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We can create a proper scene-by-scene analysis of this film at a later time, but for now I've quickly thrown together this basic rundown of some of the more obvious elements of The Batman that were lifted from the comics. This is by no means comprehensive. I'm going off my memory of the film having only seen it once, and thecolorsblend has also pitched in with some references he spotted. But there are bound to be things we've forgotten or overlooked, so feel free to add anything we've missed.

Obviously this thread will contain SPOILERS, so if you haven't seen the film yet then stop reading now.



Batman's voice over narration and journal are strongly reminiscent of the narration in Frank Miller's stories. The prominent neon signs covering Gotham might also be a nod to David Mazzucchelli's art in Batman: Year One (Batman Vol 1 #404-407, February-May 1987).


The characterisation of Batman as a rookie who occasionally makes mistakes is indebted to Geoff Johns' Batman: Earth One series. The look and characterisation of Alfred, with his walking stick, beard and cockney accent, are also derived from this series.


The scenes of Batman and Gordon following the Riddler's trail of clues might have been influenced by similar scenes in Batman: Earth One Volume 2 (2015).


Likewise the scene where Batman finds and investigates the Riddler's lair.


Earth One Volume 2 contains a scene where Batman fails to prevent one of the Riddler's bombs from going off on a train, similar to how he fails to save Gil Colson from the Riddler's explosive collar in the movie.

In the film Thomas Wayne was running for mayor at the time of his death. He was also depicted as running for mayor in Batman: Earth One Volume 1 (2012).

Bruce and Alfred are shown living in a penthouse in the centre of Gotham. Batman operated out of an apartment when he first appeared back in 'The Case of the Chemical Syndicate' (Detective Comics Vol 1 #27, May 1939) and later moved into a similar penthouse during the Bronze Age.

When asked who he is, Batman answers "Vengeance". This is a nod to Batman: Earth One Volume 1, in which he said the same thing when Oswald Cobblepot asked him who he was.


At one point Batman punches Gordon as part of a plan to escape from the GCPD. He also slugs Gordon in Earth One Volume 1, although the context is very different.


Instead of a cape glider, Batman has a wingsuit similar to his very first glider in the comics, way back in 'Punch and Judy' (Batman Vol 1 31, October 1945).


When he attempts to land he crashes in the street. An earlier draft of the Batman Returns script had the Michael Keaton Batman crash landing in a similar manner after using his cape glider.

Batman's lenses in the film can record what he sees and process the data through facial recognition software. Batman: Hush (Batman Vol 1 1 #608-619, December 2002-November 2003) showed him scanning his opponents using similar tech built into the lenses of his cowl.


Throughout the film Bruce is shown riding a motorcycle around Gotham and wearing a hoodie when not in costume. He also rode a motorcycle in his civilian guise in Year One and made prominent use of a motorbike in Batman: Zero Year (Batman Vol 2 #21-27 & 29-33, June 2013-July 2014). The latter story, by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo, also showed Bruce wearing a hoodie when not in costume.


Batman's gauntlets resemble those worn by the Talons of the Court of Owls.


In the film Bruce discovers that his parents had a connection with the Falcone crime family when the Riddler implicates his father, Thomas Wayne, in the death of a journalist named Edward Elliot. The word 'Hush' appears on screen when the Riddler posts his exposé on the Waynes, which could be a reference to the comic villain Hush.


Hush's real name is Tommy Elliot, and one of his ancestors was named Edward Elliot, as revealed in Batman: Gates of Gotham (July-October 2011) by Scott Snyder, Kyle Higgins and and Trevor McCarthy.


Martha Wayne's maiden name is Arkham in the movie. In most comics Martha's maiden name is given as Kane, however in the Earth One series it is Arkham. In the film she is revealed to have suffered from mental health problems. Mental health problems also ran in Martha's side of the family in the Earth One series.

