The Dark Huntress?

I know that as of late, I seem to be a little Bat-obsessed, but I had a crazy idea while watching The Dark Knight for the second time.

SPOILERS AHOY!

People everywhere are already talking about which villains they'll use in the sequel to The Dark Knight. My thought is this - what if they don't use villains? Not in the strictest sense of the word, that is. What if the next film is mostly about Batman butting heads with Catwoman and The Huntress?

I know, I know - neither of them are as vicious as Heath Ledger's Joker and it sidesteps the whole "Batman Vs. The Terrorists" dynamic they've established in both films (Ra's Al Ghul and his cult of fanatics versus Joker and his cult of personality). But, my God - wouldn't that be the point? They can't return to the themes of this movie without rehashing a certain amount of ground. So why not go to a fresh place?

The most interesting part of the film for me are the BatWannabes, the various guys at the start in homemade costumes who are trying to be like their hero. Despite a working BatSignal and admiration for Batman in the comics, no such movement has existed in the comic books themselves, to my knowledge. It's a testimony to the world that Christopher Nolan has created that the existence of such men feel organic; a natural response by fed-up people to the basic idea of one man making a difference. While I think it's implied that the Batman imitators are flash in the pan and scared off by The Joker, I can only wonder if a similar "Year One"-esque motivation will be used in the third film for not just Catwoman, but perhaps Huntress as well.

As it's implied by the ending of DK, everyone now assumes Batman will and does kill. I feel like the placement of Catwoman in the next film feels almost inevitable, given what happens between Bruce and Rachel in this film, but what if we replace that dynamic with Huntress? Or Selina Kyle also assumes the hype about Batman the murderous vigilante? How does Batman deal with taking down the mob while dealing with one or even two women who are as motivated - albeit not quite as well-armed - as he is? More dangerous than him, even, given their moral flexibility? How tempting would it be for him to fudge his moral code so he can be with a partner who understands him? The crushing loneliness of his existence was hammered home in every frame of Dark Knight, to the point where I do feel like a lack of a love interest in the next film would be unforgivable (and please not, Talia Al Ghul - while she would give the trilogy symmetry, she just doesn't interest me nearly as much as a character).

Now, before anyone freaks out, I'm not saying that a total lack of a more straightforward Batvillain is going to happen or that a lack of a straightforward mustache-twirling bad guy would even be a good thing. But The Penguin? The Riddler? No and no. Too silly in Penguin's case and I honestly can't imagine a Riddler who could stand up to Ledger's Joker.

But Black Mask? Absolutely. Hugo Strange? God, yes. In a mob city as violently destabilized by Batman and the Joker's antics, the idea of a mobster like Black Mask adopting their tactics just makes sense. And Hugo Strange? Seriously, what 'real world' psychiatrist wouldn't be trying to figure out Batman and The Joker at this point? Yes, I know a Harley Quinn appearance would be the most logical thing in the world from that set-up but, in the wake of Mr. Ledger's tragic death, any callbacks to his Joker would have to be tremendously earned. Maybe it's me, but Hugo Strange just feels like he'd fit in beautifully in Nolan's world. The idea of Strange trying to twist the minds of Batman, Catwoman and/or the Huntress as they dance around Gotham's rooftops intrigues the hell out of me. Such a film would be a delight. I feel that these characters and themes would just lend themselves beautifully to Nolan's spot-on character studies and exploration of morality in a confusing world.

Plus, I just plain like Catwoman and Huntress, dang it. :D

Huh. Sorry, the idea of a more Hugo Strange-esque Harley Quinn (funny, sure, but more sadistic and effective) with Catwoman and/or Huntress just simultaneously gave me goosebumps and a twitchy memory of that unfortunate Birds of Prey TV show (so much wasted potential!).

