SAN NARCISO, Calif. (Bennington Vale Evening Transcript) -- Batman fans, at least those of the film variety, have endured a roller coaster ride of terrific highs and pitiful lows as various directors have taken the helm. Tim Burton's two-picture outing with Michael Keaton as the Caped Crusader breathed a fresh and decidedly darker life back into the cowled vigilante, who had been familiar to most moviegoers as only a campy 60s icon -- much to the dismay of diehard comic fans accustomed to a grittier hero. But that franchise suffered mightily when new directors took over and reintroduced, by slow and painful degrees, the campiness of Adam West via Val Kilmer and the stiletto-nippled George Clooney. But just when all hope seemed lost, Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale crept from the celluloid shadows and transformed The Dark Knight into a cinematic triptych of nouveau noir art and sincere passion. Unfortunately, history is cyclical. Zach Snyder dropped a bomb Friday when he revealed Ben Affleck as the next Batman. After three days of incurring incessant hate from fans, Snyder defended his decision on Monday with a surprising confession: "I chose Ben because I needed a Batman people could despise."

SANTA MONICA Calif. (Bennington Vale Evening Transcript) -- "I love being a father," Ben Affleck said to reporters who actually had asked him about his thoughts on the situation in Northern Uganda and the Invisible Children charity, which has become the subject of controversy for allegedly appropriating millions of donations. "Let's talk about visible children," Affleck interjected, redirecting the conversation to the birth of his son, Samuel. Actress Jennifer Garner and husband Ben ushered in their third baby just two weeks ago at the end of February. But with Mom's busy schedule, Affleck has had to prove his babysitting skills. On Wednesday, he told reporters that Garner had left him in charge of Samuel after explaining how to feed him. A horrified neighbor who witnessed Affleck feeding the infant placed a frantic call to the police.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Supplemental insurance giant Aflac has been meeting with several Hollywood agents to seek out a new actor to replace comedian Gilbert Gottfried as the voice of the Aflac duck. Gottfried provided the shrill, irascible, and unpleasant personality of the mascot for over 11 years. He was fired from his duties after making a series of jokes about the earthquake in Japan. About 75 percent of Aflac’s revenue comes from Japan, where the insurer’s ads feature an actor with a less abrasive voice.