Batman & Robin might not have the best reputation, but Batman’s “Joker War” dream for Gotham is eerily similar to the film.
WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Batman #96 by James Tynion IV, Jorge Jimenez, Tomeu Morey, and Clayton Cowles, on sale now.
Out of all the Batman films, Joel Schumacher’s Batman & Robin from 1997 is hardly the most beloved. The overly goofy tone, comical villains, and over-the-top gadgets are only a few aspects that made the film a critical and commercial flop. Despite its shortcomings, Batman & Robin has lived on in pop-culture. Recently, the film has even inspired a few developments in Batman comics.
At the beginning of Batman #96, by James Tynion IV and Jorge Jimenez, the reader is given a look at Gotham City, years in the future. The buildings stand tall and the city is brightly lit by the midday sun. A young man receives a mobile “Bat-signal” on his phone, warning him to clear the way. Batman then flies by on the Batcycle, chasing after Mr. Freeze’s getaway van.
This version of Batman is wearing a bright blue outfit, smirking as he corners Freeze and intercepts his radio communications. Freeze then emerges from his van, along with his sons, Icepop and Sno-Cone, who shoot their freeze guns at the Dark Knight. Yet Batman’s new Batcycle melts through the ice and he incapacitates Freeze and his sons with his “heatarangs.”
This scene is revealed to be a hallucination brought on by the Joker’s new toxin. Still, there are several striking similarities to be found with Batman & Robin here. First, Batman’s new costume is reminiscent of George Clooney’s colorful bat-suits from the movie. The colors are much brighter, opting for a light blue instead of the usual black and gray.
Batman’s gadgets are also much like Schumacher’s take on the Dark Knight’s arsenal. Between the heat-producing Batcycle and the “heatarangs,” Batman’s utility belt is geared up for any situation. Similarly, George Clooney’s Dark Knight was stocked with surprises, including ice skates in his boots and even a bat-credit card.
Mr. Freeze’s presence is also a major callback to Batman & Robin, when Arnold Schwarzenegger portrayed the chilling villain. Freeze’s sinister plot is very much like his master plan from Schumacher’s film, as he is determined to freeze Gotham and begin a new ice age.
More importantly, Freeze retains the goofier traits that Schwarzenegger brought to the role. His sons’ names are Icepop and Sno-Cone, echoing the comical ice-puns from Batman & Robin. One of Freeze’s sons even tells Batman to “chill out,” as he fires his freeze gun.
Gotham is also much grander in scale and design. The buildings are majestic and bright, much like in Schumacher’s vision of Gotham. Batman & Robin depicts Gotham as a radiant city with an epic, classical style to its architecture with neon flair. Both the comic and the film use this grand design to portray a much more well-adjusted version of Gotham.
A major problem with Batman & Robin, however, was its lighter, happier tone. Fans wanted a return to the brooding and darker Batman of the Tim Burton films and the contemporary comics of the ’90s. Although this lighter tone was a setback for Batman & Robin, this happier vision is indeed what Batman wants for Gotham City. In this dream, Batman is smiling, nobody dies, Gotham is visually stunning, and Batman even notes that this is the only time he’s gone out on patrol in the past month.
This happier Gotham is the brighter tomorrow Batman is working towards, yet the journey remains the most exciting part of the story. Batman must struggle in an uphill battle against Gotham’s current darkness. While the Dark Knight may desire a brighter, happier life, many prefer the darker Batman’s exploits. It’s the fight for this brighter tomorrow that truly matters.
Batman and Robin is certainly not the most popular comic book movie. However, some aspects of the film represent the idealized future that Batman strives to achieve.
