Blankman

Like Meteor Man is a parody of Superman, Blankman is most clearly a parody of the Batman franchise. The opening shots in the film reveal the childhood versions of Blankman and his brother watching an episode of the 60’s Batman TV show, starring Adam West and Burt Ward. The movie uses the same fight scene graphic style (e.g. “Zap!”, “Pow!”) as the show, and Blankman relies heavily on gadgets, which he makes out of ordinary household appliances (J-5, Blankman’s all-purpose robot, for example, is made from an old washing machine).

In addition to this, Blankman has his own version of the “Batcave”, an old abandoned train station where he keeps various do-dads and gadgetry. The film Blankman follows a trend of early nineties superhero movies, blending Golden Age superheroism with urban crime and African American heroes (such as Meteor Man and The Rza’s Bobby Digital). There are also some influences from the Superman franchise. Similar to Clark Kent’s glasses, Blankman uses his nerdy specs to hide his true identity, though those who know Blankman and his true self (Darryl) are not fooled. Also, Blankman spazzes out whenever he is kissed by a woman, which is a possible allusion to Superman’s kryptonite.