Good article.

I wrote an article something like this a few months ago:

https://forums.joeuser.com/Forums.aspx?ForumID=17&AID=65605&cmd=myposts

As i said in my article, I would personally choose The Punisher as a more plausible real-world "superhero" than Batman. His gadgets and all the training he'd need would seem be prohibitive.

Wow, that was a great article. Much better detailed than mine. Can't imagen why no one would care to reply to it. I figured it was a good enough of a question to wonder if people would like having a guy like Batman or even a Punisher type of person to help out with the increasing criminal activities all over the US and perhaps other parts of the world.

I was actually surprise to see one reply on my article since I watched it for the hours only to see it zero itself out while others after me got a reply or 2 but the end of the day.

I wouldn't mind having a Batman or Punisher haracter running the streets, helping with crime. Althought unlike Batman who seems to have a bit more control over his actions and how he deals with criminals, The Punisher tends to shoot first and ask questions later and in the real world people have the tendency of picking the wrong person at times. Just look at the way the Police do things. Innocent till proven guilty? That's a laugh.

I don't think society would except any kind of Hero super or not. Heck they sue just for a small crack on a sidewalk, can't imagen Superman busting walls, crushing cars or even knocking down trees while trying to catch criminals. They are , literally, walking or flying lawsuits waiting to happen. I don't think there is any hope for lower crime anywhere as long as lawyers exist and people can easily be convinced by the amounts of money a lawyer can offer to get just for something as insignificant as a 1 cm crack on a sidewalk that made you fall and hurt yourself.

Thanx for your comment.

Well, the problem is that the Gotham city police department is unequipped to deal with the likes of the Penguin, Catwoman and Dr. Freeze, which makes them look incompetent. Had they been dealing with regular criminals, they would be doing a lot better job. Plus I don't like the idea of some mysterious man in a bat suit above the law. That is just scary.

I went to the video store yesterday in search of something interesting to watch

Epiphany!

But I think you overanalyze. Batman could not exist, but we can escape with movies. I dont like the "Deep movies". I want escapist crap! I live "deep movies". I dont need to pay to see real life.

The Punisher tends to shoot first and ask questions later

--DJBandit

In defense of what I know to be a completely fictional character, Frank Castle (The Punisher's real name) thoroughly researches his targets and knows exactly who and what he's going for. He also makes the effort to assure the safety of innocents as much as he can.

And thanks much for the compliment on my own post.

Well, the problem is that the Gotham city police department is unequipped to deal with the likes of the Penguin, Catwoman and Dr. Freeze, which makes them look incompetent.

---latour999

To be fair, I don't think any police dept., real or imagined, would be equipped to handle the likes of any supervillain; thus the "need" for superheroes in that world.

Plus I don't like the idea of some mysterious man in a bat suit above the law. That is just scary.

---latour999

Now, now latour, your Left wing is showing ---Batman is NOT above the law!
He has his critics within the Gotham government, who consider him to be a sadistic maniac and criminal vigilante. He works within the system, though, or at least far enough within it to be allowed his broader definition of punishment and justice by the sympathetic, overworked police. In the real world, of course, his methods would never be admissible in court. But hey, his main goal is actually to frighten the crap out of criminals, so they don't commit the crimes in the first place in fear of facing him.

The Punisher, now, is considered by pretty much all (including Batman, whom he met in a couple of Marvel/DC crossovers---it was cool! He came to Gotham to find Jigsaw, his archvillain, who was working with the Joker. He almost got the Joker, but Batman stopped him from shooting, telling the Joker to run for his life) to be a violent criminal (though the FBI actually kinda sorta supports him, to the point of creating a phony "Punisher Task Force", to give the impression that they're trying to hunt him down when they're really not) even though he reserves his attentions for those who profit and/or hurt others through criminal means. I still say he's the most plausible of the two.

Batman could not exist

---Dr.Guy

I dunno about that, Doc..... I still think that if you were as rich as Bruce Wayne and had nothing but time on your hands and an insane obsession welling up inside and driving you, you might have the stuff to pull it off. After all, he was what, six when his parents were killed? He had his whole life from then to study, train and prepare. Of course, all the elements would have to be in place, too; these would include a photographic memory, a focused, lightspeed-witted, razor-sharp mind, almost boundlessly vast intellect and absolutely astounding athletic prowess. When's the last time you ever saw all those things wrapped together in the same package?
NEVER!
Hell, just the intellect and athletic prowess themselves are almost mutually exclusive, in my experience, let alone everything else.
And then, the only person who's smart, and also as rich as Bruce Wayne, is Bill Gates, and I just don't see him beating up criminals while wearing a bat suit.
Still, I suppose it could happen....just EXTREMELY unlikely.

I love superhero movies, even though I don't really collect comics anymore. I'm waiting for "Captain America" (big surprise there, huh?), supposedly due in 2007. Oh, and the new "Superman" flick is on the way, too. "Punisher 2" should be out next summer. Jigsaw is the villain. Can't wait. Gonna pee myself, I'm so excited.
If you haven't seen "The Punisher", rent it ASAP; cool movie, utterly badass.
Make sure you get the 2004 one, though, with Tom Jane and John Travolta, not the 1990 version with Dolph Lundgren. That sucked swamp water.
The cool thing about it was that there was no CGI stuff at all; they did it completely Old School, with real explosions, real stunts and stunt men, everything. Only one scene, near the end, looked to me like it was probably done with CG, but supposedly not. They used several scenes from various Punisher comics, in it, too, which was pretty cool, for us (former) collectors, anyway.

And then, the only person who's smart, and also as rich as Bruce Wayne, is Bill Gates, and I just don't see him beating up criminals while wearing a bat suit.

Sorry! that was just too funny!

would be nice dj, but I am sure the aclu would sue him, the liberal courts would injuction him {enjoined from using his powers} The media would castrate him, and feminine groups would declare him to be a pig, although I am sure the gay men groups would like a closer look at his tights! hahahahahahahahah

Latour:

Juat curious----you said that you found scary the thought of a guy in a bat suit being above the law. The scene:

Latour is walking down the street on dark evening, when suddenly a gun is shoved into his (her?) ribs. "Gimme yer dough" is hissed through clenched teeth, and a rough hand seizes his (her?) shoulder. Worse than mere mugging is implied and threatened.
Suddenly, a large, dark shadow drops out of the night and onto the mugger and begins soundly thumping on him while berating him for his criminal behavior.

Latour would:

A. Be grateful to the figure for saving you, and thank him for the intervention.

or

B. Offended by this fascist behavior, Latour begins yelling at the figure to stop, and hitting him for so viciously attacking what is obviously a socially and economically disadvantaged human being. You threaten to involve the ACLU if he doesn't desist.

Well? Which would it be?

I dont like the "Deep movies". I want escapist crap! I live "deep movies". I dont need to pay to see real life.

---Dr.Guy

Precisely why I hate those "great" European films. Everybody dies at the end and nobody gets the girl. Because she's dead, too.
The Euros say we Americans aren't serious enough; our heros are superhuman....John Wayne, Rambo, Rocky, etc....our movies are all fluff and nonsense, sound and fury.
Like you said, Doc; I don't need to pay to see real life. Give me Rambo single-handedly blowing away hundreds of armed Commies, rather than an army of Commies killing everybody in some obscure Czech or Polish village.

Precisely why I hate those "great" European films.

I dont do them.  I do however watch some mexican films.  They are getting better, but not there yet.

The only Euro films I ever REALLY liked were the Sergio Leone westerns with Clint Eastwood.
Though, I also saw what I think was a British-produced film a while back called "Love, Actually". While it slammed the American President pretty hard, it was still a pretty good movie....for a chick flick (the wife dragged me to it).

They are getting better, but not there yet.

Isn't it amazing how we seem to do everything better than everyone else? And we've only been around for a little over two hundred years!

USA! USA! USA!

for a chick flick (the wife dragged me to it).

Uh, huh!  Better go sit with Parated2k!