Taking a break from Guild Wars - I'm level 8 and think I'm almost done with all the quests in Pre-Searing that can be soloed, the biggest quest now will be grabbing a breakdancing nudist and dragging them to a team mission.

In the meantime I read back some old Batman storylines, notably Vengeance of Bane and Knightfall, I really regret it now because I have the desire again to stab out the eyes of whoever thought up the movie version of Bane in Batman and Robin. I mean in the two films they changed the origins slightly of the villains, but not really changed the characters that much, but as soon as that was over characters became wasteful, eager to improve on the quantity of the previous films without much thought on the quality. For example :

• Two-Face is an excellent villain, despite managing to change ethnicity in the movies, but he becomes a second stringer whereas he had a great starting point in The Long Halloween.
• Poison Ivy became little more than a reflection on the types of villain from the Adam West series, whereas there are plenty of stories that show her more than able to pose a threat on her own.
• Bane, crippled Batman in the Knightfall saga, leaving him broken and in a wheelchair, he had intellect and strategy as well as drug-enhanced strength. In the movie he was a brainless, brutish slave.

I do think it's a shame that they killed off Joker in the first Burton movie, but would have feared a sequel, though seeing as there are meant to be hints at the end of Batman Begins for a sequel I'll get the chance.

Not that I have seen Batman Begins yet, however, I think I've appreciated more than some that this isn't actually a prequel as much as it is an attempt to re-start the movie series again (Ultimates style, if you will). Despite that, from what I have seen the evolution exists, the Batmobile isn't elegant as obviously Wayne hasn't got WayneTech to research things for the business which he can use in his private affairs, however it bears the manoeuvrability and defence that would be expected (as well as keeping the bat look from above and other key features it shares with later models, if you know what you are looking for). I'm itching to see it myself though.