"The Batman" - NO SPOILERS

[The Dark Knight]

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.

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.

[Silver Nemesis]

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.

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.

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

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.

Looking at the gang makeup in some of those location snaps, I'm also getting a bit of a Purge vibe from Reeves' film.

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.

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.

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.

The situation reminds me a little of when Connery and Moore went up against each other at the box office in 1983 with Never Say Never Again and Octopussy. Of course the difference here is that the two different Batman films would be made by the same studio and thus not in competition with one another, so hopefully fans will support both.

[The Dark Knight]

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.

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.

Much the same for me.

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.     

[Azrael]

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.

[Silver Nemesis]

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.

[Azrael]

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.

[Silver Nemesis]

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

I didn't realise Oldman wasn't in it. That's a shame. I know he was meant to be involved in The Dark Knight game, but of course that vanished into the ether.

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.

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.

[The Dark Knight]

The Begins game is very good, and a definite precursor to Rocksteady's trilogy in terms of fear based gameplay and stealth. Play it if you can.

I saw this artwork by Aymen Swisy, and love the atmosphere it has. I am hoping for a grandfather clock entrance in the movie. It's classic Batman and hasn't been done before on film yet. Pattinson could turn the clock hands, and as he does so, we get a brief flashback of the Crime Alley murder. That's all we'd need.

[thecolorsblend]

The Begins game is very good, and a definite precursor to Rocksteady's trilogy in terms of fear based gameplay and stealth. Play it if you can.

I saw this artwork by Aymen Swisy, and love the atmosphere it has. I am hoping for a grandfather clock entrance in the movie. It's classic Batman and hasn't been done before on film yet. Pattinson could turn the clock hands, and as he does so, we get a brief flashback of the Crime Alley murder. That's all we'd need.

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

[Azrael]

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.