What if Gotham City was the setting for a 1940s film noir? What if villains of the Batman universe were limited to pre-world war 2 technology?
What would the villains look like? Canadian artist Jason Mark has offered a unique insight into what these dastardly villains might look like, in a clever quartet of mug shots. Combining an authentic, old timey feel for the photographs, clothing, and a near-minimalist approach to character design, Mark’s villains look as though they are about to whip out a tommy gun.
I can almost see a cigar burning from the corner of Harvey Dent’s face as ‘John Doe’ starts awarding Cuban neck-ties. Penguin looks like he just feasted on some poor fool’s abdomen.
Not to mention Mr. Freeze looks like a Nazi war experiment. An experiment that I am dying to see wreak havoc in Gotham. Too bad they’re locked up…for now. To quote Brute Force from 1947: “Those gates only open three times. When you come in, when you’ve served your time, or when you’re dead!”
So which will it be, Bats? After seeing these mug shots and excitedly awaiting the upcoming theatre release of The Great Gatsby, I’m 100% down for another Batman reboot—provided that it’s set in the 1940s. Imagine it bereft with film noir tropes, dark humour, and of course delicious action. Now if only Mr. Mark will give us a rendition of what Batman himself would look like suited up in this universe. Or Selena Kyle in her femme fatal guise. Maybe then I might feel a bit more complete about this collection.
All the same, the collection itself is hands down awesome and I really recommend the rest of the his gallery. If you liked this post, why not head on over and check out Ragnarok Online 2 lands on Steam and seeks dominance in MMOs and 9 Incredible Fan Made Posters for the New Star Wars Film?
