Category Batman

The Batman logo debut

Via CBR:

Director Matt Reeves has debuted the official logo for The Batman, along with Jim Lee artwork for DC FanDome.

Reeves shared the logo and artwork on Twitter with the caption, “Excited to share the very first look at our official #TheBatman logo, and some very cool additional #DCFanDome artwork by the amazing @jimlee — see more of #TheBatman at the #DCFanDome global event in the Hall of Heroes this Saturday, 8/22! #TheBatman #DCFanDome #ForTheFans” Much like the first look at Robert Pattinson in the Bat suit, the logo for The Batman finds the film’s title filled in dark red.

The Batman is directed by Matt Reeves and co-written by Reeves and Mattson Tomlin. The film stars Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/ Batman, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon, Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle/ Catwoman, Colin Farrell as Oswald Cobblepot/ The Penguin, Paul Dano as Edward Nashton/ The Riddler, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone and Peter Sarsgaard as District Attorney Gil Colson. The Batman is set to be released in theaters on October 1, 2021.

New images from The Batman

Some new images of the upcoming film The Batman starring Robert Pattinson as the caped crusader have emerged. They depict Batman in full costume as well as out of costume as Bruce Wayne. Additionally, Catwoman (played by Zoe Kravitz) can be seen. The film is set in the early days of the dark knight and will feature several of his rogues.

The Batman is an upcoming American superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name. Produced by DC Films and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it was developed as the eleventh film in the DC Extended Universe and a reboot of the Batman film franchise.
Release date: October 1, 2021
Director: Matt Reeves
Screenplay: Matt Reeves

Robert Pattinson’s Batsuit will be something new

Batman has had many different costumes over his 80 years of crime fighting. While there have been variations, there are some constants. But when it comes to the cinematic versions of the Caped Crusader, the differences can be drastic. Robert Pattinson’s costume is another armored outfit with a raised collar and highly defined bat symbol that is rumored to be mace from the handgun that killed his parents.

When The Batman finally arrives we are sure to see a new iteration of the Dark Knight. But will he soar?

Via Screenrant:

Matt Reeves’ The Batman is set to feature a radically different version of the Caped Crusader, and one element that sets him apart is the Batsuit. Fans are waiting with bated breath for more information about Robert Pattinson’s take on Batman, and so far, the only bits of information known about Reeves’ approach to the character is that this won’t be a traditional origin story, but instead, a “Year Two” style story in which Batman is still adjusting to his war on crime.

With Pattinson starring as the titular vigilante, fans are certainly in store for an unorthodox approach to the character. He’s teased that his version of the character will be just as “unhinged” as previous characters that he has played, as well as pointing to the character’s moral grayness as a defining factor behind his decision to play him. The Batman that Matt Reeves is cultivating in this version of Gotham already promises to be unique, and this is reflected in the few glimpses that fans have been able to get of the Batsuit.

Gotham PD series coming to HBO Max

Via Comicbook.com

The Batman director Matt Reeves is developing a TV spinoff about the Gotham PD for his upcoming Batman reboot for HBO Max. The series will be overseen by Reeves and Terrence Winter (Boardwalk Empire), and “will be set in the world Reeves is creating for the feature film “The Batman,” with the intent being to launch a new Batman universe across multiple platforms. It is said to build on the film’s examination of the anatomy of corruption in Gotham City.” It is the first project in an overall deal Reeves has with Warner Bros. TV, and marks a bold (but familiar) new expansion of the Batman franchise.

Matt Reeves has issued the following statement about the project (via Warner Bros.):

“This is an amazing opportunity, not only to expand the vision of the world I am creating in the film, but to explore it in the kind of depth and detail that only a longform format can afford — and getting to work with the incredibly talented Terence Winter, who has written so insightfully and powerfully about worlds of crime and corruption, is an absolute dream.”

Ben Affleck to return as Batman?

Say what you will about the Batman V Superman and Justice League films but for my money one thing they got right was Batman. Ben Affleck owned the role and made it into something new. A brutal and powerful Dark Knight, his version of the Caped Crusader was a force of nature.

With the failure of the Justice League movie and the Batman solo film going to Robert Pattinson, it appeared that Affleck had hung up his tights. But with the recent announcement of the Snyder cut of Justice League on HBO Max, that may all have changed.

Via WeGotThisCovered:

As per the scoop from tipster Mikey Sutton, “Snyder could be allowed to make up for lost time and make more DC-related movies if his cut of Justice League is successful.” Although, these future projects would very likely end up on HBO Max “since censorship and compromise won’t be an issue.”

With confirmation that Matt Reeves’ The Batman won’t be considered official canon and Keaton’s return opening up the multiverse, it’s also been claimed that Affleck’s take on the Dark Knight would be an HBO Max exclusive, with the streaming service primed to be the new home for more mature and adult-orientated DC content.

With the rumor mill having recently gone into overdrive, Affleck’s return is looking more likely by the day, and the thought of HBO Max becoming the go-to place for DCEU stories that are made with complete freedom and the absence of the studio interference that’s plagued the franchise so far could turn out to be a masterstroke by Warner Bros. from both a creative and commercial standpoint, one that would guarantee a huge influx of subscribers as a result.

Extended cut of Batman Forever

The third Batman film of the 80’s into the 90’s, Batman Forever these days is associated with bat-nipples and camp but many forget that it was a roaring success at the time of its release and demanded a sequel almost right away… and we know how that turned out.

Joel Schumacher developed a different vision of Batman from Burton’s that was camper and had a kind of neon noir look to it. It has its moments and is at least better than Batman and Robin but I can’t say it is high on my list of Batman movies. Nevertheless I have to admit that I am intrigued by a longer cut that delved more deeply into the darkness of Batman’s inner world.

Via ComicBook:

A super-sized version of Joel Schumacher‘s Batman Forever reportedly exists in the form of a nearly three-hour director’s cut. Writer and podcaster Marc Bernardin reported on Fatman Beyond that he had it on very good authority that a 170-minute cut of the movie exists, but that Warner Bros. has never made a move toward releasing it because they weren’t sure whether there was a market for a longer, darker version of a lighthearted, popcorn-movie version of Batman. The film, in which Val Kilmer played Batman while Chris O’Donnell played Robin, Jim Carrey was The Riddler, and Tommy Lee Jones was Two-Face, was a turning point for the character.

When Batman came out in 1989, Tim Burton rebelled against the camp and silliness that most non-comics audiences associated with the character as a result of the wildly popular 1966 Batman TV series. Burton went darker still with Batman Returns, and when Warner Bros. wanted to try something else for the third movie, Schumacher presented a neon-technicolor film, saturated with camp and bringing the spirit of the ’60s show to the big screen.

“I have it on pretty good authority that there exists in the Warner Bros. vault a 170-minute cut of Batman Forever,” Bernardin told his co-host Kevin Smith. “I think that it went much deeper into his childhood psychosis and his mental blocks and that it was a more serious, darker version of that movie that was one of the first assemblies that Joel filed with the studio and they eventually cut it down because they were like ‘it’s too dark for kids. We gotta sell these Happy Meals, so maybe let’s not invest ourselves in the trauma of childhood murder. We’ve got Jim Carrey, let him do some s–t.”

Smith said that while WB might doubt it, he strongly suspects fans would like to see the extended cut, noting that post-laserdisc and DVD, audiences are smart enough to understand the differences between cuts.

See my review of Batman Forever here

Batman 234 “Half an Evil”

By Denny O’Neill, Neal Adams and Dick Giordano

A comic that featured the triumphant return of a classic villain, Half an Evil is a fun Two-Face story. Full of clues related to the number two and a scheme involving an old pirate treasure and an inflated hot dog this feels more like a silver age story than a bronze age one.

This issue also provides a quick read up on the origin of Two Face and a quick update on his previous appearances. It’s considerate given that the villain had appeared quite some time ago in the series.

Batman is in his metropolitan era and has abandoned the Bat Cave for a penthouse base of operations. Appearing before the commissioner, there is a very humorous sequence in which he spooks a city official. Neal Adams is gifted at not just telling dynamic adventure stories but can tell a good joke as well.

The mystery is pretty straight forward and involves Batman tracking down Two Face’s henchmen who are seeking out an old book on an ancient pirate, Captain Bye. Of course Bye could also be heard as Bi as in bisect… more two-related clues. Batman follows the clues to an old schooner which promptly sinks into the water. Tracking the path of the ship, Batman finds it again using the inflatable hot dog to bring it back to the surface. The ship has taken on a new passenger, a drunken hobo in a raft.

On board the ship, Batman and Two-Face do battle and the caped crusader is KO’d. Two-Face finds Captain Bye’s treasure and is about to depart when Batman tricks the foe into using his coin to decide the fate of the hobo. While Two-Face is working on rescuing the man, Batman frees himself from his ropes and knocks Two-Face out.

I’ve been reading some lovely Bronze Age Batman stories and it’s surprising how few involve classic villains. As a modern era reader, I’m used to seeing the rogue’s gallery in every other issue but back in the day it was a rarity to see them. As such this issue stood out for me. As a fan of Two-Face, I was also pleased to see the villain.

For any reader on a budget, this issue can be found in Showcase Presents Batman Volume 6.

Michael Keaton to play Batman in The Flash movie?

The new Flash movie is gaining momentum as rumors abound regarding the plot and cast. So far the rumor is that the film will focus on the Flashpoint storyline from the comic books in which the The Flash travels to an alternate universe in which Bruce Wayne is murdered in Crime Alley instead of his parents and his father Thomas becomes a brutal Batman. If true, this could be a knock out film and a return to form if the casting of Keaton is true.

More as it comes…

Flashpoint Batman (Kevin Porter)

Via The Wrap:

After nearly 30 years, Michael Keaton is in talks to return to the role of Batman, to appear alongside Ezra Miller in Warner Bros.’ upcoming movie “The Flash,” TheWrap has learned exclusively. Talks with Keaton are in the very early stages, it is far from a sure thing, and can go either way. No details are currently available about how big or small Keaton’s role is.

That plot will introduce general audiences to the idea of the multiverse, one of the of core concepts underpinning DC Comics. For the non fanboy set, the multiverse refers to a shifting number of alternate universes that coexist within the larger reality depicted in DC comics. Originally created to explain various contradictory changes the company’s characters experienced over decades, it allows several different versions of the same characters to simultaneously exist and, occasionally, interact. Matt Reeves upcoming “The Batman” will not be affected and Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne is still viewed as the future of the franchise.

One notable component is the idea that in every single universe, Earth is always home to a larger than normal number of superpowered heroes and villains whose actions often have galaxy-spanning consequences.