What's your Batman Reboot?
 

Pretty simple. How would you handle a Batman reboot, from both a stylistc standpoint and a story standpoint?

Style and Portrayal of Gotham and Batman: I'm a post-Crisis Batman fan, so I'm of the opinion we get to see more of Batman as the veteran campaigner and mentor. In this world, Batman's M.O. is justified by the higher caliber and power threshhold of his enemies, who actually do include some straight up heavy hitters. As such, he is usually equipped in "light" gear for tackling more usual threats but a heavy duty Batmobile that hold his heavier arsenal. Batman has a feared reputation in the criminal underworld, which is split between the "freaks" and the "sneaks" (regular criminals, but with a slight edge of ambition and daring since they operate in Gotham). Despite this, the number one nightmare in Gotham is the Joker, who is whisperingly referred to as "the clown" in the same way Batman is "the Bat." Gotham itself is half-gothic landscape and hyper modern fiefdom of technology, with large parts of the metropolitan area insulated and isolated in their culture (Old Gotham vs the East End vs Crime Alley vs. the Narrows vs. the Glades). Each film has a theme in a manner similar to the Batman films, but the overall tone is much more sci-fi.

Plot coming soon.

Re: What's your Batman Reboot?
 

This is very question I was thinking about as I walked home from work today

If I were to reboot I'd start it off with the scene of Bruce Wayne's parents been murdered with a voice over from adult Bruce Wayne. Have him say something about not letting this happen to anyone ever again etc etc with him saying something about justice then the music hits with the title THE BATMAN. I'd have the film be a few months into his career as Batman, he's trying to find Joe Chill and I'd have the main antagonist be the Penguin or the Riddler. The police wouldn't yet be on his side either, he'd be abit of an urban legend but the more he reveals himself the police would go after him. By the end he'd if course find the trust of Gordon but not others like Sgt Bullock. In the film aswell I'd introduce Hugo Strange but not as a major role, just enough if a part so people remember him and he would be the antagonist in a sequel.

If WBs were insistent on linking it to Justice League and wanted Superman to appear with this film been released before JL. I'd have Superman come in for 10-15 mins in the middle of the film, maybe he comes to bring the Batman in but soon realises Batman is on the right side of the law. I'd then have him come back near the end maybe to save Batman from a fall or something (this could be linked by having Batman say he needs a favour from Superman, which is revealed at the end. Then maybe have them speak at the final scene about working together in future, leading into Justice League.

The tone of the film would be like Under the Red Hood very dark but not as 'realistic' as Nolan's Batman but not as fantastical as Burton's Batman. It'd still maintain a realistic look but just have that comic book style to it so that it still has that fun factor.

Characters involved:

Bruce Wayne/Batman
Alfred
Commissioner Gordon
Sgt Bullock
Vicky Vale (love interest - who investigates the Batman sightings)
Hugo Strange (small role)
Edward Nygma/the Riddler
Superman (if they want to link it to Justice League)

Plus others but they'd just be cops etc

Re: What's your Batman Reboot?
 

I'd have the first film taking place over several months with one of the villains tying back to his origin.

I'd have Bruce already beginning to establish himself as a vigilante. Initially, he'd be trying to be a James Bond-ish type. Using his fortune to amass very high tech toys to disguise his identity while he infilitrates gangs and basically performs one man sting operations.

While this would work on a small scale he is barely making a dent in the organised crime of Gotham. This leads him to adopt something more extreme. A symbol of terror, who can operate more freely, more directly, but utilising more clandestine methods. The creation of a modern day myth: The Batman.

As time progresses, Bruce would go up against a foe threatening either him personally or Gotham, as well as another villain who is a familiar face from Bruce's past, from his training. After defeating the villains (as of now, I'm not terribly bothered) along with the help of Jim Gordon. He is begrudgingly trusted, now that this legend has permeated all of Gotham's society. So much so that a signal is unveiled, that no matter how dark the night, there is nowhere to hide, the dark is no longer safe. Batman is everywhere. The idea of Batman is promoted actively to fight the idea of crime.

Across the city we see three boys (one stopping a mugging in a circus, another preventing a store robbery and another foiling a teacher's embezzlement) actively seeing the beacon lit up. All of them being inspired.

Subplots to this first film would be Alfred's pain over feeling he lost Bruce (he would also continually be hounded by insurance companies to declare Bruce dead so they could sell the Wayne possessions). This would be the first flashback. The night Bruce returns.

Bruce would be seen before he leaves Gotham actively hunting down the killer of his parents over a course of years, when he finds the answer unsatisfactory, he is enlightened to the true threats to Gotham. Also, his Sensei would have been killed by someone he openly trusted and disobeyed his master for, solidifying his cold, hard demeanour.

Gordon would be an honest cop, but he has been worn down by Gotham, he just cannot take it much longer, he's on the end of his rope knowing that the rot in the city runs through to the top. He endorses Batman in the GCPD hoping he can do at least some good.

Over the course of a series, Bruce would become more like the Batman of the modern age, with his extensive "family", more like a Batman of Arthurian legend, who raises the standard of the Bat against evil, as opposed to the solitary figure.

The second film would take place several years later and would be about Jason Todd's return from the grave. Dick and Tim would already be established as Nightwing and Robin, respectively. Doctor Simon Hurt would be introduced as someone who Gordon recommends to allow Batman to "grieve". One thing I would love to see transpire would a Knightfall/Teen Titans scene between Tim and Jason. In that Jason just walks right into the house, not being recognised as an enemy, and has the Teen Titans confrontation with Tim, but being far more brutal.

The third film would, given the above, be loosely based upon Batman: RIP, perhaps a little bit of Court of Owls (not called that though)/ Tommy Jr. mixed in.

Re: What's your Batman Reboot?
 

I'm going to add the longer story treatment later today, but here's the summary.

Batman winds up taking on Prof. Strange after the evil doctor is involved in the death of the Flying Graysons, which leads to Bruce taking in Dick Grayson and slowly training him to be Robin. When he figures out that Strange is behind multiple murders and a consolidation of power in the criminal underworld, the Dynamic Duo assault his new headquarters, where one of Strange's test subjects turns out to be Poison Ivy, at full giant-plant controlling power, leading to an epic showdown against one of his strongest foes. Along the way, Cawoman and Vicky Vale serve as fun foils and flirt interests for Bruce and Batman while the Penguin also has a supporting role.

Re: What's your Batman Reboot?
 

Parts 1 & 2. Have fun, if you want to read it.

Re: What's your Batman Reboot?
 

Part 3. Thanks if you read it!

Spoiler!!! Click to Read!:

ACT 3
6 months later, 15 year old Dick Grayson is now in constant radio contact with Batman to help him monitor multiple police bands and their wire tapings, being anxious to take to the field against Bruce’s protests. They have developed an anti-toxin for the pollen toxin, but are finding the neurological steroid has been amped up. More TIGER guards-and even some common thugs- are increasing in strength and brutality at the cost of their overall intelligence.
Meanwhile, Blackgate receives it’s transfer of prisoners from Arkham Asylum, with one prisoner not even being allowed on a Hannibal-like gurney; instead they simply transport a full size coffin into his new room. The mayor, in attendance with Strange, wonders why Strange even wanted “the Clown.” Strange exposits how his theory of Batman’s creator aspect is no where better personified than this inmate. He invites the Mayor, Gordon, and Bullock to observe his first interview with the Joker. Gordon alone insists on staying because he doesn’t trust Strange or the Joker.
Dick Grayson, now formally allowed as Bruce’s ward, is showing considerably better humor since his training, as is Bruce himself. It’s established that they have a sibling-like repartee, including Robin teasing Batman about always letting the new “Catwoman” get away, though Batman insists he has his reasons, with Alfred snarkily saying one of them is probably tight leather and a whip. Dick’s phone goes off and he pulls it up to see that the Batcomputer has finally located a haggard looking Zucco, and that he is under attack from TIGER guards. Bruce immediately suits up, but forbids Dick from coming along, even locking down his costume.
At Blackgate, Joker gets his one big scene in a creepy interview with Strange. Despite being apparently doped to his gills, Joker manages to play Strange like a fiddle, especially by analyzing how he wants to replace the Batman and even suggests that Strange probably imagines running around in his own suit, and parenthetically threatens Gordon’s family even though he’s behind a one way mirror. Strange gets him to relate the events of his creation, though the only consistent bit in each version that he tells is how he winds up falling into acid at Ace Chemicals apparently at the instigation of Batman. Strange cites him as a true example of Batman’s ability to create monsters. Joker asserts that he was not created; he simply is. He had one bad day and became a supervillain. He laughingly states that you never really see it coming.
We visit Poison Ivy’s hospital bed, where she allows one of the guards to kiss her so she can headbutt him. He angrily grabs her for another kiss, only for her to bite him, and he angrily injects her with an overdose of Strange’s neurological toxin. As he walks away he notices a slight feeling of wooziness…
Batman arrives to find Zucco’s hideout already destroyed. He manages to fight his way through Zucco’s few remaining henchmen before the TIGER guards manage to fight their way into the room. When Batman manages to take them out while also protecting Zucco, we see Strange reluctantly order a wide dispersion of the pollen to kill him, telling the Mayor that the vigilante has obviously shown his true colors by protecting Zucco. The Mayor objects, so Strange quietly orders one of his men to take him prisoner.
Batman almost dies in the pollen attack, but Robin arrives to inject him with the anti-toxin, and after some hesitation does the same to Zucco. Zucco, in much worse shape than Batman, passes out, but not before semi-lucidly blaming the Penguin for the Graysons’ deaths.
Back in Poison Ivy’s room, the guard is showing signs of being much worse, and he is so far gone that he doesn’t hear the other guards yelling about how out of control the plants in Ivy’s room have gotten-they can’t even reach her anymore. Suddenly, the plant starts attacking them, crushing them all in a matter of seconds. The sick guard, now almost all gone, just barely manages to raise his gone when a giant flower opens in front of him, revealing the fully transformed Poison Ivy, whose body has in conjunction with the plant retrofitted the neurovirus to bond her to her plants and mutate them into powerful and mobile monstrosities. She teasingly tells him he was poisoned by her “kiss” and finishes him off with quite a painful looking repeat. She calls him “stupid meat” and leaves to find Strange.
Gordon and the cops show up to help Batman out of the wreckage, revealing how Strange has kidnapped the Mayor and being surprised at Robin. Batman tells Robin to make sure Zucco goes to jail safely, then takes off for Penguin. He arrives to question Penguin, who somewhat nonchalantly is taking cover in his private bunker and reveals that Strange had Zucco sabotage the lines to punish Penguin (through bad publicity and setting his base crawling with cops) for failing to provide him with man power for Blackgate.
Batman’s comm. System begins buzzing with the reveal that Gordon’s men are taking heavy casualties and even being captured by TIGER guards at Blackgate, then Robin reports that a giant plant monster is attacking city hall with a weird woman shouting about how she’s going to see to it the whole city burns for destroying plants.
Robin engages Poison Ivy while Batman tries to save the cops, evacuate the prison, and get inside Strange’s stronghold. It quickly becomes clear they are both outmatched by their opponents despite their gadgets. Robin tells Batman he has an idea and manages to enrage Ivy by killing some of her plants with his anti-toxin, then gets in the Batmobile and leads an angry Ivy on a chase that leads them to Blackgate , where she realizes Strange is holed up in and immediately begins attacking it, allowing Batman to get inside and leading to a massive battle. Strange and Batman briefly engage with Strange getting his butt kicked but managing to have his monstrous TIGER guards overpower Batman, and takes off Batman’s mask.
Distracted by all the implications of who and what Batman being Bruce Wayne means for his enemy, an ecstatically fascinated Strange ends up being pulled away by Poison Ivy’s plants, and she feeds him to one of her plants, though we can still see him struggling through the plant’s sides. When she turns her attention back to Batman, she seductively approaches him with a Cheshire grin, clearly setting him up to be killed by her kiss while he quietly taps something on his gauntlet computer to Robin, who opens up a valve while closing another, so that when she “cutely” asks him what he’s doing he tells her to smell the air. She screams when she realizes its gas, and Batman lights a match, setting the whole place ablaze. While she tries to finish him off with her burning plants, Robin shows up , and they manage to double team her enough for Batman to reach her and knock her out. Batman and Robin emerge from the inferno, carrying Ivy out wrapped in Batman’s cape to protect her from the flames.
Our last scene shows Batman and Robin talking to Gordon atop the police station about how Strange’s body wasn’t found-and neither was the Joker, though his cell was melted around him, so there might not actually be a body to find. They prepare for a night out, with Robin catching a glimpse of, and being seen by, Barbara Gordon. When Gordon tells Robin to dream on and Batman chastises him for being distracted on the job, Robin says his girlfriend is calling when a report comes over their comms that Catwoman has been spotted making off with Cobblepott’s money.
We end on a short scene showing them chasing her down while she says “This should be fun!”

Re: What's your Batman Reboot?
 

I like it. I mean it seems to have been fairly well thought out, but there doesn't seem to be a consistent focus, and using so many villains that are all divergent from each other apart from their link to Strange seems unnecessary. Perhaps you had to omit portions too, from character limit or whatever, but it seems too "bright". As in it seems as if it doesn't focus too heavily on the repercussions of Dick becoming Robin, for example.

Re: What's your Batman Reboot?
 

Not going to lie, I wrote that all down once without any real review and I wasn't focused all that much on this story as much as my goals-I wanted to cover Dick becoming Robin, have a mastermind style bad-guy like Strange as the main antagonist, build up poison Ivy as a high level meta to help Bat's credentials, and establish Catwoman as both a flirtatious repeat offender and Batman's favorite past-time.

And all that is because my next ideas end up including the other three main Robins, making Catwoman a major supporting cast member, and building the whole Batfamily up for an awesome battle royale between the united Gotham Knights and the slightly more powerful Al Ghul family to contrast true familial loyalty versus Ra's's corrupt legacy.

So I might have bit off a lot more than I could chew, but I had fun writing it, and I hope whoever handles the reboot errs on the side of overly ambitious versus cautious.

Re: What's your Batman Reboot?
 

I want a Batman Beyond movie at some point.

Re: What's your Batman Reboot?
 

Batman beyond

Re: What's your Batman Reboot?
 

No Man's Land
The Long Halloween
Hush
Batman Beyond

Or an adaption based on the Arkham games(It'd be like Raid or Dredd But with Batman characters)

Re: What's your Batman Reboot?
 

My reboot would be a live action entire course lay out of the new 52 crossed with year one. I would lay out significant characters beginnings all in this movie while doing my best to stray away from one rouges gallery character taking center stage. Basically, a cameo collage where I could make sure my series could go in 1000 different directions while keeping fans hungry and on the edge of their seat waiting for the next movie.

Setting would be the 1940s/steam punk style/world of tomorrow best portrayed in TAS. Ex: tommy guns and 1940-1960ish cars, but Batman also uses a bat plane.

Act one would be the Crime Alley murder of Bruce Wayne's parents by Joe Chill, desperate because he owes the Cobblepot family money. At the police station, Officer James Gordon consoles young Bruce, asks if he has any close family. At Wayne funeral, Gotham socialite families such as the Elliots and Sionsis' attend for appearances and support. As a nod, Simon Trent star of the Gray Ghost also attends. Alfred accepts responsibility as caretaker while quitting work for Cobblepot family.

Second act would be a preteen to teenage Bruce Wayne landing in France to attend boarding school. While there he rivals with another student, Morgan DuCard which results in a fight after class. Morgan tells his father Henri who instead of punishing his son for weakness, tells Morgan to invite Bruce over for dinner to offer him education beyond the confines of a classroom. Bruce begins his training with four other students: Morgan Ducard, Jean-Paul Valley, Slade Wilson and Thalia Al-Ghul. Bruce vows to continue his training after Thalia's father and Henri's mentor Ra's Al-Ghul says he senses great power in Bruce. Act two would end about one hour into the movie.

Bruce returns to Gotham, freshly a college graduate (Internet fans think roughly Armmie Hammer age) to see Gotham in despair. Gotham police are corrupt answering to the Falcone or Maroni families. Alarmed at the amount of crime in the city, Bruce goes back to the Gotham precinct to an uncaring clerk officer until he and Alfred are recognized by Lt. James Gordon who is in between interviewing child-witnesses one who was taken into custody after his drug addict mother abandoned him while the two were robbing a grocery store and just before officers escort a child who's parents were gunned down in front of him while they were robbing a bank. Gordon tells Bruce and Alfred to move away from Gotham once Bruce inherits and assumes control of Wayne enterprises, perhaps relocating the business to Metropolis or revolutionary Star city. Bruce tells Alfred he's had enough of tragedy and crime in Gotham and plans to bring it all to an end. (Child one = Jason Todd, child two = Prometheus)

Act three has Bruce prowling in all black to find the epicenter of corruption. Deep in Gothams south east corridor where most prostitution and drug trade occurs, Bruce leaps to the rescue of a hooker who is being beaten by her pimp/dealer. She in return slaps Bruce saying she's doesn't need help from a guy wearing a "cat burglar Halloween costume". They go back in forth Bruce saying her get punched and kicked defense was working out well and why he should be afraid of who some lowlife pimp works for. Her tone immediately changes to fear saying that was one of Carmine Falcones Lieutenants, known only as "The Red Hood" known for his brutal nature, classic dress, and always leaving a trail of blood behind him. Just before Bruce can get out his second question to the prostitute, he is shot by Gotham police without warning. Before police can unmask the severely wounded Bruce, the prostitute breaks a bottle over one officers head and stabs the other officer with the rest of the shattered bottle. Bruce escapes before the prostitute is asked by other girls "who was that Selina?". Selina Kyle then says she doesn't know who he was but he gave her a great idea and proved she can get out of this life.

Flash forward several months after recovery, new protective armor designs after tactical failures, Bruce is now Batman, the mysterious figure in the night who seems to be single handedly destroying the territories of organized crime bosses, who have yet to figure out Batman is only beating up criminals, stopping drug trades and leaving them for police all in Lt. Gordon's district knowing he's the only precint who is not linked to the Falcone or Maroni families. Money drop offs and family heads homes being stolen are hits from Selina Kyle now being Catwoman using the guise of Batman being in two places at once as cover. Selina beats up several of Falcones men in his home including Red Hood who laughs when she threatens to kill him. He says she would make a better boss than Falcone since he wastes too much time making people suffer. Asking what he means, Hood admits how he had a hand in making Brian Kyle suffer for years routinelu making him watch Falcone, and most recently himself make Brian Kyle watch them have sex with Kyles wife when he couldn't pay his debt. Enraged Selina begins to beat Falcone even taking off her gloves and clawing his face and gouging his eyes. Batman comes in to stop her before reinforcements arrive.

Bruce attends a hearing where Falcone is to be on trial with several of Maroni's men in attendance. Bruce meets with Gordan, noticing Selina is also in attendance, her clothes and appearance vastly upgraded. Bruce asks Gordon if its a good idea to have so many powerful criminals under one roof, but Gordon says he is ready to lock Falcone away forever thanks to Batmans calculated hits to both families when district attorney Harvey Dent interrupts them by saying Falcone and he have a plea bargain where he will serve on 5 years of his lifetime sentence in either Keystone or Dakota city after he gives up several names all linked to organized crime including the Sionsis family's investment banker Warren White, Maroni, the Cobblepots and other known Gotham families including the police commissioner. Chaos ensues after a witness who works at the ace chemicals plant takes the stand to testify that Maroni uses the plant as a front for drug trafficking, the baliff throws acid in Dents face and shoots Falcone, and the witness, Red Hood emerges from the crowd and shoots the baliff, judge, and Maroni who is also in attendance. Bruce chases after Falcone's hitman who escapes the courtroom and steals a motorcycle. Batman chases Red Hood down to the Ace chemicals plant where Red Hood loses control and crashes through a window after going over a ramp. Panicked and too scared to get caught, R.H. doesn't bother removing his motorcycle helmet shooting at Batman while fleeing through the plant. Batman throws a metal shard from the wreckage closely resembling a batarang, causing the gun to malfunction and explode into Hood's eyes. Red Hood stumbles backward, the helmet visor snapping down after he falls over the railing. Police arrive and Batman escapes.

Batman meets Gordon on top of the GCPD to give a wrap of the movie's events. Catwoman is still crippling the crime bosses financially, Warren White pleaded insanity from the events in court and was assigned treatment and therapy at Arkham Asylum by Dr. Jonathan Crane whom Batman disapproves due to his suspected mob ties, but Gordon says Dr. Hugo Strange is over seeing all rehabilitations at the Asylum. Speaking of doctors, Batman asks what happened to the only other survivors of the courtroom massacre albeit horribly disfigured. Gordon says Red Hood was treated at Gotham hospital by Dr. Thomas Elliott but will likely be sent to Arkham as well since all he does is laugh and Harvey Dent has gone missing after stabbing a nurse. Gordon says he can't win the fight in Gotham alone, and Batman says to call him when he's needed. Gordon asks how, Batman turns on the bat signal which particularly catches the attention of three young boys: one who's a circus acrobat, the boy who's mother left him at the police station, and a young African American boy who pushes his fathers wheel chair over to the window and says "see dad! I told you he's real!" To which his dad wipes his glasses and says "well what do you know, I guess you're right Tim."