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Both are nice. The first one is almost retail quality, the second is cruder, reminds me a bit of Two Face by Toy Biz, still pretty good. They even made a card and a comic.

I like when fans do these things. They spend time, it won't earn them anything, just playing around, creating something for fun. If that's not a form of love, I don't know what is.

Speaking of Pattinson... um, Bruce looks kind of Pattinson'ish there. The hairline, the brow, the nose, it's an interesting similarity.

Yes, it was a deliberate design choice on behalf of the artist. The art gives off a modern Adam West vibe to me, which is something I'd absolutely like to see translated into the film if possible. A stylish young man who has a personable reputation in the social and business scene. That's a huge reason why I like West in the role so much - natural charisma goes a long way.

IMO Kilmer's Wayne was a bit like that too.

Everything related to the technical and visual side of things, Snyder is second to none. As it has been pointed out by others in youtube comments in some of the videos shared above, even the camera he uses for a video chat looks cinematic.

Rewatched Snyder's Watchmen - no matter what anyone else's opinion of the film, it remains one of my favourite comic book movies (even if it's for slightly personal reasons) and I like to think the tone of his Justice League will be close to that.

Ah, that explains why the playthrough I watched had such a smooth frame rate and high resolution. I thought the graphics looked a tad too good for a sixth generation game. It must have been on the Dolphin emulator. Unfortunately my computer is far too slow to handle emulation of any platform more recent than an Atari 2600, so if I do get it I'll probably fork out for a second-hand GameCube disk. I prefer physical media anyway. Even if the graphics are dated, it still looks like a very promising game.

This is hard to believe (2600, lol) but yeah, I understand what you mean about physical media. It's always different to have the real thing, music album, book, game, anything. For games, I still have numerous things going back to the fourth generation, and if I was in quite a different situation, I would still buy some retro, especially from the fourth, which remains my favourite aesthetically: packaging, box cover art, console design, its overall aesthetic. I prefer modern games as much as the next guy, but there's something about the third and (especially) the fourth generations of gaming that makes them charming and timeless.

They should do something like this with Pattinson on the Gotham PD series. Have him cameo as Batman and the public Bruce Wayne, but never the private Bruce. That way we see him as the people of Gotham do - as two separate and very different people.

I think that's a great idea. I personally prefer Bruce Wayne being in the Affleck mould - someone who is viewed as sensible and respectable, but with women in his bed and pretending to be slightly drunk at events. But I believe the playboy persona is Bale's biggest legacy to the cinematic Batman. He has had the biggest separation between Batman and Bruce Wayne until now. I can also see Pattinson delivering on that type of portrayal if the story permitted it.

Agreed. Brief glimpses of Wayne and Batman from the POV of regular people, cops, reporters etc. Almost like what the Gotham Central comic did (if I remember right), which at points was almost like a storyboard for an HBO TV series.

Agreed 100%. I also thought of Batman Begins as a compromise between a stylized and a "realistic" Gotham City. It's also one of the reasons I still like the PS2/GC game. Very atmospheric.

I never played the Batman Begins game, but I did watch a playthrough on YouTube last year and it looks much better than I'd assumed it would. I'm actually quite tempted to try and get hold of a second-hand copy. In some ways the BB game almost seems like a prototype for the Arkham series, particularly with regards to the stealth gameplay, glider mechanics and the intimidation aspect of the enemy AI. It's also cool hearing all the actors from the films voicing their respective characters in animated form. Bale's original BB voice was very different from the one he used in TDK and TDKR, and his voice work on the game reflects that.

It's a pity BB was the only Nolanverse film to get a proper game and comic book adaptation.

Gary Oldman is the only one not reprising his role (Gordon only makes a brief appearance).

Yes, it's easy to see how this seems both like a predecessor to Arkham, plus an evolution of Batman Vengeance.

If you keep a collection of physical copies of games, yes, it's definitely worth owning.

It is, however, better on emulation, not because it's cheap (i.e. free), but because the graphics are greatly enhanced with much higher resolutions and filters (the only limit is the PC's power). I'm sure there must be comparison videos of how a game looks on a real GameCube compared to how it looks on the Dolphin emulator with high settings. The games are almost "remastered", and Dolphin works fine with an XBOX360 controller, years ago I did a full playthrough with it.

ZSJL and a possible Keaton return are exciting. But I'm also very much on The Pattinson Train (TPT) and I'm rooting for him. If Keaton does indeed come back, Pattinson becomes an underdog (competing against a nostalgic icon is a high bar), which is exciting in its own way...and makes me somewhat sympathetic. I do like the apparent self contained nature of this universe, existing outside of the DCEU.

I see less reason to hate on TPT. It's a new version of Batman on top of what we already have. What happened to Affleck happened, and nothing can change that. But ZSJL gives him closure...with a slight possibility of returning with HBO Max. If Pattinson gets a genuine detective thriller, I can see apathetic fans changing their tune, especially if they're being fed in other areas.

Agreed, and I see no reason to hate on Pattison's Batman, at all. Never understood that backlash on his casting announcement (and if I remember right, the announcement was made at around the same time The Lighthouse was talked about a lot).

This is like a bonus, three different live action Batmen - one classic, one underused, one brand new - all (potentially) good and interesting. Three faces - older mentor; member in a superhero team against an alien/cosmic threat; lone dark knight detective.

Absolutely. Jones clearly has a lot of love for European architecture. I wouldn't be surprised if he modelled certain locations on real buildings. For example, the church where the finale of Batman: Bloodstorm takes place looks a lot like the Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari in Venice. He compressed it, modified the entrance and elevated the central window slightly, but otherwise it looks the same.

This is very likely, good catch.

Right now Keaton's return, if indeed it's happening, is the thing I'm most stoked about. Nothing else comes close to that. But second place on my hype-meter goes to Reeves' movie. It'd be great to have two concurrent Batman film series: one a stylised gothic version built around an older Batman who exists in the wider DCEU, and the other a grittier version built around a younger Batman who operates within his own universe. Throw in a new animated TV series for younger viewers, and there should be something for everyone.

QFT

There's been some online speculation about the Netflix Daredevil being an influence as well. Needless to say I'm all in favour of that.

Yeah, agreed. As someone who wasn't really a fan of DD before this series came out, that series made me interested for more. If the fight scenes in The Batman come close to those in DD, they will be excellent.

I'd be perfectly happy with a visual style similar to Batman Begins. I've said this many times before, but I regard BB as the aesthetic midpoint between the stylised 1989 Gotham and the realistic version from TDK and TDKR. BB's visuals are underrated IMHO.

No arguments here. B89, BR and BB were all studio based. There's a good precedent that indicates Reeves can make it work for him, even if original plans have changed.

Agreed 100%. I also thought of Batman Begins as a compromise between a stylized and a "realistic" Gotham City. It's also one of the reasons I still like the PS2/GC game. Very atmospheric.

I'm hoping for an Arkham Origins ambiance with Reeves. It's far and away the best Arkham game. A young, angry and energetic Batman who clashes with Alfred and learns valuable life lessons. An atmospheric looking city with a seedy underbelly and brutally tough villains. If they capture the spirit of Origins, I think they'll surprise people in a good way.

As for a new animated show, I'm for that, but if not, WBGM's new game (and subsequent games in that series) will scratch that itch. I'm content for the time being again working my way through The Brave and the Bold, and indeed 2004's The Batman. The latter which needs a Blu-ray remaster.   

This is a bit of minority view, I agree, I loved this game, I'd say it was the most atmospheric game in the series, one of the best screen versions of Bane (before he was turned into a hulking juggernaut), and those Killing Joke-inspired flashbacks (with Thieving Magpie) were very memorable.

Much as I like the vampire trilogy, I didn't actually read it right the way through until I was in my late teens or early twenties. I remember looking through a copy when I was a child and being freaked out by the violence (the scene were Creach bites the face off Cardona's bodyguard was particularly off-putting to my childhood self), so I delayed reading it until I was older. My introduction to Jones' work when I was a kid was through Batman/Dark Joker: The Wild and Contagion. The latter story is particularly relevant right now, and Jones' art remains hauntingly effective.

The European architectural influence on his Gotham is clearly evident in Contagion.

I doubt we'll ever see a Gotham this European on the big screen, but it would be nice to see a similar aesthetic influencing future production designs. I suspect Jones' Gotham was at least partly inspired by Venice. I visited Venice during the summer back in 2010 when it was swelteringly hot, but I gather it has a very different atmosphere in the winter, when the tourists have gone and the temperature drops. Look at how the city was depicted in Nicolas Roeg's Don't Look Now (1973), with its damp decaying brickwork, mist-shrouded canals and rat-infested alleyways.

This has always been one of the all-time favourite Batman stories, elseworlds or not, as is Kelley Jones' art. One of the first issues I got (Batman # 516) had art by Jones. His arts look just as good in black & white as they do in colour, like engravings. I agree that Jones' Gotham looks very much European. Yes, Venice must have been an influence (as is to anyone with any interest in art and architecture), plus other European cities, Budapest, Prague, Vienna, Berlin. There's something about vampires and characters inspired by them (this includes Batman), visually they look better opposite historical-looking settings, Baroque facades, pointed arches, barrel vaults. I think the designs by Bo Welch and Barbara Ling have a lot of European influence too.

However, with the possibility of Keaton returning, I feel like the pressure has lessened on Reeves to deliver something like this. I'd be happy if Pattinson's Gotham resembled the one from Batman Begins, then save a full-on Gothic depiction of the city for Keaton's films.

The first time I saw this still (and the others that came with it), I immediately thought of Batman Begins.

I think The Batman will bring a level of darkness that will make Nolan look tame. I really do. Recent commentary has been signalling that 'we're not in a competition to be darker than any other interpretation', which suggests to me that Reeves isn't playing around. And that the production is getting ahead of such claims. Some interpreted that differently - suggesting the film could be lighter. But I didn't. I'm imagining a focused type of darkness. An intensity. Bruce and Alfred having a tense, brother like relationship, a murder spree in the background, and a moody environment.

Judging by what is known: official stills, Giacchino's preview, locations, leaked images, the words of the director himself, yes, this promises to be a dark ride.

One interesting thing isn't the stuff that's been reinstated (although that's nice) but the stuff that's left out. "I'll get drive-thru", "oh no, it's boiling acid", "this'll fix him!", probably other stuff.

I haven't watched the edit for a while, but this would be my only complaint because I'm a completionist. I'd prefer all available content be used, which includes "I'll get drive thru" and everything else. That's how you make something truly definitive. Including something and omitting other things seems counterproductive. I think it should be less about creating a more consistent tone, because the film is what it is. It was either filmed or it wasn't. Get it all out under one masthead, warts and all.

Agreed, the removal of these is possibly based on the personal preference of the editor (I also don't mind about them missing) but maybe what matters at this point is having the most complete and coherent version of the film, not making it "darker" or toning down the goofiness (after all, one of the restored lines - "a little on the ears, Batman" - is the definition of goofy/silly humour).

Yeah, definitely worth watching. Much better opening, scene ordering, the deleted scenes are integrated seamlessly.