The Batman: 10 Best Pieces Of Fan Art On Reddit
Amelia Brooks Matt Reeves's The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson in the titular role, has inspired fans to create pieces of fan art and share them on Reddit.
With the announcement that Robert Pattinson's Bruce Wayne will once again be prowling Gotham's rain-soaked streets in The Batman sequel, it's a perfect time for Redditors to celebrate with a variety of fan art. Set during the second year Bruce Wayne donned the cape and cowl, with a rough batsuit, unpolished moves, and a Gotham that is rotting under corruption, Matt Reeves's The Batman has a unique aesthetic that sets itself apart in the Caped Crusader's franchise.
As distinct as Batman is, so too are his allies and enemies. Catwoman is a vengeful antihero far from being the gamine thief she is in later years, and The Penguin, a bulbous second lieutenant to Carmine Falcone, has not yet assumed control of his criminal empire. The rich world Reeves has created offers myriad ways for Redditors to add to The Batman legacy with their own unique fan art.
The Batman Takes Flight
Pattinson's Batman took punches, didn't always stick the landing with his grappling hook, and convincingly showed a crime fighter in the early stages of his career, bloodied and bruised but still fighting. It made fans all the more willing to root for him when they caught glimpses of the superhero he would one day become.
This piece posted by Zealousideal_Way_165 evokes a powerful Batman high above Gotham City, surrounded by a swarm of bats, looking confident and determined, as though he dares the viewer to doubt him. Is this the next evolution of Batman? Only the sequel and time will tell.
Bruce Wayne In The Rain
Some Batman fans were unaccustomed to seeing a young and despondent Bruce Wayne shying away from public appearances, visibly uncomfortable on the rare occasions he attended them as a representative of Wayne Industries. Pattinson's socially awkward Wayne was a long way off from the charming philanthropist necessitated by his double-life as a crime fighter.
GracieWart not only captures the melancholy aspect of the struggling Wayne, but also the great noir tropes found in The Batman; the falling rain, moody lighting, and, with the presence of Riddler and Catwoman in the background, the omnipresent feeling of dread.
The Batman Players
As the film mostly focused on Batman being the World's Greatest Detective, great care and detail went into making The Batman feel like a mystery, with fans following along with Batman as he untangled the web woven by The Riddler, The Penguin, Catwoman, and Carmine Falcone.
In this piece of fan art, Lodgiko uses movie poster composition to great effect, bringing in all The Batman characters on a backdrop of evidence from Batman's investigation, from Riddler's darkroom to various newspaper clippings of the arson of Wayne Manor to maps of Gotham City.
The Car Scene
One of the most exciting action sequences in The Batman involves an adrenaline-pumping car chase through the streets of Gotham City as Batman pursues The Penguin. Penguin thinks he's killed The Bat when he sees the Batmobile engulfed in an explosion, only for his silhouette to be seen against a wall of fire, a harbinger of doom slowly trudging towards his enemy's car.
Kimbulabanis captures the very moment when Batman strides out from the flames, no longer seen as an inexperienced young man in a costume but a deathdealer to the villains of Gotham. It's easy to believe that when the light hits the sky for this Batman, "it's not just a call. It's a warning."
The Joker
The Batman chose not to focus on the Dark Knight's arch-nemesis, instead revealing at the end of the movie that The Joker was already locked away in Arkham. In a deleted scene, fans got to see Batman interrogate him for information about The Riddler, though much of his face was blurred.
Loganmichoalphilips has meticulously recreated what The Joker might have looked like had fans gotten a clear view, and the result is the stuff of murky nightmares. While his signature grin is present, wild eyes, disheveled hair, and pancake makeup finish the look of this potential villain for The Batman sequel.
The Riddler
The power of Batman lies in his anonymity, and so too, did The Riddler's, until he was unmasked in the movie's finale. With his serial killer-like pathologies lifted from Calendar Man and the Zodiac Killer and his self-righteous sociopathy recognized by Gordon, The Riddler was a mesmerizing foe, and Paul Dano cemented himself as one of the best Riddler actors.
Here, raamimaleks has carefully recreated the diner scene when Riddler is put into handcuffs, and his face is finally revealed to be eerily not dissimilar to a hundred thousand similar faces across the country, all waiting for their moment to strike out against perceived injustices.
The Batman Is A Bike Man
One of the most interesting things about The Batman is that Bruce Wayne uses his motorcycle to do nightly reconnaissance, and only actually rides as Batman in his final meeting with Catwoman. The pair ride in tandem to the outskirts of Gotham, where she departs to pursue a different life and he returns to fulfill his promise as the city's defender.
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This piece of fan art by Ryan Smallman (who would later be drafted to create licensed Batman artwork for Warner/DC) and posted by gaitanapg10 shows Batman on his Batcycle, which is a beast cobbled together from many parts; a back end of a Ducati, the front end of a Harley-Davidson FL Softtail, the upside-down forks from a Fat Bob. It's the project bike of a young man still finding his bearings, shown here as wild and unpredictable as The Bat himself.
The Batman Aflame
Filmed mostly at night in muted shades, The Batman's palette seemed to evoke the vacuum of light found in the orphaned Bruce Wayne, the troubled Riddler, and even the heart of Gotham City. The only examples of brightness came in trials by fire, during Batman's explosive car chase with The Penguin, and in the final scenes, when Batman's flare cast a beacon in the darkness.
The Batman is one of the darkest Batman movies ever, but jappylemon has made the Dark Knight glow using Procreate and True Grit brushes. Here, engulfed in flame, he is a symbol of terror for his enemies, hope for his allies, and rebirth for himself.
Bruce Wayne In Wayne Manor
The Batman might not have the best Batcave (it's in a train station), but its Wayne Manor (actually Wayne Tower) is a kaleidoscopic gothic fortress. Like the prodigal son stalking Byzantine hallways and parapets, Bruce Wayne must learn to preside over his inherited domain without the comforts of childhood around him.
In this portrait by William Gray, posted by criesforcolour, Bruce Wayne is seen standing in the former Wayne Manor, a painting of his parents behind him, and a bust beside his right arm. Clearly an homage to prior Caped Crusaders, this bust can be seen in the '60s Batman television series starring Adam West, used to gain entrance to the Batcave. It's a beautiful look at what Wayne might have looked like if tragedy hadn't struck his home.
Vengeance
Reeves' movie definitely has a gritty aesthetic, and the color red dominates all of The Batman's marketing. Red often represents passion, anger, and in Batman's case, vengeance. Perhaps each movie in Reeves' planned trilogy will have a different color, with the next sequel possibly even choosing blue as a symbol of hope and Batman's metamorphosis.
Looking at the crisp lines of this fan art from Panos_Stamo entitled "Vengeance," fans can almost hear Michael Giacchino's soundtrack from The Batman put through a synthesizer. Reminiscent of Patrick Nagel's high contrast, visually minimalist style from the '80s and artwork from Batman: The Animated Series, the piece is wonderfully brutal and stylish, just like the movie and character it's based on.
NEXT: 8 Fan Theories For The Sequels Or Spin-Offs, According To Reddit