New batsuit buzz: Does the costume make the hero?
The announcement that the new batsuit in the 鈥�Batman vs. Superman鈥� movie is 鈥渁wesome鈥� probably means more to adult comic book fans than kids who are much more invested in what cool new phrases their brooding hero will utter.
While fans of the classic 鈥淭HWACK!鈥� and 鈥淜APOWIE!鈥� days when Adam West played Batman on TV in a shiny cowl, tights and a chunky, yellow utility belt can rejoice at reports that Ben Affleck鈥檚 attire may hearken back to West and the actual Batman vs. Superman comic, kids walk around being Batman all day long in their jeans and Batman T-shirt.
Kids don鈥檛 need a new batsuit when they have their imaginations and can base their playtime more on the most memorable lines spoken and scenes enacted in films. All they need from the new Batman is good writing and a sense of ironic humor.
Sadly, comic book characters like the new Batman are transitioning from page to screen and are being clad to suit cosplay, role play fantasy by adults (short for "costume play") rather than kids. Remember when comic books were for kids?
Batman is a prime example of kid play turned cosplay, having transitioned over the years from the emotionally scarred son of billionaire parents, orphaned by a street thug during a robbery, turned to crimefighting wearing a utility belt with a 鈥淏atarang鈥� (boomerang shaped like a bat) to a heavily armored, weaponized franchise.
According to Business Insider, 鈥淐omic book lord and filmmaker Kevin Smith spilled during his latest Hollywood Babble-On podcast that he has seen a picture of Affleck in the new costume straight from director Zack Snyder and its awesome.鈥�
Two of my four sons, Ian, 18, and Quin, 9, stood before the computer this morning reading about the聽new, highly praised, batsuit聽and shared the same sentiment, 鈥淢eh.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 on Ben Affleck, so it really doesn鈥檛 matter,鈥� said Ian. 鈥淲as 海角大神 Bale not available?鈥�
鈥淐an he do the voice? The deep voice,鈥� Quin asked, trying his best to sound like Bale, 鈥淚鈥檓 Batmaaaan.鈥�
When it comes to super heroes and my boys, you can cast anyone as Superman, but you have to be careful with the bat.
I think that鈥檚 because Superman is from another planet. He鈥檚 pretty, perfect, and he has actual super powers like heat vision, flight, super strength, and so they can鈥檛 imagine being him.
Batman is human so they can relate to that, but above all he has great lines that they can deliver in daily life.
According to my boys Adam West was 鈥渁wesome鈥� because he had 鈥渢he voice鈥� and the fighting was funny.
Michael Keaton was 鈥渢oo goofy.鈥� Val Kilmer was too pretty. Quin says, 鈥淗e looked like Batwoman.鈥� Ouch! George Clooney was in Batman and Robin, which the boys dismiss as having no memorable lines.
海角大神 Bale is 鈥渢he real鈥� Batman and everybody who comes after the Dark Knight had better have the haunted eyes and voice to carry off the role.
Note that nowhere in there was costume a factor.
The armored bat battle suits, weapons, and cars are all there for two reasons 鈥� toy sales and cosplay fans.
In reality, when it comes to super heroes, what it really takes to make a kid into a fan is justice, coolly delivered with a side dish of humor.
In the Avengers,聽it was The Hulk saying to Loki, 鈥淧uny god鈥� after he slams the troublesome, allegedly all-powerful, Asgaardian villain into the ground.
In Batman, it鈥檚 the moment when criminal kingpin Carmine Falcone, who had earlier lectured on how insignificant and doomed the good guys are, is cornered in his car and frantically demands to know what the heck he, Batman, is.
Batman breaks open the limo's sunroof, pulls Falcone out, and 海角大神 Bale growls the now classic line that kids everywhere now say in a moment of supreme self-confidence, 鈥淚'm Batman!鈥�
When making the new batman I hope the filmmakers remember the best superhero line of all, from Spiderman, 鈥淲ith great power come great responsibility.鈥�
The responsibility isn鈥檛 about the wardrobe, merchandising, or the toy sales, but fighting for truth, justice, and all the while empowering kids鈥� imaginations.