But in any case, after all that rambling, I suppose I should give out my obligatory casting ideas. Hmmmm. The Angelina Jolie as Catwoman rumor doesn't entirely displease me, even if she feels a little on the nose at this point. Huntress? A lot harder to cast. Monica Bellucci would be perfect but for Helena's relative youth and inexperience. Hell, she might still pull it off, given how much fun she seemed to be having in Shoot 'Em Up. Black Mask needs to have an imposing physical presence and the ability to act through a mask - which could really describe a wealth of large, talented male actors these days. Gerard Butler, just as a for instance, might have a lot of fun portraying a psychopathic mobster. And Hugo Strange? I'd love to see what Steve Buscemi could do with a shaved head and thick glasses. And, should they surprise the hell out of me by going that route, Sarah Michelle Gellar might make for a fine Harley Quinn. Just my two cents, in any case.



What do y'all think? Am I crazy? Or do these ideas sound reasonable to anybody else?

14 Comic Book Couples I Love - Part 2

There's really no DC couple I love more than . . .

2. Batman and Catwoman





I love these two even if they're almost never together. Yes, they're rarely a canonical couple. In fact, they're messy, complicated and sometimes just flat-out opposed to one another's methods - all of which delights me. If ever there was a yin to another character's yang in a superhero romance, it's Selina Kyle to Bruce Wayne. Their chemistry is as undeniable as it is possibly untenable.





And when I judge this relationship as nearly being untenable, that's because it seems like for every ten of these moments of romance-


we've had to deal with one of these moments -


Of course, the fact that Batman's even shown having chemistry or wanting a romance with Selina Kyle is pretty damn notable. Batman is usual about as sexual as a Ken doll IMHO, but when writers put him in the same room with Catwoman, a whole new version of him emerges. This version is a version of Batman I actually like quite a bit better as a person - somebody who shows he can feel love, in his own emotionally stunted man-child way.



The best couples can bring out entirely new sides in the people they're with and I'd say that's pretty undeniable when it comes to these two. Of course, when these two flirt, it usually involves Batarangs, claws and a bullwhip. Not that I'm judging them negatively, mind you. Given that they both spend their nights wearing leather and running around rooftops, you just know they wouldn't be satisfied with anything less than love that's a bit on the rough and ready side.





Naughty costume fun aside, the real reason they're so good for each other is that they make one another question their lives and themselves. In the face of Catwoman, Batman's unyielding inner child is forced to realize that not all criminals are evil and not all answers are easy. Selina, on the other hand, has to deal with a man who is both someone she can trust and turn to but at the same time is the first person in her life to judge her when she missteps. It's a fascinating dynamic, frankly.


(Who else but Catwoman could make Batman take the night off and go to the movies?)



Now, I know there's happier couples out there but almost none that interest me half as much as these two. They fight, they make up, they come together and break apart - it'd be exhausting if it wasn't so damn interesting to read. They're a couple that easily respect and care for one other but are all too rarely able to admit that they might actually need one another. The very qualities that make them so compatible - each of them being painfully self-reliant, driven and cautious to trust others - also drive them apart. Both of them have to be in control and this is the tragic flaw that keeps them apart.






(just look at the Batman Returns pic and tell me that one of them having to be on top all the time isn't a problem :P)

Of course, they aren't always apart and emo. In fact, in current continuity, they've gone so far as to show that they're "Friends with benefits" with an emphasis on the Friendship. They've finally found a way to be together that involves mutual respect without demanding all the so-called baggage a "relationship" would force on them (I still say they're terrible commitment-phobes). "The Goddamn Batman" won't buy just anyone's daughter a teddy bear, after all. :D



They always seem to bring out each other's softer sides, whether they mean to or not, and I know I'm not alone in taking delight in that (thanks for the scans, Rachelle!).





In fact, so many people have loved Bats & Cats together that there's enough alternate futures with them getting together that you could almost throw a dart and hit two.



And way back in that wacky Silver Age, the two of them even overcome their fears of commitment (via Scarecrow's Fear Gas, naturally), fall in love and have a daughter named Helena Wayne - The Huntress.



So whether or not they end up being together in a happy future or stay together in a relaxed present, I still love these two. Let's hope that whatever happens that DC will keep putting out stories about this fascinating couple that make us smile.



BONUS VIDEO CONTENT!

Angsty-emo yet catchy as hell tribute video to these crazy kids that has just about every scan I've used and a few I missed -



And an animated short of DCAU Batman & Catwoman that speaks for itself, sans words -