NOTE TO DC:

Inspired by a similar open letter written by a buddy of mine.   I wanted to offer my unsolicited concerns and suggestions to the motion picture department of Detective Comics. First of all that alleged "leak" of Batman vs. Superman is beneath you. So what nerds globally are all talking about Avengers 2 instead of your production? You haven't given them much to talk about. Any good marketer knows you have to maintain engagement, especially for a group with a notoriously short attention span. Ok you have Gotham, which I hear is fantastic but that’s a prequel with not tie in to Bats vs. Supes.  Listen you've already proven your bonifides, your street cred with a huge win from Nolan’s Batman trilogy; by the way the best Batman iteration to hit the screen yet. Sorry Tim Burton and Adam West.  Anyway, I can get past the stunt of trying to ride the buzz/excitement coat tails of the Star Wars trailer, oh don’t even try to deny it, it was leaked on the SAME DAY but I said I forgive you. Let’s talk about where we go from here.  You have in your possession, the corner stone of the foundation of a movie franchise that could be a behemoth. IF… and only if you grow some balls and do it correctly. Why do I say grow some balls? Because it feels as if you’re taking the safe route by casting your new characters in the same dark, brooding mold in which the Dark Knight was forged and that would be a mistake.  Oh sure dark and gritty looks good and worked for you before but that’s Batman’s thing. It can’t be Superman’s and Wonder Woman’s and Aquaman’s thing too, damn it gentlemen the DC universe can’t be a predictable monolithic world devoid of originality and expect to give Marvel a serious run for its money.  I NEED TO BE ENTERTAINED PROPERLY! Man of Steel was enjoyable but ultimately left me a little down with the way papa Kent died and I mean here you have an alien sent to this planet and in an act of defending his new home, he destroys remnants of his old home and kills its last descendants? Yeah, yeah Zod  and his hot soldier chick Faora would have killed all of humanity but THIS is the storyline you approved and used to introduce Supes. I also had a problem with what seemed to be a deliberate parallel to the real horror and destruction of 9/11 but that may very well be me being too sensitive being a New Yorker. Although… as an artist I see how evoking the genuine emotion of loss from a disaster was necessary in Man of Steel to convey a realistic depiction of what a clash of this type would look like. Must admit, it felt manipulative. But this “dark cloud” theme seems to be casting a shadow over your proposed future productions. Batman versus Superman looks dark, I mean shit the last line of your first trailer is “Do you bleed? You Will.” Really? No I don’t expect something campy but don’t make me so depressed from these so called HEROS that I go running to Marvel to save me.  Ohhh and Batman's anti-Superman suit looks like a knight from Lord Of the Rings, very cool if he's about to fight goblins and orcs but a little clunky ESPECIALLY when compared to Stark's Hulk Buster exo suit. I like the fact you are rethinking  Aquaman and he looks badass but honestly he looks like... an assassin from Sons of Anarchy .  I hear you’ve had to change directors for Wonder Woman over “creative differences” , well I hope it’s not to make her equally dark. In your attempt to reflect the harsh realism of life in this fictional world of yours, do not forget or discount the fact that human beings are multi-emotional. Most of us deal with stress through humor so your movies can’t be completely devoid of such if you want an audience to IDENTIFY with the characters. Remember you’re not just making these films for DC comic book readers that will most certainly adore whatever you produce, no there is a larger audience you can net if you keep the “human” in your Superhuman movie. Yeah, yeah Marvel is already using comedy but that doesn’t mean you cannot. Marvel is doing it because it helps balance a movie and provides a better reflection of humanity.  Lastly, I want to address the whole background, origin story thing. It seems as if you plan to do that with each of your franchise characters and I sincerely hope so. Oh sure you got a late start but it is crucial that each major character has his/her own introduction via a movie. I think I read Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Cyborg will only be making cameos. Perfect! Whet our appetites for the future movies then engage in some serious character development like a mutha.  If Star Trek and Star Wars can both thrive then there is room for both a Marvel and a DC Universe, I mean hell the comic books are proof of that. The REAL battle viewers are waiting for is not between Batman and Superman, no it’s between Marvel and DC and although I’m a Marvel fan and believe the only enemy they really need to fear is far more sinister, I’m also a big fan of good storytelling and a good old fashioned FIGHT! May the odds be ever in your favor.