By Drew Dietsch
| Revealed 12 seconds in the past
I used to be extraordinarily skeptical of The Batman once I walked into the theater again in 2022. I walked out stunned past measure and legitimately moved by the story director Matt Reeves informed. I nonetheless discover The Batman to be a profitable exploration of its themes and characters, however even my stalwart Batman-lovin’ self felt deflated by the looks of one more model of The Joker by the film’s finish.
Nonetheless, after being so uneasy about The BatmanMatt Reeves had gained me over and I used to be within the bag for no matter got here subsequent from this iteration of the Caped Crusader. That ended up being The Penguina critically lauded tv collection that I loved properly sufficient, however that collection being the official follow-up to The Batman seeded the form of dilution impact that has turned me off of the MCU.
Three years later, The Batman: Half II script by Matt Reeves and Mattson Tomlin was submitted to DC Studios, however we don’t know after we can anticipate to see that film. Heck, it may not get made in any respect contemplating the whole balancing act DC Studios head James Gunn is doing with the DCU and its personal model of Batman.
Frankly, I’m at a degree the place I’d reasonably not get The Batman: Half II until it’s received some actual juice within the tank.
A Batman Story We Haven’t Seen Earlier than
As a Bat-dork, the potential of the DCU Batman is extra thrilling to me as a result of it’s more likely to current a Batman story/world/characters that we haven’t gotten on the large display screen earlier than. After seeing how profitable Superman (my overview) deployed a Superman story we hadn’t seen on the large display screen earlier than, that’s the path the place the juice appears to be flowing.
Whereas The Batman: Half II goes up towards itself and The Penguin. If it feels prefer it isn’t bringing a story freshness to the Batman universe, I worry it’s going to succumb to a weaker reception. I hope to be stunned as soon as once more by this tackle the character and his world, however it’s already received one large level within the Win Column for me. Making an attempt to match that’s going to be powerful.
The Batman Universe
Due to Batman’s recognition, it’s been very straightforward for the Batman universe to exist by itself in standard media. It’s expansive and beloved sufficient to maintain itself exterior of its DC connections. However that additionally means we’ve been inundated with Too Many Jokers through the years on the multiplex.
I don’t know that The Joker teased in The Batman goes to play a central position within the sequel, however even planting that seed is sufficient to fear that the properly is poisoned. Granted, The Penguin was a good sufficient growth pack to the film, however it additionally felt the necessity to reinterpret a well-trodden villain as an alternative of branching out to one thing newer.
The potential for Batman’s universe within the DCU is extra numerous whereas The Batman: Half II goes to wish to current an concept that argues for what’s probably one other riff on too acquainted Bat-tropes.
All this mentioned, I need The Batman: Half II to succeed as a inventive endeavor. The ending moments of The Batman with Bruce Wayne comforting a scared little one are a number of the finest emotions I’ve felt with any Batman story. I wish to attain these highs once more in The Batman: Half II. I wish to get enthusiastic about that film. Right here’s hoping it offers me loads of cause to try this.