Batman

Article Archive

Classic Eras

  • Batman Classic Serials
    • We begin our dive of cinematic Batman with a look at the earliest film adaptations of the character: the politically questionable in retrospect 1940s serials.
  • Batman '66 & Batman: the Movie
    • Adam West takes over the title role as the Caped Crusader enters the campy, but fun, 1960s.
  • Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders
    • Adam West and Burt Ward return to their most famous roles for an aimated continuation that picks up as if the classic series never ended.
  • Batman vs. Two-Face
    • Adam West and Burt Ward come back again to take on a new dastardly demon, the rampaging ruler of ruckus, Two-Face.

Burton Era

  • Batman (1989) & Batman Returns
    • Twenty years after the 1966 TV show went off the air, Batman was back and on the big screen with an adventure directed by Tim Burton. We take a look at the film, and its direct sequel, in this two-film review.
  • Batman Forever & Batman and Robin
    • After directing two films, Burton and the studio butted heads over the future of the series, leading Burton to leave the franchise. Joel Schumacher was brought in to continue the franchise, and his vision was very... different. We take a look at what some consider cinematic train wrecks in this two-film review.

DC Animated Universe

  • Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
    • The best animated Batman is back, on the Silver Screen, as he battles a new foe, the Phantasm, who just may be someone all to familiar to him after all...
  • Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero
    • Skipping the small screen and going straight to TV and video, the animated Batman returns again to take on SubZero for the fate of Batgirl.
  • Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman
    • A new vigilante arrives in Gotham, the Batwoman, and she's more than willing the kill the scum of the city, something Batman simply cannot abide. He'll have to figure out who this masked woman is and put her reign of terror to an end.
  • Batman and Harley Quinn
    • When Poison Ivy devises a plan to turn all of humanity into plant creatures, Batman has to team up with the one person that can make her stop: Harley Quinn.
  • Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
    • Now, decades after Joker was last seen, it seems like the Clown Prince of Crime has returned, and he's coming after Bruce, Terry, and everyone else in the Bat-family.

Nolan Era

  • Batman Begins
    • After Batman and Robin bombed and everyone in the world collectively agreed to try and forget it existed, DC took some time before creating a new film with the Dark Knight. Eventually, though, they brought on auteur director Christopher Nolan how created a more grounded bat-tale. We look at the first of the films to see how Nolan's vision measured up.
  • Batman: Gotham Knight
    • Nolan's original film is continued (and connected) via a series of anime shorts detailing Batman's time on Gotham (and some early adventures as the Dark Knight, well, rose).
  • The Dark Knight
    • After Batman Begins rebooted the Bat and washed the taste of the Schumacher films away, fans clamored for further adventures in the Nolan universe. The follow up took a decidedly darker turn as Batman faced off against his greatest foe: the Joker. We look at this film to see how it measures up.
  • The Dark Knight Rises
    • The final installment of the Dark Knight Trilogy, this installment was hobbled by the untimely death of Joker star Heath Ledger after the second film. Without the Joker, what direction could the final film take? We look at third installment in the trilogy to see what it gets right and just how it compares to the films that came before.

Superman/Batman Films

  • Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
    • Lex Luthor becomes president and uses the power of the office to frame Superman for murder. Now, Supes and Bats have to clear his name.
  • Superman/Batman: Apocalypse
    • Kara Zor-El arrives on Earth and instantly becomes the center of multiple factions all fighting for her future.

