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I have grown up in a collectors family.  Both my parents collect things, my dad has been a toy collector his whole life.  My Uncle Ron though was a life time Batman collector, he got me started collecting comics when I was three, I still remember the first comic he gave me which was one of those Treasury Editions Action 1s.  The next one you guess  it, the Batman 1  Treasury edition.  Over time he started to give me the "small" books which were old silver age comics.  Anyway  when Batman came out in 1989 I was nine at the time, and my uncle and I had a blast that year.  I remember him calling me after school to watch ET to see the preview of the new Batman movie.   Bat hype was large in my family.    Anyway one thing that my late uncle (he passed away six years ago this month) had in his collection that I always loved from the Keaton film were his Meltons.  He even had the original Joker prototype and the Bronze Batman Melton (#1, he called WB before they even announced it and hounded them constantly, so he was in line with number 1). 

Anyway today in the mail MY own color Melton set showed up,  the ones in the estate were sold to a high end scuplture collector.  I have missed them since then, and I feel like I am back in 1989 looking at them when my uncle got them.  The close up shot of the color ones are the ones I got and the other shots are of a small selection of uncle's collection a couple days after he died.   

I made more progress this week, hoping to have more done tomorrow.  I am hoping to have it all done for next weekend.  It is fun that is for sure.   I am glad people like what I have been doing!

I LOVE drawing, just not very good at it    

Anyway I got a lot done the last few days, with the work week back up I am hoping to do some more here and there.  Anyway though here is another before and after.  (before final editing and toning/clean up).

Thanks for the compliments!  It is coming along.  The biggest pages to change so far have been the pages with the Batmobile.  I am glad people are liking it.  I have thought about this for a while, and coming onto this message board and seeing the same passion for the Burton films, I thought I had to do it.

I might, one of things I keep running into is using different sources. I am trying to use as much "comic" art as I can.  Of course there isn't really any from the first Batman movie comic.  For Billy Dee Williams I am just sourcing photos on the net and try to sharpen and texture the photos to work on the page.  Here is a before and after.  This was a great case where I liked the expression from the Batman Returns book after Batman fought with Selina at the Ice World, the blood worked in this case though since Bruce just was fighting some of Two-Face's goons. 

I am having some fun with this, it is cool to see it be Keaton.  I am not going to change the Riddler though,  It could be cool to do Robin Williams, but since I am not the best at drawing I have to do this all in Photoshop and there is more than enough to do.  In my mind, we know Keaton was Batman, and Williams already played the role of Two Face.  It is possible that Carey could still have ended up as the Riddler.

Well, this is a project I have been toying with doing for awhile.  I always thought the comic adaption of Forever got rid of most (not all) of the corny lines, and I have been dying to see a third chapter in the Burton universe.  I have been starting in photoshop to rebuild the Batman Forever comic adaption to match the first two films.  I am starting by using the comic adaptions from the other movies to help restore Michael Keaton as Batman.  I also have brought back the original Batmobile, and even the Bat boat.  Anyway, I am far from finished but here is a preview of what I have been working on.  I have gone to black and white, because it is easier to work with, and also I think makes it look more darker as the comic adaption had the bright Schumacher colors.  I'll put together a pdf of it when it is all done.  I also am planning on changing a few lines here and there.

So did they just pull the Tate's character from this rumored role of Harley Quinn??   This sounds a bit farmilar to what we got...  Batman enemy who was killed comes back in a vision.  Secret daughter out for revenge..   Anyway I just read this and thought of the connection and how similar of an idea we got in the last Nolan film: "The fifth entry in the Batman franchise would have been entitled 'Batman Triumphant', and the script, written by future I Am Legend writer Mark Potosevich, featured the villainous Scarecrow (set to be portrayed by Nicolas Cage) terrorising Gotham. There would also be a subplot involving Harley Quinn (rumoured as a part for Madonna) who was depicted as the Joker's daughter – out for revenge on Batman after his murder of her father in Tim Burton's first film. Jack Nicholson expressed enthusiasm in returning to his role as The Joker in a fear gas-induced dream sequence, where Batman would have to face his parents' killer yet again." - http://whatculture.com/film/before-the-dark-knight-rises-10-batman-films-that-never-were.php

Yeah thanks, a couple of them I haven't seen yet or knew about.

