One reason why the character of Batman has endured for 78 years is that he’s so malleable. Sure, there are intrinsic qualities that unite various interpretations such as his superior intellect, martial arts skills and care for his fellow man, but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been portrayals on opposite ends of the spectrum. For example, both Adam West and Ben Affleck have brought something very different to the table, but neither man’s efforts were no less valid than the other – and the same sentiment can be extended to comics and animation.
Having said that, the time has come to embrace what the near future will bring. As it turns out, the Caped Crusader will once again venture to the Japanese anime arena, this time with Batman Ninja. Directed by JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’s Jumpei Mizusaki, this bold story will see – get this – the Dark Knight being thrown back through time to medieval Japan. Normally, you’d think Darkseid’s Omega Sanction would be at fault, but chances are slim the filmmakers decided to borrow that heavily from Final Crisis.
Anyway, when the first trailer dropped a few weeks back, I expected a bit more of a divisive reaction as this flick is such a radical departure from what we normally expect from the Caped Crusader. And, quite frankly, that tends to happen in these situations, lest we forget all the needless hate lobbed at The Batman and Beware the Batman, both of which were animated series that I enjoyed.
But, to my surprise, I saw a lot of positive reactions online, maybe because this new vision is just so out there, causing everyone to be game for something that’s remarkably different. And after taking in this second trailer, I’m also looking forward to seeing a new spin put on the likes of Joker, Catwoman, Harley Quinn, Deathstroke and others. Heck, even Gorilla Grodd is in there for some reason.
As of now, it remains unclear as to when Batman Ninja will arrive stateside, but a Japanese theatrical release is expected first. If you were to ask us, a North American Blu-ray and DVD release will come after WB’s other major DC animated films hit shelves. In other words, fall of 2018.