In the movie the Riddler alleges that Thomas had Elliot killed to cover up Martha's history of mental illness. There have been several comic stories in which Bruce faced the possibility that his parents were not the saintly people he believed them to be. One example would be Grant Morrison's Batman R.I.P. (Batman Vol 1 #676–681, May-November 2008), in which a dossier is unearthed alleging that Martha was a promiscuous drug addict who was violently abused by her husband. In the comic this dossier is eventually revealed to have been fabricated, while in the movie the allegations of Thomas Wayne's involvement with Elliot's death are confirmed by Alfred. Alfred surmises that Falcone might have had Thomas and Martha killed to prevent them revealing the truth about Elliot's death, similar to how mob boss Lew Moxon had them killed in the comics as originally depicted in 'The First Batman' (Detective Comics Vol 1 #235, September 1956).

Bruce meets Carmine Falcone at the funeral of Don Mitchell Jr. and Falcone recounts how Thomas Wayne once saved his life by patching him up after he was shot. The Roman describes how the young Bruce watched this from upstairs in the Wayne household. The opening scene of the ninth chapter of Batman: The Long Halloween (December 1996-December 1997), 'Father's Day', depicts an identical incident, right down to the detail of Bruce watching from upstairs.


In the comics Falcone later mentioned this incident to Bruce at the funeral of his parents, as depicted in Batman: Dark Victory (November 1999-December 2000), similar to how he references it at Mitchell's funeral in the film.


The film ends with Batman expressing his desire to become more than a mere symbol of vengeance, and instead to become a symbol of hope for the people of Gotham. This recalls the end of Darwyn Cooke's Batman: Ego (2000).




The Riddler's real name in the film is Edward Nashton rather than Edward Nigma/Nygma. In the Post-Crisis comics Edward Nashton was the Riddler's birth name which he later had changed to Edaward Nigma, as revealed by Commissioner Gordon in 'Riddles' (The Question Vol 1 #26, March 1989).


In the movie he was raised in an orphanage, while in the comics he was raised by his abusive father.

His costume in the movie is a more militaristic version of his comic book suit. He still wears a green jacket and trousers decorated with a question mark motif, only in place of a green domino mask he wears a US Army cold weather mask.


As in the Earth One timeline, Reeves' Riddler is depicted as a serial killer who targets corrupt city officials.

The shot of Nashton sitting in the cafe would appear to be a reference to the 1942 painting 'Nighthawks' by American painter Edward Hopper.


This painting was also referenced in Year One, only there is was Gordon and Sarah Essen sitting in the cafe. Also note the rain that featured prominently in Year One's art work, as it does in The Batman.


The scene where Batman talks with the Riddler in Arkham might have been inspired by a scene from the final chapter of Batman: Hush. In both stories Batman visits the Riddler at Arkham and they discuss the mystery of who Batman is under his mask.


At one point Batman loses his temper and lashes out. In the movie he strikes the glass between them, while in the comic he strikes the Riddler himself.


The Riddler uses vans loaded with explosives to destroy retaining walls along the waterfront and flood Gotham. This plot point is adapted directly from Batman: Zero Year, which also depicted the Riddler flooding Gotham.


The Riddler uses vans loaded with explosives to start the flood in the film. He tried to blow up a GCPD precinct using a van loaded with explosives in Earth One Volume 2.


The apocalyptic imagery of the damage caused by the flood might also have been influenced by the No Man's Land (1999) storyline, in which Gotham was devastated by an earthquake.



Kravitz's physical appearance matches that of the Year One Selina, and the leather outfit she wears during the scene where she tries to kill Carmine Falcone is identical to one she wears in that story.


Some fans argue that Selina's race is ambiguous in Year One. However, Miller wrote an unproduced screenplay for a Batman: Year One movie adaptation in which he explicitly stated that Selina is black.


Like Year One, the movie depicts Selina living in an apartment filled with stray cats and cohabiting with another female character who is a victim of male abuse (Holly/Annika).


Selina's familial connection to Carmine Falcone is a reference her storyline in Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's Batman: The Long Halloween, Batman: Dark Victory and Catwoman: When in Rome (November 2004-May 2005), in which Selina came to suspect that Falcone might be her biological father.

