It’s almost about time for Matt Reeves’s intricately developed The Batman to be out among the audience. The trailers have done a great job in building anticipation around the theme and plot of the story. Director Matt Reeves has been open about his ideas which are quite different from other Batman films that DC produced. Recently, there was a revelation about how Matt’s film is inspired by comics based on the character.
Matt walked in with his ideas about Batman and with a purpose to execute them perfectly. In addition, Robert Pattinson being cast as Batman is a decision that Matt motivated mostly. However, from what is seen in the trailers as of yet the decision seems a successful one. Moreover, for Reeves to execute his ideas, it seems obvious that he’d have turned to the roots of Batman, that is the comics. And now DC and Matt both have exclusively revealed the comics that have inspired the film.
The Comics That Inspired The Film
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DC recently revealed the comics that inspired Matt for this version of The Caped Crusader. Additionally, they advertised a box set of these comics. The set includes the three comics that hold inspiration for the movie. The set features Batman: Year One, Batman: The Long Halloween, and Batman: Ego. The box set will release three days before the release of the film itself.
Batman: Year One
This comic by writer Frank Miller and artist David Mazzucchelli was released in 1987. The comic deals with Bruce Wayne’s starting phase in Gotham City, figuring out to be the vigilante. Additionally, the comic features raw violence, and a superhero that’s sort of a loner.
Wayne in this one puts on a disguise and fights crime in the city in the cover of the night. The gritty, and dark representation in the movie as seen in the trailers seems to have been inspired by this comic. Moreover, the intense and nasty violence witnessed in the trailer also reflects the violence featured here in the comic.
Batman: The Long Halloween
The Long Halloween by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale was released back in 1996. The comic has the vigilante dealing with serial killings in Gotham City. Moreover, Catwoman, Riddler, and Falcone form an important part of the comics.
All of them have roles in Reeves’s film with Paul Dono playing the main antagonist Riddler in it. Additionally, this comic also shows the superhero in his early days of dealing with crimes in the city. This aspect sits perfectly with the previous one and what Reeves is trying to depict through Robert Pattinson’s vigilante. Moreover, Catwoman’s track in the film seems to have an influence from this comic with Reeves exploring Bat and Cat’s relationship dynamic.
Batman: Ego
Ego by Darwyn Cooke was released by DC Comics in the year 2000. This comic shows the internal turmoil of Wayne and Batman. The comic shows Bruce Wayne in a conflict with his other entity of vigilante. Matt Reeves listed this comic as an inspiration by its name.
This comic seems to influence Reeves’s depiction of the individuality of Wayne while dealing with all the killings and corruption in the city. It will be a great addition to the film’s depth and present a different aspect to the film apart from all the detective noir and violence featured.
Matt Reeves About The Comics
When asked about where he turned for inspiration for the film, he specifically listed four comics. Talking about it he said, “On a comics front, I did a deep dive and read so many comics.” About Batman: Year One comic, he cited, “It felt cinematic in a way that reminded me of an American ’70s movie.“
Additionally, he talked about how Batman: Ego influenced his film. “There’s a lot in what it’s trying to do in the story about him confronting the shadow side of himself and the degree to which you have self-knowledge,” Reeves explained in an interaction. Lastly, he mentioned Batman: The Long Halloween as one of his inspirations. “That was super important because it [had] this idea of a serial killer on a spree of crimes and Batman being caught up in it as the World’s Greatest Detective,” said Reeves.
“Drawing from those on a comic book front was really important,” iterated Reeves. The makers of the film have successfully laid a perfect ground for the film’s release. The Batman starring Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, and Paul Dono will release on March 4 this year.
