Batman: Gotham Knight
Posted on 11th July 2008 by antuan goodwin
I just finished watching the animated anthology, Batman: Gotham Knight. This collection of 6 intertwined animated short films are set between the events of Batman Begins and the upcoming the Dark Knight. The aim is to expand the Batman mythos and give a bit more information about the world of Gotham City.
Some of the films focus on the mystique of the Batman, while others focus more on humanizing him (going as far at times to portray Bruce Wayne/Batman as a flawed and tragic character). Each film focuses on a different facet of the character and has it’s own tone of story and visual style. Each piece is loosely linked to the others, but stands on it’s own. Much in the same way as the Animatrix series of shorts did for the Matrix trilogy. In fact, the only thing the films share is the voice actors, featuring Kevin Conroy’s voice as the Batman.
Click through for my impressions of the individual films:
Have I Got A Story For You
This first film is basically the a group of kids sharing stories of their various encounters with the Batman with a friend. Each one witnesses a piece of a bigger story, but each one sees the evens in very different ways. Specifically, they see the Batman in action as different supernatural creatures.
This is a fun little short that does a pretty good job of conveying the mystique that a theatrical character such as the Batman inspires in those around him.
Crossfire
Crossfire is my least favorite of the shorts contained in this anthology. It’s basically explores the Batman’s relationship with the Gotham City Police. It’s kinda boring and there’s not much that can be said without spoiling the narrative. That being said, the visuals are incredible. There’s an iconic image of the Batman emerging from a raging inferno, enveloped completely in flame. Absolutely epic.
Test Run
Test Run is shows a bit of the lighter side of Bruce Wayne/Batman as he test runs a device developed by Lucius Fox. Interesting Lucius Fox’s character is voiced by a guy who I believe is also the voice of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on a particular episode of the Boondocks. Yep. I just checked and that’s him.
Getting back to the story, this short features Bruce Wayne getting into a little mischief with the device, then ultimately Batman’s test run. This is interesting in that I think it shows how underneath Wayne’s cool exterior, he’s always still doing “Batman” things. However, Test Run is not my favorite short in Gotham Knight, as it suffers from a bit of a lack of purpose.
In Darkness Dwells
I like this one because it’s the only short that features actual super villains. In fact, there are two! I don’t feel like it’s a spoiler to say that Killer Croc and the Scarecrow are featured because that’s explained in the first two minutes of the short.
The story is a pretty standard fare. The Batman locates and beats up the villains. Not much to say here, but there’s some really good action. It’s definitely one of my favorites in the series.
Working Through Pain
This is hands down my favorite of the six shorts. Depicting a gunshot-wounded Batman struggling to escape from a sewer, this short features flashbacks to a young Bruce Wayne first coming to terms with pane, then seeking a way to overcome it.
The reason this film is the most interesting to me is that it really paints the Batman as a tragically flawed character, one who is not just physically wounded by the gunshot, but also emotionally and spiritually wounded by the death of his parents. It does so without resorting to the Batman cliche of showing his parents being shot down, but by exploring the way Wayne chooses to deal with the pain.
The short culminates with a wounded Batman ending up in a pile of garbage, waiting for Alfred to arrive in the Batmobile. He finds a gun in the rubbish while he waits, then another, then another. Horrified, he continues to dig the discarded weapons out of the refuse. Soon his arms are full of the weapons and Alfred arrives. Looking down into the sewer, Alfred asks for the Batman’s hand. Helplessly looking up, his arms full, the Batman replies, “I can’t.”
The moment is so powerful. For the first time, I felt sorry for the Batman and could really see that he’s constantly at war with his internal pain. This is a very real moment from an animated short.
Deadshot
As the last of the shorts in the anthology, I really wish Deadshot were better. Essentially, this narrative focuses on the Batman’s encounter with master marksman/assassin, the titular Deadshot. Deadshot turns out to be quite a weak villain which makes the battle somewhat anticlimactic, but that’s not the worst part. The worst is that the action is book ended by the aforementioned, stereotypical Wayne family gets shot in the alley scene with an unnecessary continued exploration of the Batman’s gun issues. I understand that the villain is gun-based so there’s some credence to the connection, but it just seems a bit trite. Particularly immediately after the sublimely great Working Through Pain.
Overall
Overall, the anthology as a whole is definitely good. While there is some variance in the quality of writing, the visual styles are varied, yet consistently good. Kevin Conroy IS the voice of the Batman, definitively. His solid voice acting helped with establishing a grounded and consistent character of the Batman, even as the world changed so drastically from short to short.
If you’re a longtime fan of the Batman (like I am) or just getting interested in learning a bit more, this is a must watch. However, I don’t know if this is a title you should buy, as I can don’t see this series a one that you’ll repeatedly watch.
