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From Friday’s The Oklahoman:

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“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.”

The second act of Joss Whedon’s “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog” is up!  Go check it out.

– Matt Price

This is an expanded version of the article from today’s The Oklahoman: 

Comic-Con International, the largest comic book and popular arts event in the United States, has announced that Archie Goodwin will receive the 2008 Bill Finger Award for Excellence in Comic Book Writing. The choice was made unanimously by a committee chaired by writer and historian Mark Evanier.

Goodwin attended Will Rogers High School in Tulsa, and considered himself a Tulsan, though he was born in Kansas City, Missouri.  Goodwin was an influential  comic-book writer and editor. He was briefly Marvel Comics’ editor-in-chief in 1976. As an editor at DC Comics, he shepherded James Robinson’s acclaimed “Starman” and the award-winning “Batman: The Long Halloween.” As a writer, he created the Paul Kirk “Manhunter” character with artist Walter Simonson. He was named best writer (dramatic division) in the industry in 1973 and 1974 by the Academy of Comic Book Arts. Goodwin died in 1998. 

Tulsa writer R.A. Jones, who also attended Will Rogers High School, shared some thoughts about Goodwin with The Oklahoman:

 ”I was delighted to hear about the award Archie will be receiving.  One of the great things about working in comics today is that the creators receive at least a portion of the credit they are due for their work — something that, as I’m sure you well know, was not the case in poor Bill Finger’s day,” he said.

 ”I first discovered Archie’s writing in the 1960s, first in such magazines as Creepy and Eerie, where he helped keep alive the tradition of the venerable EC style of storytelling, and later in the pages of such Marvel comics as Iron Man. Professionally, I never knew Archie to deliver anything less than stellar scripting.  Personally, he was always friendly and a true gentleman, a pleasure to sit and have a chat with.”

The Bill Finger Award was instituted in 2005 under the supervision of comic book legend Jerry Robinson. The awards committee is charged each year with selecting two recipients, one living and one deceased. 

“With all the writers who seem worthy of this award, you’d think it would be an impossible decision,” Evanier said in a release. “But this year, two names just jumped off the list of candidates. Much like the late Bill Finger, Larry Lieber and Archie Goodwin did important, groundbreaking work in our field that has not received the recognition it deserves. We’re hoping to rectify that a little with these awards.”

Archie Goodwin began in comics in the late 1950s, writing mystery comics for Harvey and assisting Leonard Starr on the newspaper strip “On Stage.”   Later, he was the writer/editor of “Creepy” and “Eerie,” and is credited with creating the backstory for Vampirella.

In addition to Evanier, the selection committee consists of Charles Kochman (executive editor at Harry N. Abrams), comics and animation writer Paul Dini, writer Tony Isabella, and writer/editor Marv Wolfman.

The Bill Finger Award will be presented during the 2008 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards ceremony at this summer’s Comic-Con International on Friday, July 25.

For more information on the Finger Award, visit www.comic-con.org/cci/cci_finger.shtml.

– Matt Price

OU beat writer, Jake Trotter, and OSU beat writer, Scott Wright, battle it out on the newly-released NCAA Football ‘09. Look for my review of “NCAA Football ‘09″ in an upcoming Weekend LOOK.

– Matt Price

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

The nonprofit organization the Hero Foundry, which helps provide comics and graphic novels to libraries and other organizations, has a new fundraiser planned and is seeking donations.   From the e-mail:

This year we are launching a new reading program that we think will complement our endowments of graphic novels but also allow schools and libraries to directly influence youth with the power comic books. In order to help The Foundry Titan Comics, and The Hero Foundry are joining forces to put on a Live Art Show, Art Auction and Music Event.

To accomplish this though we are looking for artists who would like to participate in the live art show and/or donate some of their art for the auction. Can you draw, are you creative, do you paint then we need your help! We are looking any artists that create comic books or create fine art on the canvas then we want you to come help a worthy cause during a night of creative philanthropy or people who own original art and want to generously donate a piece from their private collection for the cause.

If you are interested in helping spread the word or participating in the Live Art and/or donating original art for the auction then please email Brian Warthen at brianwarthen@theherofoundry.org or Paul Milligan at thesuperleezard@yahoo.com.

MTV New Media is promoting a series based on the comic-book “Invincible.”  In some ways, it seems like the old Marvel cartoons where they made Jack Kirby’s art move around and voiced over it.  It’s adapted directly from the original art.

Me, I think I’d rather read the comics than watch a half-animated, half-comic book thing on the internet, but check out the trailer to see what you think.  Episodes will be available on Xbox Live, MTV.com, iTunes, and MTV Mobile. MTV2 will air an “Invincible” special at 10 p.m. on Friday, June 25.

– Matt Price