You probably know that very shortly the Matt Reeves version of the Batman will be hitting us square on our silver screens.
And the edgy sensibilities of the trailers and the oddities of red and black title cards and promotional imagery are sort of odd for Batman.
Also, it seems as if the themes of this film are a bit darker than what we’re used to. And the villains seem to be interpreted in a more realistic way in the trailers then we have seen. It may or may not surprise you that this has been done before. But not in a way you think. This has been done before, as a cartoon, Beware The Batman.
This series which ran for 13 episodes on cartoon network, was abruptly suspended and brought back on Cartoon Network Toonami to finish out its run. It was quite different than the other Batman animated series that proceeded it.
Beware the Batman had a much darker and detective-oriented type of batman. Although his suit was similar to the Christopher Nolan bat suit, he still dealt with comic book characters such as Man-Bat and Metamorpho.
Although many fans enjoyed the show due to the fact they felt truly embodied the way they felt Batman should be, Cartoon Network and Warner Brothers felt it was a financial failure.
However, it seems this cartoon had a last impact on the franchise and there are interesting key points and similarities between Beware the Batman and what we’ve seen that’s been revealed so far for the Batman by Matt Reeves
First connection
The title cards
If you notice both title cards for the cartoon and the movie lean heavily on shades of black and red to go to unique imagery. A definite step away from the blacks and gold used in previous visualizations for the Batman franchise. Also, the seriousness of the colors and the shading add to the darker themes implied by the imagery.
Second connection
Their wheels
In the Beware the Batman animated series, Batman used a motorcycle as a means for transportation almost as much as he does his batmobile. As you can see from the promotional image released from the Batman movie set our hero is on a motorcycle here, and according to other sources, he uses a motorcycle a few times throughout the movie. This may not seem like much, knowing Bruce Wayne’s penchant for having all kinds of vehicles at is ready. But, this does seem though the movie is showing a motorcycle as a need for transportation and not just strictly a bike that came from another vehicle, like the Bat-Pod from the Dark Knight.
Third connection
The cowl
If you look at the image on the left that is from aware of the Batman promotional image. And on the right is a shot of Pattinson in the Batman costume. You can see that the ears are lined up towards the back of the cowl and a more streamlined then in previous Batman masks.
Another possible connection, between Beware the Batman and the new movie, is the fact that according to the prequel novel Alfred pennyworth is the protector of Bruce Wayne and was some kind of government agent in the Matt Reeves film. In the Beware the Batman animated series, Alfred was an MI6 agent that protected Bruce Wayne, and also began his training in martial arts and intelligence skills.
These connections may not seem relevant or maybe even misinterpreted, there are several striking connections between the canceled animated series and the latest film. Although this series may not exactly be a primer for the Batman film, the fact that leans on Batman’s detective skills and the fact that he is just beginning to develop as Bruce Wayne’s personal life is building, definitely can set the mood for viewing the film.
It is good to note, whether or not there are hard connections between this animated series and the film that the Batman franchise is continuing to thrive.
And just in case you need some cool exit music with the movie visuals, here you go.
