Is “The Batman” the best Batman film or the most authentic film to the Batman mythos?

*Contains spoilers 

The Batman is a gritty psychological crime thriller featuring the most Gotham-esqe Gotham we’ve seen yet.

Matt Reeves wowed audiences with his grounded interpretation of the caped crusader. The film was gritty, suspenseful and incredibly shot, and possibly one of the best live-action stories we’ve seen yet. The film does a great job displaying Bruce’s detective skills as the film is shot like a gruesome crime mystery reminiscent of the film Seven. The Batman perfectly captures the essence of Gotham and its overall dark corruption. The film puts a heavier emphasis on the criminal underworld and its connections to the elite. This is where the film perfectly encapsulates the world of Gotham. 

The film stars Robert Pattinson as a young inexperienced Bruce Wayne, who ventures into Gotham City’s underworld to track down a sadistic killer leaving behind cryptic clues and a trail of bodies. Batman partners with the most trustworthy cop Lt. Jim Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) and an unlikely ally Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz), to gather evidence and unmask the culprit while bringing justice to the corrupt streets plaguing Gotham. The entire cast is phenomenal, with standout performances by villains The Penguin (Colin Farrell) and the main antagonist Riddler (Paul Dano). Zoe oozes Selina Kyle, and Robert Pattinson proves to fans that he is worthy of the cowl. But is this movie the best iteration of Batman?

The Batman hands down features the best story-telling we’ve seen yet in a live-action Batman film. It is the best contained Gotham story as threats were just limited to Gotham City with Batman earning his rank as Gotham’s protector. This isn’t an origin story, or even an established Batman yet, as it takes place only two years into Bruce donning the cape. It is heavily focused on Bruce’s early career as the Bat as he is still learning who he is inside and outside of the cape. The film draws inspiration from numerous Batman comics and media, as you can tell Reeves studied his source material. The movie highlights a young and unrefined Batman, similar to the PS3 game Arkham Origins as it takes place before the rise of Gotham City’s most dangerous criminals and it centers on his early days as a crime fighter, meeting many key characters on his path to becoming the Dark Knight. 

Pattinson gave a stellar performance as an unhinged and inexperienced Batman. His Batman was gritty, real and sorrowful. He was full of rage, and always ready to let loose, but what ultimately stood out was his fear. We saw real fear on his face when he was hesitant to jump off the Police Department roof. This is a version of Batman we haven’t really seen on screen. He also injured himself numerous times and got manhandled throughout the film. One can argue there was no distinction between his portrayal of Bruce and Batman, but isn’t that what made this film work? He hasn’t come into his full Bruce Wayne “persona” yet either. We could potentially see this addressed later as his character develops. In a sequel we may see a much more refined, clean-cut Philanthropist Bruce Wayne. 

While the movie executed his inexperience fairly well, it didn’t explain how he got where he is now. We don’t need the typical alleyway murder or falling into a cave of bats but it did skip around important details. Alfred hinted at training Bruce, but has he had any professional training yet? If not, how did he pull the infamous ninja disappearing act? He also isn’t fully equipped with Bat-Tech yet, but he did have some very impressive high-level tech like the contacts camera. This brings up so many questions. What kind of professional training has he had yet? There was no mention of the League of Assassins (could this be part of a sequel). Did Alfred train Bruce so far, does he know Lucius Fox? How did he build these gadgets and the Batmobile? How did he conquer his fear of Bats? 

On to the CAT. Zoe Kravitz was perfectly cast as the whip-carrying burglar, adversary/ lover of Batman. Her mannerisms were precisely spot-on and she exudes the confidence of Selina/Catwoman. She was adventurous, sexy, dark and mysterious. The movie eluded to her abandonment issues and troubled past with an interesting backstory of her mother’s murder by her father, who is later revealed to be the infamous Crime boss Carmine Falcone (John Turturro).

While Kravitz nailed her role as the infamous Selina Kyle, the Bat/Cat love story was a bit underdeveloped. Their connection was a bit rushed as the film established their romance too quickly. We get Selina and Bruce are two broken people but their connection felt forced before establishing real chemistry. There should have been only one kiss and the prolonged going separate ways could’ve been shortened to emphasize a more effective goodbye. 

Overall, Selina Kyle had a much bigger part in the film than necessary as the movie didn’t elude enough to her mystery and crime- ridden lifestyle. She also could have been given better fight scenes as the jump cuts were poorly done which we’ll get more into effects later.

This time around, we didn’t get enough Alfred, (Andy Serkis). Hopefully we’ll see more of him in future sequels and learn more about his history with the circus and his training with Bruce. It seems as if they will have a much stronger relationship going forward after his tragic close call with death. However, we did get alot of Gordon/ Bat action. This duo worked so flawlessly together and Jeffrey Wright gave a noteworthy performance as Batman’s very important accomplice Jim Gordon as they try to take down the masked killer terrorizing Gotham.

Now onto the villains, who were magnificent, terrifying and possibly the best part of this film. The Riddler AKA Enigma not only terrorizes Gotham, but he forces Batman to face unsettling truths about his parents Thomas and Martha Wayne. The Riddler isn’t typically one of Batman’s top adversaries, and is open to interpretation. We have seen different versions of Edward Nygma, as moviegoers can recall Jim Carrey’s manic yet comedic version. Dano plays The Riddler in a much more serious manner, as a serial killer comparable to the Jigsaw Killer (SAW) , The Zodiac killer, or John Doe (Se7en) as he captures his victims in elaborate death traps. This interpretation is more familiar to fans of the video-game TellTale Games Batman: The Enemy Within, with its very dark depiction and humorless Edward Nygma. His suit in the movie also has a likeness to the henchman in the game. Riddler was one of the first “supervillains terrorizing” Gotham City and the central antagonist. Dano’s Riddler was sadistic, arrogant, and believed himself to be superior to his victims. He toyed with Batman and his pursuers leaving elaborate clues and puzzles at his crimes. He was willing to kill, and would acknowledge those who could successfully match his intellect. The USB thumb drive was pure genius and a perfect example of The Riddlers sordid games.

THE BATMAN Copyright: © 2021 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Another outstanding performance was Colin Farrell’s performance as Ozwald/ The Penguin. Farrell was almost unrecognizable as the crime boss slimely making his way to the top of Gotham’s crime syndicate. His voice, demeanor, perfectly captured the sleaziness of Ozwald. Can’t wait to see more of him, with word of a potential TV series coming to Max.

While the story, the cast and the cinematography were astounding. There were a couple gripes I had about the film. I mentioned the jump cuts. Some of the fight scenes could have been executed better, as some of the characters in a flash would be in a different position taking away from the fight making it less believable. This isn’t on the cast but the way the scenes were essentially shot. The musical score was outstanding, but a bit distracting at moments where it took away from the scene. This caused some missed emotional moments, such as Batman essentially electrocuting himself to save those drowning below. Though the music was integral it took you out of important scenes. I didn’t feel the connection when Bruce was saving the people in the water, this scene should’ve had audio without music. Another missed moment was the joker Arkham scene. This entire scene was unnecessary and added to an already long run-time. Aside from some missed emotional moments this movie is spectacular. 

Overall, Matt Reeves and cinematographer Greig Fraser have given fans the best live-adaptation of Gotham City we’ve seen yet and a fantastic fan service to the world’s greatest detective. Gotham City plays a key role in The Batman as he not only lurks in the shadows, but its city is full of evil, the downtrodden and the oppressed. The Batman may be an even more realistic take than the stellar The Dark Knight Trilogy, so fans are curious to see how they will handle future Batman’s rogues gallery. Pattinson may or may not be your favorite to put on the cowl, but it’s definitely a great Batman film. By the end of the movie we see his evolution as he learns he can’t just be “Vengeance” and feared by criminals, but that he has to be a beacon of hope for the people of Gotham.

Overall: 8.5/ 10

Stunning Cinematography, Stellar cast
Dark, suspenseful and cunning 
Best live-action depiction of Gotham City
Great introduction to 2nd Year Batman

Also check out my joint Video review with Big Gold Belt & The Nerd Blast!

Release date: March 4, 2022 (USA)

SnyderCut: Gods Among Us the heroes we deserve

Courtesy of DC/ WB

***CONTAINS SPOILERS***

Snyder’s Justice League is visually stunning, action packed and delivers fans Justice! 

After waiting nearly four years the SNYDERCUT has finally dropped on HBO MAX and was well worth the wait as fans are calling it one of the best DCEU films yet. Director Zack Snyder’s glorious vision was finally brought to life in this reimagining of the 2017 botched film. The Snydercut gives us new footage, completely different storylines, new characters and an entirely different third act.

At this point most people are aware of the tragic death of Snyder’s daughter, the behind the scenes drama of the theatrical release, Snyders’ departure due to creative differences and Joss Whedon’s (Avengers) disappointing take- over. Although not perfect, Snyder fixed a lot of the flaws of the theatrical release and gave us a much stronger, enjoyable and cohesive film. The Syndercut is essentially an extended version of Justice League with new footage that tied up all the loose ends, cut out all the cheesy and sexiest JOSStice scenes, improved the horrific CGI, and primarily made all of our beloved heroes much more captivating and GODLIKE!

Birthing the #releasethesnydercut fan campaign which finally persuaded Warner Media to let HBO Max bring it to life. $70 million dollars later, hundreds of hours of shooting, reshoots and editing for nearly four years we now finally saw Snyder’s vision come to life and boy were we happy.

I loved the extra storylines and the stronger interactions between the cast. There was a good balance between the dark grittiness we’re used to as well as some humor. It felt like pages directly from a comic book and DC Animated were literally brought to life. The opening sequence gave us so much stronger introductions; with a glimpse of Lex with the mother boxes, Mera in Atlantis, the Amazons, and Bruce attempting to recruit Aquaman which leads to chapter one.

So what changed?

The film was divided into six chapters and an epilogue, and it was roughly four hours long. Yes, this is way too long for a theatrical release, but watching from the comfort of your own home and in sections this was actually a genius move. Snyder was giving us a glimpse into what could’ve been and successfully gave fans an entire DC Universe with the third installment of his DCU films. SnyderCut not only gave us more Themyscira, but Darkseid, Zeus, Ares and even a Green Lantern in a more prominent flashback scene with the allied Amazons, Men, and Atlantenans. The theatrical release was a mere 2 hours cutting out well everything important for the film to have successfully progressed. WB should know by now that fans will sit and watch three hours of a good movie (LOTR, The Dark Knight Trilogy, Watchmen) so why cut short one of the biggest team ups in DC history?

JL takes place months after the events of BvS, and Batman seeks out other heroes to form a team of allies to take on Steppenwolf; an alien invader who plans on conquering the world. With Wonder Woman’s help Bruce Wayne enlists Cyborg, Aquaman, and the Flash to help take on this menacing threat, but this time there’s more! 

Snyders decision to include more scenes with the Amazons, Atlanteans, Cyborg’s parents, Barry and Iris West, Darkseid, Ryan Choi (Atom) and Star Labs made a drastic difference. The character development was far superior in this cut as each scene was completely necessary for the overall flow of the movie. Snyder not only makes each villain a more imminent threat, but every hero more likeable and powerful in their own respect.

Courtesy of DC/ WB

Although Steppenwolf is still the main villain, he now reports to an even bigger boss, major DC Villain Darkseid. The decision to include Darkseid, and to flesh out Steppenwolf was a drastic improvement for the movie. In the Josstice version a major issue was that Steppenwolf was such a weak villain that he didn’t even warrant the assembling of the JL. Now everything makes a lot more sense. Not only did Steppenwolf’s look and armor drastically improve, but we now learn that his intentions are to get back into the good graces of Darkseid, ruler of the planet Apokolips. Steppenwolf has a lot more camera time, has a much clearer objective and even has a very brutal beheading scene. Steppenwolf also uses a mind-controlling weapon that taps into the subconscious digging up information, these parasites that attach themselves to victims faces are a major nod to DC supervillain Starro the Conqueror.

Courtesy of WB/ DC

Darkseid makes his DCU debut in this version and he’s much more intimidating than Steppenwolf and would be DCs equal to Marvel’s Thanos, it’s about time. Snyder gives us just enough Darkseid to tease us with an appearance to set up what would have been two sequels. This makes perfect sense as Darkseid would send in parademons and minions before his arrival on earth after being informed the Anti- Life Equation has been found. The movie does a good job of explaining why he is after the Motherboxes now, after all this time, because Superman is not a threat. 

Gods Among Us:

I remember first reviewing Man of Steel & BvsS and what I did love about both films was the Injustice: Gods Among Us (video game) feel to it. Especially the city fight scene between Superman and General Zod.

Snyder successfully shows us that not all our heroes are human but that they are Gods and extremely powerful beings. With the same injustice tone of Man of Steel, Snyder once again gives us Godlike heroes as he delves more into the mythology, giving viewers a much better understanding of each character and their history. He lets each character play to their strengths, everyone is fleshed out and he shows actual teamwork.

In Snyder’s JL he really lets Cyborg (Ray Fisher) shine, essentially being the heart of the movie. Cyborg is central to the plot as he is in possession of the third and final mother box. Cyborg ends up playing a much more integral role, especially learning that his technology derives from the same powers of the Mother Boxes; it makes sense for him to have more screen time.

Courtesy of DC/ WB

Snyders version does a better job of balancing Victor’s self- loathing and internal struggle as he starts to understand his technology and machine- like powers. Including the scene where Cyborg hacks the ATM and gives the mother money showed Victor’s human side and added depth to his very “emo” portrayal. Snyder also shows the audience a lot more of Cyborg’s tragic story by including his mother. Cyborg’s father, Doctor Silas Stone also had a much more notable role, especially the key scene when locking himself to track the heat signature. These extra scenes and more Star labs really made a difference. Ryan Choi (Atom) is really more important than you think. Snyder also included more Star labs security, the national guard, and the JL actually had to have a plan to infiltrate.

Gal Gadot continued to amaze us with her onscreen portrayal of Diana Prince/ Wonder Woman. She was just as badass, graceful, and powerful as her solo flick and BvS appearance. Snyder gives us a much stronger and likeable WW. She is a leader, a god, a warrior, and not there as just eye candy or a sex object as Whedon depicted. There are no up the skirt camera angles, no crude Aquaman remarks or objectifying moments. The Josstice movie objectified Diana, Lois, and the Amazons with his portrayal of women, Snyder gives them so much more depth. You can see the difference in respect for the characters and take them more seriously. Also notable Wonder Woman is more of a badass in her opening sequence than the entirety of WW84.

Courtesy of DC / WB

Snydercut also gives us a much more likeable and crucial Barry Allen. The Flash (Ezra Miller) still gives us a playful and wisecracking Barry Allen lightening the tone, but he is the hero in this film as he has to break his own rule and manipulate time in order to reverse the destruction. Snyder gives Barry a chance to actually shine being the fastest man alive. He is not as weak and cowardly, and we actually see Flash reversing time. Snyder also gives us really great stand- out moments like Barry saving Iris, when his shoes break and the slow motion emotional moments.

Even Aquaman was more fleshed out, (Jason Momoa) as he was involved more than just being there to disagree with everyone or flirt with WW. Synder took out the stupid Lasso of truth scene and gave Aquaman better material to work with. We now see Vulko, Aquaman’s mentor, in some important scenes establishing Arthur’s relationship with his fellow Atlanteans. We have a more clear understanding of Arthur’s first introduction to Mera, and mention of King Orm setting up “Aquaman.” A small but very noteworthy adjustment is the way Atlanteans speak underwater. (Not Amber Heard’s horrible English accent which came out of nowhere, even though Dafoe had no accent) but the speech bubbles. To speak with her Atlantean subordinates, Mera creates an air bubble to facilitate human speech. Although this was dropped in Wan’s Aquaman film, this was really cool to see Snyder capture this little detail of how they community in human speech. Outside the bubble Atlanteans typically speak like dolphins using clicks, whistles and noises.

Courtesy of DC / WB

Although this time Batman took more of a back seat giving other members more screen time, Bruce becomes more of a leader. We get a better, more serious non-cheesy Bruce Wayne/ Batman. Batfleck (Ben Affeck) returns this time with no unnecessary quips that Batman would never say. We have a more witty Alfred, cool bat tech that is actually explained and showcased and a better team up overall. His focus is to bring back Superman and do whatever is necessary to protect Earth. The Knightmare scene also makes everything so much clearer in BvsS as well. 

Superman is back and we get the black suit, nod to Death of Superman ! Henry Cavill is back donning the all- black Kryptonian suit, black cape and silver S, which WB decided against for the theatrical release. Superman’s return makes so much more sense with the imminent threat of Darkseid, and the more understandable attempt of the team to bring him back from the dead. One of the biggest differences is Superman’s return in the fight against Steppenwolf. Instead of trying to “talk it out” and going on about “truth and justice” blah blah, Superman swoops in and saves Cyborg from Steppenwolf’s attack. Superman proves he is the Man of Steel when taking no damage from Steppenwolf’s ax. This version also fixed the infamous atrocious Clark stash. Lois Lane (Amy Adams) also makes a lot more sense in this film as she is grieving most of the film and it actually explains why she is at the monument at the opportune time to stop Superman from lasering the JL because she’s there to grieve daily.

Courtesy of DC/ WB

Aside from a much more cohesive narrative tied together with stronger character development and interactions there are some other noteworthy stand- outs. We got some cool Easter eggs like the green lantern corp, Granny Goodness and Big Barda. Instead of post- credit scenes we also get about twenty minutes of an epilogue which gives viewers a glimpse into what would’ve been the sequels to the Snyder verse.

Epilogue:

Although I think this was way too long it was cool to see what else Synder would’ve had in store for us. We take a trip back to Lex Luthor’s yacht where he meets Deathstroke (this would’ve been the solo Batman film). It was awesome to see more Deathstroke but this scene should’ve remained the same as the original post credit. There was also the post- Apokolips scene continued from BvsS with the Earth waste-land where we see a return of the Joker! Another awesome scene tying into future movies with a team up of Batman, Deathstroke, Mera Cyborg and the Flash. This scene also felt too drawn out and Joker felt a little forced, but it was still great to see Leto get his shot. Another awesome cameo was Martian Manhunter, but where the hell have you been? General Sanwick has been around since Man of Steel why choose to get involved now?

What didn’t work? (minor)

DC still relies too heavily on CGI, although there has been much improvement since the mustache catastrophe, the way DC shoots is very dark and can appear cheap. They could have lightened the 300 tone a bit. Marvel has a much more definitive style that looks more realistic, for some reason DC can’t get their CGI right. Yes, Steppenwolf looked better, and if you could get past Mera’s horrible accent her hair also looked so much better and natural. 

Aside from the CGI, and being too lengthy, there was some wonky music. There was a much better score with Superman, The Flash and WW but Aquaman’s scenes were so cringy I almost fast forwarded. The lingering musical interludes and cringy lady smelling Aquaman’s clothes and people begging Arthur could have been cut. Cutting down the Aquaman scenes, some of the slow motion, the epilogue and some Lois could have brought us closer to 3 hours. 

OVERALL

8.5 Fun, Action- packed, visually stunning, brilliant story-telling

The Snydercut left me with that good theater excitement when you walk out of a movie and want to watch it again. Most of us haven’t felt that since Endgame. Snyder gave fans magic, this was a huge win for fans of the DCU. Watching the Snydercut and the BvsS Extended cut will change your whole mindset. The Snyder cut not only restored the Justice League but it also makes BvsS a better movie. If the studios stopped interfering and let Snyder complete his vision Justice League would’ve been the DCU’s Goldmine comparable to Marvels’ Endgame.

