Batman and Me: Wesley's Story (Part 1)

Since we're covering everything Batman here on YDKS Movies this week, I figured that we could tell why we love Batman so much and our history with the character. So, over the week, Jason, Austin (in a guest article), and I will all be writing articles where we tell our histories with The Dark Knight and why he is such an important comic book character to us. 

This is the First Part of my story (since you know... I can never write anything remotely short). 

I was first introduced to Batman in Tim Burton's still classic 1989 film Batman. Instantly, I was in love. I mean, who could you not love this character? He's dark, brooding, scary, and maybe even insane. He's almost an anti-hero... a vigilante that follows his own code of what he believes is right. He always lives on the edge and, at any moment, it seems like he could make the wrong choice. 

But, because he's Batman, he never does. 

Although it's not the perfect film, I still love Tim Burton's Batman. It's dark, brooding, and a whole lot of fun to watch. It contains one of Danny Elfman's greatest and most memorable scores to date, Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson giving solid portrays of Batman and the Joker respectfully, and just some great storytelling. It had everything you could really want from a Batman film. It was the perfect introduction of the character to me and there was no way that, after seeing the film, I could not love The Batman.

Not long after seeing Batman for the first time, I can remember going to Toys R' Us with my parents and buying action figures from the film. I got a Batman figure that I still have standing in my room till this day. I also got a Batwing action figure to put Batman inside of. I can remember looking up at the beautiful night sky through the car window as we traveled back home from the Toys R' Us. The dark sky was filled with stars. For a brief moment, I can remember imagining the Batwing flying over the stars and through the black sky. Deep down, I knew it was just in my imagination.

However, I wanted to believe in it. I wanted to believe that Batman was real. 

While I was on my Tim Burton's Batman craze, I also managed to get my dad to buy the film's video game for the NES. Does anyone remember this game? Because it was amazing. It was hard as crap... but it was pretty awesome as well. The look of the game was perfect as it was just as dark and gritty as Burton's film. It not only had great, engaging gameplay but some really classic NES music as well. Check out the video below to watch a few minutes of gameplay from the game. It may take you down a path of sweet remembrance of a truly great NES game. Man, listen to that music. They just don't make games like this anymore. 

As I was continuing in my search for more Batman related media, I stumbled upon re-runs of the cheesy Batman TV show from the 1960's starring Adam West. Although it wasn't like the Batman I had been introduced to via Tim Burton, it was fun to watch and, therefore was good enough for me. I think I watched Batman: The Movie about a thousand times just because I couldn't get enough of Batman being attacked by a rubber shark. I really just ate that stuff up. The fact that they actually had a can of "Shark Repellant" still kills me. 

Watching this TV show was also the first time that I can actually remember having feelings for a girl. Yep, that's right, I was in love with Batgirl (played by Yvonne Craig) at the rip old age of about 5. I'm not sure what it was about her but something tells me it probably had something to do with the spandex. Maybe.

I may have only been five, but this was the woman of my dreams...

How else was I exposed to the Batman? Well, I have pretty vivid memories of watching Scooby-Doo Meets Batman on VHS pretty much everyday. Man, I wore that old VHS out. I can even remember going with my mother to Sam's Club and buying it. My memory is insane people, especially when it comes to the Dark Knight. I would have to say that it was probably my most watched Scooby-Doo tape, next to Scooby-Doo Meets the Boo Brothers. Anyone else remember that gem, or I am alone in this one?

With all this kiddie-oriented Batman exposure going on in the early 1990's, I was starting to forget just how dark Batman's world could be. Then, in 1992, Tim Burton released his vastly superior sequel (in my humble opinion) entitled Batman Returns. It was the one of the first films that I ever saw in the theater (Hook was the first- also a very underrated film). As the film projection unfolded before me, I can literary remember being implanting directly into Batman's dark, snowy world. Burton's vision captivated me and truly took me to another place. It was one of the greatest theater experiences that I ever had because, honestly, I can remember thinking that I was there. It was movie magic. I was in Batman's world. I was in Gotham City.

Man, that movie was dark. At the time, it was too dark for most critics and, because of that, it got a lot of flack. Of course, Nolan's The Dark Knight is probably going to put Batman Returns to shame in the darkness category but, at the time, there was really nothing like it. It was a one of kind. It captured the darkness of the Batman graphic novels and then some. Does anyone remember the moment when the Penguin randomly bites the nose of that campaign manager? That blew my mind as a kid. It disgusted my mother. After the movie, I can remember her distaste for what she and my father had taken me too.

But me... I loved it. And I wanted more. I wanted more of Batman and his dark, gritty world.

Part 2 Coming Soon.