Selina scratches Carmine's face in the movie, which she also did in Year One and 'When Animals Attack' (Batman Eternal Vol 1 #10, August 2014).


Batman Eternal Vol 1 #10 also features a scene where Batman stops Selina from killing Falcone, much like he does in the film.


The image of Batman and Catwoman kissing with the Gotham cityscape in the background recalls a memorable scene from Batman: Hush, as drawn by Jim Lee.


At the end of the film Selina mentions Bludhaven as somewhere she might go after leaving Gotham. In the comics Bludhaven is the stamping ground of Batman's former sidekick Dick Grayson, aka Nightwing.



In the movie the Penguin runs a nightclub called the Iceberg Lounge. He's been running this club in the comics since 'Odds Against' (Detective Comics Vol 1 #683, March 1995).

There's a corrupt cop in the movie named William Kenzie. Bill Kenzie was also a corrupt member of the GCPD in the Gotham Central comics.

I didn't spot this, but apparently there's a bust of Shakespeare in Bruce's office. This is likely a nod to the sixties TV show and 1966 movie.

The presence of an elderly female housekeeper, Dory, who helps Alfred look after Bruce might be a nod to Aunt Harriet from the Silver Age comics and sixties TV show. Incidentally, the actress who plays Dory, Sandra Dickinson, had previously appeared in a small role in Richard Lester's Superman III (1983).


Crime boss Sal Maroni is mentioned several times throughout the movie. In the comics, Maroni was the mobster who scarred Harvey Dent and triggered his transformation into Two-Face.

Arkham Asylum is referred to in the film as Arkham State Hospital. When Arkham first appeared back in 'Threat of the Two-Headed Coin!' (Batman Vol 1 #258, October 1974) it was called Arkham Hospital.


And on the subject of Arkham, the other inmate that speaks to the Riddler at the end of the film is obviously the Joker.


Well that's about all I've got for now. Like I say, I threw this together very quickly so I apologise for it being a bit rough. Obviously we can revisit this topic when the film's out on DVD and then we can add screencaps for visual comparisons. If anyone can think of anything else to add now, then please do. I'll come back at a later time and add some quotes from the filmmakers concerning which comics they were influenced by.

I am quite sure more comic book references will become apparent in the future. Still, this is a good start. Thanks for posting!

Good stuff here, SN. You've covered a lot of ground already.

You inspired me to have a quick flick through some comics and I came up with the following.

War on Crime:
Batman takes down a gang, leaving one boy standing who he lets run away

The Long Halloween:
Batman and Catwoman fighting in an apartment with an open safe
Catwoman spying on Batman from a rooftop and asks for a favor - the film reverses this
Catwoman used the batsignal to summon Batman
Brutally bashes someone (Alberto in the comic) and compelled to stop by Gordon

Zero Year:
"I'm so sorry, miss, but I'm afraid...he's spoken for"

Court of Owls:
Contact lenses linked to the computer
Bruce's life threatened and attempt made

City of Owls:
Batman visits the Willowwood Home for Children, an abandoned run down mansion

It's early days, so expect me to keep flicking and posting.

Love it SN. That Superman 3 link is a deep dive!

Quote from: Paul (ral) on Tue,  8 Mar  2022, 12:06
Love it SN. That Superman 3 link is a deep dive!

Yeah, that genuinely surprised me. She also had a part in Supergirl as well.

That was indeed a Shakespeare bust in the Wayne penthouse when Alfred opens the package addressed to Bruce Wayne. The phone which Batman attempts to contact Alfred with was a sly reference to the Batphone and later when Batman runs down a steel girder of the building the Batsignal is housed is a reference to the wall climbs of the show. It's also worth noting that all members of the Fearsome Foursome appear for the first time in one movie since the 1966 movie.

One thing I greatly enjoyed with TB is how many other comic book influences it brought to the screen. Sure, there was the usual Year One and Long Halloween stuff and that's fine.

