10 Things Batman Fans Can Look Forward To In 2016
2015 was of course a great year in many ways for Batman fans, but in a lot of ways it mostly felt like a setup for 2016, as many of the biggest Batman things were teases and announcements for what we would see in the coming year. Games, comics, shows and of course movies involving everyone’s favorite caped crusader are all coming your way in 2016, which looks to be the biggest year in Batman’s over seventy year history. We look at ten things any Batman fan should be anticipating in the next year.
Next: #10:....New Justice League Animated Series
#10. New Justice League Animated Series
We learned a few months ago that a new Justice League animated series is coming to Cartoon Network. Annnnd that’s about all we know. We aren’t even 100% sure this will be premiering in 2016, otherwise it might rank a bit higher. But we do know this is coming, most likely premiering sometime in Fall next year.
And guessing by the large number of silhouettes in that picture, it will take a broader approach to the Justice League, much like the excellent Justice League Unlimited, which gave plenty of screen time to lesser known heroes like Hawk & Dove and Vigilante, and made them seem like pretty cool characters.
Whether or not it will be based on any current comics or movie-based continuity is anybody’s guess, but I’m thinking it won’t be tied to anything in particular aside from broad general character traits the heroes have in virtually any incarnation. Either way it’s been about 10 years since we had a Justice League cartoon, so a new one is way overdue.
Next: #9:....San Diego Comic Con
#9. San Diego Comic Con
Granted, EVERY comic book fan should look forward to SDCC, but with Marvel pulling back a bit this past year to focus on their own show, D23, DC had a chance to own the biggest Comic Convention in Northern America, and they pulled it off spectacularly. New Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad trailers (even if that one wasn’t supposed to get out) were easily the talk of the show.
2016 is another chance for DC to completely own SDCC. Sure, Batman v Superman will have opened months ago (although maybe the home video release will be around that time), but Suicide Squad will only be a couple weeks away and it’s obviously a perfect place to show off the first footage of the upcoming Justice League movies out in 2017 (and Wonder Woman!) And I think they kind of have to, as Marvel has not only Guardians of The Galaxy 2, and Thor: Ragnarok, but freaking SPIDER-MAN. If DC doesn’t show up in force at this year’s SDCC, Marvel might easily own 2017, so look for lots of exciting stuff for Batman and DC fans alike.
Next: #8:....Batman Day
#8. Batman Day
The official Batman Day has only really been around a couple years, but after bringing it back again this past year, it was indicated that it would be an annual event. And with both Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad hitting this year, this could easily be he biggest Batman Day yet.
And what does that mean? Well most likely just like this past year some special promotions and sales on all kinds of Batman merch, along with special comics and such to mark the day and an excuse to patronize your local comic shop. Will the be any actual Batman news or new trailers? It sort of depends on how much effort DC/Warner Bros. want to put into this. Odds are we won’t get any earth-shattering news, but there also should be plenty of opportunities for Batfans to have fun and get some great deals on Batman stuff!
Next: #7:....Telltale Batman Game
#7.Telltale Batman Game
Of all the directions Batman games could have gone after Arkham Knight, this is arguably the most surprising. Telltale games are praised for their impactful decision-making and great story-telling, and while it might not be the first developer you think of for tackling a new Batman game, Telltale may be perfect for that more cerebral edge Batman games have been missing. We don’t know the story or format, but Telltale really only does one kind of game, so we can have some idea of what to expect.
Previous Batman games haven’t really tested your mettle as the world’s greatest detective, or explored the life of Bruce Wayne very much. A Telltale game could allow you to experience those in ways no previous Batman game could. Hopefully, this Telltale effort will be something we remember fondly in 2016.
Next: #6:....The Return Of Bruce Wayne As Batman
#6.The Return Of Bruce Wayne As Batman
Bruce Wayne died in his penultimate battle with the Joker in Endgame, but that was hardly the end of Batman. Jim Gordon took up the mantle of Batman almost immediately, and been doing his best to fill in as Gotham’s guardian. Though this was never treated as anything more than a temporary situation.
But some things only the real Batman can handle, and one of those things seem to be the new and powerful enemy known as Mr. Bloom, and it was recently announced that in Batman #50, Bruce Wayne will return as Batman to help Gordon battle Mr. Bloom to help save Gotham. The timing is pretty suspicious, as issue #50 of Batman comes out the same month as Batman v Superman, but it’ll still be awesome to see Bruce Wayne back in his rightful place as Batman in a few short months.
Next: #5:....Gotham Returns From Hiatus
#5.Gotham Returns From Hiatus
I’ll be the first to point out that Gotham’s mid-season finale was pretty disappointing, but the second season overall has been a huge improvement and turned into something most Batfans should want to check out (as long as they aren’t horribly concerned about some arbitrary “sacred” canon that gets retconned in comics every few years anyways).
