Fans should prepare for ‘Batman’ with comics

Production of the third installment in Christopher Nolan’s “Batman” series has officially… Production of the third installment in Christopher Nolan’s “Batman” series has officially begun, according to a Warner Bros. press release from last Wednesday. To the surprise of few but the delight of many, Pittsburgh is listed among the cities in which “The Dark Night Rises” will be filmed.

So to prepare for the oncoming Pittsburgh “bat-gasm,” here’s a few Batman classics that can help you learn the roots of the Dark Knight, if you are so inclined.

“Batman: Year One”

Frank Miller, a staple author of the Batman series, does a fantastic job of explaining the beginnings of Batman while weaving in the origins of Catwoman and Commissioner Gordon — before he was commissioner, of course. Anne Hathaway is slated by the Warner Bros. press release to play Selina Kyle, Catwoman’s alter ego.

This graphic novel paved the way for many Batman comics in style as well as tone, and Nolan’s films draw a lot from “Year One”— from costuming to blocking.

If you like “Batman: Year One,” I also recommend “The Dark Knight Returns.” Like Year One, this is classic Miller.  The plot is starkly different — set in the future where the older Batman comes out of retirement to fight once again.

“Batman: The Long Halloween”

The sequel to “Year One,” “The Long Halloween” by Jeph Loeb further develops the comic’s villians and heroes. The Batman and Catwoman love-hate relationship is in full bloom at this point, and the storyline will help readers get a jump on understanding it in preparation for “The Dark Knight Rises.” The book also features other villains like Poison Ivy and the Riddler. “The Long Halloween” is well-known for containing the Harvey Dent/Two-Face origin story.

If you like “Batman: The Long Halloween,” I also recommend “Hush.” Jeph Loeb also penned this comic, and it furthers Batman and Catwoman’s rocky love affair to its climax.

“Batman: The Killing Joke”If you are in love with the Joker of “The Dark Knight,” look no further than “The Killing Joke” by Alan Moore.

It includes flashbacks to the origins of the Joker, but the villain himself keeps it a mystery by saying, “If I’m going to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice.” Now if that doesn’t remind you of Heath Ledger’s portrayal, I’m not sure what will.

This graphic novel is pure genius — dark, disturbing and psychologically complex, a style for which comic master-author and epically bearded Moore is legendary. The graphic novel’s plot draws a parallel between the Joker and Batman that questions the Dark Knight’s sanity without providing a reassuring answer. “The Killing Joke,” while short, is one of the most influential series installments.

If you like “The Killing Joke,” I also recommend “Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth” by Grant Morrison.  The Joker — in his insane element —leads a takeover of Arkham Asylum and holds its staff hostage in this graphic novel.

“Batman: Vengeance of Bane”Tom Hardy is listed as playing the villain Bane in “The Dark Knight Rises.” His character is one of the more interesting villains.

“Vengeance of Bane” by Chuck Dixon explains the origins of the man. Bane is incredibly smart and virtually unstoppable physically. He was born in a prison and is later used as a test subject at that facility for a drug that he needs to have pumped into his brain every 12 hours. The complexities of the comic-book Bane and how Nolan translates him into the “gritty realism” of his trilogy will be intriguing to witness on the big screen.

If you like “Batman: Vengeance of Bane,” I also recommend the trilogy “Knightfall” by various authors, which begins with another fun Arkham related villain free-for-all and shows the culmination of the Batman and Bane conflict..

It’s important to remember that Batman was born in the comic world before he was a movie star, and the world of comics is a strange and fascinating place.

Every new author brings the possibility of a new direction for the storyline and characters, and sometimes these can take place simultaneously. That tendency in comics, combined with the multiple movie reboots, not to mention cartoons and TV shows, makes for one confusing bat-universe.

For this reason, it’s helpful to begin with graphic novels and compilations rather than individual comics when reading up on your favorite mammal-themed vigilante, and keep an open mind. No interpretation is more “right” than any other, including the movies’. Happy reading, bat-fans.