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There has been frustration with accuracy as long as they’ve made films based on comic books. It’s reasonably likely that even back in the days of the first Batman serial, two kids got into in their local barbershop, one hating the ears on Lewis Wilson’s costume, the other pleading for artistic interpretation.
Today for every “the costumes from Amazing Spider-Man 2 is a perfect recreation of the comics” statement of satisfaction, there is sure to be a “why the heck did they make Joker his parents’ killer?” groan of frustration. While that’s fine as far as adaptation debates go, it may be time to retire the idea of the need for “accurate” interpretation.
Take, for instance, Vigilante. If DC’s Adrian Chase ever ran into Peacemaker’s Vigilante (Freddie Stroma), they would not recognize much about one another besides the snappy fit. The name’s the same; the alter ego the same; the costume a fairly impressive capturing of the four-color on-the-page original. But otherwise? They’re fundamentally different characters.
Comic book Adrian Chase had a wife and family until his work as a New York District Attorney made him a target. The bad guys managed to kill his family, but Chase survived. In response to the horrible tragedy, he began to take the law into his own hands as Vigilante. If he couldn’t punish the criminals in the courtroom, he’d break their legs in the alleys. However, some part of Chase still believed in due process and the law. As a result, he eschewed killing. His tools and weapons were all created to be non-lethal, and he took care never to use deadly force.
Unfortunately, Chase couldn’t reconcile his dual lives. He felt guilt about his costumed activities while working as a civilian and tremendous temptation to unleash his full rage while in costume. Sensing the Vigilante life was unhealthy for him, he attempted to quit. Tragedy dragged him back in, but he was different. More violent, more reckless. In the end, Chase became overwhelmed by his trauma, paranoia, and shame and ended his own life.
The Vigilante of the HBO Max series, on the other hand, has no such conflicts. He kills with a sort of giddy amorality. If a person is a violent criminal, they deserve death. There is no further calculus needed or wanted. As we see, he seems even more at ease with murder “in the line of duty” than even Peacemaker himself.
He’s also something of a goofball. Granted, this is partially due to the vibe of the show. Everything is a little bit silly while also being a bit sad and gory, in the grand James Gunn style. Still, Chase’s personality and life go even further than that. Gone is the family man with the prominent white-collar career. Instead, HBO’s Chase seemingly has no life outside the costume except for his job at a local family restaurant. He describes Peacemaker as his best friend, but Chris never even knew Adrian was a former classmate’s younger brother until now. While he isn’t free of pathos, this Vigilante seems considerably happier in his own skin and choices.
This Chase would absolutely not work in the 80s and 90s books that starred the drawn Vigilante. Similarly, the conflicted, increasingly unraveling Vigilante of DC Comics would likely be a lousy fit for the Peacemaker series. They belong in their mediums, and to force either into the other’s would only derail the larger work. So, it is ok that they’re very different. It’s more than ok. It’s good.
This isn’t to say fans of the comic book Vigilante have to be happy about this interpretation. It is perfectly valid if Chase is a favorite or a top-five character on one’s personal list to look at this guy and be annoyed or angry or disappointed. Something can both work on its own and be a lousy adaptation. Ask Stephen King how he feels about Stanley Kubrick’s version of The Shining to confirm that.
However, superheroes have become so prevalent in our pop culture landscape that such an out-of-left-field character interpretation can’t be dismissed. There is no longer reason to worry that if the new film based on this hero or that team fails to get Captain Spectacular right, it will damage the genre. Superheroes have arrived, which means things can and should get a little looser.
There are benefits and drawbacks to becoming one of the most dominant forms of entertainment of the moment. On the positive side, there is so much material available that creators have plenty of cover to do unusual things with the source works. On the negative, it means that sometimes one’s beloved character is the one that ends up the punchline or the unexpected villain or the brief only to be killed cameo.
As bad as a film or tv series might “get” a character now, there’s still a great chance that that character will show up somewhere else and be more like the fans want it. Vigilante, for instance, made several appearances in the Arrowverse. While still not a one-to-one with his comic counterpart, that version skewed a lot closer to that version. It’s reductive to say, “don’t worry, they’ll be another by in about 15 minutes,” but at this moment in time, that’s pretty close to true.
No one needs to accept lousy product. No one needs to watch something they don’t like even though their favorite comic book character is in it. Everyone can complain and do so at significant volume and length. Still, when one’s favorites get their time in their sun, it helps to keep in mind perfection is impossible. Disappointment, frustration, and anger all make sense. But the final work can still be great even if it doesn’t meet someone’s specific hopes and expectations.
Vigilante isn’t DC Comics Vigilante. It’s true. But he is a great character on a great show. And if that’s still not enough, well, there’s no harm in just not watching. With so much of what one likes is dominating television and film, one’s allowed to simply say, “not for me,” and turn it off.
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