It seems DC is finally leaving the Frank Miller influence behind and instead taking inspiration from Grant Morrison comics, between James Gunn’s take on Superman being inspired by Morrison’s “All-Star Superman” and now this news about “The Brave and the Bold.” Morrison’s run on Batman is one of the best comic runs of the past couple of decades: It’s an epic love letter to the entire history of the character, with Morrison making every era, every story, and every iteration part of the canon. The introduction of Damian forever changed the entire dynamic of the Bat-family, forcing Batman to reckon with his role in the upbringing of his child soldiers. And yet, Damian is also hilarious, and after years of brooding and lonely big-screen versions of Batman, it is welcome news to see him paired up with an annoyed brat.
During DC’s big presentation this week, Gunn also spoke about introducing the Bat-family, a dynamic sorely missed from the movies but essential to Batman, the thing that makes him stand apart as a hero. Any hero can have a sidekick, but it is Batman’s history of taking in surrogate children and helping them overcome trauma, while undergoing some trauma of his own, that makes him unique.
There are lots of ways to make Batman feel different than the approximately 9,348 times we’ve seen him before, but this is arguably the best one. Batman is cool and all, but it is finally time for Robin to rise.
