Top Five Comic Book Conversations in Films

Including mundane, everyday conversation topics in the dialogue of films helps us little people empathise and relate to the big people on the screen.  Every once in a while, a film will give a shout-out to us geeks and include a conversation about comic books.  Here’s five of the best in recent memory:

10 Things You Didn’t Know About: Batman

1) He has a son in current comic continuity (the mother is Talia al Ghul, daughter of supervillian Ra’s al Ghul).

2) The audiobook version of the novelization of the 1989 Batman film is read by Planet of the Apes’ Roddy McDowall.

3) In the 60s, the comic book Batman had a pet dog named “Ace the Bat-Hound.”  Ace even wore a mask like his owner’s!

4) The map of Gotham City used in the original Batman film is an inverted map of Vancouver, British Columbia.

5) His first vehicle in the comics was not his famous Batmobile, but a Bat-Plane.

6) Batman and Robin teamed up with Scooby Doo and the Gang in two episodes of “The New Scooby Doo Movies.”

7) There’s a tiny, magical version of Batman that pops up in the comics from time to time by the name of Bat-Mite.

8) In the french translation of Batman Forever The Riddler’s name is “Le Sphinx.”

9) The title of the show is never shown in any of the episodes of “Batman: The Animated Series.”

10) While Bob Kane is credited with the creation of Batman, writer and colleague Bill Finger suggested many changes which have since become iconic.  These suggestions include the cowl instead of a Robin-type mask, the cape instead of wings and using gray instead of red in the costume.

Role Call – The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

Alan Moore’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is a fantastic comic mini-series.  I know, I know – the 2003 movie “adaptation” left a bad taste in your mouth.  Imagine how Sean Connery’s mouth tastes (er, I mean…).  The source material, however, is top notch.  Moore jams famous literary characters into one world and has them band together as the titular team.

Let’s pretend Steven Norrington’s 2003 bomb had never been filmed.  Connery does it all the time.  How should a faithful adaptation of The League be cast?  Here’s Modern Geekery’s picks!