Kevin Roegele
Do you mind if I don't?
- Joined
- May 2, 2000
- Messages
- 23,882
- Reaction score
- 76
- Points
- 73
The purpose of this thread is to look at the novelisations of the Batman movies, and how they differ from the actual films. As the novels are often based on early versions of the scripts, they often feature intruguing 'what if' details we never got to see. Also, as novles they tend to offer deeper characterisation and detail, and obviously are more story based than action based.
To start with, I am reading thru Batman Forever and will post notes chapter by chapter.
Batman Forever by Peter David
First of all, the huge benefit here is that Peter David is a veteran comicbook writer, so he ties the film closer to the comic mythology.
Prologue
I. The book starts off with young Bruce running from Wayne Manor during his parent's funeral. It is full of symbolism about Bruce's future. When he falls into the cave, a voice in his head starts turning it into the Batcave. A nice if awkward nod to the 1989 movie is added when Bruce sees the giant bat, and Bruce 'danced with the Devil in the pale moonlight'.
II. Chapter of Edward Nygma as a child, dealing with school bullies. He is obsessed with puzzles and extremely smart. Seeing the picture of Bruce Wayne taken at the crime scene of his parent's death immedietly begins Eddie's obsession with him. He is knocked to the ground by the bullies and ends up in a coma. Really!
III. Rather Dark Knight-esque chapter as District Attorney Harvey Dent meets Batman on a rooftop. Links back to Batman Returns as Batman tells Harvey where to find the rest of the Penguin's Red Traingle Circus Gang. Batman convinces Harvey they should work together, and Batman says he will protect him.
Chapter 1. Another brand new scene as Chase has her bag stolen in Gotham and young Richard Grayson beats up the thief and returns it to her. Chase tries to get Dick into a psychology session to talk about his behaviour, but his dad turns it down. Later he explains to Dick that he needs to be more careful risking his life.
Chapter 2. The original opening of the movie, elaborated. We meet the debt-ridden orderly who helps Two-Face escape - Two-Face then slashes his throat! Really! Dr Burton then finds Two-Face has escaped, and written 'The Bat Must Die' on the wall in blood.
Chapter 3. Bruce arrives at Wayne Enterprises by chopper, thinking about Harvey Dent. Dent was the firstto go on record and say that the Penguin framed Batman. Batman in return saved Dent from Poison Ivy. Bruce regrets being unable to stop Harvey being hit with acid. The novel notes that Bruce was in disguise in the courtroom, not Batman as in the movie. Another very Dark Knight -esque scene is Batman visiting Dent in hospital after the acid attack.
Chapter 4. Bruce tours the Wayne factory much like the movie, except Eddie pulls him into his cubicle to see his device. Bruce sees the newspaper on Eddie's wall - the one with young Bruce on the front, at his parent's crime scene. Bruce is not too happy about this. Throughout the factory visit, Bruce tinkers with a model plane prototype (really!) and at finally gets it to hover.
Bruce then goes in the capsule the Batcave as in the movie. Some good additions here. Alfred, as in the original movie, is none too keen on Bruce being Batman and tells him he could ignore the Bat signal. It is also noted that it is the media who came up with the term 'Batmobile' and Alfred adopted it to annoy Bruce. In response, Bruce came up with the term 'Batcave' to annoy Alfred.
This is good writing from David as it establishes a sense of humour between the two and actually makes the infamous 'drive-through' line work - Alfred says the sandwich line mockingly, and Bruce is joining in.
Chapter 5. Starts with the security guard Two-Face is holding hostage. Two-Face grabs one of his thugs by the throat when he thinks he's questioning the coin. This all takes place in Pan-Asia town. Chase chats to Gordon about his faith in Batman before Batman arrives. Whilst fighting Two-Face's men, Batman lets the last guy (the one with spiked gloves) fall down the elavator shaft (he survives), and then is shocked by his own callousness. Whilst in the vault, the guard asks Batman why he doesn't blow the door off, and Batman replies because acid is flammable. Two-Face almost shoots Batman when he is hanging onto the chain but decides it is too easy. Two-Face: "Goodbye forever to that pointed-eared, steroid eating, rubber suited, cross dressing night rat!"
When Batman attacks him in the cockpit, they have a longer dialogue about Batmanb being a killer too. Batman says he won't kill Harvey - whilst he's trying to strangle him! When the chopper explodes, Batman has flashbacks as he falls into the water, remembering his parent's death, the leather book and the giant bat, and Two-Face calling him a killer too. Instant flashback! Good chapter, perfectly showing how the book elaborates on the actual story and themes so much more fully.
Chapter 6. Nygma tests his device on Stickley, more or less exactly like the movie.
Chapter 7. Bruce is having the same nightmarish flashbacks when Alfred wakes him up in bed. Alfred has got some videos of Two-Face from Arkham for Bruce to study. Bruce leaves a battered Batsuit on the floor. They discuss the Sonar Suit that appears in the climax, Alfred says it is dangerous and the test almost killed him. Bruce watches the tapes of Two-Face, and has hallucinations again, this time of Harvey telling him he's a killer. On the tape, Two-Face says a line about light and shadow and freaks which will be important later.
Bruce watches the news and an editorial accuses Batman of being a plague on the city and should be charged for the destruction of Lady Gotham. While Bruce exercises in a hi-tech machine, Alfred suggests he go to see Chase. Bruce says with surprise that Chase almost called Batman crazy. Alfred replies, after thought, that Bruce is, 'not the most sane man.' Bruce is shocked. He then asks Alfred how he became Batman, and questions what he was doing on the night of his parent's funeral when he ran into the storm, what he was running away from.