**Personal complaints: ***For me two things that bother me with the Snyder verse are that he killed the wrong Robin. Snyder decided to kill Dick Grayson (Nightwing)  instead of Jason Todd. 
The other is that I can’t stand Jesse Eisenberg’s winy portrayal of  Lex Luthor. Otherwise I love the Snyderverse and wish we could see more.

The chilling tale of Daphne Byrne (Hill House Comics)

By: Gothamgeekgirl

From the horror based DC Comics Black label imprint (Hill House Comics) comes the mysterious and chilling Victorian- era supernatural thriller Daphne Byrne. Set in 19th- century New York, we meet Daphne, a young and curious 14-year old girl who is dealing with the loss of her father and her now grief- stricken mother. This tragic mini- series follows Daphne and her mysterious new demon acquaintance “Brother” as she discovers who she is, while ultimately trying to save her mother from hitting rock bottom. 

Award- winning playwright and TV Writer Laura Marks makes her graphic novel debut as the author of the 6-issue mini- series with fantastically nightmarish artwork by the horror comics legend Kelley Jones. The pair deliver a new and twisted tale that not only intrigues readers but explores early womanhood, personal demons, tragedy, and different ways of grieving all set in the 1800s which adds even more suspense to the tragic tale. 

It’s 1886 in gaslit New York, the dark candle lit scenery and natural lightning adds to the chilling ambiance. Daphne, who felt her father was the only person that really understood her, feels completely helpless and alone after his death. Not only does she have to deal with this loss and the constant bullying at school, but with her mother who has gone off the deep end. Using all her last resources her mother is relentlessly trying to contact the spirit of her dead husband leaving Daphne to take charge.

Courtesy of Hill House Comics

Daphne’s mother is in a very fragile state, now widowed and alone struggling with finances and keeping their estate she begins to see a medium eager to speak with her husband once more. In the 1800’s appearance and title was of most importance. Mrs. Byrne now left without a husband who rumor has it died of faulty circumstances becomes an easy target for a manipulative occult group.

Meanwhile kids at school who already bully Daphne, spread rumors about her father and make rude remarks about her mother not being able to pay their debts. Daphne, feeling more alone than ever and knowing that these mediums are nonsense, begins to feel a strange and supernatural presence who introduces himself as “Brother.” Brother appears as a friend, a guide and pushes Daphne to reach limits she has never thought possible. But is she dreaming? Is she being manipulated? Does she already have these dark abilities or is Brother controlling her? Does he even exist? Does she embrace this new darkness?

Courtesy of Hill House Comics

This series really makes the reader think about human interactions, filling voids and dealing with personal demons. It explores the mind and how easily people can be influenced or manipulated. When people show weakness it can be taken for granted and even the most “helpful” people can be looking out for their own interests at the detriment of others. Marks introduces us to characters such as Mrs. Swarthmore and Mr. Brooke that really expand upon human desires and how such evils already exist without monsters and demons. Even though this is a horror story full of demons and dark ghoulish creatures, are they hallucinations or more a representation of our darkest moments? 

Courtesy of Hill House Comics

Choosing the 19th century for the setting is really the driving force behind this supernatural story. Jones really brings to life Laura Marks’ vision and you really see Marks’ cinematic influence with her background in film. Although the story does a great job in making the reader feel like they are in the 1800’s and features incredible spine-chilling imagery it leaves the reader a bit confused with what’s actually happening with Daphne. It leaves a lot up to the reader. I would’ve liked to see more with her character development and to learn more about her abilities, where did they come from and did she already have these powers inside her all along? Also without giving spoilers why call him “Brother”? Otherwise this is a very fun and unique read, and I would love to see where this story goes and how far Daphne takes her supernatural powers.

Daphne Byrne by Laura Marks, Kelley Jones (Illustrator)
(Contains 6 issues)

For more chilling horror comics check out the Hill House Comics imprint from DC Black Label!

Joe Hill—the mastermind behind N0S4A2 and Locke & Key—has arrived at DC, curating his own cutting-edge horror comics pop-up! Hill House Comics will terrify readers with a smart, subversive and scary lineup of five original limited series. 

https://www.dccomics.com/HillHouseComics