If reading the newspaper doesn’t satisfy your hunger for “war on terror” news, soon there will be a new place to turn: the comic book. Frank Miller, who is credited with giving Batman its noir makeover is again revamping the series to echo the national mood. The days of nemeses like the Riddler and the Penguin are apparently behind us, as now, according to Miller “Batman will be kicking a lot of Al Queda butt.” Miller acknowledges the new “Holy Terror, Batman” series as a definite piece of propaganda, and wishes “entertainers of our time had the spine and the focus of the ones who faced down Hitler…. it’s silly to have Batman out chasing the Riddler when you’ve got al Qaeda out there.”
While many of us relish CSI-style crime dramas, incorporating the “axis of evil” into comic books interferes with the entire fantasy-driven component of the storyline. Batman fighting the jihad pretty much robs readers of the potential for seeking a pure and escapist form of enjoyment. Is there no getting away from foreign policy any more? Hopefully we can incorporate some domestic issues as well. Stand by for “Batman and Robin’s upcoming nuptials” and “Wonder Woman seeks equal pay!”
