Lots of Batman News to Feast On
Batman has been a staple of pop culture for over 80 years now and for good reason. The Dark Knight is one of the most complex, compelling and complicated characters in all of entertainment. From comics to cartoons to movies, people are just drawn to Bruce Wayne's dark quest to avenge the death of his parents and the wrongs of the world.
Which brings me to all the Batman news from yesterday. Because there was A LOT of it. Well, start with the biggest news from yesterday: our first look at Robert Pattinson as Batman. Matt Reeves, director of the up coming 'The Batman' movie, released a screen test of Pattinson as the Dark Knight. Watch the clip below to check it out yourself:
The Batman - Camera Test from Matt Reeves on Vimeo.
While reactions to the suit have been mixed, personally I LOVE everything I'm seeing and hearing here. The score, while not quite as good as Danny Elfman's previous work on the franchise, is damn good. It's dark and brooding and really sets a tone I like. The suit itself, to me, appears to be a mix of several Batsuits including Year One, the Arkham Origins game suit and the original suit from the 40s.
On top of that, it was reported that 'The Batman' will take place in Year 2 of Batman's crusade against crime. According to leaked plot points, the World's Greatest Detective investigates the assassinations of several Mayoral candidates in Gotham. Reeves said the film is sort of a classic noir and will showcase Wayne's detective skills, which would be a first in film.
The second huge Batman announces revolves around comic books and Batman: The Animated Series. DC announced the return the Animated Series universe in a new comic book. Series co-creator Paul Dini is teaming up with producer Alan Burnett and artist Ty Templeton for the new series.
While details of the series are scarce, it is confirmed that Jason Todd will appear in the universe as the Red Hood. Here's what Dini told Entertainment Weekly about Todd and the new series:
“We’d gone from Dick Grayson to Tim Drake, and we had left out Jason,” Dini told EW. “What we’re doing with this is looking at this as a chance to go back and acknowledge that was a part of the animated Batman’s history. For the first time you’re going to see that story and you’re going to see what happened in that relationship. So, it’s our chance not only to do Jason Todd but also the Red Hood."
Dini also confirmed that other characters that never appeared in the original cartoon will make their way into the universe including Deathstroke and Azrael.
So, if you're a Batman fan, there's LOTS of stuff to be pumped about.