Like Superman, there's no exact moment where Bruce Wayne becomes Batman. The origin story of the character takes 20-something years. So rather than trying to run the entire span of time and hopefully get Bruce in the bat costume by Act III, I figured I'd start the film with him already Batman and hook the story on another milestone in his crime fighting career: his first meeting with future-sidekick Dick Grayson.
The comics have gone back and forth on the concept, but one idea that could make this work is to have Bruce be acting as Batman for a couple years before the story starts, but only as an urban legend. Then by introducing Robin, we get a chance to visit Batman's origin and see it through the eyes of someone going through the same struggle.
My villain of choice is the Black Mask, a fairly recent addition to the Batman mythos, his efforts to drown Gotham in a crime wave combined with his childhood as a member of the wealthy elite makes him a good foe for Bruce Wayne and a viable contender for someone who'd try to assassinate a circus kid who was at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Until now, Batman has only faced off against normal thugs and hoodlums, but Black Mask takes a little inspiration from the cowled crusader and invokes the power of masks. Invoking the Iroquois tradition of the False Face Society, he uses masks to bind crooks to him and expand his power base until he's ready to assume full control.
So thematically, our main story and B story deal with the blossoming role of masked heroes in our newborn DC Universe and delve a bit into -why- Bruce Wayne does what he does in the form of the "vengeance vs justice" arguments. He starts off a little obsessed, but being able to see himself from the outside in the form of Dick Grayson, he realizes the difference between the two goals.
So let's begin -
Act I
A police raid on an arms deal goes south when a handful of heavily-armed and strangely masked enforcers turn the op into a siege. Fortunately, the mysterious vigilante Batman secretly arrives to take down the criminals with only fleeting glimpses and hazy news footage to say he was ever there.
The police are more interested in denying the Batman's existence, with the sole exception of police commissioner Jim Gordon who is actually secretly working -with- Batman to help solve some crimes his boys can't.
Able to summon Batman to his office by shining a marked lamp onto his window, Gordon and Batman confab on the new gang they fought. Gordon fears the masks show the underworld is taking inspiration from the legends of the batman and are upping their game in response. Batman, however, is more intrigued by how members of these masked enforcers were traditionally members of rival crime families who now seem to be working together, and which included one man whom Batman thought had been killed by police fire not too long ago. He promises to look more into it and departs into the night.
Meanwhile, we get our first introduction to Black Mask when a couple escapees from the police raid bring an injured companion to him and his Crime Doctor. Black Mask claims there's always room for one more.
Act II Pt 1
At stately Wayne Manor, Bruce Wayne has been up all night in the Batcave trying to figure out how the guns from last night's raid got into the city. When Alfred finally tracks him down with breakfast, Wayne is able to bounce ideas off of him until they latch onto the clue contained in the shipping crate rather than on the guns themselves. The packing material isn't straw, but rather hay. Just like what would be used as animal fodder in a zoo or circus. Like, say, Haley's Circus with it's large transportation capacity and constant travel around the country. They decide that Bruce Wayne will attend tonight's show.
At the circus, Bruce plays up the extravagant playboy persona until he's able to break away to do some behind-the-scenes investigating. A chance encounter with a young acrobat named Dick Grayson inspires the inquisitive youth to try to trail Wayne, but Bruce soon spots him (despite his gymnastic-based stealth skills) and corners him. Their interaction is cut short when they overhear some of Black Mask's men talking about the next shipment, and they both hide to listen in on the plan. Bruce recognizes one of them as former hitman and tells Dick to stay while he goes to get help (ie change into Batman). Unfortunately, Grayson is spotted, and a fighting chase ensues while the thugs try to silence Dick while Batman tries to stop them.
The chase leads to the big top where Dick joins his family on the high wire act. The hitmen and Batman stay to the fringes out of sight, but Batman remembers too late that the hitman he recognized is an ace shot and he gets off a bullet severing the trapeze wire and sending Dick's parents to their deaths.
Batman is stunned as he looks at the now-orphaned Dick Grayson (and his parents lying artistically in the same poses he remembers his own parents in after their murder), but he's shaken out of his reverie by the uproar in the audience. Most are horrified by the deaths they witnessed, but a few people spot Batman in the rafters. He flees into the shadows under their accusations.
