me-ow

So lately I've kind of had this little Batman obsession. I don't know where it came from, because I was never really into that particular cultural myth before, but a few months ago I realized that I didn't really remember any of the movies (even Batman Begins, which I saw in the theaters) and Tabitha gave me a crash course. We watched all five movies, although she made me watch Batman and Robin by myself because it's so awful--thank you, whoever decided not to rehire Joel Schumacher to direct. Luckily, my co-worker's boyfriend has a Batman obsession of his own, and he's been loaning me graphic novels and things I wouldn't otherwise have thought to see, like The Phantom Menace (which I haven't actually watched yet, but maybe tonight...?).
I don't know what it is. I'm partially fascinated by the villains; Michelle Pfeiffer in latex is a perk, certainly, but I also love her genesis story. And Jack Nicholson, oh my god... In any superhero story, I've always most enjoyed watching how the bad guys came into being and why they do what they do, and I think Batman stories generally have some of the best ones. And they're so damn dark, too. Two-Face didn't really get his full due in Batman Forever, which is a pity because it's one of the best and most tragic transfigurations. I've been reading these graphic novels by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale that are really amazing (The Long Halloween particularly), and they cover the transformation of Harvey Dent, champion of good in Gotham, into Two-Face via a crime lord throwing acid into his face during a trial. I just feel like there's a depth that isn't so much there in Spiderman, you know? Or at any rate, most of the movies are better, and maybe my Spidey obsession will hit some other time.
It goes without saying that I am totally excited for the new movie to come out. I'm definitely going to be there opening night with all the rest of the nerds.