Batman Question

[Guest Mattdotcom]

First off, this is a question about the comics, not the movie itself.

 

I was reading an article or something that said the animated Batman film Mask of the Phantasm was based on a comic arc. Now, I know some of it is similar to Year One, but did they pull the Phantasm from the pages, or was it an original creation?

[Guest MaskedDanger]

I always assumed that the Phantasm (especially in design, look and motivation) was loosely based on "The Reaper," an old, ultraviolent (read: murderous) vigilante that Batman tangled with in the comic books. He (yes, "he"...Reaper and Phantasm aren't a direct correlation) is the main villain of the "Year Two" story arc, available in a reasonably priced TPB. The story's okay, the art's whatever (the first chapter, with Alan Grant penciling is great, but McFarland takes over in chapter two and is truly at his crappy best in the latter chapters...looks like he threw ink at page just to see what would stick).

 

Anyway, the Phantasm is based on the Reaper, but is not a carbon copy. If want a direct, exact event-for-event translation of the movie, I don't think one exists outside of the comic adaptation of the cartoon. Hope that helps.

[Guest Mattdotcom]

Aye, that it does. Thanks.