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From Friday’s The Oklahoman:

By

Assistant Features Editor

 Look for a more mobile Batman in “The Dark Knight.”Christian Bale, speaking at the press junket in

 “It was much more comfortable. It was heavier, but it was actually much more comfortable,” Bale said. “I could move my head; it was much more mobile. … The suit actually was compatible with (the fighting style), whereas in the first one I was having to fight with the suit to do the fight sequences.”  

Bale said he was pleased to return to the role of Batman, at least in the “Batman Begins” universe. 

“I definitely have an interest in playing Batman the way that Chris Nolan likes to have him portrayed,” Bale said. “And I think this second movie has surpassed the first, and it stands as a great movie regardless of genre.” 

Bale said he and the late Heath Ledger had a great dynamic as Batman and the Joker. He described the Joker as an “intelligent psychopath” who is gleeful to confront Batman.  

“It’s impossible to leverage him, because he’s not looking for anything but living in the moment, and living in that anarchy,” Bale said. “He’s completely uncompromising, as is Batman, but Batman does have this one rule, (that) he will not kill. … But absolutely, the Joker comes closer than anybody has to provoking Batman to break that one rule.”  

Bale expounded on the duality of the character of Batman, who uses violence in an attempt to end violent behavior.  

“He’s in conflict often with himself about how far and how violent he can be, because he does embrace violence to an extreme degree and has to counter that with the altruism of do-good, and the inherited philanthropy of his parents,” Bale said.  

While Batman has been campy in the 1960s and highly stylized in the 1990s, Nolan’s Batman is based on grounding the characters in a realistic portrayal, Bale said. 

“I knew that the tone of Chris Nolan’s

From Friday’s The Oklahoman:

By Matthew Price
Assistant Features Editor

WORD BALLOONS

In every “Batman” comic book, in the credits to the 1960s TV show, even in the credits to this weekend’s “The Dark Knight” are the words “Batman created by Bob Kane.” While Kane is the only one officially credited with the character, writer Bill Finger is considered by most to have had a large input in bringing Batman to life. 

Writer Alan J. Porter contributed the essay “The Dubious Origins of Batman” to the nonfiction book “Batman Unauthorized,” featuring essays about the Dark Knight. Porter is at work on a biography of Kane and Finger. 

Batman didn’t come in a flash of inspiration, Porter said, but was developed when an editor asked Kane to come up with “another Superman.” The success of the Man of Steel in the 1930s had publishers eager to exploit this new idea. 

“Bill Finger was a friend of cartoonist Bob Kane’s and often helped Bob by writing stories for the various comic strips he produced,” Porter said. “When Bob presented his first sketch of what would become Batman to his editor, the editor mentioned it needed a story to go with the visual. Bob naturally turned to his writer friend Bill Finger for help.” 

Finger suggested changes to Bob Kane’s original design, adding the cowl mask and the cape resembling bat wings. Finger named the characters of Bruce Wayne and Commissioner Gordon in the original Batman story. Finger created more of the elements of the Batman legend as Batman continued, including naming

But Finger never received credit. Part of that had to do with the system in place — in newspaper strips at the time, comic strips were often produced by a studio, but appeared with only the original creator’s name. The nascent art of comic books didn’t have procedures in place for recognizing creative talent. 

“Simply put, Bob Kane’s editor asked him to come up with a character and a story to go with it, and that’s what Bob Kane did,” Porter said. “The editor was seemingly unaware that Bob had help. The comic book company came up with a contract for Bob to continue producing Batman stories, and that’s what Bob continued to do – using an increasing roster of ghost writers and artists.” 

Meanwhile, Finger today receives more credit than he ever did in life. (Finger died in 1974.) Comic-Con International, the largest comic book and popular arts event in the

And while Finger’s name never appeared on his Batman stories while he was alive, he now receives writing credit when his stories are reprinted by DC Comics.

This is an expanded version of the story from Saturday’s The Oklahoman:

NORMAN  —   Believe the hype, according to fans attending midnight
“The Dark Knight” screenings in Norman and across the metro.  ”Going
to see Batman” was shoe-polished on a truck in the parking lot of the
Hollywood 14, and following the film, viewers were glad they had.
Filmgoers were awed by director Christopher Nolan’s epic vision.
“The most adult comic book movie I’ve ever seen,” said Douglas Hurst,
31, of Norman. “It makes you think about what it means to be a hero.”
Others agreed that “The Dark Knight” was innovative and realistic.
“I liked the way they made comic-book stuff real,” said Brian Jones,
24, of Norman.
Theo Karn, 23, originally of Napa, Calif., said the filmmakers
“brought a new idea to the superhero” with their vision.
The anarchic Joker, portrayed by the late Heath Ledger, was noted for
his strong performance.
“That was really definitive,” said Stuart Belcher, 18, of Norman.
“Truly a masterpiece.”
Daniel Martin, 20, of Norman, agreed.
“Heather Ledger did an amazing job, the Joker was played to a T, I
thought, everything from the laugh to the heinousness.”
Matthew Sarsycki, 23, of Norman has been to a number of midnight
showings before, he said, so he knows it can be “exciting and
interesting.”
Other midnight showings he has been to include two of the “Lord of the
Rings” films and “Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones” and
“Star Wars Episode III: The Revenge of the Sith.”
“I thought it was a tour de force delivery of epic proportions,
brilliantly executed by Heath Ledger as the Joker. I think this is
finally the first ‘Batman’ film that delivered as the creators of the
comic book wanted. … This is finally the ‘Batman’ everyone wanted to
see, and I’m glad I was able to see it.”
Fans enjoyed the serious tone of the superhero blockbuster.
“It was more focused on the characters than what they can do,” said
Chase Louthan, 19, of Harrah.
Joel Blackmon, 20, of Norman, said he enjoyed the effects of movies
like “Iron Man” and “The Incredible Hulk,” but felt “The Dark Knight”
was more about story than effects.
Casual fans and comic-book experts were united in their praise.
Brian “Buck” Berlin, 24, the owner of New World Comics, 6219 N
Meridian, shared his expert opinion with The Oklahoman:
“Just about everyone did the performance of their career,” Berlin
said. “It really is amazing.”
Berlin said “The Dark Knight” stacks up well with other comic-book based films.
“Watching just about all of them a million times, I’d say this is by
far the best of them.”
Contributing: Richard Hall

