The Amazing Spiderman and The Dark Knight Rises (Trailers)

For superhero geeks like me, the arrival of not just one but two of the trailers for next year's big superhero movies is deeply exciting (albeit in a slighlty pathetic way).

First up there is the (teaser?) trailer for The Amazing Spiderman. It comes across more as a full trailer rather than a teaser, with hints of the overall story (a reboot rather than a sequel - hardly surprising given the quality of Spiderman 3) that seem to suggest a darker tone that the Raimi movies. Of course, we don't get to see the Lizard (the nemesis for Spiderman for this movie) properly but there is nothing wrong with building up anticipation about the monster in a movie like this one. Furthermore, there does seem to be a real sense of mystery in the trailer, particularly around what happens to Ma and Pa Parker. In terms of the glimpses we get of the actors, Garfield looks the part as Parker, while Martin Sheen seems pitch perfect to be Uncle Ben. The only real downside I can see is the Spidey FX at the end of the trailer - it all has the feel of a cartoon. Of course, the whole thing is meant to be 3D and Spiderman as a character is arguably impossible to realise without extensive CGI, but it is possible to go too far and I hope the lessons of Spiderman 3 have been taken on board by the people producing this version of the Spidey legend. It looks intriguing, but it doesn't quite convince me that they have nailed it. Time will tell.

Then we have the teaser for The Dark Knight Rises - which is a genuine teaser, in that it gives remarkably little away. There is footage (or rather glimpses) of the first two films, making this very much a sequel. There is also footage of what's to come, including an exhausted and punished looking Batman being roundly cornered by Bane, but most strikingly there is Commissioner Gordon, lying on a hospital bed, apparently dying or severally injured - and begging for the return of the Dark Knight. It may just be me, but for all the world Gordon looks like someone dying of radiation sickness. But whatever the explanation for the scene, this makes me want to know more - a lot more - about what is going on. Furthermore, it feels confident. Unlike The Amazing Spiderman this is an attempt to reboot, or effectively start, a franchise. This looks and feels like the next (and final) chapter in an ongoing story. And given the number of people who watched The Dark Knight there are probably a fair few people who are bought into this ongoing story.

But for me, while I'm not 100% convinced by these trailers, 2012 looks like it could be an awesome cinematic year for me, being a massive fan of both Spiderman and Batman. In fact, both films being out on the big screen in the same year as fresh Doctor Who appearing on the small screen, this could be the ultimate year for my geekiness. Maybe after that I'll grow up. Or, more likely, lament the fact that we can't have the same every year.