Same question for your last picture.

Oh wow, you're right. Why's it so clearly the other way around in my usually trusty memory?

Gotta be Wanda.

Hmm, maybe the scene I'm thinking about is in the second one? Anyone know the movies well enough to answer this?

I was thrilled when the first X-Men movies came out and it actually used the Cerebro scene from Morrison’s first X-Men issue

Unless Grant has finally cracked the whole space time thing for real, he took the scene from the film or it's all a coincidence.
Morrison came on the book about a year after the film came out.

Anyway, I just wonder if I’ll lose my nerd card over this. Althought not having seen it 20 times by now put me on probation, surely.

I don't know that it's a nerd thing - people who ask me questions about Batman from the comics, because they've never read one, have seen the film more times than me.

I actually agree with a lot of what T. is saying. I want to try to write up a post about this extremely flawed movie.

Deeply flawed?
It's not deeply flawed.
There are flaws, sure, but as a whole it's an exciting roller coaster ride in and of itself.
Possibly the best action/roller coaster/popcorn film I've seen in at least five years, with or without a superhero in it.

Anyway, I just wonder if I'll lose my nerd card over this. Althought not having seen it 20 times by now put me on probation, surely.

With the added caveat that for me, at least (and I'd guess but wouldn't assume, a lot of other people too) there's an appeal in both, the how-far-into-the-real-world-can-we-push-this as well as the over-the-top, fists-a-flyin' traditional superhero fun (which isn't to say that real world approaches can't be fun, or that traditional superheroics can't be serious/though provoking). Both can be a form of escapism. And fun. And Art. And entertainment.

Sometimes I enjoy the one type of story, sometimes the other. One of the things I love about Batman, he can work in many different styles of stories.

Well, y’all know my stance on inferring the motivations behind people’s opinions.

Oh I know, I even included an Cronin-related disclaimer!

Not necessarily.

I think you're missing a point that many people who dislike "realistic" treatments of superheroes often miss.

I speak only for myself, but the reason I enjoy "realistic" takes on superheroes like "Dark Knight" and "Wild Cards" is not because I'm ashamed of being a superhero fan or because I want the respect of people that otherwise would look down on me for my preferences.

It's a lot simpler than that, T.

I like the realistic takes because they're the biggest wish-fulfilment fantasies of all. Speaking honestly, I'm fascinated by the idea of superpowers. I wish I had superpowers, and I'm sure some people feel the same. I want to be important and distinctive and powerful and unique.

And when I fantasize about MYSELF having superpowers, it's myself in this world I live in.

And when I read or watch something that features superhumans in a "realistic" world, it obviously pushes my buttons, since it dovetails nicely with my fantasies. Conversely, superheroes in less realistic ("fun") settings create more of a barrier for identification, and aren't as intense an experience.

In that way, "realistic" fiction CAN be escapist too, my friend. Actually, it can be a lot more escapist than any Silver Age stories.

And that is one of the reasons that I enjoy Nolan's "real world" Gotham a lot more than Tim Burton's rococo city.

I don't know anyone who has seen Dark Knight who has not liked it. Almost none of those people are comic book readers. I know that's anecdotal, but I find T.'s argument empty. Yes, there was buzz and hype and good reviews, but one doesn't go see something twice without actually liking it on its own merits. (unless you're trying to bring down Titanic as box office champ. If that's the case, I'm sorry you don't have anything better going on) T., I don't see why you feel you have to "prove" that Dark Knight is selling tickets for reasons other than people genuinely liking it.

And THAT was the point of the Hong Kong sequence. I mean, come on! Are we seriously arguing about anything other than spectacle and thrills in regards to a Batman movie?

It's not supposed to be great cinema. No Batman movie ever will.

It was exciting, scary, and visually stimulating. That's exactly what I want from a Batman movie.