A few days of police questioning and investigation lead to the circus being shut down and Dick with no place to stay. Bruce offers to take in the boy while they look for any next of kin. The truth is, though, that Bruce feels he could've stopped the gunshot if he hadn't been so concerned about staying out of sight of the crowd, and wonders if his secrecy is worth the Grayson's lives.
Meanwhile, Black Mask makes his next move during a meeting with all the local crime bosses. While they're questioning his value to them now that his smuggling path has been closed, he signals to the body guards the mob bosses brought with them (one of whom is the injured thug we saw being treated by him earlier). They pull on their masks, proclaim themselves part of Black Mask's False Face Society, and kill all their employers, leaving Black Mask boss of the Gotham underworld.
Act II Pt 2
Back at Wayne Manor, Dick is getting settled in when talk turns to the man who killed his parents. Bruce thinks it's a bad idea to talk about it, but Dick insists. He knows Bruce recognized him when he saw him and wants to know who he is. Bruce admits that he knew him as a mob hitman, but thought he'd been retired after taking a bullet last year. That's when he starts making the connection between him and the other thug he'd busted whom he'd thought was dead. Per his usual habit, he starts bouncing some names and ideas off of Alfred as he comes up with a theory. That's when Grayson looks at him and says "you're him aren't you?" He's guessed that Bruce is actually Batman.
Alfred tries to laugh it off, but to his surprise, Bruce just says "yes". He takes the boy to the Batcave and explains that he too is an orphan, his parents taken from him by the gun of some two-bit hood. Dick begs Bruce to let him in on getting the guy who killed his parents, but Bruce turns him down. It's not about revenge, it's about justice. It took him a while to realize that himself and until he realizes the difference, he'll never find peace.
Following his earlier hunch, he pulls up details of the injured hoods he'd mentioned earlier. Each had been grievously wounded in some police action or gang violence, but each seemed to be active again and working for an unknown boss. The commonality seems to be the medical treatment which kept them alive.
Commissioner Gordon takes custody of a prisoner for questioning in one of the police interrogation rooms and sends the accompanying detective out on a wild goose chase for missing paperwork, freeing the room up for Batman. The thug ain't talking, but that's okay because Batman doesn't need him to talk. He just tears open his shirt revealing some recently treated wounds. Batman explains to Gordon that the suturing on an injury is individual to each surgeon, and by that by measuring the spacing and method of tying off, you can identify the surgeon who did it.
From the Batmobile, Batman tells Alfred (and Dick) that he's found a match to the treatment from a disgraced doctor, Bradford Thorne, who lost his license for practices done in the employ of a crime family. He's since gone underground, but Batman has an idea of who can tell him where he is.
Jump to some thugs on the run from Batman's assaults, one of whom has been particularly injured. The desperate gang give Batman the slip (they think) and decide to take their hurt buddy to the Crime Doctor. It's not until they're inside his secret clinic that the injured thug reveals himself as a disguised Batman. He takes out all the thugs and bodyguards and confronts the doctor himself.
Thorne, however, is in the middle of treating another patient and pleads for his safety. Distracted by the conflict, Batman gets blindsided by the doctor who jabs him with a hypodermic needle and knocks him out.
He wakes up strapped to the operating table (with its former occupant lying dead in the corner from his injuries the Doctor never finished treating). Thorne explains that his Hypocratic Oath prevents him from killing anyone, but the right incisions to the right muscle groups would leave Batman a cripple. It's also a bad idea to anesthetize him again so soon after the previous injection, so he might have to endure some pain.
Fortunately for Batman, the doctor is interrupted by the arrival of Dick Grayson. Wearing a mix of his circus costume and spare bat-gear, he keeps the doctor occupied while Batman frees himself. Together, they're able to subdue him and the beaten doctor spills his guts, revealing the existence of the False Face Society, how its made up of crooks who owe their lives to Thorne and his benefactor, and how they're actually all now working for Roman Sionis, the Black Mask.
Act III
Back at the Batcave, Bruce is a furious at Alfred for sending Dick to rescue him. The plan had always been for Alfred to data-dump everything to Gordon if he went missing, and it wasn't fair to put this kid in danger to save him. Alfred talks him down, though, telling him there's no way he would let Bruce die on his watch, and if it wasn't Dick coming to the rescue it would have been Alfred and now they'd both be dead.
