Batman Plot Bunnies.
Oct. 21st, 2008 04:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ladymirthI mentioned I'm going to write a Nolanverse Batman fanfic for NaNoWriMo. Actually, it's going to be an AU Nolanverse fic, because ever since I came out of the theater after having watched The Dark Knight, there was one thought in my head - Harvey shouldn't have died that way. This has a lot to do with my set-in-stone views about what constitutes superhero movies (you can make it as gritty and realistic as you bloody want as long as the good guys win, damn it) and even more to do with my crush on Aaron Eckhart's character. Also the fact that I started shipping Bruce/Harvey since the dinner scene. XD
I have several stories in mind, and Harvey and Rachel are alive in all of them. There are ways to keep the existential angst up and running without blowing up people (who aren't even Katie Holmes) as plot devices, IMO. There is no reason Harvey can't still struggle with multiple personality disorder even without getting half hispretty, pretty, Robert Redford face blown to shit. The Long Halloween says so.
More than dissatisfaction at what happened to the characters is the fact that there were so many things in the movie that might have happened in a completely different way. What if Harvey had been around when the Joker gatecrashed the fundraiser? What if Bruce had come forward as Batman before Dent had been able to intervene? What if Remierez had not been able to withstand the pressure from her conscience and fessed up to Gordon about Rachel being kidnapped? What if Batman had suspected the Joker's directions and managed to save Rachel instead? What if Dent had shot the Joker? And so on.
I loved The Dark Knight, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't leave me dissatisfiedand actually rather traumatized. It's all very well for superhero movies to be gritty and realistic, but that doesn't necessarily entail that they also have to be depressing. There is a reason I put up with posturing males with martyr complexes, damn it, and that is for the sake of watching the good guys win and the bad guys lose, which is the entire point of fantasy. Really, if I didn't watch Batman Begins twice before breakfast and once after lunch every day to soothe my ruffled spirit, I'd be pretty pissed off at Chris Nolan.
On a side note, I realize I have never mentioned that Batman Begins is my favourite movie of all time. Seeing as this is despite the presence of Katie Holmes (from whom my soul has recoiled in horror since her Dawson's Creek days) and the existence of Peter Jackson's cinematic masterpieces on this earth, it is a pretty high compliment. I fangirl it worse than the writers of Cracked.com do.
So, uh, to come back to my NaNoWriMo plots. I have decided to stick to Nolanverse and operate free of the comics canon, mostly because the comics were giving me a headache. And don't even talk to me about Batman Beyond, unless it's to tell me where to send my therapist's bills. However, that doesn't mean I'm not going to let myselfbodily lift plots and storylines from be influenced by the comics.
I've mapped about ten stories that takes place one after the other, starting from a post AU TDK setting. Here they are:
Plot 1: Harvey Dent is one of the few men in the world whom Bruce Wayne respects and trusts implicitly. Harvey Dent is also one of the few men in the world that Bruce Wayne wants to punch out on sight. He is Bruce’s only hope for a normal life with the woman he loves, and the biggest rival for her affections as well. Batman may have saved Rachel from the warehouse explosion, but when she chooses Harvey Dent, it is Bruce Wayne who must deal with the consequences. (Not slash. *sigh* As much I as I love slash, I'm going to make a mess of it if I attempt it this early.)
Plot 2: Dr. Harleen Quinley has always been fascinated by the criminal mind, so when she takes over directorship of the Arkham Asylum, her top-security patient, the Joker, seems like the case study of a lifetime. That is, until he kidnaps her and breaks out. Dr. Quinley is going to find out exactly what Stockholm Syndrome is all about. (Not so much in favour of this one. It's an interesting plot, but too gory.)
Plot 3: Sasha Bordeaux did not work her butt off to become the CIA’s most renowned agents just so she could end-up babysitting a spoilt rich playboy like Bruce Wayne, even if it is to prevent him being assassinated by an international mafia organization. You’d think the ungrateful cad would at least try not to make her job harder, wouldn’t you? (Um, yeah, there's that "influence" I was talking about. *is sheepish* But I've never read anything but the bare-bones plot, so the rest of it should be original.)
