Comic Book Movies at the 81st Annual Academy Awards

Although comic book movies are not so hip at the yearly Annual Academy Awards, there were a few nominations and a couple of winners this year. The Dark Knight was nominated for eight awards (Best Achievement in Cinematography, Best Achievement in Editing, Best Achievement in Art Direction, Best Achievement in Makeup, Best Achievement in Sound, Best Achievement in Visual Effects) and won two, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role : Heath Ledger and Best Achievement in Sound Editing : Richard King. Iron Man was nominated for two awards (Best Achievement in Sound Editing and Best Achievement in Visual Effects). Hellboy II: The Golden Army was nominated for one award (Best Achievement in Makeup). Wanted was nominated for one award (Best Achievement in Sound).

Heath Ledger truly deserved the award for the superb portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight, and it was received by his father, step mother and sister but the beneficiary of the Oscar will be his daughter, Matilda, who is only three years old and will not receive it until she is an adult at the age of eighteen.

To add to this, this year's Academy Awards, they were hosted by Hugh Jackman, X-Men's Wolverine who gave the May X-Men Origins movie a plug in a musical tribute to the nominated candidate movies and was quite outstanding and fresh as the host having the show being made much faster and more intimate than previous boring award shows.

Bruce Wayne...may he Rest In Peace!! The original Batman fatally killed off in his comic book...

Batman, caped crusader of 69 years and biggest screen superhero of all time has in the last two days been killed off in the latest 681st issue of his DC comic. Glaswegian comic book writer Grant Morrison is the man responsible for this and what’s more is that it is Bruce Wayne's father, Doctor Thomas Wayne, who has done it! The notorious story entitled Batman RIP sees the caped crusader targeted by a menacing organisation 'The Black Glove' and its mystifying leader 'Simon Hurt'. Batman is drugged, buried alive but becomes free but is also shot by 'Hurt'. 'Hurt' then asserts that is true identity is Doctor Thomas Wayne, Bruce's dead from childhood father, and reveals that his death was faked when Joe Chill pulled the trigger on the gun. He insists also that Chill should have shot Bruce and his mother. 'Hurt' try’s to escape in a helicopter, then Batman leaps on to it forcing to crash and go up in a fireball. Batman is 'dead', no sign of Bruce found, then jumping ahead six months later, Batman is back in action! But it is rumoured to be his previous sidekick 'Robin' aka Dick Grayson inside the suit. DC Comics have said "It is definitely the end of Bruce Wayne as the Batman. Rumours are he is still alive but he does not want to be the hero anymore!”

So as Batman's movie career gets off to a flying start, the comic books have killed him off. Both 'Batman Returns' and 'The Dark Knight' have been re-released as a double bill IMAX cinema experience in Odeon Cinemas in the UK who have IMAX cinemas. Rumour has it also in the run up to the Oscars next March 2009 that 'The Dark Knight' will be re-released and it has been announced by American entertainment magazine 'Entertainment Weekly' that Warner Bros. would be campaigning for a nomination for Heath Ledger in the supporting actor category, putting to rest all the speculation and suggestions that he could be a contender for the Best Actor Oscar. If he were to win it, this would be the second time that a deceased actor would have won an Oscar after death. Peter Finch is the only other actor who has done this for 1976's 'Network'.