Comic influences on Batman: Mask Of the Phantasm

[Paul (ral)]

Silver Nemesis and BatmAngelus have written another comic influences feature. This time for Batman: Mask Of the Phantasm

http://www.batman-online.com/features/2013/12/25/batman-mask-of-the-phantasm-1993-and-the-comics

[Azrael]

Great read

[BatmAngelus]

Just wanted to jump in and say that 99% of this was Silver Nemesis.  All I did was add a couple things regarding the Reaper comparisons and the Batman vs. the SWAT sequence, but otherwise, he wrote all the rest before I even knew he was working on it.  Great work, SN!

[DocLathropBrown]

Bravo!

[Cobblepot4Mayor]

I know this is not a comic book source but I saw in your article you also culled some visuals from Batman Returns. I think I have another for you.

Beware though, SPOILERS AHEAD for those who have never seen 1990's wonderful Dick Tracy movie...

I think you'll already guess from that what I'm about to type. The character of The Blank. There is a big scene at the end when Dick Tracy finally removes the faceless mask of the myserious gangster and underneath is nightclub singer and potential Tracy squeeze, Breathless Mahoney. Or Madonna if you prefer. Surely that was an inspiration for Phantasm? The Joker meanwhile is in effect in the same postion as Al Pacino's Big Boy Caprice. He has psychologically abused Andrea in the same way Pacino physically assaults Breathless. Both women create a masked, mysterious figure in an act of revenge. The difference is the Joker somehow figures out who the Phantasm truly is.

Dick Tracy predates the Batman animated movie by a mere three years. Dick Tracy was never acknowledged for it's script duties but I have always loved that twist at the end. http://s.ecrater.com/stores/217254/4f7c5ba760b41_217254n.jpg

[Slash Man]

Was Jack Napier made to look look like an animated Hugo Blick, or was Blick just incredibly accurate to the Joker to begin with?