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What If … ? A concept that eludes Hollywood … – We Are Movie Geeks

Geeks on Movies

What If … ? A concept that eludes Hollywood …

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I was thinking the other day about how Hollywood could really take advantage of the current comic book phenomenon … even more so than they already are. Upon doing so, I realized that the somewhat underground popularity of the awesome comic book sub-genre of “what if” stories would be perfect! Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE seeing the various comic book and superhero stories come to life on the big screen [when done well], but one constant struggle with this is that the DC and Marvel universe(s) are so massively vast that its difficult to pinpoint one story to focus on in any single movie, and even then there’s SOOO much back-story just for even one character and/or villain that you REALLY have to be picky and cut a lot more out of a script that you really want to … but, few people are going to sit back and watch a 6 hour ‘Spider-Man’ movie, for example.

This is the “primary” reason Brett Ratner’s ‘X-Men 3’ failed … In the story, he attempted to cram way too much into a single film. Seriously, focusing on the young mutant with the power to cancel other mutant’s powers and his tie in with Magneto’s rebellion against humanity would have been more than enough material for that one film. The problem is that he attempted to squeeze a horribly abridged version of the Dark Phoenix saga in there as well … BAD! Granted, Bryan Singer kind of ended ‘X-Men 2’ in a way that all but guaranteed the return of Jean Grey as Phoenix, but that’s a story that needed a movie (at least one) all its own!

Anyway, let me get slightly back on point and end my Ratner rant. For whatever reason, one specific graphic novel came to mind. I remembered reading an exceptional DC/Elseworlds novel called ‘Superman: At Earth’s End’ … Elseworlds is a publishing regular of the “what if” and “alternate universe” line of stories that utilizes established characters to tell original and thought-provokingly new stories, often in single or limited run series. Here is the Superman: At Earth’s End plot synopsis, courtesy of WikiPedia:

[After the world-altering events of the original Kamandi series, and the resolutions of Kamandi: At Earth’s End, a period of cleansing is taking place. A group of emotionless, logical cyborgs named Ben Boxers are overseeing Earth’s return to greatness. For the last year, Superman has been regaining his lost strength in a hovering city, where he is able to receive the benefits of the sun’s rays. While recuperating, he learns that Gotham City is next in line to be “cleansed.” It has been overrun with mutants and other such degenerates.

Superman goes down to Gotham to stop this cleansing process. Although the Batman of this Elseworld is long since dead, Superman discovers the Boxers attempting to rid the city of winged bat-creatures that bear a striking resemblance to the Dark Knight. Superman flies to what remains of Wayne Manor to find that the bones of Bruce Wayne have been stolen from their crypt. He sets out to recover the remains when he finds a cadre of mo-hawked youth traveling in a pack of motorcycles.

They inform him that their parents are locked beneath the city. When Superman breaks into the underground fortress, he discovers that their parents have been altered into mutated, mindless humans who. These unfortunates are being accosted by giant “Harvester” robots, serving the wishes of two clones of Adolph Hitler. Superman is then faces off with a huge monstrosity in a Batman costume with Bruce Wayne’s memories. After a brief battle with the monster, Superman realizes even he is outmatched, as his powers are already waning from not enough time in the cloud city. He flies back to the Batcave and grabs a large gun called the “Expunger.”

After an all-out gunfight with the Hitlers and their abominable army, Superman walks away triumphant, though mortally wounded. Bleeding to death, Superman carries the remains of his friend back to Wayne Manor where he builds a bonfire to make sure Batman’s remains are never misused again. Ben Boxer offers to make him into a cyborg like himself. Faced with immortality in a world that is no longer his own, Superman scoops up the remains of his friend and walks into his own funeral pyre.]

Now … tell that wouldn’t make a totally awesome movie. Would this have intrigued you more than Superman Returns …? These books are perfectly setup for movies as well, seeing as most are single issue specials. One complete, original story all packaged up nice and pretty for some writer to come along and adapt into a screenplay … hands off, Brett Ratner! Another really cool limited run series of three books (coincidentally also with a DC character) are the Batman & Dracula: Red Rain books, which pits Batman against … you guessed it, Dracula!

Hopeless film enthusiast; reborn comic book geek; artist; collector; cookie connoisseur; curious to no end