You had Bruce Wayne’s biggest Batman-esque moment to date, and it’ll be fun to see where he goes from here. Equally interesting will be the continued partnership of Penguin & Riddler as two psychopaths with nothing holding them back. And that’s nothing to say of the classic Batman villains we’ll be introduced to in the back half of season two such as Mr. Freeze, Mad Hatter & Clayface.
And though it was a disappointingly soft episode, the mid-season finale still left us with plenty of interesting questions. Will Gordon face repercussions for killing Theo Galavan in cold blood? What is going on in Indian Hill? Was that Fish Mooney in one those tubes? There’s more than enough dangling threads to keep fans coming back as the show hopefully continues it’s upward trend.
Next: #4:....Batman: Bad Blood
#4. Batman: Bad Blood
Animated Batman films are almost always something to look forward to, as generally speaking, DC animated films are of pretty high quality and Batman: Bad Blood should be no exception, but Batman may not be the main attraction in Bad Blood, as the story is mostly about the fact that he is missing in action and other heroes must not only look for him but pick up the slack in his absence.
But Batman: Bad Blood is going to be historic, as it’s the first time two of the extended members of the Bat-family will appear on screen. We’ve seen Batman and various incarnations of Robin numerous times, but never Batwoman or for that matter Batwing. As these are arguably the two least-known Bat-heroes, this will be a great chance for fans who don’t necessarily follow the comics to get introduced to Kate Kane & Luke Fox. If the characters are well received, we may even see them on the big screen in the near future.
Next: #3:....The Killing Joke Animated Movie
#3.The Killing Joke Animated Movie
Though it hasn’t been without it’s share of controversy, The Killing Joke is one of the most well-received and popular stories of all time. It seems long overdue for a proper movie adaptation of some sort, and we are finally getting that in 2016.
But what might be even more exciting is the prospect of getting the old school Batman animated team of the 90s back together. Mark Hamill who retired from playing the Joker after two decades, will return to give the Joker his iconic voice once more. Kevin Conroy who many consider the definitive voice of Batman, but hasn’t been used much as of late, is also returning to voice the Dark Knight once more. And Bruce Timm, who basically created the DC animated universe, will be on board as an executive producer. Given the dark subject matter, I’d be surprised if The Killing Joke was in the same kid-friendly animation style we are used to from Batman: The Animated series and it’s various spin-offs, but this is sure to be one of the cinematic Batman (or more appropriately Joker, as it’s more his story) highlights of 2016.
Next: #2:....Suicide Squad
#2. Suicide Squad
No, the Suicide Squad movie isn’t about Batman. He is definitely in it, but most likely in some sort of flashback scene. But it’s important in establishing something just as vital-a large portion of Batman’s rogues gallery.
The rumor is that Batman put every member of the Suicide Squad in prison to begin with, and whether or not that’s true, the roster still consists of some of his deadliest enemies. Several of which we will be seeing on screen for the first time. Deadshot, Killer Croc and most imortantly Harley Quinn are all making their big screen debut, and hopefully this will lead to their continued presence in the DC universe for awhile.
And then there’s Jared Leto as the Joker. I’ve said it before, very few doubt the acting abilities of Leto, but whether or not they can overcome the negative attitude towards what some are calling a “Juggalo Joker” based on his new look is yet to be seen. But honestly, given the cast, director and footage we’ve seen so far Suicide Squad could turn out being the best surprise of 2016 just because it’s a little lower profile than most of the other comic book films coming out and could end up just as good or better than the best ones this year.
Next: #1:....Batman v Superman
#1. Batman v Superman
Like anything else could possibly be number one. This is the on-screen debut on Ben Affleck as Batman. The earnest start of the DC movie universe. And the first on-screen pairing (and clash!) of DC’s two most iconic superheroes. Whether or not you think the movie looks good so far based on trailers, this has to be the #1 thing Batman fans are looking forward to checking out in 2016.
I’ve made my thoughts pretty well known. At best I’m cautiously optimistic. Henry Cavill is good as Superman, and I honestly believe Ben Affleck will be a pretty good Batman, but I’m not a big fan of Zack Snyder, and his uneven track record backs me up. 300 was fun but stupid. Watchmen was a visual marvel but was too much of a slave to the source material. Sucker Punch is pretty terrible. And finally, Man of Steel is one of the most divisive comic book films in recent history, which I was not a fan of. But hopefully at worst Batman v Superman will just be a good start to the DC cinematic universe and something every Batman and DC fan will be wanting to check out in 2016.
And that’s the list of a very packed 2016 for Batman fans. Anything we overlooked? Want to talk about any Batman thing in particular you are looking forward to in the coming year? Be sure to let us know in the comments and Happy New Year!