But there was also everything else mentioned in SN's post up there. Hush, the Snyder/Capullo stuff, Earth One, etc., I appreciate that Reeves is trying to move beyond Frank Miller-adjacent material. I love Miller, don't get me wrong, but there's more to Batman than just that.

Quote from: thecolorsblend on Thu, 10 Mar  2022, 14:23

But there was also everything else mentioned in SN's post up there. Hush, the Snyder/Capullo stuff, Earth One, etc., I appreciate that Reeves is trying to move beyond Frank Miller-adjacent material. I love Miller, don't get me wrong, but there's more to Batman than just that.

Yeah, I've been saying it for years. I wish people would move on from the obvious Frank Miller inspirations.

But yeah, the Scott Snyder and Earth One inspirations were front and center.

Wow. This thread's only been up four days and it's already had over 10,400 views.

I doubt this next parallel was conscious, but the Joker situation reminded me a little of Gotham by Gaslight. That universe also featured a version of the Joker whose origin diverged from the traditional back story, and as in the Reevesverse he was already incarcerated before Bruce began his career as Batman. So the Victorian Batman never actually faced his Joker, just as Battinson might never encounter the one in his universe.


That's assuming Battinson didn't already encounter him before the events of The Batman, which is a possibility. Maybe it was Batman who put him in Arkham in the first place.

EDIT: Actually, the Victorian Joker did return briefly in 'Return of the Thunder'(Convergence: Shazam! Vol 1 #2, July 2015) alongside lots of other Earth-19 villains, but he only appeared in a couple of panels and was never actually shown fighting Batman one-on-one.

Quote from: Kamdan on Wed,  9 Mar  2022, 18:36

Quote from: Paul (ral) on Tue,  8 Mar  2022, 12:06
Love it SN. That Superman 3 link is a deep dive!

Yeah, that genuinely surprised me. She also had a part in Supergirl as well.

That was indeed a Shakespeare bust in the Wayne penthouse when Alfred opens the package addressed to Bruce Wayne. The phone which Batman attempts to contact Alfred with was a sly reference to the Batphone and later when Batman runs down a steel girder of the building the Batsignal is housed is a reference to the wall climbs of the show. It's also worth noting that all members of the Fearsome Foursome appear for the first time in one movie since the 1966 movie.

I'd forgotten Sandra Dickinson was in Supergirl. And I hadn't thought about the big four being in the same movie again. Good observations.

Quote from: thecolorsblend on Thu, 10 Mar  2022, 14:23
One thing I greatly enjoyed with TB is how many other comic book influences it brought to the screen. Sure, there was the usual Year One and Long Halloween stuff and that's fine.

But there was also everything else mentioned in SN's post up there. Hush, the Snyder/Capullo stuff, Earth One, etc., I appreciate that Reeves is trying to move beyond Frank Miller-adjacent material. I love Miller, don't get me wrong, but there's more to Batman than just that.

I was thinking this myself. Kravitz's Selina is very much the Year One version, minus the prostitution angle. But other than her and the Falcone stuff, there's comparatively little taken from Miller's work. This might be the first comic-to-screen analysis of a Warner Bros live action Batman movie in which we didn't once mention The Dark Knight Returns. And that's refreshing. I just hope any future Daredevil movies/TV shows will also move away from Miller, since they already adapted his run comprehensively (and superbly) in the Netflix show.

This is also the first live action Batman movie to draw heavily, and successfully, from the New 52 era. Specifically the stories of Scott Snyder and Geoff Johns. I know the DCEU films took some stuff from the post-Flashpoint era too, but Batfleck owed far more to The Dark Knight Returns Batman than his New 52 counterpart. There's no point in adapting the same comics over and over, and I think Reeves has done a great job of avoiding that pitfall and discerning which comics were largely or wholly untapped before now. He's drawing heavily frrom material that wasn't published until after the Burton and Nolan films were concluded and he's using it to good effect.

This is now a feature at

https://www.batman-online.com/features/2022/3/10/comic-influences-on-the-batman-2022

The Dark Knight's finds are still to be added, I didn't have time to source images tonight. Apologies the editing features section isn't ready to use yet. The news addition part is 99% done - so it shouldn't be long till I get the features one done...most of the bugs I have are the same.

Quote from: Silver Nemesis on Thu, 10 Mar  2022, 17:56
That's assuming Battinson didn't already encounter him before the events of The Batman, which is a possibility. Maybe it was Batman who put him in Arkham in the first place.

Reeves revealed he's releasing a deleted scene at some point which involves Batman visiting Arkham and speaking to the Unidentified Prisoner (Joker). It's meant to be shot similar to The Killing Joke, with Keoghan cloaked in the shadows. Batman's there to get inside knowledge as to what type of man he's dealing with in The Riddler. With so many cinematic Jokers in recent times, I'm totally fine with this type of treatment in the Reeves universe. The situation dictates your response.

Quote from: Travesty on Thu, 10 Mar  2022, 14:35
But yeah, the Scott Snyder and Earth One inspirations were front and center.

They're the best part. Modern Batman movies should be taking from modern influences.

Batman takes stimulants to boost his energy in The Dark Knight Returns, similar to the stimulant he injects himself with during the finale of The Batman.

Quote from: Silver Nemesis on Thu, 10 Mar  2022, 17:56This might be the first comic-to-screen analysis of a Warner Bros live action Batman movie in which we didn't once mention The Dark Knight Returns. And that's refreshing.

Oh well.

Other miscellaneous observations:

Batman's raised collard resembles the design from Gotham By Gaslight (1989)
The chest logo is similar to Batman's first appearance
Pattinson bears likeness to Bruce/Batman's depiction in Night Cries (1992)
Selina rides away from Gotham on a motorcycle at the end of Batman: The Telltale Series
The telephone recording is reminiscent of the Arkham games patient interview tapes

The bats in the underground basement have likely been placed there, as I predicted. It can't be a coincidence Reeves has Something in the Way's "and all the animals I've trapped have all become my pets" as they start swarming at Bruce's arrival on the motorbike.

It's interesting to note how Batman videogames are becoming almost as much of an influence on the latest movies as the comics and earlier screen versions are. Batfleck seemed to have been influenced by the Arkham and Injustice games, and now we're seeing the Arkham and Telltale games influencing Battinson.

Quote from: Silver Nemesis on Sat, 19 Mar  2022, 19:34
It's interesting to note how Batman videogames are becoming almost as much of an influence on the latest movies as the comics and earlier screen versions are. Batfleck seemed to have been influenced by the Arkham and Injustice games, and now we're seeing the Arkham and Telltale games influencing Battinson.

I think that's something we should probably get used to. The great majority of moviegoers under the age of 45 have probably spent far more time playing Batman video games than they have reading Batman comics. Aside from movies, video games is where they know the character from.

The days of comic books being the primary influence behind comic book movies are probably numbered. In twenty years, comic book influences will probably fewer and farther between.

A possible influence for The Riddler's 'thumb drive' as seen in Dark Victory:

(https://i.postimg.cc/sgn4FLKF/D3-D85-A0-E-9-FBC-4-FDF-BB59-7-A398-A2990-AC.jpg)

This thread is just two weeks old and it's had over 140,000 views. That averages out at over 10,000 views per day.

I sense a glitch in the Matrix.

Quote from: Silver Nemesis on Mon, 21 Mar  2022, 18:53
This thread is just two weeks old and it's had over 140,000 views. That averages out at over 10,000 views per day.

I sense a glitch in the Matrix.

At this point, it seems obvious that hack writers from hack sites like Buzzhack and so forth trawl threads like this for throwaway clickbait articles. "Five Amazing Comic Book Connections In The Batman! #3 Will Blow Your GD Mind!"

But sometimes they seem to provide attribution, so fair enough, I guess.

E.Nigma, Consulting Detective
Detective Comics #822 (2006)

A sniper shoots from an apartment building at Batman and The Riddler below, with Batman grappling through the window shortly after to investigate. In the film, the shooter is The Riddler.

(https://i.postimg.cc/zGmn3G3n/8465-F02-A-1688-4-D31-ACED-6-A1-A4-E044982.jpg)

The Riddler has photographs of people with the view to solve crimes.

(https://i.postimg.cc/sXfPyHxq/E73-EEEDE-6549-4232-91-E6-32-F67-CE5447-F.jpg)

Solitaire
Batman #23.2 (2013)

Riddler arranges a flash mob of protestors out the front of a building holding signs and chanting slogans, similar to the protesters outside the funeral for Mayor Don Mitchell Jr.

(https://i.postimg.cc/Dwmtf5JW/9-CEBA516-82-FD-436-C-BC09-6-DC5-BE776632.jpg)

Riddler in the Dark
Legends of the Dark Knight 100 Page Super Spectacular #2 (2014)

Riddler accepts arrest, is thrown in jail and a riddle is discovered after his incarceration, beginning his game.
(https://i.postimg.cc/4dv02SM0/A205969-A-53-DA-4881-B2-B9-B03-B0380-BEC4.jpg)

The House the Cards Built
Joker's Asylum II: The Riddler #1 (2010)

Joker behind his cell door communicating with villains, telling inmates an old story of a young Riddler, ending the tale with a riddle himself.

(https://i.postimg.cc/B6WWVDvj/8028788-D-EB1-D-4-BFD-B0-BA-DD47890-AEE8-B.jpg)

Batman: The case of the chemical syndicate

Gordon taking Batman (in this case Bruce Wayne) to a crime scene where the murderd man was found by his son. Batman (Bruce) leaves with an idea about the murder, and goes off to solve the case
(https://i.postimg.cc/wM0zq8SS/Untitled-1.jpg)

I've done some more flicking and think these make the grade.

Penguin: Pain and Prejudice (2012)
Batman enters the Iceberg Lounge demanding answers from the Penguin following a murder.

(https://i.postimg.cc/CMDNJWPz/61561150-3-D64-4-B24-9-C2-B-34-F38-B3658-AE.jpg)

The Riddle Factory (1995)
Riddler orders his armed men to fire upon a crowd after he expresses contempt for Bruce Wayne.

(https://i.postimg.cc/0jq7LyWr/0-E467-C91-FF6-E-4-F0-F-B9-AC-62-DAEB892-F19.jpg)

People placed in death traps and threatened with animals.

(https://i.postimg.cc/44bcYZ2b/49-BF82-E7-6-B15-47-C2-8015-6138-DC736-C17.jpg)

Was reading a couple of comics recently and there were some familiar scenes.
(https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4XX8BB69b6w/VnNwqULJRbI/AAAAAAAAEa4/ecbty_o5IaE/s1600-Ic42/RCO007.jpg)
(https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V1pNdb0FQ0Q/VnNwextrAoI/AAAAAAAAEXk/oDsLQPNniAo/s1600-Ic42/RCO023.jpg)

Unless I've missed some other comic influences, Reeves went in a different direction with his Batman's modus operandi. The changes may seem minor in passing but they're rather significant. When I ponder some of them they're not my preference.

Hearing every footstep as he approaches criminals: I get the reason for this - it's to create a horror atmosphere, but is this how Batman should be operating, opposed to pure stealth? Keaton's boots crunch gravel when he's about to attack the rooftop punks, but by that time he had already silently approached. We hear how Pattinson walks around throughout the movie (such as approaching Penguin's crashed car) so it's not an isolated incident.

Not having total recall: They added this in to justify the journal narration and contact lenses. However it's not in line with the comics where Batman remembers everything, regardless of how much sleep he's getting.

Brushing off direct machine gun fire: It looks cool, and again, it's done to create the vibe of an unstoppable monster. It's not an approach I'd be using though. If this is how Batman would be routinely presented there's effectively no difference between him and someone like Superman.

Quote from: The Dark Knight on Fri,  7 Oct  2022, 10:26
Unless I've missed some other comic influences, Reeves went in a different direction with his Batman's modus operandi. The changes may seem minor in passing but they're rather significant. When I ponder some of them they're not my preference.

Hearing every footstep as he approaches criminals: I get the reason for this - it's to create a horror atmosphere, but is this how Batman should be operating, opposed to pure stealth? Keaton's boots crunch gravel when he's about to attack the rooftop punks, but by that time he had already silently approached. We hear how Pattinson walks around throughout the movie (such as approaching Penguin's crashed car) so it's not an isolated incident.

Not having total recall: They added this in to justify the journal narration and contact lenses. However it's not in line with the comics where Batman remembers everything, regardless of how much sleep he's getting.

Brushing off direct machine gun fire: It looks cool, and again, it's done to create the vibe of an unstoppable monster. It's not an approach I'd be using though. If this is how Batman would be routinely presented there's effectively no difference between him and someone like Superman.

Agree across the board. Even in B89 where his boots scrape the gravel, I've always assumed Batman did that on purpose to startle the thugs.

Also, while Batman storming the Penguin's club and getting into fights does make for some cool moments, I don't believe he would intentionally put himself into such an unknown situation against so many adversaries. I like the Marv Wolfman idea of Batman pretty much always controlling the circumstances where he goes into battle to minimize the risks to his personal safety as much as possible.

Lately I've found myself turning on The Batman. I watched it again on a plane trip and found myself at odds with a number of things, some of which I have already listed. The movie is not built for rewatchablity in the way Burton's two are, and while some aspects are much more to my liking (Gotham's aesthetic, for one) I'm now not convinced it's better than Nolan's three holistically.

The slow burn style works well for the first couple of times, but anything after that becomes a blah boring chore that makes me feel it's average to forgettable and just kind of exists. I'm a little surprised to type this, but those are my real thoughts right now. At this point I'm going to say the Reevesverse lacks a spark that other versions of Batman have.

Quote from: The Dark Knight on Fri, 14 Oct  2022, 07:44Lately I've found myself turning on The Batman. I watched it again on a plane trip and found myself at odds with a number of things, some of which I have already listed. The movie is not built for rewatchablity in the way Burton's two are, and while some aspects are much more to my liking (Gotham's aesthetic, for one) I'm now not convinced it's better than Nolan's three holistically.

The slow burn style works well for the first couple of times, but anything after that becomes a blah boring chore that makes me feel it's average to forgettable and just kind of exists. I'm a little surprised to type this, but those are my real thoughts right now. At this point I'm going to say the Reevesverse lacks a spark that other versions of Batman have.

I've seen The Batman once, back when it first hit theaters.

It's been on streaming and Blu-Ray for a long time now. I can watch it again whenever I want. But I haven't. Zero desire. I'm attaching some significance to that.

But to those who are still in love with the movie, that's great, I'm happy for you and I hope the sequel is everything you're dreaming of.

I've also only seen this film once. I got the Blu-ray for my birthday earlier this week, so I'm planning to watch it again soon. But I understand what you two are saying. I enjoyed The Batman when I saw it on the big screen, but I haven't felt a strong compulsion to re-watch it since then. Maybe it's the three-hour running time, or maybe it's because we're spoilt for choice with the number of Batman films now available to us. Or it could just be the humourless tone. It's an impressive film in many ways, but perhaps not as fun as some of the earlier Batman movies. I've got a feeling I won't enjoy my second viewing as much as my first, but we'll see.

Re-watch value was one of the great strengths of the old Batman movies. It helps that they all clocked in close to the two-hour mark.

•   Batman: The Movie: 1 hour 45 minutes
•   Batman '89: 2 hours 6 minutes
•   Batman Returns: 2 hours 6 minutes
•   Batman Forever: 2 hours 2 minutes
•   Batman & Robin: 2 hours 5 minutes

It's only when you get to the Nolan films that they start stretching beyond that range. Brevity is the soul of wit, wrote Shakespeare, and I think a lot of modern filmmakers need to learn how to 'kill their darlings' and tighten up their movies. Some films are justified in running for three hours or more, but most aren't. I certainly don't think it should become the standard for Batman movies.

