The most recent trailer for The Batman, “The Bat and the Cat,” was updated with screens that advertise some of the Batman comics that inspired the movie. Included alongside the three Batman comics is the message, “Get DC Comics & graphic novels at comics shops.”
Although the comic book inspiration behind the vigilante that inspired The Batman was not initially included in the “The Bat and the Cat” trailer, DC Comics and WarnerMedia only recently decided to add the buy now message – but after the video had already accrued 24 million views – but hey, better late than never? Or so the killing joke goes. The three comics featured in the trailer have been cited by The Batman director Matt Reeves as key inspirations for the upcoming movie, which stars Robert Pattinson (The Lighthouse) as Bruce Wayne, aka Batman, and Zoë Kravitz (Big Little Lies) as Salina Kyle, aka Catwoman.
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The Comics That Inspired Matt Reeves
DC Comics/WB
There are three DC Comics that Reeves has said inspired Pattinson-led Dark Knight film. The first is Batman: The Long Halloween by Jeph Loeb, Tim Sale, and Gregory Wright, which sees Batman fulfilling the role of “world’s greatest detective” as he attempts to solve a mystery that lasts from one autumn in Gotham to the next one.
The second comic featured in the trailer is Batman: Ego and Other Tails by Darwyn Cooke, Bill Wray, Sale, Paul Grist, and Matthew Hollingsworth. This volume collects Cooke’s Dark Knight stories in one volume, with Catwoman: Selina’s Big Score, Batman: Gotham Knights #23 and #33, and Solo #1 and #5.
Finally, the third comic included is Batman: Year One by Frank Miller, David Mazzucchelli, Richmond Lewis, and Todd Klein. Written shortly after The Dark Knight Returns, this story re-imagines Batman’s origin in a grim style that matches well with Miller’s previous breakout hit comic about an aging Wayne at the end of his career.
If you’re looking to add all three of the spotlighted comics to your collection, DC Comics will be releasing a very nice slipcase edition that includes all the books, which will be available at your local comic shop beginning on March 22, 2022. As noted by Heidi MacDonald over at Comics Beat, this isn’t the first time that Warner Bros. has plugged comic shops in their advertising material. Back in June 2021, The Suicide Squad trailer included a line at the bottom that said, “Get DC Comics at Comic Shops.” Like The Batman trailer update, it also included an additional advertisement for DC Digital Comics, which are available to read at DC Universe Infinite, the publisher’s online subscription service.
The Batman Hits Theaters March 4th
Warner Bros.
The Batman will also star Andy Serkis (Venom 2) as Alfred Pennyworth, Colin Farrell (The Gentlemen) as Oswald Cobblepot, John Turturro (The Big Lebowski) as Carmine Falcone, Paul Dano (12 Years a Slave) as Edward Nashton, and Jeffrey Wright (What If…?) as GCPD’s James Gordon. The movie was written by Reeves & Peter Craig, and will feature an orchestral score by the Academy Award-winning composer Michael Giacchino (LOST), and Batman himself was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. In spite of the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic, The Batman will open exclusively in theaters on March 4, 2022.
