Radio-Play Comics - Batman '89 (A third Tim Burton/Michael Keaton Batman movie in comic form)

[@evanzaremba4722]

This radio-play was amazing.

[@steviefranks1812]

Marlon Wayans as Robin would’ve been super dope! Thanks for this video bro! You did a great job! Keep going! Love your work!

[@fusionspace175]

Yeah, people who only have seen his comedic work might underestimate him as an actor, but if they've seen him in Requiem For A Dream, they know better. he had the range to play this mostly serious role, he just took the comedy roles for the bigger paychecks. Thanks for the kind words, I did my best with this one.

[@evanzaremba4722]

I don't want to see Marlon Wayans as Robin. Besides, Chris O'Donnell was a good Robin, because Joel cast him as The Boy Wonder to be with Val Kilmer in Batman Forever.

[@evanzaremba4722]

@@fusionspace175 Actually, Marlon Wayans as Robin was originally for Batman Returns, before being cut. Besides, the actors that were considered for Robin in Batman Forever were Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Wahlberg, Ewen McGregor, Jude Law, Alan Cumming, and Toby Stephens before Chris O'Donnell got the part.

[@fusionspace175]

There is one big reference right at the end there, that perhaps I should have pointed out. Bruce does indeed have a Ford Futura sitting in his garage, the car that was famously restyled into the 1966 Batmobile. But I was sticking to just references to the other Burton movies and the other Batman movies, comics, and merch, and mostly things from their era, that seemed a little too outside the ballpark to call fair. So if you caught it without an explanation, points for you. As for Selina's idea of alimony payments, I would bet anything that Robin is going to help Bruce resolve that. If you've ever seen the Mel Gibson western comedy Maverick, it ends in a similar way. In that, Mel plays a card sharp and gambler who has won a large pot, but at the end of the movie Jodie Foster comes out of nowhere to steal the winnings, and the movie ends with the feeling of another adventure beginning, along with the line "We're gonna have a hell of a lot of fun getting it back." I'd also bet that after Bruce does recover his money, he'll find out Selina had a good reason for wanting it, and will probably be glad to arrange some finances for her. Though I'd say their relationship has indeed run its course, barring a moral awakening from Selina. As for Barbara Gordon, it really is a coin toss how she's going to react to losing Harvey, her father, and learning that Bruce has lied to her for years all at once. I could easily see a villain arc from her, a more concerted effort to hunt Batman or even exposing his identity in public, but I could also see her coming out of her grief to understand why Bruce lied, and to also then see Batman in a different light, and that path is how she could still become Batgirl. She would probably end up apologizing to her father, too, if she ever decides to step beyond the bounds of the law herself with a vigilante career. The game she and Harvey were playing was always rigged against them, and this incident might convince her that playing to win is more important than playing by the rules. But if her clothing choice is any clue, it might be telling that she already wears yellow and black a lot, Batman's colors. I wonder if that's subconscious on her part, or if she just figures 'he doesn't OWN that color scheme, and I look good in it'.

[@evanzaremba4722]

And I found that story too retconned. For me, both Tim Burton's Batman and Joel Schumacher's Batman are one and the same. Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, and George Clooney are the same Batman, despite the age difference and different portrayals.

[@fusionspace175]

@@evanzaremba4722 That's definitely how I interpreted them while growing up, but now that I have the choice, I do prefer this timeline as the continuation. I still love Batman Forever though, and even Batman and Robin is a fun bad movie to watch, and I must admit I have a soft spot for Alicia as Batgirl. The interpretation of Batman and Robin and his team aren't the problem, those work pretty well as the same person and you have the same Alfred and the manor looks ok, it's Gotham City around them, the swap for Harvey to Tommy Lee, the radical shift in tone and architecture and the Batmobile itself glowing with neon, those are the things that made it feel like the universe right next door than the exact same Burton one. I really didn't give the artist enough credit for matching the look of the Burton films, I was so focused on Sam Hamm's writing and I just credited the visual style to Burton in a general sense, but it was a team of artists that crafted the Batman 1989 world, and I highly recommend watching the documentary from the dvd and blu ray set on that creation process, if you haven't seen it. As for retconned, i do get what you mean, it's a valid point. The story does absolutely smack of 'modern-day' in the writing and logic, but I felt the artistry wove it into the 90's style in a believable way. But that's a matter of taste and opinion, and I'm not telling you you're wrong.

