Are the Barriers Between Science Fiction and Reality Becoming More Blurred?

This is just a quick post, but I have found a good book: The Science of Superheroes by Lois H. Gresh, Robert E. Weinberg. It has a whole section on the science of Batman. This is the closest I have come to finding anything that resembles my dissertation title, so it is proving to be useful. 

The chapter explores how Batman became a self-made hero e.g. his years of physical training and his education in crime fighting. Batman’s utility belt and other technology is also a major factor in his crime fighting abilities. The chapter mentions how the barriers between real-life science and science fiction are becoming more blurred referring to a 1950s Batman story involving jet packs:

“Batman and Robin use portable jet packs to fly between buildings; use a heat ray to detonate dangerous boxes of explosives floating in Gotham City harbour; and using a flying camera to spy on crooks planning a robbery. Was Batman using real-life science or merely 1950s pseudoscientific nonsense?”

Over time technology has developed in the real world, which has influenced Batman’s crime fighting. Batman’s crime notes were on file cards in the 1950s, with duplicates kept on microfilm. When computers came into use, so did a database, which has grown more complex over the years as computers continue to change and progress.

“By the late 1990s, his computer was tied to those of major law enforcement agencies throughout the world, providing Batman with a up-to-the-minute information about criminals anywhere in the world. What was once the domain of comic books has become part of the real world of crime fighting. Except for his vigilante methods and costume, Batman could be one of today’s lawmen.”

Gresh Lois H., Weinberg Robert E. 2002. The Science of Superheroes. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Consumerism, Technology and Masculinity.

Homosexuality in Batman has been discussed in numerous books and articles; therefore if I delve into this topic I want to take a more original angle. It could be argued that technology in Batman is used to emulate the phallus. Batman suppresses his sexual urges by disguising himself as a vigilante – in an anatomically erotic Batsuit – and using technology (such as the utility belt) to battle with and restrain villains, thus reliving his sexual needs. At this point I could mention the connotations of Batman’s (Bruce Wayne’s) relationship with Robin (Dick Grayson), but I think that is pretty self explanatory ... Maybe I have been looking at too much Kubrick this week ... but I am going to have another meeting with Dyfrig next week, so I can discuss what topic has the most potential.

“Comic strips successfully synthesized capitalist ideology with preindustrial North American views of the masculine. Like any history “... American [one]... has been fundamentally about relations of power”, but in North America, “concepts and experiences of masculinity have been at the heart of ... life,” which reinforced connections between power and masculinity.”

“Comics are a metaphor for mass production and consumption. Supermarket sections look similar to a page of a graphic novel: both expose a perceiver to repetitive items of goods or comic frames. Both phenomena stimulate consumption – buying goods and reading comic strips.”

The above quotes are from an article I found online, Masculinity and Technology in North American Comics by Okana Cheypesh. 

When studying science fiction and technology in Batman, it is important to look at Gotham City as a whole. Gotham is a gritty, decadent city that is rife with crime and corruption. The architecture of the buildings themselves are depicted in several ways, but in all the comics there is a general mix of the real architectural style alongside the exaggerated, futuristic characteristics.

My futher reading this week:

Pearson Roberta E. and Uricchio William. 1991. The Many Lives of Batman: Critical Approaches to a Superhero and his Media. BFI Publishing.

White Mark D. and Arp Robert. 2008. Batman and Philosophy: The Dark Knight of the Soul. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

 Di Liddo Annalisa.2009. Alan Moore: Comics as Performance, Fiction as Scalpel. University Press of Mississippi.

Research, Research, Research

The past week has been chaotic in terms of work, therefore my research has slowed down somewhat. Despite this, I now have a title that I am happy with for the foreseeable future:

“How Science Fiction and Technology are used in the Batman Graphic Novels.”

I have decided to focus solely on the comics and instead reference the Batman films and games, rather than going in depth on each. Otherwise my dissertation would become too broad, when I want it to become more focussed.

My research so far has not brought up any books or articles on my chosen topic, which is good for originality and also means I have to extend my reading further to help my work progress. I have been looking at science fiction and technology in comics in general, as well as the cultural history in Batman. For example, Heroes of Film, Comics and American Culture talks about the social issues Batman faces in each decade and how it relates to the time:

“In the 1950s, a smiling Batman faced aliens and nuclear-age menaces akin to those found on the silver screen in Them! (1954 and Forbidden Planet (1956)... The 1970s saw darkly Gothic, often supernatural stories drawn by Neal Adams and Marshall Rodgers, who emphasized Batman’s toned musculature and newly brooding countenance.“

The book also references Frank Miller’s Batman: Year One and The Dark Knight from the 1980s, which questions whether Batman himself was a terrorist or a quasi-fascist dictator. This could tie into technology being a direct contributor in consumerism and corruption. The following list is my ideas for possible research topics I have been looking into this week:

• Masculinity (through technology i.e. power)
•  Consumerism
• Corruption 
• Gotham as a dystopian city (the belief that technology is what makes Gotham a decadent, noir city.)
• Terrorism

The topics are subject to change/develop as my research continues, but my ideas are now taking more shape then they were last week. I have set aside this weekend to concentrate mainly on my research and hopefully to gather my thoughts more for when I next post.

