Deja Reviewer

Two of my favorite sequels of all time are The Dark Knight and Superman II. Both of them expand the heroes’ story and deepen the world they inhabit.

A lot of the success of these films can be credited directly to their villains. Scarecrow and Falcone were cool villains, but let’s face it, they didn’t pose big challenges to Batman. Ra’s al Ghul was almost a match for Batman, but he was absent from so much of the film that his threat was diminished by the end.

And I’m sorry, but the only reason Lex Luthor is a threat to Superman is because Superman is such a nice guy. Can you imagine Wolverine (or Batman, for that matter) putting up with Luthor’s silly tricks for even a minute? I don’t think so. Superman could literally kill Luthor with the flick of his pinky finger, but he’s always so restrained that he would never commit such an obviously evil act. Luthor knows that and exploits it.

But when the Joker and General Zod enter the scene in the sequels, they push the heroes to the limit and evoke some intriguing parallels to Biblical stories. The very nature of good and evil, God and the devil, can be found in these films. Let’s dive in and find out how The Dark Knight and Superman II are the tale of two Satans! Continue reading →