4. Batman: Year One
After Batman & Robin managed to piss off just about everyone, Warner Bros considered a number of different approaches. Wolfgang Petersen was tapped to direct a Batman vs. Superman film, the possibility of a live-action adaptation of the Batman Beyond animated series was bandied about, but ultimately, they decided to go back to the beginning and start off fresh. We all know Batman Begins is what we got from this approach, but before Christopher Nolan came along, Warner Bros approached Darren Aronofsky to direct. And to help him on the script, they got Frank Miller, the man who wrote classic Batman stories like The Dark Knight Returns and Year One, which this movie was to be an adaptation of. What could go wrong? This was perhaps the first signs of Millers descent into madness (which has continually spiraled out of control in recent years, culminating in the highly offensive Holy Terror graphic novel). Instead of Bruce Wayne being raised by Alfred in Wayne Manor, following the death of his parents, he goes missing on the streets of Gotham. Hes taken in by a mechanic by the name of Big Al, who runs a body shop with his son namedwait for itLittle Al. Bruce grows up in the shadow of all the corruption and crime in Gotham, working day and night in the shop, right across from a brothel frequented by crooked cops and politicians (because it wouldnt be a Frank Miller story if it didnt somehow involve prostitutes). Bruces first act as a vigilante involves confronting a dirty cop who accosts Mistress Selina and unintentionally causing the cops death. Narrowly avoiding blame, Bruce starts off fighting crime by wearing a cape...and a hockey mask. He eventually evolves this into a more stylized costume and becomes the Batman, using makeshift gadgets and riding around in a Lincoln Continental.