Detora, Lisa M. 2009. Heroes of Film, Comics and American Culture. McFarland & Co Inc. 

Duncan, R. Smith, M J. 2009. The Power of Comics: History, Form and Culture. Continuum International Publishing Group Ltd.

Ndalianis, A. 2010. The Contemporary Comic Book Superhero. Routledge; edition 1.  

Pratt, Henry J. 2009. Medium Specificity and the Ethics of Narrative in Comics. Volume 1 Journal (Source: Project Muse)

Settling on Ideas

This week I met up with one of my lecturers - Dyfrig Jones - to discuss my dissertation ideas. Dyfrig was able to give me a lot of advice in terms of research material and how strong my ideas were. I have now settled on researching science fiction and technology in Batman. This is only a working title/idea so far, therefore it is subject to change as my research develops. Dyfrig suggested this would be a good avenue to go down, as very few people have written about this area specifically. I would firstly look into the comics themselves, from the first editions to the most recent to see how the technology has changed over the years. Other areas, such as films and games are also significant for this topic. For example, the Adam West Batman series to Batman Begins is one example of a shift in scientific developments over time. In the recent Christopher Nolan films the batmobile is more like a tank rather than a black Cadillac.

 

Batmobile from the 1960s Adam West series

(All images courtesy of Google Images)

  

New Batmobile from the Christopher Nolan Batman films

(All images courtesy of Google Images)

Modern games, such as Arkham Asylum also demonstrate different gadgets and tools, such as the "bat claw" and "sonic batarang." 

Arkham Asylum Gameplay and Gadgets 

With the upcoming Arkham Asylum 2 and another Nolan Batman sequel the demand in both the media and public is clearly apparent. I would like to reflect on the consumerist elements of the need for technology in the Batman comics, films and games. I have also ordered two books that Dyfrig has recommended, which are the following:

Duncan, R. Smith, M J. 2009. The Power of Comics: History, Form and Culture. Continuum International Publishing Group Ltd.

Ndalianis, A. 2010. The Contemporary Comic Book Superhero. Routledge; edition 1.

Science Fiction in Comics

I have decided to go down the comic book route, as I am producing better ideas with this particular genre and it is an area I am very interesting in researching. One of my other ideas combines this topic with another area I am interested in - science fiction. The use of science fiction in comics provides many avenues to explore. Characters, such as Batman, use technology instead of having "real" superhero powers. 

(All images courtesy of Google Images)

This can be related to the rise of the consumer society and how money and wealth corrolates to having power. Batman, however, is shown to be incorruptable. Science fiction in comics has also been adapted on-screen, especially since the rise of the blockbuster film era (roughly from Superman - 1978). I have a meeting with one of my lecturers to discuss my ideas further and until then I am going to be researching through more academic material.

Gordon, I. Jancovich, M. and McAllister, M., Film and Comic Books [Book] - Jackson: Mississippi University Press, 2007 - This is a book obtained from the University library and has several essays which have proved useful in developing ideas.

Week One - Confusion and Dread

I am currently split between two subject areas for my dissertation, which I have been toying with all summer. The first being graphic novels, the second science fiction. Both subjects are of great interest to me, but I am struggling to narrow down what topics I would like to study further within these areas. My aim so far has been to pick a genre that I would enjoy writing/reading about, as well as focusing on my stronger points (film and media).

My ideas for a science fiction dissertation are limited at the moment, since I am unsure what direction to go in. I am interested in Star Trek, Doctor Who, Star Wars, 2001: A Space Odyssey etc, but I am struggling to tie these television shows/films together with a theme.

All images courtesy of Google Images.

If I chose graphic novels as my area of study I want to relate it to social realism, using politically driven comics – such as Maus (Art Spiegelmen), Watchmen (Alan Moore), Captain America (Joe Simon and Jack Kirby) and V for Vendetta (Alan Moore).

I am also interested in animated documentaries, such as the Waltz With Bashir (Folman, Ari: 2008). Alternatively, I would like to look closer at the rise of film noir in comic to film adaptation, such as Batman Begins and Sin City.

Although I don’t have any ideas for a science fiction dissertation yet, I don’t want to completely disregard it. One of my main concerns is coming up with something with an original angle to it. I have already exhausted most of the library looking for inspiration without much luck, therefore I have been looking at online journals. The journals have been helpful, since they have shown me what topics have already been done to death, as well as given me more ideas to narrow my fields of interest down. 

My aim for this week is to find as much material as I can via the library and my own resources. I will also be speaking to lecturers for advice in narrowing my choice of topic down further.