[@evanzaremba4722]

@@fusionspace175 good. I still have all four of them on DVD and Blu-Ray and I still watch them currently.

[@orinanime]

Another good/amusing way to date the story of this comic, is there's a scene where two teens are looking at this comics universe version of the PlayStation in store window. The PlayStation's American launch was September 1995.

[@fusionspace175]

It's funny because whenever a game console shows up in comic (set in the comics universe) it's always generalized so much that it can't be tracked to any single product. One of my favorite examples is in Reign of the Supermen, the console Superboy and Roxy are playing a Doomsday and Superman fighting game on is somewhere between an SNES and a Neo Geo with controllers more like Atari and Genesis combined, and the graphics are depicted like a modern arcade game would look. The Gamestation as I think it's called is much more singular and obvious like a reference joke in a movie would be. Personally I got the N64 and my friend got a PS1, and we played games on each other's consoles until the prices came down, and it was a looong wait as I picked the wrong end of that console war. I finally got my own PS1 in a pawn shop and admitted defeat, but in my defense I had hated cd's and how and they skipped, and I feared if game discs would be be the same way.

[@orinanime]

@@fusionspace175 indeed. As for the console war... I had them both eventually. I love them both. PlayStation released in 95 in the US & N64 in 96. Pretty sure I got my N64 in 97, and my PlayStation in 98. Before that I was still using my Sega Genesis and Sega CD and a few computer games.

[@antshield]

This was really amazing, thanks for this! I'm watched hours of your content and enjoy your voice work. You really bring the characters to life. My only suggestion is some of the sound effects. Most of the time, your verbal description of what is happening is enough without mouthing out, say, helicopter blades or explosions. Regardless, this story was a great pick for a Radio Play. Kudos 👏

[@fusionspace175]

Thanks, I do give the performance my full effort. As for the sounds, I used to not do them at all, and those episodes feel really weird now. I've tried different things and settled on my current style for a few reasons. Often they give the world much more dynamic range, but mostly they're for pacing, so you can follow on the page and know what's happened and what hasn't, that sort of thing. I am aware that I'm no Michael Winslow, but I try my best. They also inform people in subtle ways of non obvious things. In the climax of this story, when there's two universes playing out, I use the sound of the coin spinning in the air to denote when we switch from one universe to the other on the page. Comprehension is goal number one, but characterization is second. I would like to buy an actual sound effects suite some day, but I also like being able to modulate every sound to be the exact kind I want for each situation, as well. For example, I try to keep sounds much more subdued and realistic in Green Arrow, but for Emperor Joker I went more overdone and cartoony since it's a cartoony reality. The descriptions are actually the superfluous part, I feel, because those are mostly just there for the benefit of those with sight issues or people just not looking at the screen all the time. That's sort of the 'radio' part of the show, in spirit anyway, making sure it also works as an audio program.

[@antshield]

Thanks for the reply. I understand what you are saying, and enjoy your videos in your current style. I find myself getting immersed in the story, and your vocal range is actually really good. Each character that speaks has their own unique way of talking, and my brains just excepts that's how they sound. Even with female characters, I never think "That's a guy doing a woman's voice." It's only the some sound effects that sometimes snap me out of a little. Regardless, I like experiencing story's this way. I like your channel way more then Comicstorian or Comic's Explained. Looking forward to your next video.

[@fusionspace175]

@@antshield I don't mind telling you, but I am my own first audience. With certain projects like this one, I'm motivated to get it done not just for the channel, but so I can watch it. Even when you're constructing scenes, you don't know how it will play as a whole until it's done, and when I watch it, I often forget I'm listening to myself. I just hear the characters and how close they sound to the way they sound in my head. A lot is up to me to determine, but I also seek guidance wherever I can, for example for this I watched the first two Batman movies and replayed lines, repeating them until I had the returning voices down, then I watched a few Billy Dee Williams movies where he plays similar roles, because Harvey barely has any lines in Batman. Number One With A Bullet was pretty good, I settled on that as my main focus for him. As for my range, that's something that's improved with time and practice. I did Alan Moore's Promethea specifically to force myself to develop a cast of female voices, for instance, and it worked pretty well. I've always been a bit of a vocal mimic, in that when I sing for fun, I tend to imitate the sound of the singer as closely as I can, without really thinking about it. As for the actual performance, I have a few artists I count as influences, people who made me admire the craft enough to want to get into it, and that's Orson Wells for The Shadow radio show, Frank Mullen for the first 4 Dark Tower audiobooks, and Jim Dale for his version of Harry Potter. They showed me the power voice acting can have, to realize a world. I used to black out my room and put on cassette tapes in total darkness, and let my imagination visualize as they played. I'm really glad I can provide that, in some small way, for others.