Plot 4: Batman doesn’t kill, but another vigilante crime fighter with the same M.O seems to have no hesitation in assassinating criminals. Jim Gordon’s hand is being forced, and unless Batman can prove he is not the one behind the killings, the MCU will be forced to turn on him. But what happens when the perpetrator is revealed to be a love from another life, and her rationale for justice makes him question his own rigid morality? (I love the idea of Talia Al' Ghul)
Plot 5: It started out with a string of baffling, high-profile burglaries that led to a confrontation with a woman who dressed like an S&M leather kitty, had claws that could rip his Batsuit into shreds and had the audacity to play Cat-and-Mouse with The Dark Knight himself. Between Gotham’s new menace and his crush on the aloof humanitarian activist Dr. Selena Kyle, Batman just can’t seem to cut a break in either of his guises. (I know, I know. Next I'll be trying to make Poison Ivy into a humanitarian too. XD )
Plot 6: A GCPD investigation into an international smuggling ring unexpectedly leads to evidence implicating Wayne Industries – and Bruce Wayne. Jim Gordon and Harvey Dent are brought in to prosecute, and Rachel Dawes is the only one who knows the truth. Can she stop the investigation without betraying Bruce’s trust?
Plot 7: When Wayne Enterprises launches a new power plant in Gotham City, it becomes the target of a well-known eco-terrorist code named Poison Ivy. Meanwhile, WayneTech recruits a scientist of questionable past to head the R&D department, Dr.Victor Fries.
Plot 8: The Riddler decides to crash the party of the year when he takes the whole Gotham Grand Hotel hostage with all of Gotham’s movers and shakers inside it – including Harvey, Rachel, Bruce, Gordon and Selena Kyle. Can Bruce rescue everyone without giving himself away?
Plot 9: Eight-year-old Richard Grayson witnessed his family being murdered, and now the murderers are after him. The boy is Batman’s only chance of catching the notorious hitman Zsas, but Bruce Wayne can see his younger self in the traumatized child and forms a deep bond with him. Even as he tries his best to protect Richard, the state threatens to deny the infamous playboy adoption rights. An unlikely helping hand appears in the form of Selena Kyle – but can he trust her motivations? Meanwhile, time is running out as the hitman closes in on Bruce's young ward. (Um, I replaced Zucco with Zsas. Doesn't that get points for originality? No? Okay.)
Plot 12: Selena had promised Bruce that she would never make him choose between her and Batman. Ten years down their marriage, she has to renege on that promise for their child’s sake. And yet, if it is Batman that he chooses, she doesn’t know whether she’ll have the strength to do what is necessary.
Plot 13: Richard Grayson had been in love with Barbara Gordon for years but she's never seen him as anything more than her "kid best friend". In between chasing corrupt cops and helping fashion her into Gotham’s newest masked crime fighter, will they be finally able to take their friendship to the next level?
Plot 14: Barbara Gordon is on top of the world. She’s tipped as the GCPD’s rising star, her alter ego is helping keep the streets safe and she’s about to marry the love of her life. And all it takes to bring it all crashing about her ears is a single bullet. (Did I mention I love The Killing Joke?)
Plot 15: As the child of Batman and Catwoman, Helena Wayne could be nothing if not exceptional. As the heiress to the city’s largest family fortune and corporation, she could be nothing if not privileged. Newly married to her childhood sweetheart and given the keys to her father’s empire, Helena has everything – until a killer begins picking off her nearest and dearest one by one. Wild with grief and a thirst for vengeance, she takes up her father’s long-retired mantle as the city’s most fearsome vigilante for all the wrong reasons. Can her father’s love and wisdom save Helena from repeating all Bruce's own mistakes? (Golden Age storyline FTW!)
The other two plots are not set within this continuity and are to be stand-alones.
Plot 10: What if Bruce Wayne had stepped up and confessed at the press conference before Dent? Trapped in a wild ride inside the battered police convoy with the Joker on his tail, Bruce must use his own ingenuity to survive and hold his own against his enemies.
Plot 11: Bruce Wayne reminisces on the evolution of the angry young man into the Dark Knight during the seven years of his disappearance from Gotham City.
There is nothing that necessitates me writing the stories in order of continuity, and I'm quite certain I'll never be able to write all of them. So your ideas and opinions would be appreciated. =) Also, if any of the plot bunnies strike your fancy, please feel free to take.
