When DC dropped the bomb last month at San Diego Comic Con that the next film set in the DC Universe would be a Batman/Superman film, it sent reverberations throughout the Nerdverse. Most were thrilled, others wanted to slit their throats with a Batarang.
I kind of fell somewhere in the middle.
As excited as I am to see Supes and Bats on the big screen, there's something else I'd rather see--Frank Miller's graphic novel "The Dark Knight Returns" on the big screen.
Even if you're not a fan of comic books, you should really check this sucker out. Not only is it entertaining and gritty, it's deep, complex, and still relevant.
And Superman is in it.
For those of you not familiar with the material I'll break it down for you. Ten years have passed since the Batman retired and Gotham City is the worse for it. Crime has skyrocketed, even though the majority of supervillains--Two-Face, Joker, etc remain in Arkham Asylum. Still haunted by his past, a 55 year old Bruce Wayne comes out of retirement to fight a new crime gang in Gotham known as The Mutants. When Batman's crusade becomes too violent, the President tasks Superman to bring him in. The fight between the two is one for the ages.
What's also significant about the graphic novel is that it singlehandedly changed the tone of Batman comic books from that point onward. The campyness of the 70s and early 80s was swept aside in favor of darker, grittier stories. Without Miller's seminal work, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises never sees the light of day.
Moreover, the graphic novel has a timelessness that would make adapting it into a film virtually seamless. That way the film won't come across as dated.
With the success of Batman on film over the last two decades, I wholeheartedly believe that eventually this movie will get made. In fact I'm shocked studios haven't jumped all over this idea. I'd love to see a director like David Fincher take the reigns and I think Jeffery Dean Morgan would be perfect as an older Batman. Making the President Lex Luthor wouldn't be a bad idea either.
Until The Dark Knight Returns grapels into theaters however, I highly suggest the animated feature with Peter Weller. It stays very close to the source material and is all kinds of entertaining.
The Batman/Superman movie hits theaters summer 2015.
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