Credit: DC StudiosMatt Reeves is currently in the process of building out his Batman universe. He led The Batman (2022), which was a resounding success and led to him being given the keys to the Dark Knight kingdom. With his first entry, Reeves showcased a world where Bruce Wayne is not starting out but is also not a seasoned veteran vigilante in his 30s.
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The comic storyline that he mostly adapted is something like Year One by Frank Miller, where Batman has already been battling the criminals of Gotham City for a year. However, he is not yet a seasoned superhero and makes many mistakes. He constantly questions the validity of wanting to become the protector of Gotham, while James Gordon also fears the evil brewing in the city and does everything he can to stop it.
Reeves did state during a DC Fandom event that his film would serve as “year two” for Robert Pattinson. Though his film is not a one-to-one adaptation of Year One, he was inspired by that particular story.
Reeves is now producing the sequel film, and we imagine he will likely be given an entire trilogy. There is a wealth of comics to pull from, including some profoundly beloved Batman comic arcs that fans would love to see adapted. Here are seven comic storylines Matt Reeves should adapt next.
Comic Stores That Matt Reeves Should Adapt in ‘The Batman 2’
‘The Long Halloween’
The Long Halloween is a 13-issue comic series by perennial Batman writer Jeph Loeb, released between 1996 and 1997.
Matt Reeves stated that The Batman was loosely based on The Long Halloween. However, that was a very loose interpretation, as it only contained the parallel story about a serial killer that Batman must find and stop. The comic storyline is far more involved and should be given much more attention.
One of the most significant aspects of The Long Halloween that DC fans love is that it serves as the origin story of Two-Face. Bruce Wayne is trying to stop a serial killer called “Holiday,” who has caused a turf war between the Falcone and Maroni crime families. Bruce must use all his keen detective skills to try and find this killer but is unsuccessful.
Harvey Dent is thrust into the middle of this turf war, and his face is irreparably scarred when Salvatore Maroni throws a vial of acid in his face during a trial. With half his face disfigured, he escapes into the sewers and becomes friends with Solomon Grundy. Two-Face then emerges and frees most of the prisoners in Arkham Asylum.
The corruption of Gotham is highlighted in The Batman and The Long Halloween. Reeves also borrowed the story about Thomas Wayne saving mob boss Carmine Falcone in the film. The difference is the comic story sees Bruce Wayne arrested and charged with murder, though he was never loyal to the Falcone family.
With The Batman containing some definite plot points from The Long Halloween, we believe Matt Reeves can go deeper. The comic featured Catwoman, Two-Face, The Joker, The Riddler, Poison Ivy, and Calendar Man. Two were central characters in the film, and one only showed up at the end.
Harvey Dent and his transition into Two-Face becomes one of the biggest failures of Batman, and he should be introduced as such in The Batman 2. If Reeves has borrowed some crucial plot points from this comic arc, he could continue to do so in The Batman 2.
‘The Court of Owls’
The Court of Owls was created by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo, first appearing in Batman (vol. 2) #6 during the New 52 DC reset in 2012.
Matt Reeves accomplished something wonderful in The Batman by allowing The Riddler (Paul Dano) to serve as an agent that exposes the corruption of the so-called socialites of Gotham City. This corruption could reveal one of the most celebrated and dangerous coalitions that Gotham City has ever faced: The Court of Owls.
This criminal organization was introduced to Batman fans during the New 52 DC reset in the comics and became an instant hit. Since the creation of Gotham City, a collection of the city’s most powerful and influential members created The Court of Owls to influence decisions made about the city. Things would become violent when the organization would carry out assassinations by their indoctrinated agents known as Talons.
Batman stumbles onto one of their secret lairs and is immediately thrust into a battle with the Talon William Cobb. The Court of Owls eventually captures and tortures him for days as they watch him be driven to madness in their Labyrinth maze.
The Court of Owls took over two story arcs during the New 52 for obvious reasons, and they have since been adapted in the Batman vs. Robin animated film and served as the main antagonist in the short-lived Gotham Knights live-action series. The organization should certainly be highlighted in The Batman 2 as Robert Pattinson already dealt with deep corruption in Gotham City as Bruce Wayne.
‘Hush’
Hush is a 12-comic storyline written by Jeph Loeb and was released between 2002 and 2003.
Hush follows Batman as he tracks Killer Croc through Gotham City and saves a boy from his clutches. Catwoman steals the ransom money for the boy, and Batman pursues her, only to plummet to the ground after his grapple is cut. After being nearly beaten to death by criminals, he is saved by Huntress.
Alfred then contacts Thomas Elliot, a renowned brain surgeon and childhood friend of Bruce Wayne. Elliot helps save Bruce’s life by removing skull fragments from his brain after the beating fractured his skull.
Catwoman finds out that Poison Ivy used mind control on her to steal the boy’s ransom money, so she sets off to capture Ivy, who has now taken control of Superman. Batman and Superman fight, and the mind control of Superman breaks when he must swoop in to save Lois Lane.
Catwoman and Batman discuss the odd nature of the criminal’s behavior, leading to an event when Harley Quinn robs an Opera that Bruce Wayne is attending with Thomas Elliot. Elliot is shot to death by The Joker, leading to Batman nearly beating him to death. Jim Gordon stops this from happening.