Bruce is called to Wayne Enterprises after Stickley's death. Nygma, after handing in the forged letter, escapes. Bruce goes to see Nygma but he has left with all his belongings, then May hands him the first riddle. Nygma goes home and draws up his plans against Bruce. Bruce sits in the Batcave and realises his whole life is a riddle. Good stuff!
More on the way...
To start with, I am reading thru Batman Forever and will post notes chapter by chapter.
Batman Forever by Peter David
First of all, the huge benefit here is that Peter David is a veteran comicbook writer, so he ties the film closer to the comic mythology.
Prologue
I. The book starts off with young Bruce running from Wayne Manor during his parent's funeral. It is full of symbolism about Bruce's future. When he falls into the cave, a voice in his head starts turning it into the Batcave. A nice if awkward nod to the 1989 movie is added when Bruce sees the giant bat, and Bruce 'danced with the Devil in the pale moonlight'.
II. Chapter of Edward Nygma as a child, dealing with school bullies. He is obsessed with puzzles and extremely smart. Seeing the picture of Bruce Wayne taken at the crime scene of his parent's death immedietly begins Eddie's obsession with him. He is knocked to the ground by the bullies and ends up in a coma. Really!
III. Rather Dark Knight-esque chapter as District Attorney Harvey Dent meets Batman on a rooftop. Links back to Batman Returns as Batman tells Harvey where to find the rest of the Penguin's Red Traingle Circus Gang. Batman convinces Harvey they should work together, and Batman says he will protect him.
Chapter 1. Another brand new scene as Chase has her bag stolen in Gotham and young Richard Grayson beats up the thief and returns it to her. Chase tries to get Dick into a psychology session to talk about his behaviour, but his dad turns it down. Later he explains to Dick that he needs to be more careful risking his life.
Chapter 2. The original opening of the movie, elaborated. We meet the debt-ridden orderly who helps Two-Face escape - Two-Face then slashes his throat! Really! Dr Burton then finds Two-Face has escaped, and written 'The Bat Must Die' on the wall in blood.
Chapter 3. Bruce arrives at Wayne Enterprises by chopper, thinking about Harvey Dent. Dent was the firstto go on record and say that the Penguin framed Batman. Batman in return saved Dent from Poison Ivy. Bruce regrets being unable to stop Harvey being hit with acid. The novel notes that Bruce was in disguise in the courtroom, not Batman as in the movie. Another very Dark Knight -esque scene is Batman visiting Dent in hospital after the acid attack.
Chapter 4. Bruce tours the Wayne factory much like the movie, except Eddie pulls him into his cubicle to see his device. Bruce sees the newspaper on Eddie's wall - the one with young Bruce on the front, at his parent's crime scene. Bruce is not too happy about this. Throughout the factory visit, Bruce tinkers with a model plane prototype (really!) and at finally gets it to hover.
Bruce then goes in the capsule the Batcave as in the movie. Some good additions here. Alfred, as in the original movie, is none too keen on Bruce being Batman and tells him he could ignore the Bat signal. It is also noted that it is the media who came up with the term 'Batmobile' and Alfred adopted it to annoy Bruce. In response, Bruce came up with the term 'Batcave' to annoy Alfred.
This is good writing from David as it establishes a sense of humour between the two and actually makes the infamous 'drive-through' line work - Alfred says the sandwich line mockingly, and Bruce is joining in.
Chapter 5. Starts with the security guard Two-Face is holding hostage. Two-Face grabs one of his thugs by the throat when he thinks he's questioning the coin. This all takes place in Pan-Asia town. Chase chats to Gordon about his faith in Batman before Batman arrives. Whilst fighting Two-Face's men, Batman lets the last guy (the one with spiked gloves) fall down the elavator shaft (he survives), and then is shocked by his own callousness. Whilst in the vault, the guard asks Batman why he doesn't blow the door off, and Batman replies because acid is flammable. Two-Face almost shoots Batman when he is hanging onto the chain but decides it is too easy. Two-Face: "Goodbye forever to that pointed-eared, steroid eating, rubber suited, cross dressing night rat!"
When Batman attacks him in the cockpit, they have a longer dialogue about Batmanb being a killer too. Batman says he won't kill Harvey - whilst he's trying to strangle him! When the chopper explodes, Batman has flashbacks as he falls into the water, remembering his parent's death, the leather book and the giant bat, and Two-Face calling him a killer too. Instant flashback! Good chapter, perfectly showing how the book elaborates on the actual story and themes so much more fully.
Chapter 6. Nygma tests his device on Stickley, more or less exactly like the movie.
Chapter 7. Bruce is having the same nightmarish flashbacks when Alfred wakes him up in bed. Alfred has got some videos of Two-Face from Arkham for Bruce to study. Bruce leaves a battered Batsuit on the floor. They discuss the Sonar Suit that appears in the climax, Alfred says it is dangerous and the test almost killed him. Bruce watches the tapes of Two-Face, and has hallucinations again, this time of Harvey telling him he's a killer. On the tape, Two-Face says a line about light and shadow and freaks which will be important later.
Bruce watches the news and an editorial accuses Batman of being a plague on the city and should be charged for the destruction of Lady Gotham. While Bruce exercises in a hi-tech machine, Alfred suggests he go to see Chase. Bruce says with surprise that Chase almost called Batman crazy. Alfred replies, after thought, that Bruce is, 'not the most sane man.' Bruce is shocked. He then asks Alfred how he became Batman, and questions what he was doing on the night of his parent's funeral when he ran into the storm, what he was running away from.
Bruce is called to Wayne Enterprises after Stickley's death. Nygma, after handing in the forged letter, escapes. Bruce goes to see Nygma but he has left with all his belongings, then May hands him the first riddle. Nygma goes home and draws up his plans against Bruce. Bruce sits in the Batcave and realises his whole life is a riddle. Good stuff!
More on the way...
Last edited:
