Batman seems to be DC’s most bankable superhero, as they don’t shy away from exploiting him whenever they can. While the live-action versions of the story seem to be in perpetual reboots, the animated features seem to exist in a different world. Oftentimes relying on comic book source material, they seem to be truer to the original vision and the stories they tell have the potential to go places the live-action films have not or at least have not dared to go.
One of the writers that the animated films seem to rely on most is Frank Miller, who has written several volumes that have found their way into direct-to-video production. His Year One was the basis for animated treatment and is in the same continuity as Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, which was originally a four-issue comic book miniseries published in 1986 under the titles: The Dark Knight Returns, The Dark Knight Triumphant, Hunt the Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Falls.
In a somewhat unorthodox adaptation, those four issues were turned into two movies, Part One released on September 25, 2012, and Part Two on January 29, 2013.
When Part One starts, time has passed. Bruce Wayne/Batman (Peter Weller) is now 55 years old and Commissioner Gordon (David Selby) is now 70 and on the verge of retirement. More due to the loss of his latest Robin, Jason Todd, Bruce has retired his Batman persona. As a result of his retirement, the streets of Gotham are no longer safe as a gang, calling themselves The Mutants, is terrorizing the town.
Meanwhile, former District Attorney turned villain Harvey Dent/Two Face (Wade Williams) has been getting treatment at Arkham Asylum for his head from psychologist Bartholomew Wolper (Michael McKean), as well as his disfigured face with plastic surgery from Dr. Herbert Willing (Maurice LaMarche). Even though he looks whole again and is released, Dent disappears and goes back to his criminal ways.
This, along with the memory of his parents' deaths, and the Mutants, prompts Bruce to become Batman once again over the pleas of his loyal manservant, Alfred Pennyworth (Michael Jackson).
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| Carrie Kelley becomes so enamored with Batman that she assumes the persona of Robin. |
Batman makes an immediate impression thwarting assaults, one of which saves the life of Carrie Kelley (Ariel Winter), who becomes so enamored with him that she assumes the persona of Robin.
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| Batman prepares to fight Harvey Dent/Two Face. |
Of the two big threats to Gotham, Batman attacks Dent first. He learns that with two stolen helicopters, Dent plans to destroy a major tower in the city unless he is paid a ransom. But in truth, Dent plans to denotate his two bombs even if the ransom is paid. Batman manages to defeat Dent’s henchmen and disables one bomb by freezing it. The other bomb detonates on one of the helicopters as it tries to retreat.
When Batman captures Dent, he learns that Harvey is mentally unstable and thinks that instead of fixing his disfigured half, the doctors have disfigured the other part of his face.
The reemergence of Batman is met with some skepticism, with some like Dr. Wolper, through psycho-analytical mumbo-jumbo, blaming Batman for creating his own rogues gallery. Others, like Lana Lang (Paget Brewster), the editor of the city’s main newspaper, welcome Batman’s help in trying to clean up Gotham.
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| Batman drives a tank-like Batmobile to meet up with the Mutants. |
With Dent out of the way, Batman turns his attention to The Mutants, which have grown from a gang to the size of a small army. While most of the Mutants are really disaffected teenagers, they are led by a true mutant (Gary Anthony Williams). Learning that they’re meeting at the City Dump, Batman arrives in a tank-like Batmobile which allows him to steamroll through the ranks. Also, there is Carrie in her Robin costume. She uses her gymnastic abilities to overpower several of the Mutants.
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| The Mutants fight back with automatic weapons. |
When the leader calls Batman out and challenges him to fight man-to-man, Batman accepts, but his advanced age puts him at a disadvantage as the obviously younger and stronger Mutant leader seems to get the best of Batman and things look bad before Carrie intervenes and manages to slow the Mutant leader down. Batman manages to subdue him, but he is practically unconscious himself when the battle is over.
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| The leader of the Mutants gets the better of Batman |
Carrie has to help him back to the Batmobile and, over Alfred’s reservations, Batman brings her back to the Batcave. She is to become the next Robin when the time is right and with more training.
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| Robin gets Batman back to the Batcave. |
But first, Batman has Carrie disguise herself like a Mutant and get the word out that the gang is to meet at the pipe, a sewer outlet at the West River. Everyone in the gang acts like they know they should be there for their leader.
Meanwhile, the leader is in jail and, over Commissioner Gordon’s recommendation, the Mayor (Richard Doyle) insists on negotiating with him for a truce. However, the talks don’t last long before the Mayor is killed by the leader.
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| The leader of the Mutants kills the Mayor and then escapes his cell. |
The leader of the Mutants is then surprised to find that his cell is unlocked and he is allowed to escape. He doesn’t realize that the escape route has been fixed for him and it leads him to the Pipe where the Mutants are waiting, as is Batman.
This time, the two do battle in a mud pit, which slows the Leader down and reduces his strength advantage over Batman. Batman manages to overpower and defeat the Mutant leader. Seeing that, the group breaks up into smaller gangs, with some becoming the "Sons of Batman” and become vigilantes. This is all to the chagrin of Commissioner Gordon’s replacement, Commissioner Ellen Yindel (Maria Canals-Barrera), who is not a fan of the Bat.
Meanwhile, television news reports mentioning Batman awaken The Joker (Michael Emerson) from his catatonic state at Arkham Asylum, setting us up for Part 2.
For the most part, the voice acting is really very good, as is the animation. My only issues are really with the story. I don’t know how the Harvey Dent character is handled in the comic book miniseries, but his presence here seems more like padding than adding to the story, the main thrust of which is Batman’s fight with the Mutants.
Batman’s usual rogues gallery of criminals also seems to be more odd than effective, though there seems to be a heist they want to commit, which gives them a purpose, so to speak. The Mutants seem to be a bit over-the-top as well, as only one of them, the leader, who doesn’t get a character name, is the only real mutant, the rest are just followers. They don’t really seem to be an organized crime unit either, more like punk rockers run amok. They do commit crimes, but for the most part they are juvenile delinquent stuff, though there are kidnappings and murders. It’s just that it all seems more random than planned. It’s a criminal enterprise set on creating terror rather than making money.
There is a real 80’s punk rock vibe to the visuals, from the Mutant gang members and their stylized sunglasses to one of the female news anchors with her asymmetrical hairstyle and another who wears a blouse on the air with “All this and brains too” emblazoned across her ample chest.
It should come as no surprise that Part 2 picks up right
where Part 1 ended, with an awakened Joker (Michael Emerson) getting back to
his normal. He is assisted by Dr. Bartholomew Wolper (Michael McKean), who
thinks it is a good idea for The Joker to appear with him on television. Wolper
obviously thinks he’s a better psychoanalyst than he really is.
Meanwhile, President Reagan (Jim Meskimen) brings Superman
(Mark Valley) to the White House to discuss the Batman problem in Gotham. It is
not clear what the President has on Superman, but the superhero doesn’t feel he
has a choice, though he does want to talk first. Clark Kent (Mark Valley) and
Bruce Wayne (Peter Weller) meet, but Bruce is adamant that he will not give up
being Batman.
On top of that, the U.S. and the Soviet Union are battling
over the South American island of Corto Maltese. This is not a Cold War, but a
real battle between the foes.
And, if that wasn’t enough, Commissioner Ellen Yindel (Maria
Canals-Barrera) renews her battle with Batman, calling for his arrest during a
dinner installing her in her new role.
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| Bruno is a topless Nazi robber. |
Before we get to the main storyline, Batman does battle with Bruno (Tress MacNeille), a topless Nazi woman with swastikas over her nipples, who is trying to holdup a convenience store.
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| The Joker makes the most of his time on television. |
Meanwhile, the Joker is scheduled to make his appearance on David Endochrine (Conan O’Brien) along with Dr. Wolper. Batman and his new Robin (Ariel Winter) try to stop his appearance but the police, led by Commissioner Yindel, are lying in wait for him. While Batman fights the police, inside The Joker first kills Dr. Wolper and then unleashes a gas that kills the audience members as well as Endochrine. Joker manages to escape while Batman, wounded, retreats.
Joker goes to see Selina Kyle (Tress MacNeille), formerly
Catwoman, who now runs an escort service. He forces her to use one of her
escorts wearing his special lipstick to take control of a congressional
representative, who calls for a nuclear strike on the Soviets before falling to
his death. This leads Batman to seek out Selina, whom he finds bound in a
Wonder Woman outfit. On the floor, Robin finds
cotton candy, which leads Batman to deduce Joker is at the fairgrounds.
When they arrive, Robin is supposed to lay low, but she can’t
help but get involved. Not only does she thwart an explosion on the roller
coaster track, she accidentally kills one of Joker’s minions, Abner (Townsend
Coleman).
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| Even partially blinded, Joker isn't prepared to surrender. |
Meanwhile, Joker doesn’t go down without a fight, indiscriminately gunning down dozens of patrons while Batman pursues him into the Tunnel of Love. Batman has managed to partially blind Joker but that doesn’t really cause him to pause. The two men finally get down to a fight, in which Joker manages to stab Batman repeatedly before Batman manages to break his neck. Paralyzed but not dead, Joker decides he’ll die happy knowing Batman will be branded a murderer before giving his own neck the final twist.
Yindel and the police arrive on the scene and a severely
wounded Batman puts up a fight. While it seems like his capture is inevitable,
Batman manages to escape with the help of Robin, who uses her gymnastic
abilities to rescue him.
Things in Corto Maltese go well for the U.S. as they manage, with Superman’s help, to defeat the Soviets. However, the Soviets don’t take defeat well and launch a nuclear missile at Corto Maltese, where 50,000 U.S. troops are still stationed.
