Batman in the comics is known the World’s Greatest Detective, but if you look at the history of Batman movies, he’s just sort of okay at it. He’s never the best, someone always points out what he needs to know, and he’s rarely the one solving anything at all. But Matt Reeves seems to have heard my prayers and is delivering the perfect version of Bruce Wayne to me.
Finally, after all my years of moaning about how no Batman was actually a detective, The Batman is bringing a new fresh Batman to my door and he’s gritty, wonderful, and most importantly: A GREAT DETECTIVE. Reeves talked at DC FanDome about how most of the time, Batman wasn’t really a detective, which he sought to change with The Batman. But can you trust someone just saying that their Batman will be different?
Luckily for me and my soul, Reeves gave us a teaser for the film and all my fears were thrown out the window. The trailer brought me the dirtbag energy I wanted AND gave me a Bruce Wayne who was new to the game, but still had all the qualities we know and love from Batman.
Asked who he is, Bruce replies “I’m vengeance” and honestly, at that moment, I felt my soul leave my body. Look, I won’t lie: I love all Batman movies. I just like the Dark Knight, and the only time I was actively mad about something Batman-related was in Justice League but that’s just because that entire movie made me angry. (We don’t talk about Joker. I don’t know him.)
But this? Actually getting to see Batman be a detective while taking on the Rogues’ gallery of villains? It just makes me feel like I am getting everything I wanted without feeling that I was missing anything.
It’s going to be interesting because, as Matt Reeves pointed out, this is Batman when he’s only been on the job for two years. In fact, if you look at the IMDb page for the movie, Jim Gordon isn’t even commissioner yet, so everyone is learning of their abilities and finding their way in the Batman lore.
And yet, The Batman seems to be bringing a new take to the character while still mastering the feel of a Batman movie. In the trailer, it looks like such a dark noir-esque take on the character and that’s exactly what we need for Bruce Wayne. So many of the previous Batman movies have either run with the absurdity that exists in Gotham or focused on the character’s interior darkness without exploring other aspects of the world.
And yet somehow, this just feels right and perfect. Has my excitement for The Batman been validated? If this trailer is anything like the rest of the movie then yes, I was right to rally behind it. I can’t wait to see what Matt Reeves has in store for me and the World’s Greatest Detective, Bruce Wayne.
(image: Warner Bros.)
Want more stories like this? Become a subscriber and support the site!
—The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling.—
