Iconism and Batman Begins

Okay, okay, I'll admit it. I'm writing this blog entry because I'm all excited on the upcoming movie "Batman Begins."

Batman has been my "superhero" icon ever since I learned how to read and raid my eldest brother's comic book collection. Why? Because he's 100% human. No mutant enhancements, no cosmic ray endowment, no alien technology, no paranormal abilities. His status is, let's say, realistic and attainable enough now.

Batman was such an icon to me that at the age of 5, I had my own Batman costume (I pestered my uncle to buy me one from Canada hahahaha).

All Bruce Wayne has is his body and mind to work with. And of course a motivation to excel and be an expert in his chosen craft (that's where the death of his parents come in). Bruce Wayne didn't become Batman overnight --- he spent a good number of years training for it. It's NOT common knowledge for the average fan to know how and where and with whom Bruce Wayne spent those years in his transformation to becoming The Batman.

But I'm not your average fan.

And that's why I am so excited for "Batman Begins".

Because from the moment I saw the title, I knew that this will be the story of Bruce Wayne's hidden years.

Because from the moment I saw the 30 second trailer, I knew that Ra's Al Ghul will be the primary villain. Did you know that Ra's Al Ghul admires Batman's mental capability so much that he fondly calls him "The Detective"? And it is only Ra's Al Ghul who knows that Batman and Bruce Wayne are one and the same, yet he doesn't attack Bruce Wayne but fights against only the Batman?

My favorite Batman comic book happens to have Ra's Al Ghul as the featured villain. The fights are the same. It's the mental-political dialogue between the two. You see, both of them have sharp minds. What do you expect? Batman was an excellent student (hint).

I hated the other Batman movies for two things: [1] the choice for villains (both the actor and the character, with the exception of Danny de Vito as The Penguin) did not agree well with me and [2] the portrayal of Batman was too "glittery" --- the previous Batmans were not cold or dark enough.

I hope this one turns out to be finally good.

I wonder if I can still find my old Batman costume. If I do so, all I need now is Bruce Wayne's playboy demeanor and oodles of cash so I can live my fantasy. Hahahaha!