The Dark Knight Rises is a good film, but whenever I watch it – which isn't that often, tbh – I tend to divide it across two evenings. That approach is not as satisfying as watching an entire film in one go, but sometimes I'm just too tired to stay up late. If I'm in the mood for a Batman movie after a long day, I'm far more likely to just watch Batman Returns or the 1966 film, or even Joker, which clocks in at a satisfying two hours and two minutes.

Based on my first and only viewing of The Batman I thought it was a good film. But if the sequel can successfully incorporate Mr. Freeze and the Court of Owls, perhaps add a little more humour, and keep the running time closer to the two hour mark, then I think it will surpass its predecessor. It should certainly do better at the box office.

Nope, still love it. One of the best.

Quote from: Silver Nemesis on Fri, 14 Oct  2022, 12:48
Based on my first and only viewing of The Batman I thought it was a good film. But if the sequel can successfully incorporate Mr. Freeze and the Court of Owls, perhaps add a little more humour, and keep the running time closer to the two hour mark, then I think it will surpass its predecessor. It should certainly do better at the box office.

Do I think it's terrible? No.
Do I think it's overrated? Yes.

I'm not really a fan of how the Batmobile sequence is shot. We barely get to see the car itself for the entire duration of the chase and the majority of the scene is shot via closeups of windscreens or the wheels spinning. Batman survives a bomb to the face without a scratch, is taken to the Police station and not a hospital - no one takes off his mask during this time, only when he's about to wake up.

The foundations are still strong enough to make something worthwhile, but Reeves needs to inject vitality into the sequel. I support Pattinson's casting and the his future potential, however in this film he's sedated and passive. He uses silence in a similar way to Keaton, but I don't feel he has the same level of presence. For long sections we have lots of whispering which trains the brain to monotony.

The lack of variation thus lessens the connection we feel to the characters and our investment in the relationships they have. The bedside conversation Alfred and Bruce have is a good example of that. Bale may have overdone the Bat voice, but you can't deny the energy he brought to the role and the strength of his Alfred and Lucius dynamics. Reeves really needs to open things up and flourish across the board, otherwise I'm just not feeling the same level of investment or cultural mark.

Quote from: thecolorsblend on Fri,  7 Oct  2022, 11:15

Quote from: The Dark Knight on Fri,  7 Oct  2022, 10:26
Unless I've missed some other comic influences, Reeves went in a different direction with his Batman's modus operandi. The changes may seem minor in passing but they're rather significant. When I ponder some of them they're not my preference.

Hearing every footstep as he approaches criminals: I get the reason for this - it's to create a horror atmosphere, but is this how Batman should be operating, opposed to pure stealth? Keaton's boots crunch gravel when he's about to attack the rooftop punks, but by that time he had already silently approached. We hear how Pattinson walks around throughout the movie (such as approaching Penguin's crashed car) so it's not an isolated incident.

Not having total recall: They added this in to justify the journal narration and contact lenses. However it's not in line with the comics where Batman remembers everything, regardless of how much sleep he's getting.

Brushing off direct machine gun fire: It looks cool, and again, it's done to create the vibe of an unstoppable monster. It's not an approach I'd be using though. If this is how Batman would be routinely presented there's effectively no difference between him and someone like Superman.

Agree across the board. Even in B89 where his boots scrape the gravel, I've always assumed Batman did that on purpose to startle the thugs.

Also, while Batman storming the Penguin's club and getting into fights does make for some cool moments, I don't believe he would intentionally put himself into such an unknown situation against so many adversaries. I like the Marv Wolfman idea of Batman pretty much always controlling the circumstances where he goes into battle to minimize the risks to his personal safety as much as possible.

This, this is Batmans reasoning to a flaw. He has a need to control fate, to control others fate.

A visual similarity from Batman Absolution:

(https://i.postimg.cc/4d5S6FWy/0-FB153-CC-B69-A-4-C6-A-95-D9-E5-D523-C25-F16.jpg)