My Top 5 Out Of Character Comic Book Movie Moments

The work "trainwreck" can be used to describe more than one movie currently playing in theaters.  Fox's Fantastic Four is now surrounded with drama as it's director lashes out at the studio on social media and it becomes a box office flop; barely making half of it's projected opening weekend numbers.  My thoughts on the film aside, I did find it odd that while the movie had Johnny Storm in it, a.k.a. The Human Torch, there was actually no sign of the character anywhere in Michael B. Jordan's performance.  

This isn't the first time film makers have taken liberties with comic book heroes to serve their movie.  But to change a character completely is almost as bad as calling your film an X-Men movie, but not having any trace of an actual X-Men root anywhere in the movie *cough*Brett Ratner*cough*.  I for one don't mind changing a character trait for another adaptation so long as it doesn't change what the original character stands for.  So after a little thinking I've got my top 5 moments in comic book movies that totally went against their character archetype.   

5) THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN

Peter Parker Stops His Bully From Bullying Someone Else

I always thought Tobey Maguire was the perfect Spider-Man casting.  He was shorter than the average male, wasn't too handsome, and overall looked like a nerd.  However, Andrew Garfield was the same height and stature as his bully; Flash Thompson.  In one scene, Peter stops Flash from picking on another fellow nerd.  Now, post-spider powers, Parker may have had the confidence to stand up to Flash, but pre-spider powers Peter would have seen the incident, thank God it wasn't him, and kept walking.  Peter Parker had no self-esteem before he become Spider-Man.  But after getting bitten he became a cocky little punk whenever he was slinging webs.

4)  FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER

Mr. Fantatic Busts A Move On The Dance Floor

For Reed's bachelor party Johnny decides to throw him a massive shindig complete with a fully stocked bar, dance floor, and lots of girls.  This of course is not Reed's scene at all.  Mr. Fantastic can barely lift his head from his microscope to talk to his wife.  He'd be sitting in the corner by himself at his own party; let alone nowhere near the dance floor.  This moment makes no sense and makes me truly believe the people behind this film didn't know the FF at all.

3)  BATMAN AND ROBIN

Batman Attends A Public Event

There is no much wrong with this film that goes against Batman myth I could go on "forever" about it.  But the moment that makes the least amount of sense is when Batman tries to lay a trap for Mr. Freeze.  He offers the Wayne diamonds up as bait, and Batman and Robin as security.  Batman didn't even show up to Superman's funeral!  He is only seen by those he's saved and savaged.  His power is him being purely myth to the general public, not at a charity event like he's an NFL player from the Make A Wish foundation.  This moment was followed by the Bat-credit card.  Oh Joel Schumacher, what did you do!

2) MAN OF STEEL

Jonathan Kent Tells His Son To Let People Die

"Maybe."  It was the word I shuttered at as I heard Kevin Costner say it in the trailer for Man of Steel.  I was hoping it was an editing trick for the trailer to spark more interest that this would not be the boy scout version of Superman.  However, as I watched the film, it indeed was in the movie. "What was I supposed to do?  Just let them die?"  "Maybe."  Oh come on!  Clark gets his moral compass from Jonathan and Martha Kent, and Pa Kent would never have told his son to let a school bus full of children die just to protect his own secret.  That moment goes against everything Pa Kent and Superman stand for.  Damn you David Goyer and Zach Snyder!  Now I'm reminded why I'm trying not to get my hopes up for Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice.

1)  X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE

Deadpool Has His Mouth Sewn Shut

His nick name is The Merc With A Mouth.  For about ten glorious minutes we got to see Ryan Reynolds bring to life the foul mouth, fast talking, Wade Wilson.  It was the only good ten minutes in the film.  The next time we see the character he has his mouth sewn shut and sporting all kinds of mutant powers.  Most of Deadpool's charm lyes in his wit and speech.  Luckily this atrocity seems to be rectified based on the latest Deadpool trailer.  The film is set to come out next year and looks to find Reynolds back as Wade Wilson doing what both of them were meant to do; never shutting up.

Worth A Read? Batman Beyond 2.0: Rewired

When I was a kid I used to love Robin. He was the boy who go to fight crime beside Batman.  The character's entire development was to make kids feel like they were the young ward working with the Dark Knight.  But in 1999 something better happened; a kid not only became Batman, but a futuristic Batman!  40 years into the future Terry McGinnis takes over the mantle of the Batman as an elderly Bruce Wayne is in his ear guiding him through the streets of Gotham.  If was a great spin on the Batman lore, so much that stories have continued to be made well past the shows cancellation in 2001.  

Kyle Higgins takes over writing the adventures of McGinnis as Batman in the future.  In this restart, Terry and Bruce have had a falling out and it is Dick Grayson who is mentoring the now college-age Terry.  In the first of three stories, a new villain has killed the mayor of Gotham and it's up to Batman to stop him.  Afterwards, Terry uncovers a society of Man-Bats that Dr. Langstrom has created and is looking to unleash upon the city.  Finally, in a short tale, we dip our toes back into the Dick/Barbara love story, or at least find out what happened all those years ago between them.  

I've always enjoyed Batman Beyond.  It's a new spin that gives us old readers a breath of fresh air. The rejuvenation of Terry McGinnis began in 2010 with a mini-series that spawned an on-going series.  The mini-series was great; the on-going series not so much. But with 2.0 I think the character has finally found his footing in comic form.  

The comics that have been written the last few years weren't as deep as this.  In this version they've added Dick Grayson as a main character, and given his history with Bruce and Barbara, it's a lot more to play off of.  The other characters are featured more in the plot so it makes things a little more complex and interesting.  The world also follows the continuity of the 90's animated TV series just like the Batman Beyond TV series (which we all loved) so it almost seems liked we're getting a bit of that animated series back as well.

I know Higgins had been writing the New 52 Nightwing, which I'm not a big fan of.  But I like what he is doing with Terry McGinnis, and if he keeps this up I'll continue to actually read the graphic novels and not just skim through them like I have previous BB books.  Thony Silas's art is also a good middle point between the animated drawing we're used to from Batman Beyond, and a harder style I would almost say is Leinil Francis Yu.  Which is a combination that works well for this book.

If nothing else this graphic novel took me back to my childhood.  It's not only an adventure of Terry McGinnis, but of the original Gotham Knights that were so great to watch on Saturday mornings right before Spider-Man and X-Men came on.  The characters and story are solid in this book.  I'm sold on Batman Beyond 2.0.

WORTH A READ:  If you like the animated Batman series of the 1990's (and who doesn't?)