No you misunderstand me.
Look at the original Batman series.
Burton's first installment looks very good, nostalgic...IMO, Anton Furst nailed what Gotham City brought to life would look like. Then going from that to 'Batman Returns,' despite retaining the dark and mysterioso factor, the astheatic of Batman's world looks tremendously different. Then Schumacher comes in and changes everything save for Pat Hingle, Michael Gough, the basic design of the suit (sans nipples) and a little reference to Catwoman.
Basically, as you go from one Batman film to another, you can't help but think "How did it get to this?"
On the other hand, the Superman series has remained fairly consistent in its overall design and approach to the character and his universe as opposed to changing it up with every installment. Christopher Reeve as Superman looks exactly the same in each film. Now I'm not taking jabs at the Batman series for utilizing different actors for the role. I mean Supes literally looks the same. That suit doesn't go from one incarnation to another like the Batsuit did (technically still does).
That's what I meant.
Despite getting the visual language of Batman correct right out the gate, the series twisted and manipulated it to the point where there was no choice BUT to overhaul it with Nolan. And now look..."Begins" and "TDK" are overall a seamless visual representation of this current Batman, albeit a few minor differences here or there. I mean in the previous franchise, I have a really hard time trying to believe that Clooney's Batman is technically supposed to be the same guy that took on Nicholson's Joker or Devito's Penguin.
On the other hand, despite the lackluster "Superman III" (my guilty pleasure) and how dreadful "The Quest for Peace" was, I can still look at Superman in "Quest for Peace" and believe that it's the same character that had fought the likes of Lex Luthor and General Zod.
There's a set of building blocks Donner, Reeve and the rest of that group put into place that for all the efforts of Canon or the Salkinds to destroy...really wasn't. I mean sure Superman's III and IV are pretty awful, but those building blocks remain intact in spite of that.
CFE
t:
