking ways. Less interesting here was Catwoman. I hope future issues amend the problem, but here it seemed she was included just to include her, she didn't really do anything.

From what I hear... Catwoman's appearances make more sense when you get into reading this story's sequel "Batman: Terror)", in which she plays a more significant - and highly more relevant - part.

 

[The Guard]

My five issues of Prey arrived in the mail today. Would people object to me posting my thoughts on each issue as I read it in this thread?

I heartily object.

Please cease reviewing the story at once.

 

[papie]

Oh, I absolutely loathe some elements in Prey.

Especially the projectile-vomiting inducing Night-Scourge. The absolute uselessness of Catwoman in the story.

The only thing it captures is the madness of Strange and the collapse of the Bat if the GCPD turns against him.

edit: And the mannequins, the cliched anti-women monologues of Strange. I cringed.

 

[Keyser Soze]

I heartily object.

Please cease reviewing the story at once.

SILENCE! It was a rhetorical question!

 

[The Guard]

Beyond the basics, and aside from the intro with Hugo Strange and Gordon, and the initial scenes with Bruce and Alfred, I wasn't all that impressed with PREY. Strange is a bit too "crazy for the sake of crazy" in it, and the Night Scourge fills the role he should have. Small bits of it could be inspirational, but I'd rather see a while new storyline.

 

[Dark Knight]

Catwoman, for whatever reason, only serves as a cameo in each issue. Totally pointless role in the story.

Hugo's private moments acting out his Batman obsession is particularly interesting though. Shot right and with a compelling actor, these 'quiet' scenes could come off as sincerely twisted and creepy.

Yep. Agreed.

Can you imagine actors like Robin Williams, Viggo Mortensen, or Tom Hardy acting as Strange in those twisted and creepy scenes?

Wow.

 

[Dark Knight]

Small bits of it could be inspirational, but I'd rather see a while new storyline.

But of course!

 

[ALP]

I hope it's not too cliche...but Hugo Strange has got to have a German or Russian accent!

 

[Doctor Jones]

I wouldn't mind Hardy's hard English accent as Strange. He doesn't need to have a stereotypical accent. In fact, if Hardy is playing Strange, make Strange the opposite of stereotypical.

 

[ALP]

But that might include not making him look like Sigmund Freud like he does in the comics.

 

[Paste Pot Pete]

Maybe the Chechen survived, earned his PhD and re-emerges as Hugo Strange!

 

[Keyser Soze]

Legends of the Dark Knight #13: Prey, Part 3

With this chapter, the story began falling apart a little for me. After initially thinking Max Cort was interesting, his arc took a big misstep with him becoming Night Scourge. It just didn't feel believable for how that character had been developed (fair enough, he was being hypnotised by Strange, but still seemed awkward), and it didn't help that Night Scourge himself felt like such a lame threat with a dull 90s design.

Batman himself didn't fare too well either. I understand that there's a fine balance between portraying a Batman who is uncertain and doubting himself, and a Batman who just comes across as whiney and needy. But this issue veered more towards the latter in its depiction of the Dark Knight than earlier issues did.

On the plus side, at least Catwoman's role in the story seemed to make more sense within the context of this issue, though the part she plays still isn't particularly substantial.

Again, the major highlight of the issue was the portrayal of Hugo Strange. I get the sense that Doug Moench would much rather cast aside the rest of the story he's trying to keep afloat and instead just focus on Strange, who he seems to take great relish in writing. His madness is tip-toeing towards absurdist levels by this stage, but in a vastly entertaining fashion. Nice to see those homosexual undertones still bubbling along too, with him casting aside the mayor's daughter as a "trifle" in order to focus instead on Batman, his "true obsession". And for anyone looking for something more overt, getting Cort stripped down to his tighty whities and laid out on his sofa for his second hypnosis session.

It's also interesting see how close Strange is getting to uncovering Batman's true identity, and the way he is piecing together the mystery. This methodical approach to picking apart who Batman is and why he is could make for a fascinating arc on-film, I believe. The one missing ingredient is that he's got the defining trauma wrong - he's still convinced that it's a murdered spouse that created Batman rather than murdered parents. As an interesting aside, with Gordon's concern that Hugo Strange is "getting close to uncovering the truth", are we getting continued hints that in the comicverse, Gordon has known who Batman really is ever since Year One?

 

[R_Hythlodeus]

Just read Batman and the Monster Men again. I forgot how great that comic was, but you know, I really love those year one/year two stories almost all of them. TLH and YO are still my favourite Batman stories. (I don't like TMWL, but that's just because of the aweful artwork)

 

[ALP]

I just got Monster Men and its sequel, going to read 'em tomorrow since I got some time off from classes.

I liked Man Who Laughs, biggest disappointment was the lame "gas the city" subplot that has been used countless times from comics to movies...

 

[ChrisB]

I'll be happy if its just Tom Hardy playing Hugo Strange.

That makes two of us!

 

[Keyser Soze]

Legends of the Dark Knight #14: Prey, Part 4

Now this was a big improvement! After the muddled third instalment, here things really began falling into place brilliantly.

A few years before Knightfall (and tellingly, a few months - I believe - before Daredevil: Born Again over at Marvel) we see Batman totally deconstructed and taken apart on every level of his life. The way Hugo Strange psychologically breaks Batman, then digs the knife in even deeper to drive him to hysteria upon learning the truth of his secret identity, is alarming, macabre stuff. We're so used to seeing Batman as such a controlled individual, that seeing him here reduced to rambling incoherence - unable to even walk down a flight of stairs let alone competently fight crime - has quite an impact. After the cruel tests his code was put through in The Dark Knight, a psychological attack on this level could be a potent thematic escalation for The Dark Knight Rises, and would give Christian Bale some heavy material to work with.

I talked about how comical in his insanity Hugo Strange was becoming in the last issue. Here, the cracks are becoming even more visible as he makes rambling, babbling phone calls to the police department and takes delight in all manner of abuse of the Mayor's daughter. But it's somehow gone past absurdist and into genuinely unnerving territory, as we get a sense of how DANGEROUS it is for a man like this to know Batman's greatest secret. But the great twist is that - as much as Batman now thinks Hugo Strange is the unbeatable foe, we (and Hugo Strange himself) know he's no match for Batman in reality. A wonderful subtle touch by the artist during Strange's confrontation with Batman was the little bead of sweat running down his brow.

Great issue, and one that sets the stage for a killer finale. We'll see how the story delivers on that promise.

 

[Boom]

Legends of the Dark Knight #14: Prey, Part 4

Now this was a big improvement! After the muddled third instalment, here things really began falling into place brilliantly.

A few years before Knightfall (and tellingly, a few months - I believe - before Daredevil: Born Again over at Marvel) we see Batman totally deconstructed and taken apart on every level of his life. The way Hugo Strange psychologically breaks Batman, then digs the knife in even deeper to drive him to hysteria upon learning the truth of his secret identity, is alarming, macabre stuff. We're so used to seeing Batman as such a controlled individual, that seeing him here reduced to rambling incoherence - unable to even walk down a flight of stairs let alone competently fight crime - has quite an impact. After the cruel tests his code was put through in The Dark Knight, a psychological attack on this level could be a potent thematic escalation for The Dark Knight Rises, and would give Christian Bale some heavy material to work with.

I talked about how comical in his insanity Hugo Strange was becoming in the last issue. Here, the cracks are becoming even more visible as he makes rambling, babbling phone calls to the police department and takes delight in all manner of abuse of the Mayor's daughter. But it's somehow gone past absurdist and into genuinely unnerving territory, as we get a sense of how DANGEROUS it is for a man like this to know Batman's greatest secret. But the great twist is that - as much as Batman now thinks Hugo Strange is the unbeatable foe, we (and Hugo Strange himself) know he's no match for Batman in reality. A wonderful subtle touch by the artist during Strange's confrontation with Batman was the little bead of sweat running down his brow.

Great issue, and one that sets the stage for a killer finale. We'll see how the story delivers on that promise.

This wins.