It is revealed that a bandaged villain named Hush has been orchestrating the violent affairs in Gotham. Without ruining who Hush is, as we believe everyone should read this story, this might be one of the most requested story arcs yet to be explored in a live-action film.
To be fair, it would be difficult for Matt Reeves to highlight Robert Pattinson as an older Bruce Wayne, but he could make it work. Pattionson’s Wayne could reunite with a childhood friend who becomes one of the most notorious criminals in Gotham City. We doubt he could include Superman, Killer Croc, and Poison Ivy, but Hush has become a hugely celebrated villain in DC comics.
‘A Death in the Family’
A Death in the Family is a series of Batman comics written by Jim Starlin and released in 1988.
Robert Pattinson has mentioned that he would love to adapt A Death of the Family, as he is a massive fan of that comic arc, and we agree it would be a worthwhile comic to explore. Todd was not the most beloved version of Robin, and it led to his ultimate death at the hands of DC fans.
The comic story is significant, as it is the moment when the second Robin is killed: Jason Todd. This comic was notorious because Jim Starlin borrowed an idea from Saturday Night Live, where Eddie Murphy joked and had people call in to see a lobster cooked live.
Using a 900 number, fans would call in and vote if DC was to kill Jason Todd or not. The option to kill him won by a small margin, and the series released showcased The Joker kidnapping and torturing Todd. He is blown up in a warehouse at the end of the issue.
This story was adapted into the animated film Under the Red Hood. Jason Todd is still blown up in the warehouse, but Ras Al Ghul takes him to the Lazarus Pits. Ras brings him back to life, and Todd becomes the violent anti-hero Red Hood. The initial comic was written by Judd Winick from 2005 to 2006 and saw Todd brought back to life after no one had mentioned him in 15 years since his comic death.
Robert Pattinson stated that Robin would have to be around “13 years old,” and we agree. There have been rumors that Dick Grayson or Jason Todd could be involved in The Batman 2, and it would make sense for him to be younger. He might have learned of the exploits of Batman and idolizes him. The Joker (Barry Keoghan) also appeared at the end of the first film, and his killing of Robin immediately would be brutal, but it would make sense to make Batman feel like he has failed Gotham.
‘Dark Victory’
Dark Victory is a 14-comic arc written by Jeph Loeb, which serves as the sequel to The Long Halloween.
Adapting might seem like a given, but it could also prove problematic, considering Matt Reeves did not introduce Two-Face in The Batman. During the events of Dark Victory, Batman is now guilty after allowing Harvey Dent to fall to the side of criminality by becoming Two-Face.
Batman becomes a bigger loner, refusing help from Alfred and Catwoman. He also tries to quell his guilt by visiting Two-Face at Arkham Asylum when a wave of convicts breaks out. A new serial killer emerges known as the “Hangman” killer. Initially, Batman believes it to be Alberto Falcone, but it leads the Dark Knight on a hunt to stop another serial killer.
This sequel comic arc is also important as it becomes the origin story for Dick Grayson, as he becomes Robin in this comic story. While it’s not the first origin, it resets Grayson as Robin, which is something that has been rumored for The Batman 2.
With Matt Reeves heavily borrowing elements from The Long Halloween, he could presumably do that more with The Batman 2. He could then turn the sequel into another loose take on Dark Victory. By the film’s end, Harvey Dent could become Two-Face, and we could be introduced to a young Dick Grayson becoming Robin.
‘White Knight’
Batman: White Knight is an eight-issue mini-series written by Sean Murphy and released between 2017 and 2018.
While the White Knight comic series might be ambitious, it would be incredible if adapted. Batman battles his most notorious villain in this comic series, The Joker. However, during their battle at a pharmaceutical company, Batman forces The Joker to drink an unknown vial. This vial contains a substance that turns The Joker sane.
During the series, The Joker now highlights that Batman is the true villain of Gotham City. He becomes a politician named Jack Napier, ensuring that the city stops Batman’s reign.
It’s a deeper look at the psychology of Batman and The Joker’s torrid relationship. Matt Reeves would likely not go this route, considering he barely introduced The Joker, but it could be a viable story to explore in a later sequel or a spinoff.
‘Arkham Asylum: A Serious House On Serious Earth’
Arkham Asylum: A Series House on Serious Earth is a graphic novel written by Grant Morrison and was released in 1989.
During this fan-favorite story, Batman must do the unthinkable by entering Arkham Asylum, which the inmates have now taken control of. As one would imagine, Batman runs into a good collection of his Rogues Gallery. He engages with The Joker, Two-Face, Killer Croc, Clayface, and many more.
The graphic novel is described as a psychological horror, as Batman must battle his way through the deep levels of Arkham Asylum while uncovering the deeper secrets of its founder, Amadeus Arhkam. Batman must fight his Rogues Gallery while dealing with supernatural and psychological horrors that seem to be haunting the infamous building.
The highly beloved Batman: Arkham Asylum video game is said to be based on this important comic. Considering The Batman showcased Arkham with The Joker and The Riddler as inmates, Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne could be forced to enter the building to stop a potential riot from spilling into the damaged Gotham City.
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These are seven of the best Batman comic arcs that Matt Reeves should adapt or borrow from in his new Batman movie. While we believe he might be more inclined to adapt stories like Dark Victory, we would love for him to pull from something like Hush. Either way, we imagine Reeves will deliver another epic tale of the Dark Knight.
What do you think about these Batman arcs being adapted? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!