This mollifies Bruce a bit and they start making plans for where to find Sionis and how to take him down. They identify a penthouse that he owns through some shell groups and surveillance reveals a lot of activity there tonight. Bruce recognizes some big names in foreign cartels there and realizes the Black Mask is trying to expand even farther.
During preparations, Dick convinces Bruce to let him come along. He held up well under fire from the Crime Doctor and, more importantly, accepts the difference between revenge and justice. Batman agrees, and he and Alfred start kitting him out properly.
At Black Mask's penthouse, he's meeting with representatives from a number of representatives from crime cartels from other cities and countries. Now that he's the sole boss for Gotham, he can represent his city on the international market. Gotham is ripe to become a crime Mecca. Their meeting, however, is interrupted by the building fire alarm. Activated by the newly-minted Robin, the alarm leads to a building evacuation, clearing out all the non-combatant tenants and, coincidentally, summoning the police and fire department. The criminals don't have much time to think about it, though, because soon after Batman storms in and starts ninja-ing all of the False Face goons and international thugs. At one point, it looks like he's going to be cornered just by sheer numbers, but Robin arrives and the duo start working smoothly together to dismantle everything.
Of course Sionis has an escape route, but Batman's able to follow him and catches up with him in his panic room (of sorts). Surrounded by displays of masks from many cultures and times, the two play cat-and-mouse until Batman outwits him and finally brings him down.
A few escaping thugs are being apprehended by the Gotham police on scene, but the prize is when Batman himself delivers Black Mask personally and unmasks him. He's seen by everyone from emergency services to building tenants to news reporters before disappearing into the night, and his status as an urban legend is officially over.
Credits
Cast
Bruce Wayne/Batman
Alex O'Loughlin
Y'know, they still call Batman the world's greatest detective, but it seems like these days he's mostly used as the world's greatest karate expert who happens to have a really good computer. I'd like to see a lot more of Batman's detective side in play here. Sure he's really good in a fight, but he stacks the deck in his favor with some advanced planning, using the setting to his advantage and perhaps a dose of strategic planning. If you've seen Corey Yuen's fight choreography like in the first Transporter movie, you know what I mean.I had to search a bit for my perfect Bruce Wayne, because I really wanted an actor who could pull off both the physical prowess of the caped crusader as well as the entitled douchebaggery of Bruce Wayne. If you've seen O'Loughlin on 'Hawaii Five-O' then you know he can do both.
For his costume, I think I'm one of the few people who hate seeing him in armor. I certainly don't mind a tough weave that's knife-proof, but Batman should not be bulletproof on any level. Stealth and misdirection are more his defenses, coming out of the shadows where his victim isn't expecting him, shifting his cape to fool the gunman as to where his body is, or just terrifying the bad guy so much he can't shoot straight. If he needs a bullet to bounce off his chest, he's already failed at what he's trying to do.
With that in mind, let's imagine Wayne Enterprises bought out UnderArmor or something and developed a sports weave that didn't limit his maneuverability but still provided muscle and athletic support. Make it a tough weave that's resistant to cutting and you've got my Batsuit.
Dick Grayson/Robin
Jake Austin
Dick is here to provide a lot of contrast to Bruce. Having suffered a similar loss of parents at a young age, Dick is what happens when there's somebody there to support him who understands his loss. Initially wanting only vengeance, Bruce trains him to help him focus past that (and in doing so recognizes the slope his own life path is on.) Ultimately we have to believe that this partnership is of benefit to both parties, helping them adjust to the losses they've suffered.For most of his career, Jake Austin was a Disney kid, but then he did a little program called Teen Wolf and upped his game a bit. I think a mix of that levity and intensity would play really well with our Boy Wonder.
And yeah, I know that picture is of the Tim Drake Robin rather than the Dick Grayson Robin, but I like how it shows an updated version of the old undies-and-booties version Dick wore and makes it look more practical. That's definitely the direction his costuming will go in for this version.