DC Animated Movie Universe

  • Justice League: War (DCAMU 01)
    • Now in a fresh, New 52-inspired continuity, we pick up with our favorite, familiar heroes as they set off on their first adventure together, a battle against the evil supervillain, Darkseid. Earth is doomed.
  • Son of Batman (DCAMU 02)
    • Batman has a son. Did you know that? He certainly didn't, so this is going to come as a bit of a shock...
  • Justice League: Throne of Atlantis (DCAMU 03)
    • Introducing another new hero for the league, this movie gives us Arthur Curry, aka Aquaman, four years before a similar adventure would come out on the big screen.
  • Batman vs. Robin (DCAMU 04)
    • Batman and his son, Damian (aka the newest Robin) don't exactly see eye-to-eye. They are very similar, each as headstrong as the other, so it was only a matter of time before the relationship came to blows.
  • Batman: Bad Blood (DCAMU 05)
    • When Batman goes missing, Dick Greyson has to become the next man to wear the cape-and-cowl, all so he can pull together a team of Bat-heroes to track down their missing leader.
  • Justice League vs. Teen Titans (DCAMU 06)
    • Damien Wayne doesn't play well with others, a trait his father would like to see changed. So he's put on a team with other supepr-powered teens to see if they can work together for once. Probably not, though.
  • Justice League Dark (DCAMU 07)
    • A magical threat pushes its way across the Earth, so Batman has to team with an expert in magic: John Constantine. It's time to form a new faction of the League.
  • The Death of Superman (DCAMU 10)
    • When a movie has a title like this, I think we all know what's coming. Based on the comic series of the same name, this film is only going to end one way, and it won't go well for our titular character.
  • Reign of the Supermen (DCAMU 12)
    • Spoiler: Superman probably comes back in this one. If that's a surprise, seriously, go read some comics.
  • Batman: Hush (DCAMU 13)
    • All of Batman's villains are conspiring against him which leads Batman to think there might be an even bigger foe behind these machinations. If only he could figure out who...
  • Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (DCAMU 15)
    • And with this, the war that has been building over fifteen movies finally happens. And with it, DC ushers in an end to this continuity

DC Extended Universe

  • Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (DCEU 02)
    • After the relative success of Man of Steel (a film that made good money but didn't seem to really have the backing of critics or fans), DC followed it up with a semi-sequel, semi-crossover, putting in the only character in comics arguably bigger than Superman: the Batman. Sadly, the results were just not good.
  • Suicide Squad (DCEU 03)
    • When Batman v Superman came out, people seemed to really hate the movie (which is understandable as it's terrible). This sent DC scrambling in an attempt to fix their universe. This lead to extensive reshoots for their next DCEU film, Suicide Squad which, reportedly, went through three different cuts before being released. Trust us, it didn't help.
  • Justice League (DCEU 05)
    • The production of Justice League was troubled, with original director Zack Snyder leaving part way in (for family reasons) and Joss Wheddon coming in to do extensive rewrites and re-edits. Although the final film is watchable, it's still not great in comparison to the filmic output of Marvel.
  • The Flash (DCEU 14)
    • Barry Allen goes back in time and accidentally breaks the timestream into a bunch of multiversal pieces in this moderately okay superhero adventure.

DC Universe Elseworlds

  • Joker (2019)
    • In a first, we have a Joker movie without any direct glimpse of Batman (although a young Bruce Wayne does make a cameo). It's also a dark and unrepentant slog.
  • The Batman (2022)
    • We get another reboot of the Bat as he takes on a nasty terroist with a penchanct for explosive traps in this grim dark entry.

DC Tomorrowverse

  • Batman: The Long Halloween (DCT 03)
    • A mystery killer is taking out the crime families of Gotham on the various holidays of the year, and Batman is unable to figure out who the killer is or why they're committing their spree.
  • Legion of Super-heroes (DCT 05)
    • Arriving years later than expected, Supergirl comes to Earth. She struggles, though, to find her own path on the planet, prompting Superman and Batman to send her to the future to train with the Legion of Super-heroes.
  • Justice League: Warworld (DCT 06)
    • Wonder Woman, Batman, and Superman find themselves on new worlds, in new times, with new lives. Can they figure out who they are and find a way home?
  • Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths (DCT 07)