Now all I have to do is contemplate actually writing any of this stuff without freaking out.
*privately mourns Rose/ Scorpius story*
I have several stories in mind, and Harvey and Rachel are alive in all of them. There are ways to keep the existential angst up and running without blowing up people (who aren't even Katie Holmes) as plot devices, IMO. There is no reason Harvey can't still struggle with multiple personality disorder even without getting half his
More than dissatisfaction at what happened to the characters is the fact that there were so many things in the movie that might have happened in a completely different way. What if Harvey had been around when the Joker gatecrashed the fundraiser? What if Bruce had come forward as Batman before Dent had been able to intervene? What if Remierez had not been able to withstand the pressure from her conscience and fessed up to Gordon about Rachel being kidnapped? What if Batman had suspected the Joker's directions and managed to save Rachel instead? What if Dent had shot the Joker? And so on.
I loved The Dark Knight, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't leave me dissatisfied
On a side note, I realize I have never mentioned that Batman Begins is my favourite movie of all time. Seeing as this is despite the presence of Katie Holmes (from whom my soul has recoiled in horror since her Dawson's Creek days) and the existence of Peter Jackson's cinematic masterpieces on this earth, it is a pretty high compliment. I fangirl it worse than the writers of Cracked.com do.
So, uh, to come back to my NaNoWriMo plots. I have decided to stick to Nolanverse and operate free of the comics canon, mostly because the comics were giving me a headache. And don't even talk to me about Batman Beyond, unless it's to tell me where to send my therapist's bills. However, that doesn't mean I'm not going to let myself
I've mapped about ten stories that takes place one after the other, starting from a post AU TDK setting. Here they are:
Plot 1: Harvey Dent is one of the few men in the world whom Bruce Wayne respects and trusts implicitly. Harvey Dent is also one of the few men in the world that Bruce Wayne wants to punch out on sight. He is Bruce’s only hope for a normal life with the woman he loves, and the biggest rival for her affections as well. Batman may have saved Rachel from the warehouse explosion, but when she chooses Harvey Dent, it is Bruce Wayne who must deal with the consequences. (Not slash. *sigh* As much I as I love slash, I'm going to make a mess of it if I attempt it this early.)
Plot 2: Dr. Harleen Quinley has always been fascinated by the criminal mind, so when she takes over directorship of the Arkham Asylum, her top-security patient, the Joker, seems like the case study of a lifetime. That is, until he kidnaps her and breaks out. Dr. Quinley is going to find out exactly what Stockholm Syndrome is all about. (Not so much in favour of this one. It's an interesting plot, but too gory.)
Plot 3: Sasha Bordeaux did not work her butt off to become the CIA’s most renowned agents just so she could end-up babysitting a spoilt rich playboy like Bruce Wayne, even if it is to prevent him being assassinated by an international mafia organization. You’d think the ungrateful cad would at least try not to make her job harder, wouldn’t you? (Um, yeah, there's that "influence" I was talking about. *is sheepish* But I've never read anything but the bare-bones plot, so the rest of it should be original.)
Plot 4: Batman doesn’t kill, but another vigilante crime fighter with the same M.O seems to have no hesitation in assassinating criminals. Jim Gordon’s hand is being forced, and unless Batman can prove he is not the one behind the killings, the MCU will be forced to turn on him. But what happens when the perpetrator is revealed to be a love from another life, and her rationale for justice makes him question his own rigid morality? (I love the idea of Talia Al' Ghul)
Plot 5: It started out with a string of baffling, high-profile burglaries that led to a confrontation with a woman who dressed like an S&M leather kitty, had claws that could rip his Batsuit into shreds and had the audacity to play Cat-and-Mouse with The Dark Knight himself. Between Gotham’s new menace and his crush on the aloof humanitarian activist Dr. Selena Kyle, Batman just can’t seem to cut a break in either of his guises. (I know, I know. Next I'll be trying to make Poison Ivy into a humanitarian too. XD )
Plot 6: A GCPD investigation into an international smuggling ring unexpectedly leads to evidence implicating Wayne Industries – and Bruce Wayne. Jim Gordon and Harvey Dent are brought in to prosecute, and Rachel Dawes is the only one who knows the truth. Can she stop the investigation without betraying Bruce’s trust?
Plot 7: When Wayne Enterprises launches a new power plant in Gotham City, it becomes the target of a well-known eco-terrorist code named Poison Ivy. Meanwhile, WayneTech recruits a scientist of questionable past to head the R&D department, Dr.Victor Fries.
Plot 8: The Riddler decides to crash the party of the year when he takes the whole Gotham Grand Hotel hostage with all of Gotham’s movers and shakers inside it – including Harvey, Rachel, Bruce, Gordon and Selena Kyle. Can Bruce rescue everyone without giving himself away?
Plot 9: Eight-year-old Richard Grayson witnessed his family being murdered, and now the murderers are after him. The boy is Batman’s only chance of catching the notorious hitman Zsas, but Bruce Wayne can see his younger self in the traumatized child and forms a deep bond with him. Even as he tries his best to protect Richard, the state threatens to deny the infamous playboy adoption rights. An unlikely helping hand appears in the form of Selena Kyle – but can he trust her motivations? Meanwhile, time is running out as the hitman closes in on Bruce's young ward. (Um, I replaced Zucco with Zsas. Doesn't that get points for originality? No? Okay.)
Plot 12: Selena had promised Bruce that she would never make him choose between her and Batman. Ten years down their marriage, she has to renege on that promise for their child’s sake. And yet, if it is Batman that he chooses, she doesn’t know whether she’ll have the strength to do what is necessary.
Plot 13: Richard Grayson had been in love with Barbara Gordon for years but she's never seen him as anything more than her "kid best friend". In between chasing corrupt cops and helping fashion her into Gotham’s newest masked crime fighter, will they be finally able to take their friendship to the next level?
Plot 14: Barbara Gordon is on top of the world. She’s tipped as the GCPD’s rising star, her alter ego is helping keep the streets safe and she’s about to marry the love of her life. And all it takes to bring it all crashing about her ears is a single bullet. (Did I mention I love The Killing Joke?)
Plot 15: As the child of Batman and Catwoman, Helena Wayne could be nothing if not exceptional. As the heiress to the city’s largest family fortune and corporation, she could be nothing if not privileged. Newly married to her childhood sweetheart and given the keys to her father’s empire, Helena has everything – until a killer begins picking off her nearest and dearest one by one. Wild with grief and a thirst for vengeance, she takes up her father’s long-retired mantle as the city’s most fearsome vigilante for all the wrong reasons. Can her father’s love and wisdom save Helena from repeating all Bruce's own mistakes? (Golden Age storyline FTW!)
The other two plots are not set within this continuity and are to be stand-alones.
Plot 10: What if Bruce Wayne had stepped up and confessed at the press conference before Dent? Trapped in a wild ride inside the battered police convoy with the Joker on his tail, Bruce must use his own ingenuity to survive and hold his own against his enemies.
Plot 11: Bruce Wayne reminisces on the evolution of the angry young man into the Dark Knight during the seven years of his disappearance from Gotham City.
There is nothing that necessitates me writing the stories in order of continuity, and I'm quite certain I'll never be able to write all of them. So your ideas and opinions would be appreciated. =) Also, if any of the plot bunnies strike your fancy, please feel free to take.
Now all I have to do is contemplate actually writing any of this stuff without freaking out.
*privately mourns Rose/ Scorpius story*
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2008-10-21 02:07 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-10-21 02:22 pm (UTC)I like them too, but I'm not sure I have enough legal knowledge to write #6. I'll need to dust off my research skillz. =/
Thanks for the input!
(no subject)
Date: 2008-10-21 02:23 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-10-21 02:28 pm (UTC)But you know, beware of Katie Holmes. *solemn*
(no subject)
Date: 2008-10-21 07:24 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-10-22 05:06 am (UTC)*mangasm*
May I snag, please?
*drools*
Oh, he knows he's pretty. XD
(no subject)
Date: 2008-10-22 07:41 am (UTC)was about to post with the "fanfiction: more addictive than drugs. Cheaper too" icon but...can't seem to find it. But I knew you'd be partial to that one. So, let him get the bunnies! *g*