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February 16, 2006
Batman to Pursue Al Qaeda
Via Risky Business, the news that Frank Miller, who also wrote the Sin City series, is revisiting the Dark Knight universe he created in the 1980s to pen a graphic novel in which Batman joins the fight against the terorists. The novel will be titled, Holy Terror, Batman! and will feature a terror attack on Gotham. What seems unusal about the planned novel, especially given Miller's far more critical work in the original Dark Knight universe, is that Miller claims that the novel will serve as "pure propaganda," in which Batman "kicks al Qaeda's ass."
Brainster's Blog has a rundown on Miller's comics and their overt political imagery, and like him, I think it's a bit too easy to ascribe a consistent political vision to Miller's artistic output. I'm curious to see Holy Terror, even if it is overt "propaganda," but I'd love to see something a bit more nuanced.
Update: Just noticed that Scott Eric Kaufman has a thoughtful post on Holy Terror.
Posted by chuck at February 16, 2006 12:54 PM
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Comments
Chuck - this post was quoted in today's (friday's) Washington Post Express "Blog Log." Cool :)
Posted by: Jason at February 17, 2006 2:25 PM
Cool. I've been trying to get them to quote me for weeks (not really, but I though it would be kind of cool). I'll have to pick up a copy when I'm out later.
Here's the issue as a massive PDF. I'm on page 37 or so.
Posted by: Chuck at February 17, 2006 2:35 PM
Here's a related story:
"The Battle Outside Raging, Superheroes Dive In," by George Gene Gustines (New York Times Feb 20, 2006).
America's real-world political issues will wind themselves into the lives of the heroes of Marvel Comics in "Civil War," a seven-issue limited monthly series.
Posted by: G Zombie ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://chutry.wordherders.net/nav-commenters.gif)
at February 20, 2006 7:24 PM
GZ, thanks for noting the Times article. Sounds like some really interesting work is being done in comics/graphic novels.
Posted by: Chuck at February 21, 2006 10:54 AM
It's alright.... both Miller and Batman have been stopped...
The Irony Party of Australia has video footage to prove it, as part of an article entitled
BATMAN SNIPED BY AL QA'EDA IN IRAQ at
http://www.ironyparty.org/ipa24thmar06.php
Looks authentic to me
Posted by: david at March 26, 2006 3:49 PM