In a piece that posted last night The Guardian‘s Ben Child quoted original “Bane” creator Chuck Dixon, who created Batman’s super-buffed antagonist for the 1993 DC Comics series Knightfall, saying that (a) both he and artistic collaborator Graham Nolan are “lifelong conservatives,” (b) Bane is “more akin to an Occupy Wall Street type if you’re looking to cast him politically,” and (c) “if there ever was a Bruce Wayne running for the White House it would have to be [Mitt] Romney.”

So I hope everyone (Rush Limbaugh included) understands the deal now. And you know what? The Dark Knight Rises is so good I don’t care. I said in my review that the Republican scent is there but the film is so mesmerizing, etc. (Tip of the hat to Movieline‘s Jen Yamato.)

Whoa…just realized something. If the “Republican fantasy” meme circulates among Academy members The Dark Knight Rises may not be nominated for Best Picture. That plus last night’s awful news leaves a bad taste in a vaguely associative way.