Cinematical Seven: The Gotham City Gals

by Elisabeth Rappe Jul 15th 2008 // 10:03PM

Filed under: Action, New Releases, Warner Brothers, Cinematical Seven, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Remakes and Sequels



Christopher Nolan's "real world" Batman is the best thing to happen to the character since, frankly, Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns. If there's one flaw in the series thus far, it is that Nolan's Batman is just a little too solitary, a little too dour. Nowhere is this more apparent than in his choice of female companions -- or rather, the lack thereof.

Now, Nolan deserves a round of applause for inventing the character of Rachel Dawes. Such professional, intelligent and classy women are rare in action movies, let alone those inspired by the superhero genre. Regardless of what you think of Katie Holmes' performance, the character of Dawes was real, which made Bruce Wayne's feelings for her that much more special. But really -- is Dawes the only woman in all of Gotham City? It sure seems like it. And what if Rachel and Bruce call it quits? What will Batman do for female companionship? And if Dawes does stick around, wouldn't it be great to see that there are other cool chicks in Gotham City? Adding another woman or two, and a bit of romantic friction (just a bit -- I trust that Nolan wouldn't go too far with the mushy stuff) would take off some of Batman's dour edge. And so, here are seven chicks ripped from the comic pages that I would like to see appear in Nolan's franchise. (And a special thanks to Alan Kistler of ComicMix for helping me out on this one.) They appear after the jump, and as always, feel free to chime in with your own picks below!



1. Catwoman, aka Selina Kyle

I'm one of those crazy geeks who wants to see Catwoman appear in Nolan's universe. I think he could actually make her strong enough to be the sole villain of a third film -- or she could be just another criminal thorn in Batman's side as he takes on a real psychopath like the Riddler. She has numerous origin stories to choose from (Kyle has been everything from a flight attendant with amnesia to a prostitute who killed her pimp), and a wonderful love-hate relationship with Batman. Plus, she needs to be redeemed from that awful Halle Berry film.

2. Sasha Bordeaux

Bordeaux is a tough girl after my own heart. Hired by Lucius Fox to be Bruce Wayne's bodyguard, she did such a good job of it that Wayne could barely get out of the Batcave. Eventually, he let her figure out his alter-ego, and she accompanied him on certain missions. (But she was never the type to let herself be labeled so tritely as "Batgirl"!) The two eventually fell for each other, but the relationship was never really consummated due to a false murder charge against Wayne, Bordeaux being wrongfully imprisoned, and eventually becoming a government agent.

3. Talia al-Ghul

Talia al-Ghul is another potential villain for Batman to take on – but her role in the comics is never so clear cut. She is continuously torn between loyalty to her father and her love for Batman. This complex relationship seems ideal for Nolan's world, and Ra's al Ghul's apparent death in Batman Begins would lend an added dimension. Bonus points if they actually went so far as to bless the union, if you get what I mean.

4. Carrie Kelly / Stephanie Brown / Cassandra Cain

Don't freak out -- I fear the return of "Holy rusted metal!" as much as anyone. And frankly, this one really depends whether Nolan's universe could tolerate Batman having a sidekick, particularly since Bale swore he'd leave if they went that route. But you could do a lot worse than having one of these girls by your side. Carrie Kelly became the first female Robin in Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns – and while I liked her, ComicsMix's Alan Kistler rightfully points out that she never became canon. (And there was that whole dreadful "Catgirl" turn she took in DK2.) Stephanie Brown also became Robin, but not before she had a successful solo career as the Spoiler. Since copycat Batmans are a part of The Dark Knight, how cool would it be to have a chick independently take on crime-fighting in a third installment? And lastly, if you're ever going to introduce Batgirl, it might as well be one as lethal as Cassandra Cain. Ideally, combine them all into one original crime-fighter.

5. Detective Rene Montoya

As I mentioned in the intro, Gotham City is in sore need of other strong women, but a romantic relationship with Wayne shouldn't always be a factor in their inclusion. Montoya famously was outed as a lesbian (and framed for murder) by Harvey "Two-Face" Dent, who decided that if he couldn't have her, he would destroy her. And as if she didn't have enough stress to deal with, she also decided to replace The Question. While I don't know if the last concept is a possibility in a Nolan film, I think Montoya would be a fine addition to the cast. She would play off Gordon nicely, especially if they rewrote her as someone who initially opposed Batman, and would be another valuable ally to the caped one when she came around. Actually, screw it -- the first female Question deserves a movie of her own!

6. Poison Ivy

My sister's pick, so go easy on it. And banish all thoughts of Batman and Robin out of your mind. Forget her outlandish appearance in the comics, too. I think Nolan could revise her into a true eco-terrorist, a scientist who takes "green living" a little too seriously. She could be packing some genetically mutated plants along for the ride.

7. Barbara Gordon

Technically, she falls into the dreaded Batgirl / sidekick category, but I would like to see Nolan turn Gordon into something so much more. Barbara decides to join Batman in some capacity or other, causing much strain on her poor father, James Gordon. She survives a brutal and paralyzing attack (which will obviously have to be inflicted by another villain, as I don't think the Joker will ever appear again) and becomes even more valuable to Batman as the Oracle. It could be a fantastic character arc for not only Barbara, but Batman and Commissioner Gordon as well.

So there you go: Some fresh female blood for the next Batman adventure. Please share your own picks, and heck, toss in some of your preferred actresses too!

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Tags: Catwoman, Cinematical 7, Cinematical7, Gotham City Chicks, GothamCityChicks, Talia al Ghul, TaliaAlGhul, The Dark Knight, TheDarkKnight

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