[@evanzaremba4722]

It sure does.

[@creativecatproductions]

This is awesome

[@fusionspace175]

Yours on the Turbografx 16 was great too, man. I really admired the research ethic.

[@KatanisPSN]

Awesomesauce!!

[@RoninS636]

Can’t wait for you to cover Echoes once that comes out

[@fusionspace175]

I might, but I'd have to know what that is first. I don't do a lot of modern comics, my usual cutoff is 2011 or so. New things like this, and Before Watchmen, I cover because they really belong in a past era with other works from then.

[@RoninS636]

⁠@@fusionspace175as of this comment, it hasn’t come out yet but it’s going to be a follow up to this story

[@fusionspace175]

@@RoninS636 Oh well if it's a fourth movie I probably will then. I couldn't find anything about it, a search just turned up some fan podcast. I just hope they got Sam to write it again.

[@ykarus9343]

​@@fusionspace175 Batman '89: Echoes is the sequel to this one. Set 2 years after.

[@fusionspace175]

@@ykarus9343 I've heard it's coming, but no word on when. I plan to adapt it when it comes out, though.

[@mrdgenerate]

I love this channel, but your girl voice is a spot on Michael Jackson impression in this one 😂 1:13:12 I have both of those figures still.

[@fusionspace175]

I don't suppose I could convince you to trade me for one of them? I have a wide array of Batman and other figures from later on, but I lost all the Dark Knight era stuff to garage sales long ago. Thanks, mom (jk). If I could get one back it would be the Bruce Wayne quick change, either variant, no card required, loose and complete would do it. But I collect so many lines, I really am mostly kidding, I don't even know what they'd go for now. I imagine they made a TON of them, I remember many years of them on the shelves at KB Toys and Toys R' Us, as well as Kmart, Venture, and Target. I loved that second Batcave with the manor attached, but I plan to remake that as a papercraft project, which I did for the Kenner Hall of Justice for my Super Powers figures. Sadly the only Batman movie era toys I still have are my first ever 89 Batman that my mom bought me on the way to see the film in theaters, and the 100th edition Batman, the shiny blue and silver one with terrible articulation and a giant batarang molded into his hand. I have the backdrop with a demonic stone face but I've lost the base, oh and two Knightfall Batman figures, one blue Azrael model from the early KnightQuest period and the red one from Knightsend, no accessories. I don't count the ones that were always Super Powers rereleases such as Robin, Mr Freeze, and Penguin. Check out Pegwarmers if you haven't, it's a decent toy podcast and they just did the Terminator toys from the 90's, it's usually a fun trip down memory lane.

[@mrdgenerate]

@@fusionspace175 I know there's no cardboard.., prob no accessories either. But I have the figures and at least 1 cape/chest piece

[@mrdgenerate]

@@fusionspace175 ill look. Not saying no, but not yes yet. Gotta find them first. Id trade for something marvel or superman related. I have tons of Batman. My mom got me a new figure every week growing up lol but she did give away our entire vhs collection. WHYYYYY.

[@silasingram2157]

Stumbled across this channel and absolutely love it. Would you do the rocketeer cargo of doom, Darwyn cooke’s the spirit and justice society returns?

[@fusionspace175]

Very possible I will do the other Rocketeer comics as I did the original run and the tributes done after Dave's passing, I know he had a crossover with Indiana Jones pretty recently, and I'd like to look into that. I have Cargo but I haven't read it yet. I didn't know Darwyn did a Spirit, I'll have to check that out as well, I have his Batman Ego and Before Watchmen Minutemen done, he was a stellar talent, and I loved the old Eisner Spirit stuff. Never heard of Justice Society Returns, what's that about? I liked when they returned from fighting Ragnarok, is that the series you mean? In short though, sounds like a lot of definite maybes.