Well about the plot holes out there online, are made by hard core fans, not the general film going public.  Examples of this:the city in lock down mode.  When I watch the movie it seems so strange the way Gotham is left out there to hang and dry.  Did it work on its own in the film, a bit, but Gotham is a large  city, there had to be things going on in the city that we never saw.  Right about the time No Man's Land came out was when I went off to college I had the books here at home but never really read them.   There is no way a film can go into ALL the details that one (us hard core fans) can find the answer to. Sometimes us the viewers have to figure out how things happen or get the way they do, I think that is part of the reason there are so many fan clubs (back in the day I was on several newsletter clubs), or now in the current age forums like this. 

On screen the whole image of the city of Gotham being off limits seemed a bit strange to me, but after reading the depths that the comics went to in order to show an isolated Gotham, I could see some parallels that for me gave me a bit of comfort in what they did in Dark Knight Rises.  As much as Nolan and the hard core Nolan fans try to make it, his films still are comic book films, no matter what they try to say. For me this is a GOOD thing. I do still wish they made Gotham more of itself a character, with styling, but that is my personal preference.

The same issues can be said about the many Harry Potter films, my wife read the books but I didn't I got lost in the middle films until I read the books and then it all clicked.  Does that mean it is not as strong as a film, yes... but in the case with the current Batman movie line, you don't HAVE to look to the comics for the inspiration if you don't want to, that is up to each viewer.   Another great example is the James Bond film series, the movies many times have nothing to really do with the exact books, however, in the books there are some small details about the character that still can exist in the films and explain a few things.

It might not work for you and I am not saying it is the only way it has to be, but for me it does, and I thought the articles about the comic influences here on the films are great. 

So the Dark Knight Rises and being around this website made me want to start writing stories again.  I found several fan fictions I wrote back in the day before there was ever a Batman Forever, one of them had the introduction of Tim Drake as Robin and followed the Burton universe.  I have been thinking of several of the storylines out there that Nolan and the comic books have touched on and for the last two weeks have been working on a new fan fiction based on the Burton mythos with some elements of what has been going on in modern Batman lore.

In the story I am acting like Batman Forever never happened, the story opens with Vicki Vale being embedded with a military unit deployed over in the Middle East.  There is a nondescript war going on, I don't want to get into the politics of modern terrorists and the current wars.  Anyway Vicki is in a convoy that gets attacked and Vicki gets taken hostage while there was another person who was a hooded prisoner that the terrorists were trying to save.

We then go back to Gotham City, the city landscape is a mix of Furst, Welch and some new elements as the city has been cleaned up.  There are reflections from city news editor Alexander Knox as he walks around.  His mind rattles off how the city is better without organized crime since boss Grissom was out of the picture, and there are reflections on the Joker, Penguin, Catwoman, Max Shreck.  There is mention of Scarecrow (implying that other adventures had happened over the years, but that we aren't going there at this time).  We also learn how Borg lost the reelection, I have set up a little twist for Harvey Dent (gave him a back story that would fit Billy Dee Williams well) and Commissioner Gordon.  Borg ends up resenting the Batman, even though the crime rate has dropped, a new mayor candidate ends up using the Batman as a reason why Borg was ineffective.  We learn that Borg did care and was trying to support cleaning up Gotham (hence his support for Dent), the mayor we saw in Batman Returns was using Batman against Borg.  Borg ended up having Harvey Dent lead a top secret investigation on Batman. We learn that Harvey Bullock was the cop Dent ended up working with on this.  Dent kept pressuring Gordon to meet the Batman.  Gordon guarded Batman from Dent direct but when Gordon found out about Dent's top secret project, Gordon turns on the mayor and Dent.  He ends up supporting the new mayor candidate who won. Dent was still DA, he got reelected but Dent and Gordon are not friends.  This could be the basis of a creation of Two Face in the event I do a follow up story, this could be where some of anger comes from especially if I use an origin where Dent gets acid thrown on his face because of the  Batman. Anyway that is a small point, but during the current story we see that Dent and Gordon work as well as Robert Kennedy worked with Hoover (they hated each other but were on the same team).


Back to Knox, Batman hasn't been as active since crime has been cut down, but he is still out there and still is keeping those criminal elements in check.  Knox, still had feelings and attraction to Vicki, so when he saw on the AP news feed that Vicki was being held hostage he wanted to do something.  We saw in the first Batman movie that Knox was willing to go out and fight to do something when things are on the line (the parade with the Joker's goons).  So Knox knowing he couldn't do anything as a city editor went to the only man he knew that could do something: Bruce Wayne.

We then go to Bruce Wayne, who we see involved at Wayne Enterprises making decisions and being a businessman.  The way Keaton carries himself, he never appeared to be the absent minded billionare, he has a serious look about things and the way he carried himself with Schreck I carry over.  I did bring in Fox here and he is a mix of the comics and some of what was in the Nolan films.   Fox's reflections on things give us glimpses of how the Burton Batman got those wonderful toys.  Fox and Bruce are working on some other projects.  When Bruce leaves the office, Knox gets Bruce's attention.  Bruce always gives time to Knox since Knox helped build the legend of Batman.  We also learn that Bruce did give Knox a grant and Knox used the money to buy new computers for the city news desk which helped keep the newspaper alive. 

Bruce we learn is still scarred by loosing two women who he did care for and love  We see Bruce someone that misses having  someone in his life.  Burton showed us a Bruce that was trying to be with someone in two films.  Even though Vicki was gone out of Bruce's life (and we learn that Vicki was never over Bruce, it turns out she left Gotham and ended up going into hardcore photojournalism as an escape, her career ended up becoming her "mask" so to speak) Bruce did care greatly for her and he decided that yes he was going to try to save her. 

I give Alfred more involvement; I always felt that in the comics Alfred was very smart.  Burton's Alfred has a very pleasant character and charm, but you can tell that Alfred has a background that wasn't really touched on.  I came up with a cross of background from the comics, movies and even Batman Earth 1, in that it turns out Alfred was more involved in secret intelligence work before he ever came to the United States.  I give some glimpses of some of Alfred's adventures in his past. We even learn that he worked with several British assassins.  We also see how it is when Bruce says, "Alfred find out what the CIA knows about this," we see how Alfred still has connections and works them.  I always wanted to see Alfred more than just a guy who hands over a folder.

Bruce is trying to develop a way to save Vicki, I am working on that right now, but before he goes, I brought in an interesting twist, Dick Grayson and his own character Nightwing.  I jumped over the whole idea of Robin being a kid with Bruce.  It just doesn't seem right in Burton's universe.  I liked the origin for Dick Grayson I saw on the Animated Batman series, which might have also been touched on Batman Year 3 (I have to review the names and things) but in this there is the mobster Zucco who killed Dick's parents.  Dick Grayson though gets put into an orphanage and is given witness protection, he is given a new name and identify since he was a material witness.  Now with the break down of the mob with Grissom and then Batman and Harvey Dent finishing it out after the Joker ripped the mob apart, Zucco left Gotham for years. 

Grayson not growing up in Wayne Manor instead decided to fight crime as well.  He ended up becoming a Gotham County Sheriff.  To many including those that raised at the orphanage  him it appears that he is simply turning the death of his parents as motivation  for his career, but the real focus is finding and killing Zucco. As a sheriff in the event that Zucco was ever caught and brought into Gotham Dick would get the chance for revenge one on one, unless he got to Zucco on his own first.  We find out that Grayson has found out that Zucco is coming back to Gotham and it turns out some major player is putting the pieces in motion for something big. 