Roman Sionis/Black Mask
Joaquin Phoenix
The Black Mask's original shtick was that he was an enemy of Bruce Wayne's rather than a foe of Batman's. He'd gained some notoriety recently, though, for being able to assume control of Gotham's criminal element following the 'War Games' storyline, and that's obviously how I'm using him here. Essentially, he's the guy who recognized the power of masks and his False Face Society is able to manipulate the underworld until he comes out on top. He's a schemer and a manipulator who unfortunately hasn't quite yet learned how to handle his plans not going his way and that's when his temper comes into play.When I want an actor who combines scheming with madness, I don't look any farther than Joaquin Phoenix. His performance as Commodus in 'Gladiator' is pretty close to what I'm thinking of, with just that extra glint of "scheming" in his eyes that he's gained over the past few years.
His modern appearance (and the one most likely recognized by fans) is of black skull mask, but I find that looks too much like a skull and not enough like a mask. His original mask, as seen above, was carved from his father's casket and has just the right menace to it. Who knows, maybe he'll have a variety of black masks he wears...
Bradford Thorne/The Crime Doctor
Neil Patrick Harris
Originally a surgeon who would hire himself out to plan criminal endeavors, the Crime Doctor was later repurposed as a surgeon who ran an underground clinic to treat injured criminals. His shtick of using surgical devices as weapons is campy AND gruesome, and I think it'll come as a bit of a shock when his skill at scalpel throwing (fer instance) is able to ward of Batman and Robin. He plays fast and loose with his hypocratic oath, but the fact that he still invokes it when it's convenient to him helps push him right to the edge of criminal. I love it.A bit of stunt casting, perhaps, to have Doogie Howser as my criminal surgeon, but I absolutely think Harris can pull off the stereotypical sinister doctor thing without actually coming across as stereotypical. Harris can change gears on a dime, and that shifting personality is just what I want in my "is he crazy or just evil" Crime Doctor. He would also totally rock those Elton John glasses. I'm just sayin'...
Alfred Pennyworth
Hugh Laurie
Hugh Laurie is probably more famous for his role on 'House,' but he actually comes from a long history of comedic acting in England and I'd love to see some of that resurface in an Alfred who struggles to maintain his stiff upper lip in the face of all the trouble his employer is getting into.
Commissioner Jams Gordon
Brian Cranston
Commissioner Gordon has to be struggling. His city is riddled with crime and his police force is rife with corruption. How else can you explain this otherwise law-abiding peace officer's willingness to work with a masked vigilante. He may not want to, but at some point he accepted the need. Perhaps not quite at the "bat-shaped spotlight on the roof" level yet, but that may be only because he's one of the few people who know Batman exists. He's constantly trying to guess who Batman is, of course, and it's become a sort of game the two of them play.
I see Brian Cranston on every fancast comic list out there and I guess it's about time I find a place for him in my Maybe Studios DCU. To say he has some intensity to him is a bit of an understatement and I think that perfectly aligns with the desperation and boldness we need from the police commissioner of a corrupt and crime-riddled city.
The Batmobile
A fantastical muscle car like the Twin Mill (designed by Hot Wheels, of all people) is very much like what I'm looking for. You can even see where an awesome bat-logo could be incorporated into the front. It's probably very loud, but that's likely part of the distraction. Imagine this thing roaring through the night when suddenly Batman switches it to "hush mode" and drops out of sight. It'd just vanish! They did something similar with the Tumbler for about 2 seconds in 'Batman Begins' and it was my favorite moment in that film.
Future Expansion
I've already blurbed a couple cross-over films with Batman and Wonder Woman in my Superman re-do film page. But in between those there's room for a couple more Batman films.
Batman 2
With Gotham's organized crime getting a big look at in this film, I'd like to put Batman up against a crazed serial killer. In this role, I'm reaching back into the depths of Batman's history to bring in the original Clayface, Basil Karlo. Horribly disfigured through self-inflicted attempts to stay young forever, the reclusive actor comes out of seclusion to seek revenge on the people involved in trying to remake his classic horror films. Karlo's ability to mold his face into anyone's appearance leads Batman in circles, and the involvement of the clue-dropping Riddler is as much a hindrance as a help.
Batman 3
District Attorney Harvey Dent is having some success locking away the criminals that the Batman is catching. So successful, that the underworld teams up to take him out. In the process, Two-Face is born, and his legal leaning are turned on their sides. Not only does he release the villains Batman has put away in Arkham, but manages to capture Batman himself and put him on trial.
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