The Batman could be the best Batman movie to date. Not everyone agrees, and that’s okay. My friends and acquaintances on social media either love it or hate it. At the barbershop, everyone either loved it or hated it. After the lights came on in the theater last night, people talked about how they loved it or hated it. It’s very polarizing and there seems to be no middle ground.
Those that liked it saw it as something new and refreshing. They liked the story and how smart Batman was. Those that hated it said it was too long. The fights were boring and too few, and Batman wasn’t intimidating enough.
Since 1989, and especially during the Christopher Nolan trilogy, Batman movies have led us to believe that Batman is a brawler who breaks jaws with impunity and beats his opponents into submission. Every problem is a nail and he is the hammer. But as a long time comic book reader I know there is much more to Batman than a fist, a kick, and a headbutt.
You see there are two sides to Batman. Vengeance and Detective. The vengeance side of him was brought to the forefront by Frank Miller during a revolution in the comic industry to make characters gritty, dark, and “more real.” The detective side of Batman is his core, as created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, then perpetuated by several incredible talents over the decades like Denny O’Neil, Neal…