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| Superman is the worse for wear after diverting a Russian missile. |
Enter Superman, who at the last minute manages to change the
trajectory of the missile, but gets caught up in its explosion. We watch as it looks like he’s been killed, but he holds on. Landing on a deserted island, he seems to recover by drawing
the life force from the vegetation, not a power he was known to have
previously.
This must have been quite a weapon, since not only does it affect the U.S., sending an electric pulse that wipes out the U.S. power grid, it sends the world, we assume, into a nuclear winter. No surprise that there is looting as people in Gotham panic. But Batman rallies himself to go out and lead a coalition of his followers and street gangs to work together to keep the peace. Gotham becomes the safest city in the country as a result.
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| Superman and Batman prepare to fight each other. |
However, the federal government is embarrassed by this and Reagan sends Superman, as well as troops, to Gotham to put Batman down. They agree to meet in Crime Alley, which seems like a bad name for a neighborhood. Despite Superman’s abilities, it seems like Batman fights him to a draw before Oliver Queen, aka Green Arrow (Robin Atkin Downes), who appears to have a personal grudge against Superman, shoots him with a mixture that presumably includes kryptonite.
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| Oliver Queen, aka Green Arrow, apparently has a grudge against Superman. |
But even though he’s down, Superman is not out and, using his X-ray vision, sees that Batman’s heart is malfunctioning. And while he is warning Superman that he can kill him anytime he wants, Batman collapses from a massive heart attack and dies. Superman takes control of the body.
Meanwhile, Alfred (Michael Jackson) has set Wayne Manor to
self-destruct. He dies from a stroke as the manor explodes.
All the world learns that Batman was really Bruce Wayne,
however, with the destruction of Wayne Manor and Pennyworth’s death, all his
secrets have gone up in flames. Also having disappeared is Wayne’s money.
After the funeral, Superman is seen giving Carrie a knowing
wink.
Later, we see a very much alive Bruce Wayne, with Carrie by
his side, leading his coalition of vigilantes as they set up a new Batcave and
he promises to teach them everything he knows.
Like Part One, the voice acting and animation in Part Two
are good and, again, my only issues are with the story.
To begin with, the whole fight with Bruno seems gratuitous at best. No doubt it was seen as pushing the boundaries to have a topless female Nazi villain. Miller seems to like to sexualize as much as he can and even the theft at a convenience store is not off-limits.
The whole issue with Corto Maltese seems a bit much. While I
understand we need the bomb to explode to have the power blackout and the
nuclear winter, I’m not sure one missile blowing up over South America would be
enough to cause the effects the story attributes to it. It would have been more
believable if the missile had been meant for Gotham, but that is not what
happened. The point of this is to show how Batman was able to take control of
an unruly situation and lead to the final confrontation with Superman, however,
I’m not sure the nuclear winter was really necessary to come to that point.
Also, I’m not sure what happened to Superman when the bomb
exploded. It sort of looks like he was really affected, but when next we see him
he seems fine. Again, not sure what his transformation had to do with anything,
which is one of my complaints about the story: filler.
I will admit I don’t know enough about DC lore to know why
Oliver, aka the Green Arrow, has it out for Superman. The film, and I assume the
miniseries it’s based on, assume you do as well, which is not good. The story
should stand on its own, not be dependent on your having prior knowledge from
another source. But Oliver is mad and, even though he only has one arm, is still
quite the marksman.
I have the same issue with the final battle between Batman
and Superman that I had with the movie Batman
v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), whose final battle seems to be very
reminiscent of the one here. In both cases, Superman is defeated, which seems
improbable at best. If Superman has heat vision, couldn’t he simply set Batman
on fire? In this case, we’re led to believe that the final battle is more of a
set up between the two superheroes, though it definitely sounds like Batman is
trying to kill Superman. I guess it’s lucky that he didn’t go too far. Also,
when Superman notices Bruce’s heart acting up, it doesn’t come across as part
of a plan but rather real concern on his part. Was he using X-ray vision and
sounding concerned for others who are watching them? Or was it just to throw
us, as the viewers, off? Somehow it feels like a bit of a cheat.
Speaking of predating events in live-action films, the
Joker’s appearance on a talk show and killing everyone in the room seems to
predict a similar scene in Joker (2019), in which he shoots the host dead on
camera. So, once again, you have to give the film and the miniseries some props
for getting ahead of the rest of the DC Universe.
While I am a fan of animated Batman fare, this is not my
favorite one by far. Batman:
Year One, also based on a Miller book, was better, but neither are as good as
The
Killing Joke, which is based on a book by Alan Moore. That one seemed to
have less filler in the story than Miller’s seem to have. While I liked Batman:
The Dark Knight Returns, I wouldn’t whole-heartedly recommend it. It touches the
required bases of any Batman story, the murder of his parents and a battle with
Joker, but there is a lot of filler and the story seems to take elements from
Watchmen, such as trying to be politically relevant by showing superheroes
interacting with the US Army and Presidents.
If you’re a big fan of Frank Miller, you will no doubt want to see this film. If you’re a fan of animated Batman films, then I would recommend The Killing Joke over this one.
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