Tag Archives: Batman

‘Batman: Unburied’ Review: An auditory adventure through Gotham City

Audio drama is one of the most unique styles of entertainment. It is one of the only ways of telling stories which relies on only one of the senses. It shows how much we rely on sound and audio to be entertained and to be told a gripping story. Batman: Unburied is the first in a series of audio dramas on Spotify set in the DC comics universe. This isn’t just a story of Batman being read off a page; it is a living, breathing story with a musical score, sound effects and some compelling voice acting. Much like reading a book however, the lack of visual components allows the listener to picture the story in their mind; relying on the sounds of Gotham City and what the character’s interactions would sound like. For me, it does this very effectively, I felt as if I was watching the story unfold in my head. The story itself explores the fractured psyche of Bruce Wayne, specifically where Bruce Wayne ends and Batman begins (no pun intended).

Winston Duke stars as the caped crusader as he unravels the mystery behind a series of gruesome murders committed by a man known only as ‘The Harvester’. Interestingly, Batman is absent for a while in the story, the first few episodes focusing on the more innocent side of Bruce Wayne. The story begins with Bruce working as a forensic pathologist in Gotham Hospital with his still-living father Thomas. We get a glimpse into what Bruce’s life would be like if his parents had not been shot down on that fateful night, as he initially has no memory of Batman. This is where Duke’s voice performance shines; he gives us a more sensitive, human side to Bruce that we haven’t really seen before in other mainstream media. He shows the comfort and care Bruce finds with still having his parents around in adulthood, yet still portrays his slightly unhinged side as the story unfolds (although I won’t deny his Batman voice does take some getting used to). I also never would’ve imagined Lucius Malfoy himself, Jason Isaacs, would be such a good Alfred; providing that British charisma which is so synonymous with the character. Hasan Minhaj also provides a seemingly more innocent yet charismatic portrayal of the Riddler, as he is forced to help Barbara Gordon (Gina Rodriguez) uncover the mystery of the Harvester with no signs of the world’s greatest detective.

The series frequently reminded me of the 90s Batman animated series in its tone and nods to the extended Batman mythos. This Gotham feels like that more animated, slightly supernatural city that we’ve had in the series and the Batman Arkham games. One of my favourite aspects of the series was its exploration of the dual identity of Bruce Wayne and Batman. Why does Bruce put on the cape and cowl every night? Does he do it for the memory of his parents? Or is there another, more profound reason? Moreover, how does much of a mental toll does being Batman take on this sensitive, naive version of Bruce Wayne? The fact that the series opens with a completely different angle on the story of Bruce Wayne provides enough intrigue to get listeners interested and keep that interest going. This isn’t just a story of Batman; it’s a murder mystery, a psychological thriller and almost a supernatural fantasy at some points. It’s a story that can be enjoyed by non-Batman fans, but Batman fans will appreciate the nods to the wider universe and its various surprises along the way. It doesn’t just divulge into Bruce Wayne, it divulges into certain other characters from the Batman universe which gives them a level of depth and intrigue which we’ve never seen before in mainstream media.

‘The Batman’ is everything Batman should be and more

Ever since the dawn of cinema, filmmakers have continually utilised the power of using ‘the’ in their film titles. Especially in horror, films such as The Shining, The Thing, The Exorcist, The Birds, all use ‘The’ in their titles to creating an ominous feeling of dread; something that overshadows everything and incites fear of the subject in the title. A simple but effective technique which director Matt Reeves uses in his new take on Batman. This film encompasses the title of ‘The Batman‘ by creating a dark, gritty Gotham city in which there lurks a force to be reckoned with. A force whose past trauma has led him to practically abandon his every day life and dedicate himself to a symbol. A symbol which targets Gotham’s corrupt and strikes fear into the hearts of criminals. This symbol is – The Batman.

Everything about this film encompasses what it means to be Batman. From Michael Giacchino’s chilling yet epic new Batman theme, to the stunning wide shots of Gotham’s skyline at dawn. The film provides not only a fresh take on the caped crusader himself, but also the storyline and world he is placed in. In The Batman, the titular character must follow a murderous trail left by the Riddler whilst becoming entangled with a variety of other characters such as Selina Kyle and ‘Penguin’. The Gotham City in The Batman felt more dirty and unkept than any other iteration so far, which is exactly the type of setting such dark characters would believably spawn from. It feels like a city run by it’s criminals who are haunted by a vengeful vigilante known only as ‘The Batman’. The scene in which you first see Batman himself genuinely felt like something out of a horror film. The way the camera shots linger when he is on screen and the colours of the scene around him only add to his intimidation and how he is truly perceived as a monster by criminals. Interestingly, the film focuses on Bruce Wayne’s fractured psyche, as Reeves practically abandons Bruce Wayne’s playboy billionaire persona and instead presents a more unnerving, unhinged Batman, and a much more antisocial, reclusive Bruce Wayne. Both Robert Pattinson’s Batman and Bruce Wayne are men of few words, mostly keeping their human interactions minimal as they learn to traverse their way through Gotham’s criminal underbelly. Even Wayne Manor looks more like Dracula’s castle than the abode of a playboy billionaire, and I appreciated one moment in particular which showed how Bruce Wayne doesn’t tend to go out during the day.

The film also shows off an excellent variety of supporting characters. Every scene with Paul Dano’s Riddler was chilling, and left the cinema in absolute silence. Dano effectively managed to balance the unnerving campiness of the classic Batman villain whilst adding an almost serial killer eeriness. This really suited not only the setting of the film, but also gave a realistic portrayal of the characters as if he was a real person in the 21st century. Zoë Kravitz’s Selina Kyle was also a blend of the classic character with a realistically updated portrayal. She almost acted as Batman’s darker side (as if he could even have one), more at the mercy of her base impulses yet rooted from similar trauma to the caped crusader himself. As such, her relationship with Batman was one of the most intriguing aspects of the film; going from two self-serving individuals who happen to cross paths to two people whose shared trauma and reclusiveness naturally draw them towards each other. The other supporting cast members only helped to encapsulate the unclean feeling of Gotham City in the film. Jeffery Wright’s Jim Gordon makes you feel as if he has the entire weight of the Gotham police on his shoulders. He is constantly being told not to associate with the vigilante, yet he still knows full well that the Batman may be the only one capable of stopping the Riddler. Colin Farrell’s portrayal of Penguin was also more of a realistic mobster than the classic bird-brained villain. The use of prosthetics to make Colin Farrell almost unrecognisable made the character look like a real mobster who would plague the criminal underworld, which I really appreciated.

DC comics have really struggled to find their footing in cinema over the past decade. The company went from creating an extended universe of films to standalone films as we started to lose count of how many times we’d seen Bruce Wayne’s parents get shot on screen. Nonetheless, it is good to see such an iconic character receive the modern day treatment he deserves. I understand this iteration of the character may not be for everyone, since the film is quite slow and deliberate with a 3-hour runtime. On the other hand, in a world full of face-paced, energetic superhero films, it’s nice to have something which takes its time and has clear thought put into its characters and plot. The Batman reminded me a lot of the final season of Marvel’s Daredevil series. It shows how loss and trauma manifests itself into vigilantism; how a man can take every possible measure to overcome it and prevent anyone else from having the same experience. By doing this, they may isolate from society and become dedicated to an ideal bigger than themselves; which is reflected not only in the Batman, but in the Riddler too. The Batman is a classic comic book tale of one man fighting not only a battle against crime, but a battle within himself. The film left me very hopeful at the prospect of seeing more of Pattinson’s Batman in Reeves’s gritty iteration of Gotham City.

Robert is that you?