Credit: DC Comics, Batman
“Holy origin story hell,” Matt Reeves’ Batman film to adapt Frank Miller’s Batman Year One, but do fans really want another origin story?
The DCEU or World’s of DC is buzzing after recent reports suggested that Matt Reeves’ film, The Batman will focus on a classic Frank Miller story, Batman Year One. While Year One does make sense for a reintroduction of the Caped Crusader to the DCEU post-Affleck — it isn’t the only way to go.
In fact, a better option for Reeves’ and the DCEU would be Frank Miller’s All-Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder. The graphic novel wasn’t the hit Year One was, but the base of the story could do wonders for the DCEU. It gives Matt Reeves the ability to explore the beginning of the Batman universe, oppose to a Batman origin, paints Batman in a different light, and allows for some serious creative freedom.
All-Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder is a Frank Miller story that follows the exploits of Bruce trying to avenge the murder of the Grayson’s. While on a date with his girlfriend, Bruce witnesses the murder of the Flying Grayson’s. As the Caped Crusader, he saves their son he subdues the criminal and saves their son, Dick who he takes to the Batcave. With an orphaned 12-year old under his wing, Batman must try to find the person truly responsible for the Grayson murders.
4. All-Star Batman explores the begging of the expanding Batman Universe
It’s a fact, that Batman has a world… a universe, of its own but it’s been decades since fans got to view it on the big screen. Why not give us a movie that sets in motion the other DCEU planned Batman related movies? Comic Book Man, Kevin Smith once said that Batman should be the Star Wars of the DCEU. Every year we should get a Batman-related movie and he’s right.
As it stands, the DCEU is doing that in some way with Nightwing and Batgirl movies in the works. In addition to Cathy Yan’s Birds of Prey and Suicide Squad 2. Nightwing is some years away from being developed so why not introduce the young version in a film? The same goes for Batgirl who is set to get a solo film as well. We already have the existence of the Joker.
In Birds of Prey, we have Harley Quinn, Huntress, The Question and Cassandra Cain — all of them are directly linked to Bruce Wayne somehow. If All-Star is the catalyst for Reeves’ film then we’d be privileged to a film that feels unique. If we get Year One it’s something we’ve already seen before.
3. We don’t need another Bruce Wayne/Batman origin story
Before I get into why, I do understand that the DCEU, Fox’s Gotham, and Chris Nolan’s Batman are different entities. Nevertheless, it all alludes to why we need a fresh story for the DCEU. Year One has served as a catalyst for the two aforementioned deceptions of Batman.
In 2005, Chris Nolan set the standard for what a comic book movie should be with Batman Begins. From there, fans were introduced to The Dark Knight in 2008, and The Dark Knight Rises in 2012. Throughout the duration of the trilogy, there was a glaring aura of Frank Miller’sYear One surrounded the films.
Two years removed from the final entry of Chris Nolan’s trilogy arose the Fox Batman based series, Gotham. Because the series focuses on a young Bruce Wayne we got to see a number of villains and their origins stories.
While they aren’t all comic book accurate the stories still give a sense of where they come from and why they came to be. Likewise, to a much greater extent, we get to witness Bruce Wayne slowly become the hero Gotham needs for him to be. It was an ongoing theme in season three and to some degree season four. Even more so, season five will show us Bruce Wayne taking the next step to becoming Batman, according to ComicBook.com interview with David Mazouz.
"“At the beginning, he’s going to be very concerned with Selina, because we know what happened with her. So that’s going to be a big struggle… But eventually, as we all know, that’s not gonna be enough, and Bruce is going to see that. He’s going to look at people like Penguin, and look at people who are the roots of corruption and the roots of abuses of power and realize that only somebody like Batman can take them down. He’s going to become what he needs to become.”"
We really don’t need yet another Bruce Wayne origin. However, All-Star Batman will give us an origin story of Dick Grayson. No matter how many times Batman has been depicted, one thing we haven’t seen is a true Dick Grayson origin story. We can watch the very early relationship of Dick, Bruce, and Alfred in All-Star Batman.
Credit DC Comics
2. All-Star Batman sees Bruce Wayne in a different light
If Matt Reeves wants to explore the early depths of who Bruce Wayne is, there’s no better story than All-Star. For starters, Reeves could explore the early relationship between Dick Grayson and Bruce Wayne. It will be a unique opportunity for Reeves to give fans a much deserved better look into the Batman and Robin dynamic.
Batsman Forever was a travesty and fans deserve a better depiction of the world’s greatest sidekick. Seeing Bruce Wayne as a big brother or father figure would be interesting. It’ll be something Reeves has done before with War of the Planet of the Apes. We’ll get to see Bruce struggle internally trying to maintain balance, an aspect of their lives Reeves thought they shared.
"“Batman and Caesar grapple with internal struggles in an imperfect world… I see [Batman] as a great opportunity to use the genre to explore something that feels real and grounded.”"
Furthermore, the murder of Dick Grayson’s parents would allow for Reeves’ to tap into the film noir aspect he wanted to explore. The person that murdered the Grayson’s isn’t the mystery it’s the person who hired him. Additionally, Alfred gets a lot of shine as he takes care of Dick and shows his moxy when arguing with Bruce. As Bruce balances taking in this 12-year old orphaned child he’s digging up Why his parents were murdered. Of course, it all leads to the Joker and that alone gives the DCEU the opportunity to explore that battle in another film.
1. Ability to retell an unpopular story
Frank Miller’s All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder wasn’t well received by fans and critics. But that only makes for a greater story to be depicted and retold by Matt Reeves. Of course, there would be some reimagining that needs to take place. All-Star gives Reeves’ the creative freedom to do what he wants. Frank Miller used the Justice League to depict Batman’s actions as extreme.
However, that could easily be Jim Gordon, Harvey Bullock, and Harvey Dent who don’t see eye-to-eye with Batman’s extreme measures. The mystery of who murdered the Grayson’s could drag out making it a larger conspiracy by not having Batman capture Jacko Boy Vanzetti so easily.
There’s an option to feature Selina Kyle as an anti-hero. And use the Penguin has one of the people behind the Grayson’s murder. The movie could even drop a Tim Drake Easter egg by casting the Drake family and gave little Tim take a picture with Dick.
There aren’t any definitive reports about what stage of production Reeves’ film is in. However, if Reeves is, in fact, adopting a Frank Miller story, the best option is All-Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder. After all, do we really need another origin story? It’s time the DCEU give us what we want, Batman and Robin. What do you think? Should Matt Reeves’ film be based on Year One or All-Star?