Summary
- The Batman finally explores the Caped Crusader’s detective side, a key aspect of his comic book history that has been mostly ignored in film adaptations.
- Previous Batman movies had their moments of detective skills, but The Batman fully embraces this aspect of the character, putting his skills to good use while still maintaining his vigilante and hero sides.
- While Batman movies are typically seen as superhero/action films, the inclusion of mystery and detective work, as seen in The Batman, adds an intriguing element that sets it apart from its predecessors.
The Batman not only brought a younger and more inexperienced Batman than in previous movies, but it also repaired the franchise’s oldest missed opportunity. Batman has gone through many ups and downs in his history on the big screen, with successes like Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight and failures like Joel Schumacher’s Batman & Robin. After the DC Extended Universe failed to bring a version of Batman that successfully connected with the audience, Warner Bros. gave the Caped Crusader a new chance in a universe separate from the DCEU with The Batman.
Directed by Matt Reeves, The Batman introduces Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne, who is in his second year of crime-fighting in Gotham City. Batman teams up with James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) to find a serial killer known as The Riddler, while Batman also deals with crime boss Carmine Falcone (John Turturro) and his lieutenant Oswald “The Penguin” Cobblepot (Colin Farrell). In addition to featuring a younger Batman than in previous movies, The Batman also finally fixed the franchise’s oldest missed opportunity by exploring the Caped Crusader’s detective side, which is key in his comic book history.
The Batman Gives DC A “Detective Comics” Movie
Batman was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, and he made his first appearance in Detective Comics #27 in 1939. Detective Comics eventually evolved into DC Comics, so even though DC Comics is now associated with superheroes and villains, at its core it’s about detective stories. Batman’s first stories did justice to the Detective Comics title, exploring his detective skills while also establishing him as a vigilante and superhero, though one whose methods and ways don’t always fit with the concept of “superhero”. While his detective side is a key part of Batman’s history, it’s a part of the character that has been mostly left aside in his film adaptations.
Although movies like Tim Burton’s Batman, Joel Schumacher’s Batman Forever, and Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy had their moments where their respective Batman versions used their detective skills, none of them had properly leaned into this side of the character until The Batman. Reeves’ version of the Caped Crusader embraced his detective side and put those skills to good use, without forgetting his vigilante and hero sides, pretty much like the comic books did.
Why DC Has So Few Detective Movies (Despite Its Name)
Although they all carry the DC Comics brand, few Batman movies have addressed the character’s detective side, but it’s understandable. Batman movies are superhero movies, and these are more about action, which is inherently tied to blockbusters, making it the primary genre in Batman movies. Though that doesn’t mean that they can’t mix action and mystery, just like The Batman did, a full-on superhero/action movie is, ultimately, more attractive to the audience. In addition to that, the Batman comics have often veered towards action rather than mystery, too, so it’s understandable that the movies have chosen that path as well.
It’s to be seen if The Batman – Part II will continue exploring the Caped Crusader’s detective side or if it will focus more on other sides of his story, but at least, The Batman already fixed one of the franchise’s oldest and most intriguing missed opportunities.