Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Batman, Comics, disney, entertainment, frank miller, girl meets world, The Dark Knight Returns

Girl Meets World Meets Frank Miller (SPOILERS)

Girl Meets World is a legacy sitcom. A sequel to nineties sitcom Boy Meets World, in which the Boy, Cory, has grown up into a teacher, now with his own daughter, around which this new series revolves, and airing on the Disney Channel, who own Marvel Comics

Which made last night's episode even odderl. The class get a new English teacher…. Miss Harper Burgiss.

"Miss Burgiss is here to teach you about great books and great ideas"

And which book would that be?

"Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns… This graphic novel was as important to its style of literature as any book you can think of. It's about a world that's become so tough that Batman fights Superman. You will tell me why he does that."

Principal Yancy has something to say about this however.

"I can't help noticing that someone has a comic book, that everyone has a comic book.,, It isn't literature, it's comic books, which are against school policy, Miss Burgiss. You will gather these up and you will teach something important. To Kill A Mcokingbird, are you familiar with this?"

Well, she is called Harper. She ignores the principal.

"So… The Dark Knight Returns. Read it tonight. And tomorrow, we will learn something important."

At the dining table, the girls are in a hurry.

"Dinner is keeping us from our homework.The new English teacher wants us to read this."

It emerges that Cory was involved with the teacher's hiring, a motorcycle riding teacher who likes comics… a bit like an old teacher of his Mr Turner, from the original Boy Meets World..

"Its a more complicated world now, Heroes and villains arent as easily recognised. Maybe it takes different teaching methods to tell them apart. She thinks this will help and I like that she believes in something."

"Yancy has a lot of power. Whos a guy with a lot of power."

"Superman. Whoa."

"Then Harper's like Batman. Whoa."

"What;s the difference between the two?"

"One has powers and one hasn't."

"How is that a fair fight?"

I don't want Batman/Harper to lose

So maybe you should do your homework and find out what happens next.

And so the lesson takes place and questions are asked.

"Can good change?

"Good is good."

"Can evil change?"

"It seems like just as we've seen the worst that something can be, somebody comes up with something?"

"Why do you suppose that is?"

"Because it's evil fascinates us"

"But doesn't good have to win in the end?"

"Does it?"

But the Principal steps in, observing

"I see no Mockingbird."

She is fired, as is Cory for sticking up for Harper, but things are not quite that simple and the Superintendent of schools has to be brought in.

Mr Turner. John Turner. An aging character from the past brought back to his old stomping ground to make things better again, and fight the good fight against power. Say, who does that remind you of?

"She's teaching comics."

"Yeah? My first day I taught the X-Men."

So a compromise is reached in which Harper's lessons are monitored. And the class present to each other.

"In Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, the key word is dark. He doesn't write heroes and villains that you're used to. You have to really think about what's right and wrong."

"The pictures make you work too. You have to look up down across and sideways. I think he's trying to look at what our world has become. Up down across and sideways."

"Heroes that should be friends with a common goal fight each other instead."

"One hero was trying to inspire his old friend to take a look at the world and realise i had changed so he needed to change too."

"But he wouldnt so he fought against it which was hard to look at. Because the world is dark enough and heroes are supposed to bring light."

"Everyone in this world knows that someone with real power doesnt need to hit a kid with a ruler to get the kid to want to learn."

"Because this is a new world and we dont do that here."

"Frank Miller turned a comic book into, whats the word."

"You know the word."

"Literature."

Of course, there is still the matter of censure.

"John, comic books are against school policy."

"And you can hit a kid with a ruler in 19 states."

—-

And so all is well that ends well.

"Sometimes you can beat Superman."

But sadly John Turner doesn't suddenly have a heart attack at the end. Shame, that would have wrapped things up so neatly…

And with more Dark Knight on the way and Go Set A Watchman being released, it's a perfect time for both or such exposure to young minds….

Though is it just me or does Frank Miller sound like the kind of guy who thinks using rulers might not be an altogether bad thing?

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