It started innocently enough. Senior Writer and Comics Afficianado Arnaldo Reyes tripped over this quote by Zach Snyder in preparation for the release of Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice. He posted it in our ScreenFish staff chat, and the following? happened.
Arnaldo Reyes: ?[Batman] is not giving people a chance? He is more than a vigilante. He has become not only the cop, if you will, he has also become the jury and executioner.? Since when was Batman = The Punisher?
Jacob Sahms, Co-editor: He?s like Macguyver- no guns…But c?mon, Zac Snyder is an idiot.
Steve Norton, Co-editor and token Canadian: I don’t know why you’re surprised. He’s been pushing that since the beginning. Batman is old and bitter. They’ve made that clear.
Arnaldo Reyes: So was the Frank Miller Batman…but he never broke his rule.
Steve Norton: He won’t kill. That’s blowing it out of proportion.
Arnaldo Reyes: They said he’s become jury and executioner….so how is thinking him killing is blowing it out of proportion? Unless executioner in Canada means something else (winks).
Steve Norton: It’s just press. That’s all. They won’t break the rule. No way. I just like what they’re doing. It’s different. It might not work but they’re taking a risk that I respect. It’s why I’m digging Suicide Squad
Jacob Sahms: For the record, Superman doesn’t kill either…
Arnaldo Reyes: It’s okay to take risks. They can go the Frank Miller route…in fact for their world they need to. Still you gotta keep the things that make these characters iconic.
Steve Norton: That’s fair about Superman–but I still thought that was justified.
Chris Utley, Writer, Playwright, & Film Buff : Oh Lawd. The SUPERMAN DONT KILL argument. So Supes was supposed to let Zod laser eye that whole family to death?
Jacob Sahms: Supes was Kobayashi Maru-ed in the comics and always found a way around. Fly off with him, drop something heavy on him. I?m just saying that Snyder thinks he is smarter than seventy-five years? worth of writers.
Steve Norton: (Cough) Noah (Cough).
Jacob Sahms:I know but you’ve been apologizing for him since the movie came out.
Steve Norton: It’s not an apology. You’re just saying that because I’m Canadian. I just get it.
Jacob Sahms: Look at the body of work. He has a wet dream about how something will work and then tries to write a story around it.
Steve Norton: I like something a little different.
Jacob Sahms: Dude wouldn’t know a story if it bit him. That’s fine. Batman draws a gun and it instantly becomes worthless. If eisenberg’s Luthor doesn’t kill it first.
Arnaldo Reyes: Supes has killed in the comics…but there is a reason why that is buried. He is a much more iconic figure minus that.
Chris Utley: Dawn Of The Dead is the only horror movie my wife watched from start to finish. And 300 is a modern day classic
Steve Norton: Oh I hated 300 (laughs).
Chris Utley: So I don’t hate on Snyder. He had missteps. Epic ones. Sucker Punch is one of the 5 worst movies I’ve ever seen.
Jacob Sahms: Torture porn?
Arnaldo Reyes: Snyder isn’t a bad director….but he is lazy. It was a lack of creativity in not finding something outside of he has to kill him. It was a cop out really
Chris Utley: So y’all worship the mythology of Supes?
Jacob Sahms: You mean Jesus? (winks)
Chris Utley: Not taking into account that Supes was Supes for like 48 hours…
Jacob Sahms: Superman the movie is in my. Top 5. Not kidding.
Arnaldo Reyes: I actually don’t like Superman (winks).
Chris Utley: I smell an epic brouhaha after Batman vs. Superman…
Jacob Sahms: Superman is Jesus. Too shiny and perfect. Batman is my dude.
Chris Utley: Not in this version.
Jacob Sahms: I don’t like Boy Scouts.
Chris Utley: Kinda refutes your beef.
Arnaldo Reyes: With Man of Steel, I appreciate the attempt to make him feel more human. That I liked. But I also think the essence of the character wasn’t captured.
Jacob Sahms: I’m sure Grant Morrison and Snyder are BFFs. Kill the mythos, ascend the?human ladder.
Chris Utley: Which is what is happening. By the time we get to JL2, we will hopefully have the whole essence/mythology in place
Arnaldo Reyes: But will it be too late? My question is, to reach who they really are, will they have killed them to the point that audience never sticks around to JL2.
Stay tuned?
