Batman is quite possibly the most popular superhero in modern fiction. He is a character whose publication predates World War Two, and who has stood the test of time. There are over 1,000 issues of Batman comics. The character has iconic moments on both the small screen and the silver screen. There have been eight Batman-centric live-action movies produced since 1989, with a ninth coming out this March. That is not even including the ever-increasing list of animated Batman films.
With all of the attention that the Caped Crusader has garnered on the big screen, Batman has beloved small-screen appearances as well. Both Batman (1966-1968) and Batman the Animated Series (1992-1995) are held in high regard by the character’s legion of fans. However, Batman has not had a live-action television show in over 50 years and has not had a cartoon series in over 25 years. Warner Brothers ought to remedy this in the coming years.
High Demand and Nostalgia for Animated Batman
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Batman the Animated Series is still a very adored television show. This is especially true of fans who grew up when the show was airing in the early and mid-1990s. There is every reason to believe Warner Brothers can crown an heir to Batman the Animated Series in the very near future.
In the 2000s, Star Wars: The Clone Wars displayed that there was still an appetite for mainstream animated shows from popular Hollywood franchises. More recently, Invincible demonstrates that there is still a clamoring for mainstream superhero stories in animated form. Combine these facts with the notion that there is seemingly a new Batman animated film every year or two, and those are the ingredients needed for a new animated Batman show to be relevant and successful.
Gotham as a Model
In very recent years, the television show Gotham has captured an audience’s attention. It features many recognizable characters: Alfred Pennyworth, Jim Gordon, The Joker, and many more. However, the show has a Batman-sized hole in it in that it features a Bruce Wayne that is simply too young to don the cape and cowl. This is the same angle that gave Superman and Smallwood success years earlier, but Gotham City is not the same without its Dark Knight.
Gotham is a show with many flaws and warts. It is very tonally inconsistent, sometimes going extremely dark and sometimes harkening back to 1966’s Batman with silver-age antics. However, Warner Brothers could lean into and borrow some of the darker aspects of the show for a proper 21st century live-action Batman series. As a show, Gotham worked but did not thrive. Strain the poorer elements of the show away, add a whopping chunk of Batman, and Warner Brothers has a winning recipe.
Titans as a Model
There is a recent live-action television show that features Gotham City and really, really works. That show is HBO Max’s Titans. It features a gritty, weathered Robin who is far more violent than his comic book persona. It also features Bruce Wayne.
However, like Gotham before it, Titans has a Batman-sized hole at its center. The pendulum swings, and Titans features a Bruce Wayne who is too old to don the cape and cowl. It is really a shame because the colorful and moody cast of the show is absolutely perfect for Batman’s Gotham City. Yet again, there is no Batman to be found.
Titans is a show that has found significant mainstream success. Warner Brothers should take note that they can still produce dark material and win if they are true to the characters’ roots. The one potentially negative aspect about Titans is that because it features the Bat-Family but no Batman, it might be years before Warner Brothers could remedy this without confusing the mainstream audience. There is also the risk of risking superhero overdose. Too much of anything can bring a sour taste to one’s mouth, even beloved characters.
Graphic Novels as a Print Model
Graphic novels and comic book series are known to be episodic. Television shows by their very nature are episodic. In Batman’s case, the latter draws tremendously from the former.
The Long Halloween is a perfect case study for how Batman could translate from pages to small screens. It is a much-beloved, 12-issue graphic novel. Each chapter focuses on the events surrounding one holiday from each month. This would translate almost seamlessly to a 12-episode season of a Batman TV show. It features mystery and intrigue, rainbow-like character arcs, and a plethora of Batman foes.
If Warner Brothers were to think this notion too ambitious, they could go the television route of how musicians sometimes release EPs before full-length albums. In that case, shorter stories such as Batman: Year One or Batman: The Man Who Laughs would make for a great four-to-six episode teaser season for its audience.
Warner Brothers risks Batman fatigue on the big screen, with a film coming out in March portrayed by a different actor than one who is also portraying Batman in a 2022 film (The Flash). A way to keep and satisfy its audience is for Warner Brothers to bring both Bruce Wayne and Batman back to the small screen.