The Dark Knight Rises: Bane's Co-Creator Weighs In

Chuck Dixon may not have particularly felt there was a lot of thought going on behind the politicization of The Dark Knight Rises (and in particular Bane, the character he co-created in the '90s with artist Graham Nolan) last week, but this week he's talking about the movie in a very different way: he's finally got the chance to talk about his character's portrayal on film. Bane infamously appeared in Batman & Robin years ago, and most comic book fans would argue that the way the character was abused made him the worst part of a very bad movie. The meticulous, menacing strategist of the comics was foregone completely, making him a lifeless, hulking madman screening while he smashed anything that got near him. This time around, though, many fans think the writers got it right. Well, now Dixon agrees. In an interview with Philly.com yesterday, the writer said:

"I am beyond glad that Nolan had the juice in Hollywood to stick to his guns. From interviews I've seen, it's clear he understands the character and he gets what we were going for. It's not exactly what I created, but he's physically imposing and Tom Hardy is one hell of an actor. I can't imagine Bane being better portrayed."

That's pretty high praise!