[@silasingram2157]

Here’s synopsis from wiki… “During World War II, Nazi sympathizers begin a ritual using Dr. Occult to bring a being known as Koth to Earth, in order to ensure an Axis victory in the war. Hourman and several magical heroes attempt to stop them, but are unsuccessful. The spell goes wrong, however, and the Nazis release a villain known as Stalker, whose sole purpose is to end life everywhere. The magical heroes are either killed or captured by Stalker, and only Hourman and Dr. Occult escape. Hourman informs the rest of the Justice Society of America about Stalker, and the group battles with him in Washington, DC. The JSA manages to wound Stalker enough so that he must create seven disciples (the men who originally brought Stalker to earth) to carry on his work while he recuperates. The JSA splits up to battle each of the disciples. Each team is able to defeat a disciple. Dr. Occult gathers everyone together to battle Stalker in Antarctica, where Stalker is building a machine that will destroy all life on Earth. After a long fight, the machine is destroyed and Stalker is defeated.”

[@alexmeza6486]

Can you do the Superman 78 Movie Comic next ? And Superman 78: The Metal Curtain, and Batman 89: Echoes when it's done ?

[@fusionspace175]

I do plan to do Echoes when it's done, but I have no plans to adapt Superman '78, as I was personally quite disappointed by it, and especially as compared to Batman '89 here. I grew up on those Superman movies, and I found the whole thing to be pretty pointless, and a waste of the opportunity. What's worse is I could not imagine it as any sort of movie with the odd pacing the story has, it would have been changed so much before that ever made it to screen, and so in my eyes, they failed the assignment. There was no need for Clark to meet his parents or even for part of Krypton to survive, but if you were going to do that story, you don't stick Clark in a bottle for most of the movie so there's no Superman in your Superman movie. As a kid, Superman III was my favorite, for the goofy tone and the jokes and the fast pace of the story and action, and I loved Richard Pryor from other movies, so seeing him meet Superman made him feel like he was a real part of that Hollywood world, and I still love III and IV to this day. I sort of resent when people want to cut those sequels out like they didn't happen. The odd powers he displays in the later movies actually make a lot of sense when you consider he's pre-Crisis Superman, and he had a lot of weird powers pop up in those days, all the time. They felt like the comics come to life, and Superman '78 fails to capture any essence of that life, or those comics. The story has potential, but it needs several rewrites before it's ready for the screen.

[@stevendixon6583]

WOW 🤩 more pleased than I thought 💭 would been a great movie 🎥 🤷🏾‍♂️💯👏👏👏👏

[@fusionspace175]

Yeah it came out pretty great. I think if it were made into a movie, or rather if it had been a movie and this was the adaptation of it, it would have more fight scenes, especially with Batman, and more fighting in the scenes. Like that little battle in Wayne Manor would have been a few minutes of a fun and quirky fight kinda like Ben Affleck's playground fight in his Daredevil movie, but not as goofy. Infiltrating the GCPD would have added both Batman and Robin taking down a few more thugs, things like that eat up screen time but get left out of the comics version. In the Batman 1989 adaptation the Batmobile chase ends without them getting out and fighting the thugs in the alley, probably because that was added and shot later, after the script went off to the comics people. But yeah, it would have been good. I plan to do the follow up, apparently it's called Echoes, when that comes out, too.

[@CoolKid1-rx4tn]

This should’ve been the Batman forever we got does anyone agree? And the movie should’ve been titled Batman Continues

[@fusionspace175]

It's hard to say, for me anyway. I was the perfect age when it came out, and I loved Batman Forever in the theater, so it's hard to see it objectively. This has the better and more Bruce/Gotham-focused story, but it's not nearly as action packed or exciting. I assume this is a version of the movie we'd have got, but the actual movie would have had a lot more action and fighting with regular thugs thrown in, to meet action movie standards of the time. If you've read any comic adaptations of movies from this period, they're often very truncated, cut down to the essential scenes and lines to fit a 2 hour movie into 48 pages. So that makes it even harder to compare. Then there's the music, which I can't even imagine how it would have gone, Elfman is a master of the craft and I'm sure he'd have made it work though. Add to that the pacing of shots, the cinematography, all the other stuff that goes into a movie that a still page and even an audio track can't replicate, and a lot of this production might play differently for other people than it did for you, depending on how they imagine those things. So I'd say this might have been the better movie for the adult audience, but Batman Forever was probably the better movie for the kids, and that was clearly what the owners wanted. I'm glad you enjoyed it, that you made a movie in your mind that beat the one on screen says a lot to me, and I'm glad I could help. I do plan to adapt the sequel after it's been done for a while.