THE ADAPTATION CYCLE OF COMIC BOOKS AND CINEMA: Authorship, Intermediality and Fidelity in Batman Adaptations

Abstract

This thesis explores the adaptation process from comic books to cinema, by leveraging theoretical frameworks found in the modern field of adaptation studies. The focus lies primarily on film adaptations of Batman, one of the most famous and well-regarded characters from the comic book medium. Through the exploration of a selection of Batman adaptations, the thesis explores notions of authorship, authorial intention, canon, thematic fidelity and the concept of geneticism. Having been adapted multiple times over the years since his 1939 debut, Batman is ripe for exploration in the field of adaptation studies. Many visionary directors such as Tim Burton, Joel Schumacher and Christopher Nolan have left their mark on the character, with a series of wildly different adaptations that highlight the importance of authorship, while also establishing an extensive intermedial network between source material, adaptation and authorial intention. By building upon the methods delineated by Bryant and Bruhn, the thesis explores the role of each director as an auteur and adaptor, whose work is placed within a larger lineage of versions of a story. The modern frameworks of the study highlight the importance of a more nuanced understanding of fidelity, which is fundamental when approaching comic book characters, whose canonical features do not stem from a single source text, but from decades of stories authored by a plethora of writers and pencilers.