According to Variety, “The Dark Knight” made an estimated $60  to $63 million on Friday, which tops “Spider-Man 3″’s previous record of $59.8 million.  Nolan’s “Batman Begins” made $15 million on its opening day in June 2006, and $48.7 million for the weekend, Variety reports.

Next up? Possibly the $151.1 million non-holiday weekend opening record, held currently by “Spider-Man 3.”

– Matt Price

According to the AP, “The Dark Knight” cleared $18.5 million at midnight screenings, beating the record of $16.9 million by “Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith.”

The people I talked to last night all seemed pumped, both before and after the film, so I think this film is going to have some legs.  It’s not out of the question at all that this could become the highest-grossing Batman film ever and the highest grossing film of the year.

– Matt Price

From Friday’s The Oklahoman:

By

“The Dark Knight” begins as a heist caper, as goons in clown masks execute a bank robbery. But the twists in that scene foreshadow the entire film: “The Dark Knight” will not be business as usual.  

In Gotham City, an aggressive new district attorney, Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) and police Lt. Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) are following the lead of the crime-fighter Batman (Christian Bale) in taking it to the Mob. Together, the three have put a dent in the Mob’s control over the city. But the game is about to change. Anarchic madman the Joker (Heath Ledger) tells the Mob’s leaders that the answer to their problems is clear: Get rid of Batman.

 The Joker looms large over the film “The Dark Knight,” at least partially because Ledger, who portrays the villain, died of an accidental drug overdose in January. But “The Dark Knight” is a tribute to his talents, as Ledger disappears into the role of the Joker. As the madman at the center of this crime epic, the Joker’s lunacy has the town on edge. While the Joker ostensibly is working for the city’s criminal powers, his real goal is chaos. This creepy vision of the Joker is original and unsettling, with greasy hair and a painted-on smile covering scars.  

“The Dark Knight” is as much, or more, crime epic as comic-book adventure, and it reveals how far competent hands can take the Batman character when played straight. Batman’s alter ego, Bruce Wayne, yearns for a real life, possibly with Assistant District Attorney Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal). But as long as

The Joker doesn’t want a return to normalcy; he wants a city mad enough to need Batman for a defender. Their battle takes on multiple dimensions, both in the persons of Batman and the Joker, and the city at large, as director Christopher Nolan asks: What rules are worth breaking?

From Friday’s The Oklahoman:

By Matthew Price

Assistant Features Editor

The promotion for “The Dark Knight,” the latest Batman film, has been pervasive.

 Walking through Quail Springs Mall in anticipation of Thursday night’s movie preview, one encounters the smiling Joker peeking from multiple store windows. T-shirts featuring the visage of the late Heath Ledger, who plays the Joker in “The Dark Knight,” are joined by shirts with the classic look of the DC Comics character. It’s impossible to escape: It’s Batman weekend.  

As the chain doors come down on the stores, locking the Jokers inside, more begin filing in from the parking lot. There’s a smattering of Bat-symbols, but many Heath Ledger Jokers gaze from fans’ clothing.  

It seems the dark edge of “The Dark Knight” drew many fans to the midnight screening Thursday.  

Kyle Schmidt, 24, of Bethany had been planning to see the Batman sequel “since they showed the Joker card at the end of the first one.”

 Schmidt likes the depiction of Batman developed by director Christopher Nolan.  

“They make it seem real,” he said. “It could almost actually happen.”  

Ledger’s new take on the Joker was the draw for Matt Hollingsworth, 24, of Edmond.

 “From seeing the previews, Heath Ledger has made him so incredibly twisted,” Hollingsworth said. “Jack Nicholson made him fun, but Heath Ledger has made him a villain.”  

Jeremy Sturniolo, 17, of Oklahoma City bought the tickets as a gift for his father.

 He’s been “amazed” by what he’s seen so far of Ledger’s performance. Ledger died in January of what is believed as an accidental overdose.  

Not everyone was there just for Ledger, however.  

“Christian Bale is my lover,” said Brooke Hammer, 23, of Edmond. “He has been since ‘Newsies.’ I have loved Christian Bale since I was literally 5 years old.”

If you’re planning on seeing “The Dark Knight” at midnight on Thursday, shoot me an e-mail at mprice@oklahoman.com.  We’d like to hear reactions from fans as soon as possible! 

– Matt Price