SEATTLE » Though the summer schedule’s crammed with movies of every fashion, two guys in tight suits stand out: Batman in "The Dark Knight Rises" and Spider-Man, returning in "The Amazing Spider-Man." Both are based on beloved comic book heroes but carry very different expectations.
"The Dark Knight Rises" is the final chapter, supposedly, of Christopher Nolan’s acclaimed Batman trilogy. Easily the season’s most anticipated film, it’s something of a known quantity with a few new characters and twists.
"The Amazing Spider-Man," directed by Marc Webb (previously best known for "(500) Days of Summer," which features no special effects beyond Zooey Deschanel’s eyes), is something entirely new: a reboot of a franchise only 10 years old, and an origin story that sounds, on the surface, like it’s covering similar ground to 2002’s "Spider-Man" starring Tobey Maguire.
Will the bat squash the spider at the box office? Here’s a quick side-by-side look at the two characters.
BATMA: ‘THE DARK KNIGHT RISES’
Release date: July 20
Non-superhero name: Bruce Wayne
Played by: Christian Bale
Personality trademark: Brooding intensity
Hometown: Gotham City
Day job: Industrialist/philanthropist
Parental figure: Alfred, the butler (Michael Caine)
Love interest: Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard), a Wayne Enterprises board member
Nemeses: Bane (Tom Hardy), a one-named terrorist with a concealed face and scarily garbled voice; and Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway), a glamorous cat burglar.
Long arm of the law: Commissioner Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman), Batman’s ally and co-conspirator
Means of transport: The Batmobile (natch) and the Batpod, a very speedy, wide-wheeled motorcycle.
Personal credo: "As a man I’m flesh and blood. I can be ignored, I can be destroyed. But as a symbol, I can be incorruptible, I can be everlasting."
Our story begins …: Eight years after the events of "The Dark Knight," with Batman still reviled in Gotham City.
SPIDER-MAN: ‘THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN’
Release date: July 3
Non-superhero name: Peter Parker
Played by: Andrew Garfield
Personality trademark: Youthful idealism
Hometown: New York City
Day job: Student
Parental figures: Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) and Aunt May (Sally Field)
Love interest: Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone), his high school sweetheart
Nemesis: The Lizard, alter ego of Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans) and former partner of Peter Parker’s father
Long arm of the law: Captain Stacy (Denis Leary), who in the trailer gets to deliver the immortal line "Thirty-eight of New York’s finest versus one guy in a unitard?"
Means of transport: His own nifty ability to shoot ropelike webs from his webshooters, which allow him to swing through the air, covering much ground.
Personal credo: "With great power comes great responsibility."
Our story begins …: … at the very beginning.
