I've been thinking of drawing this image probably since 1992 when I first saw the Mario Bava film Diabolik (aka Danger: Diabolik). Diabolik, the Italian superthief, truly seems to be the other side of the coin of Batman:
Diabolik is an orphan, though he his raised by criminals rather than Alfred, Leslie Tompkins and whomever else DC has added to the list of those who trained Bats.
Diabolik also has a cave.
Diabolik named himself after an animal--a black panther that terrorized the criminal island on which he was raised.
Diabolik has a sidekick--Eva Kant, his romantic interest.
Diabolik is a master of disguise.
Diabolik has a fast car--a Jaguar XE.
When I get some time I will write a more thorough posting than this lousy thing. :)
The Batman vs Diabolik...
ReplyDeleteI came rainbows. This have to exist!
Then again, if you consider Prometheus (character in The Batman comic) some fanboys might even go as far as saying that the Giussani sisters ripped off the concept behind him to create Diabolik.
Which is obviously a bunch of bull: Prometheus was created in 1998.
Hey, thanks, Blackidna (I just saw your comment, months after you wrote it).
ReplyDeleteActually, the Giussani sisters based Diabolik on Fantomas. Both are criminals always in disguise, both have a female accomplice, both are always pursued by a policeman nemesis. I have a hypothesis that Mary Roberts Rinehart, who wrote the play and the book "The Bat" (the movie version of which is one of Bob Kane's inspirations for the creation of Batman), may have also been inspired by Fantomas. I've not seen this mentioned anywhere, so this is purely conjecture.