2) Gotham High
The idea of a Batman prequel never really went away though, as this bizarrely-conceived animated series from the 2000s proves.
The USP of Gotham High is that it would have transformed the Batman mythos into a high school setting, featuring all the familiar characters re-engineered to fit into typical teenage roles. So Killer Croc is a football jock, the Riddler is the resident nerd and the Joker is – you’ve guessed it – the class clown.
Comic book artist/author team Celeste Green and Jeffrey Thomas were heading the project, which DC were really impressed with. For unknown reasons, though, it never moved beyond the concept art stage.
The idea filled fans with horror, so it’s probably a good thing this never materialized. Besides, at long last, the world finally got its Batman prequel a few years later in the form of Fox’s Gotham TV series, which is currently on its second season.