I set the introduction for Grayson like this; Alfred goes in to Gotham City to meet a British Intelligence officer who has the file on Vicki.  Bruce decides to hover around on the rooftops as Batman keeping an eye on things.  Batman notices a black Corvette park in the alley way, he starts to investigate but then Tony Zucco arrives, and Batman knows who Zucco is.  Alfred when he enters sees the agent gets what he has to but notices some gangster types there.   Alfred leaves just as Tony Zucco enters.  Alfred gets out of the diner and then a smoke bomb goes off.  Batman crashes in the front window and sees that there is a fight going on and gun fire erupts.  Batman sees there is someone else there in a uniform fighting.  Zucco sneaks out, and Batman and this other character start fighting each other.  However the other guy is more interested in getting away to get Zucco.  Batman  doesn't know if this other guy is a good guy or a mob hit man (I kept thinking of the comments in Burton's Batman 1).   Nightwing takes off after Zucco in his car.   

Nightwing catches Zucco and started to beat the living daylights out of him.  Batman used his spear gun to attach himself to the Corvette and hung on during the chase.  Batman gets there and tries to stop Nightwing from killing Zucco.  Next thing both Batman and Nightwing knew they were surrounded by the police with weapons drawn.  Batman gave Nightwing an option, "trust me and work with me, or they will shoot you."  Batman does a great espace straight up out of the mess, with various smoke and small led blinding light devices that he slips out of the bottom of his boots.

Batman confronts this new costumed hero.  Batman it turns out knew that Zucco was a wanted man and namely for the murder of the Graysons.  Batman  noticed that the costume the other hero wore was simply painted Sheriff's Riot Gear.  Batman being a detective started to piece it out. He figures out that this character was Dick Grayson.  Grayson pulls of his modified riot helment that was his "cowl."  He asked Batman to do the like but Batman stays as Batman.  He tells Grayson why he can't murder Zucco, and this is where I had some real fun.  I throw all the stuff from Batman and Batman Returns right back at Batman. The deathes of the Joker, Penguin,  and others.  That is when we the reader learn that Bruce has kept up the mantle of the Batman not only because of the murder of his parents, or protecting Gotham, but to pay for the sins of the deathes he has caused.  It has given me some interesting plot points to work with. Vengance is the theme of the story time after time.  There is a lot more with Dick Grayson going on but I don't want to spoil it if anyone reads what I write.

So there is a lot more, lots of flash backs and things I have connected.  One interesting flash back is during Bruce's training.  Picture  Micheal Keaton as Bruce Wayne, with the look of Beetlejuice  hair and manic eyes in the bottom of a  prison which is basically sewage.  There is a very raw scene I had to come up for an escape but it shows us a new light... I kept holding onto Bruce's look with the eyes that we saw when Bruce went after the Joker in Vicki's apartment.  I wanted to explore that Keaton's Bruce Wayne was as tough as any other Bruce Wayne on film.

The main villain is Bane, I decided the whole concept of Venom works well with the Burton universe... we learn more about Fred Atkins and his background which we learn ties in with Bruce's old training and even Axis Chemicals.  We learn that Axis Chemicals was so underground and dirty they were the ones doing a lot of the chemical weapons development for the CIA (hence Napier having that file in Axis) and that Axis chemicals have some ties to the development of Venom. ...  The general direction will be while Batman is in the Middle East on an adventure trying to save Vicki, a new crime wave heats up.  People think Batman is gone or dead.  Nightwing tries to fill the shoes, but  Gotham needs Batman.  The problem is things don't always goes as planned and the question is out, what happened to the Batman?  Bruce also has to deal with some guilt, he left Gotham to pursue his own life's love ,and by leaving the city all the hard work he did might end up being torn down.