And of course, the popular Batman animated series produced by Bruce Timm established that Bruce Wayne’s alter ego was inspired by a movie crimefighter called “The Gray Ghost,” who was played by an actor named Simon Trent. The character of Simon Trent was, of course, voiced by Adam West.
I submit that Bruce Timm knows what makes a good Batman.
Let’s face it: Ra’s al-Ghul could very well have escaped that crashing subway at the last second. He may even now be plotting revenge in his secret Himalayan lair. What better way to break Batman’s spirit than to expose his dead father’s body to the eldritch resurrection of the Lazarus Pit? There is absolutely no reason why Batman’s dad couldn’t be lurking the streets of Gotham, twisted by arcane ninja science into a fearless undead killing machine, waiting for the perfect moment to strike his son down. Who knows when that eerie voice may echo from the shadows:
I received Adam West’s book Back to the Batcave which details his career pre-Batman. He makes several critiques about the Tim Burton movie that I felt were valid. He didn’t like that Joker killed Bruce’s parents instead of Joe Chill, he didn’t like how Batman killed people, and he thought Batman was a bit too keen on damaging property. I thought he was a bit delusional in that he seriously believed he should be playing Batman and cited the popularity of The Dark Knight Returns as evidence that audiences would accept him in the role. He also said he didn’t want to play Batman in the cartoons but he just couldn’t stand that thought of someone else doing it.
Marc
There are DC comics with a “son of Batman” or a successor to Batman, with an older BM in the background. Alternates or futures, sure, but BM would be pushing what, 80 now?
There was also Batman Beyond, with an elderly Bruce Wayne (somewhat reluctantly at least at first) training in a new Batman. I liked it a lot, but it didn’t last. People want Bruce Wayne and accept no substitutes!
Jimmy James (Stephen Root) claimed to be D.B. Cooper on several occasions, but no-one ever believed him, right up until he got arrested for it. West appeared in the last-season episode Clash of the Titans and confessed.
That’s more or less accurate - I never saw the episode in its entirety and didn’t catch much of the last season of NewsRadio generally.
I’m not sure about that. I have no idea of what West knows about Batman, but I’ve met him on a set, and he is a total putz. He gives off the aura of “I am a star” (and this was about 13 years ago) more than anyone I’ve ever met.
… in the current Batman R.I.P. storyline, however, I believe that there has been some evidence that Thomas Wayne faked his death, and might still be alive. But, hey, the guy writing that is a well-known hack that nobody likes as a comics writer.
I was trying to say that I don’t know what he thinks about the way the franchise is going today, since I hadn’t read the story until this morning.
Having done so, I think the OP is being really unfair. I thought he was saying West was being vain and demanding to be in the movie or bemoaning the direction the movies have taken or something, but that’s not even remotely the case. The latest movies aren’t his style, but I thought he was gracious and had the sense of humor about himself that I expected he would.
