Originally published September 8, 2000, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1399
Spider-Man Fans Up In Arms Over What’s Up with Spider-Man’s arms! Film at 2001!
I have learned to take, with a massive helping of salt, fan angst over news related to upcoming superhero films. My baptism of fire, so to speak, in that arena came at a convention when I was on a general Q&A panel with several other pros. We were asked, as a group, what we thought of the (then) news that director Tim Burton had cast Michael Keaton as Batman.
Others on the panel made it clear that, as far as they were concerned, any thoughts that Burton would produce a “serious” treatment of Batman had now fallen by the wayside. Not only was it bad enough that the film was in the hands of the director of Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, but it was going to star Mr. Mom. We were going to see another camp treatment. It was inevitable, a sure thing, take it to the bank. Throughout the room, fan heads bobbed in agreement.
And I said, “Uhm… I have no intrinsic problem with either Burton or Keaton. Just because Burton’s known primarily for comedy doesn’t mean he can’t do a serious take on Batman. And Keaton’s an actor. A comic actor can play something straight. The film might actually be pretty good because they’re both talented guys…”
It was the nearest I’ve ever come to being booed off a panel. I’ve never been barraged with that much hostility. Even some of the pros were looking at me as if I’d advocated using a dead baby seal to bludgeon the Pope.
• 
Recent Comments