Other Films

  • Batman vs. Dracula
    • Batman is forced to take on not only the scum of Gotham, including Penguin and Joker, but his worst foe yet: the immortal vampire Dracula.
  • Justice League: The New Frontier
    • It's time for a retro adventure as the Justice League goes back to the 1950s era to take on an evil new threat, the Center.
  • Batman: Under the Red Hood
    • Batman is forced to confront someone he thought was long dead as a new crime boss move into town, rattling the tenative stability of Gotham.
  • Batman: Year One
    • Going back to the beginning, we get a retelling of Batman's early start as he begins to protect the city while, on the other side of the law, Jim Gordon attempts to clean up the GCPD.
  • Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
    • Many decades later, Bruce has retired as the Bat and James Gordon is primes to enter his own retirement from the force. But the rise of a new gang, the Mutants, has cast a dark edge across Gotham, and only one man, one bat man, can save the city one last time.
  • Batman: Assault on Arkham
    • When Batman viciously takes a prisoner way from Amanda Waller, she calls in her favorite team of supervillains (forced to work with her due to bombs in their necks): the Suicide Squad.
  • The Lego Batman Movie
    • Batman saves Gotham and goes home to party alone, but both Alfred and Joker have other plans for the plastic caped crusader...
  • Batman: Gotham by Gaslight
    • It's Batman vs. Jack the Ripper, in Victorian era Gotham for a twisty tale of mystery and murder.
  • Batman Ninja
    • A look at the direct-to-DVD DC animated film featuring Batman going back to feudal Japan. This film gets really anime.
  • Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
    • Adapted from the similarly named comics, this animated movie features a team up two unlikely teams, the Batman family and the TMNT, as they're forced to take on the combined forced of Ras Al Ghul and the Shredder. It is also an absolute, goofy delight.
  • Superman: Red Son
    • This Elseworlds tale (based on the comic of the same name) asks what would happen if Superman's ship had crashed into Mother Russia instead of the middle of Kansas.
  • Batman: Soul of the Dragon
    • We venture into the 1970s for a swingin' tale of action, kung fu fighting, and a whole lotta soul.
  • Injustice (2021)
    • Superman suffers a terrible loss and suddenly decides its time to clean up the world, and the Justice League is split over what to do in this gory superhero tale.
  • Teen Titans Go! & DC Super Hero Girls: Mayhem in the Multiverse
    • The teen heronies have to battle a threat to their world from an ancient Kryptonian evil, and also the Teen Titans are here for some reason, in this weak crossover film.
  • Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons
    • Johnathan Kent and Damien Wayne are not the best of friends, but the two will have to team up when a powerful alien being attempts to take over the planet.
  • Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham
    • Batman accidentally unleashes a demonic force and accidentally brings it with him back to Gotham, and then acidentally fails to do anything useful in this pointless movie.
  • Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes and Huntsmen, Part One
    • The Justice League gets sucked into the world of Remnant where they work with the team of RWBY to try and figure out how they got there and why the world seems so wrong.

Other Shows

Other Specials

Video Games:

  • Batman (1986)
    • This game, published by Ocean and developed for a lot of consoles most people didn't play, certainly wasn't bad, but it's aged poorly.
  • Batman: The Caped Crusader
    • Ocean's follow-up title feels more like a traditional superhero video game while still, at the same time, not quite nailing the formula.
  • Batman (1989 PC Game)
    • The third game in a row from Ocean, this one is at least based on the 1989 movie... but it's still not that great in comparison to the NES title.
  • Batman (1989 NES Game)
    • Sunsoft gets the rights to make a Batman game, and they absolutely knock it out of the park with this NES adventure.
  • Batman (1990 Game Boy Game)
    • The Game Boy title inspired by the 1989 movie goes in a different, and far less interesting, direction from the NES title.
  • Batman (1990 Genesis Game)
    • Sunsoft hits the well again for another game inspired by Batman '89, but this time for a much more generic brawler.
  • Batman (1990 PC Engine Game)
    • The final game from Sunsoft to tie in to the 1989 film takes Batman and plunks him down into, of all things, a warmed-over Pac-Man clone.
  • Batman (1990 Arcade Game)
    • The last game to come out based on Tim Burton's 1989 film ends up being a tired (and tiring) beat-em-up without any fresh ideas.
  • Batman: Return of the Joker (1991 NES Game)
    • Batman returns in this decent little NES platformer shooter that, fair or not, doesn't live up to the potential of the origial NES game.
  • Batman: Return of the Joker (1992 Game Boy Game)
    • Batman and the Joker take their feud to the Game Boy for a title that really wants to be the NES original, but fails on two many basic game design fronts.
  • Batman Returns (1992 SMS Game)
    • Sega starts their run adapting Tim Burton's sequel with a solid platformer that brings classic action to the Sega Master System.
  • Batman Returns (1992 Sega CD)
    • Sega moves Batman's adventure over to the 16-bit era, and then expands it on the Sega CD, but the results are less than stellar.
  • Batman Returns (1992 DOS)
    • Konami takes their first swing at a Batman Returns game, developed for DOS, but it's just not very good.
  • Batman Returns (1992 Lynx Game)
    • The Atari Lynx gets its one beat-em-up take on this Batman sequel, but we legitimately wish it hadn't.
  • Batman Returns (1993 NES Game)
    • Batman gets an absolutely fantastic street-level beat-em up on the NES, courtesy of the masters over at Konami.
  • Batman Returns (1993 SNES Game)
    • Konami doubles down with a second beat-em-up based on the Burton sequel, but someone this one doesn't feel as fresh or interesting.
  • Batman Returns (1993 Amiga Game)
    • Konami takes us home with one last game based on Tim Burton's sequel, and, well, it's just another brawling game.
  • Batman: The Animated Series (1993 Game Boy Game)
    • Konami turns its attention to the Game Boy with an adaptation of the Bruce Timm created animated series with this decent little title.
  • The Adventures of Batman & Robin (1994 SNES Game)
    • Konami delivers the goods again with anither fantastic platforming action adventure for the Dark Knight.
  • The Adventures of Batman & Robin (1994 Genesis Game)
    • Sega takes control of the animated series adaptations with a visually stunning, but boring the play, run-and-gun shooter.
  • The Adventures of Batman & Robin (1994 Sega CD Game)
    • Sega takes the Batman Animated Series license and applies it to the driving game play from the Sega CD Batman Returns for a very odd, unofficial sequel.
  • The Adventures of Batman & Robin (1994 Game Gear Game)
    • The final adaptation for the animated series barely feels like it plays with the cartoon's license at all... and also isn't fun to play.
  • Batman Forever (1995 Game)
    • Acclaim brings us a lazy adaptation of a cartoonish movie, one that doesn't even manage to rise to the (low) level of the film its based on.
  • Batman Forever: The Arcade Game
    • Acclaim's other adaptation of the third Batman film is a slight improvement, although not by much.
  • Batman & Robin
    • This last attempt at a Batman game from Acclaim has some nicee ideas, but falls apart due to hardware and execution.
  • Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000 Console Game)
    • This movie tie-in game fails to find the fun in the setting of Batman Beyond, or much fun at all for that matter.
  • Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000 Game Boy Color Game)
    • The portable version of the game fares better than the console edition, even if it's still not a massive gameplay success.
  • Batman: Chaos in Gotham (2001 Game Boy Color Game)
    • Ubisoft attempts another platform brawler for Team Batman and it's... moderately okay.

See Also:

  • Top 10 Movies (2014): A look at our favorite movies dating back to 2014. Batman is one of the many film franchises to make the list.
  • Okay, Wait... What?: At one point DC was looking at putting out Batman v Superman up against Captain America: Civil War. We discuss why this was a stupid idea.
  • Top 10 Movies (2018): An updated look at our favorite films, this time from 2018. Batman, again, gets high honors.
  • Batman and Sex: So apparently DC Comics won't let Batman give Catwoman oral pleasure. He can have sex, and he has, repeatedly, in the comics, but try to depict him after he's given her a lower rubdown and that's a big no-no. We try to determine just what's got DC's panties all in a ruff.
  • DC FanDome 2021: A look at the upcoming projects for DC Comics in 2021 and 2022
  • What Is Going On With the DCEU?: From multiple Batmen to a Musical Joker, the DCEU is in a really weird place.
  • Canceled DCEU Projects: With the death and rebirth of the DCEU actively going on, we take a look back at all the projects that could have been (and likely never will).
  • Top 10 Movies (2024): My list of favorite movies, once again updated after a six year break because, well, more cool stuff has come out.
  • What Film Launched the Modern Superhero Genre? Part 1: We begin a dive into who films shaped the modern superhero on the big screen, and that means going back to when a DC or Marvel hero first got their own movie.
  • What Film Launched the Modern Superhero Genre? Part 4: Continuing our retrospective of superhero cinema, we go to the big dog of the 1980s, Batman, to see how Tim Burton changed the game.
  • What Film Launched the Modern Superhero Genre? Part 5: And then the film that forced Hollywood to rethink all its superhero plans, straight from Joel Schumacher.

Podcasts: