Batman v Superman's Nod to Cover Art of The Dark Knight Returns

There's a scene in the movie Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice where Batman and Superman duel high above the ground. Batman is clinging to the side of a building while Superman is flying straight at him, eyes blazing with a blast of heat vision. Batman swings and with the use of his Bat harpoon gun, avoids getting fried.

The scene is quick but it's in the trailer and for the fans of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns graphic novels, it should be familiar because if you freeze the frame wherein Batman hangs by one hand while holding the harpoon gun in the other, the still actually reflects the pose of Batman on the cover of the graphic novel on which the movie is based on.

The images speak for themselves. There are of course, slight differences, but the layout and the all the other visual elements, down to the similarity of the cabling and the lightning on the cover, undeniably point to that particular scene as a nod to the cover artists' (penciler-inker Frank Miller and colorist Lynn Varley) work.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Movie Poster 1


Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Movie Poster 2

How Gerard Butler Got Spartan Abs in 300

This is Gerard Butler, aka King Leonidas of Sparta in the movie “300.” Yes, he’s the one up front in the picture above. Full of computer-generated imagery, one would think that his abs in the Frank Miller-novel-inspired blockbuster movie about the Battle of Thermopylae were the result of an artist’s skill in image manipulation software. But, no. Butler actually worked out to have those abs. “I knew to get that extreme power, and exude that authority and leadership and that potential violence and brutality, that I wanted to earn that,” said Butler, who played the title role in 2004’s “The Phantom of the Opera.”

Butler began his intense workout four months before a boot camp which allowed him to experience a Spartan warrior’s life. He maintained the program throughout the 60-day shoot. A memorable experience for him was the bear crawl in which he had to race with fellow actors on hands and feet after grueling squats. He injured his hip flexor muscle in the process. The workout program that he went through is now known as the Spartan workout.

Director Zack Snyder says, “You don’t look at a bunch of Spartans and go, “I wonder which guy is going to pop out and be the king. In one shot you want to go, ‘OK, that’s him,’ and that was how I felt about Gerry.”

For a look at the “Spartan training” of Butler, go to http://300themovie.warnerbros.com/ and open Making of 300 > Video Journals > 3. Spartan Training.

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Find it hard to get Spartan abs? Then get the next best thing. Buy the Leonidas talking ab action figure! It talks: "Tonight, we dine in hell!" It's enough of a reminder for you not to eat too much.

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