Batman – White Knight: A promising universe for DC
Image by DC Comics/Art by Sean Murphy Batman
Batman: White Knight will see a comic sequel next year. Creator Sean Murphy may have the beginning of a promising non-canon Batman universe. Spoilers ahead for Batman: White Knight.
On Wednesday, DC Daily interviewed Sean Murphy, who is the creator/writer/artist of Batman: White Knight. Having only read White Knight myself a few weeks ago, I was excited to hear about his plans for the sequels, which will include 2019’s Batman: Curse of the White Knight. During the interview, Murphy shared the following about his new Batman universe:
"“My thing seems to be reinventing villains to make them somewhat compassionate, so that even the reader is rooting for Batman to lose in a way.”"
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What was most intriguing about the White Knight universe (which can also be dubbed the Murphy-verse) is how closely it related to one particular Dark Knight universe: the Timm-verse. This is the universe created by Bruce Timm, who oversaw the animated universes of Batman: The Animated Series (BTAS), Superman: The Animated Series, Justice League, Justice League Unlimited, and Batman Beyond.
This interconnected animated universe is mostly known for its Bruce Wayne/Batman, who was voiced by Kevin Conroy. Most people reading comics can hear Conroy’s Batman in their head, along with Mark Hamill’s top-notch voicing of the Joker. With White Knight, these were the only voices that I heard as I read along.
Murphy’s universe feels like a continuation of the animated universes. Not to say it isn’t original. The story about Joker going straight and Batman being weary of his intentions is smartly executed. Which is another argument for it fitting into the Timm-verse, which was known for its excellent writing.
The Murphy-verse villains in particular are very much in the vein of the Timm-Verse. Bruce Timm’s villains were known for having narratives and motivations that went well beyond ruling the world or making a quick buck. There was always some kind of damage or trauma that starts them down the road of crime. They can easily end up robbing banks or wanting to destroy Gotham, but it all begins with someone that suffers some kind of great loss. These characters are more three dimensional, and hence the line between good and evil becomes fuzzier.
Two of the biggest factors for the connection between Murphy and Timm’s takes are the interesting inclusion of Jason Todd and the handling of Harley Quinn.