The Batman Review

<p>“I’m Vengeance!” Batman grunts after a barrage of punches to a gang leader while his face painted associates look on in horror, too shocked to help. <em>The Batman</em> takes a different direction than most superhero films - it’s a detective mystery thriller with some of the best shot action sequences of the past decade. Previous Batmen were cautious and did not engage with the enemy until they believed every possible scenario had been considered. Robert Pattinson’s Batman is all about a good puzzle but he’s also the same guy delivering intimidating, loud intros before busting heads. The mix is really fun and makes this take on the character feel like the closest we’ve gotten to the 90s animated series yet.</p><br><p>Gotham City is going through a high crime wave and accusations of corruption are lobbied at public officials (feels like an Evergreen statement in Gotham). In the midst of this chaos, the Riddler murders the mayor and leaves behind a set of clues for his next targets, all of whom are accused of being part of corrupt officials. The Gotham Police Department and Batman actually go through active crime scenes together and there is real tension in the force regarding the vigilante in their midst - “Couldn’t he be the murderer?” they wonder aloud. This is just one of the ways that Gotham as a city lives and breathes is treated as a character, further complicating Batman’s relationship to the city.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><br><p>Thankfully, the other characters like Catwoman, the Penguin, and Commissioner Gordon are depicted well in this film. Gordon particularly stands out because of the mutual respect Batman holds for him: the guy in his foxhole at the police department and who finishes his sentences when he almost has the clue figured out. The relationship works because they need each other. Batman can’t solve the mysteries without Gordon or reach his ultimate realization about centering justice around vengeance.</p><br><p>This week on the Low Key podcast, Aaron Lanton and Keith Dennie are joined by guest extr