WB Games Montréal's upcoming Gotham Knights game may be taking inspiration from Batman: Reborn, one of the Dark Knight's coolest comic book eras. Gotham Knights centres around the Bat Family following the death of Bruce Wayne, putting players in control of Batgirl (Barbara Gordon), Nightwing (Dick Grayson), Robin (Tim Drake), and Red Hood (Jason Todd), as they come up against the shadowy Court of Owls. Like Rocksteady's Batman: Arkham games, Gotham Knights takes inspiration from a number of different comics and interpretations of the DC Universe, both visually and storytelling-wise. However, Grant Morrison's Batman: Reborn shares many similarities with the game, as it too focused on the Bat Family following the seeming demise of Bruce Wayne.
Grant Morrison took the reigns on Batman in 2006 with Batman and Son, a storyline that introduced Damian Wayne. Morrison would later helm the climactic Final Crisis event in 2008 alongside artist J. G. Jones, which depicted the return of Darkseid. Batman seemingly perishes during the comic when he confronts the Lord of Apokolips, and though he would later return, there was a three-year period where Bruce Wayne wasn't Batman in DC's Gotham books. In his absence, Dick Grayson stepped up to the plate and became the new Batman, with Damian as his Robin. Tim Drake became Red Robin, while the mantle of Batgirl went to Stephanie Brown. Barbara Gordon, meanwhile, continued in her role as Oracle, primarily working as the leader of the Birds of Prey.
Gotham Knights doesn't boast the same principle cast as the Batman: Reborn event - or at least not in the same roles. The focus being on the Court of Owls also shows that the game is taking major inspiration from Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's New 52 run on Batman. That said, Batman: Reborn is the biggest example of a comic event where the Bat Family stepped up in Bruce's absence. Dick Grayson may be Nightwing and not Batman in Gotham Knights, but he'll have to undergo a similar arc to his comics counterpart if he's to effectively lead the time now that the Dark Knight is dead.
Reborn Showed There Was More To Batman Than Bruce Wayne
Starting in 2009 with Batman and Robin's Batman: Reborn arc, DC's bat books solely focused on Bruce Wayne's supporting characters. Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely headed up Batman and Robin, showcasing a unique new dynamic in a more lighthearted Dark Knight and a broodier Boy Wonder, while talents like Bryan Q. Miller, Paul Dini, Dustin Nguyen, and others focused on other elements of the Bat Family. Most of these books were well received, and illustrated the strength of Batman's supporting cast. Dick Grayson, Tim Drake, and Barbara Gordon in particular had developed decades of backstory by the time Batman: Reborn kicked off, and the death of their mentor (although later reversed), showcased them reckoning with Batman's legacy, and moving into new roles as mentors themselves. Similar journeys will likely be depicted for Gotham Knights' playable heroes, particularly Dick and Barbara, who knew Bruce the longest.
Batman: Reborn was a major breath of fresh air for DC's Bat-books. Although Batman hadn't been lacking in quality stories by the time of its release, it was refreshing to see his supporting characters take the reigns for once. Grant Morrison's run on the character was bold and transformative, combining the archetypes developed by the late Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams in the 1970s with their own new interpretations of characters like the Joker. Morrison's Batman run also introduced new threats, such as Professor Pyg, Toad, and a reimagined Simon Hurt. Batman: Reborn took this one step further, illustrating how the Batman legend had grown beyond just Bruce Wayne, and that both the Dark Knight and his allies still had room to grow.
Gotham Knights Can Do For Games What Reborn Did For DC Comics
Batman's video game history has, understandably, been dominated by Batman, but Gotham Knights' Bat Family story shows that doesn't have to remain the case. While the Bat Family has featured as playable characters in numerous DC video games, including Batman: Arkham City and Arkham Knight, as well as a few DC Animated Universe games from the late '90s and early 2000s, they've rarely formed an integral part of the story. When they've come close to doing so, multiple Batman games have reiterated the trope of Bruce pushing his allies away. Rather than do that, Gotham Knights embraces Batman's sidekicks. It's illustrative of how prominent Batman's supporting cast are that they're now in the position of receiving their own game, but it could also be seen as a brave move on WB Games' behalf. Bruce may feature in some way in Gotham Knights - possibly even playable as Batman - but for now, the spotlight is firmly fixed on Batgirl, and the three different Robins.
This is uncharted territory for Batman in the gaming medium, but it's a welcome step that may lead to more diverse depictions of the character in video games. The vast majority of Batman games have focused on the character's movie or DCAU incarnations, usually at the beginning or peak of his powers. Gotham Knights is trying something different though, and could even lead to a greater range of Batman titles in the future. WB Games Montréal's canceled Damian Wayne Batman game would've been a similar breath of fresh air, but should Gotham Knights prove to be a hit, who's to say that the concept won't be revisited? Bat-fans have similarly been requesting an Arkham-style Batman Beyond game for years, based on the DCAU series where high schooler Terry McGinnis is the Dark Knight in a Blade Runner-inspired version of Gotham City. By spotlighting the Bat Family, Gotham Knights could open the door for projects like that to happen.
Gotham Knights' Batgirl Is Also Inspired By The New 52
Barbara Gordon is one of the most important members of Batman's supporting cast, and she takes up an important role in Gotham Knights. The character - like Batman and his other allies - has undergone multiple transformations over the decades, becoming the information broker Oracle following her attack at the hands of Joker in The Killing Joke, before once again assuming the Batgirl mantle in the wake of 2011's New 52 reboot. According to her bio on the official Gotham Knights website, the Barbara of this universe has undergone a similar journey, having resumed the mantle of Batgirl following a "face-off that put [her] in a wheelchair".
While it's up for debate as to who was the best choice to be Gotham Knights' Batgirl - with Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown each having their own loyal fans - there are some interesting influences that can be observed with the game's depiction of the character. For one, the main design Babs can be seen wearing in Gotham Knights is based on the design Babs Tarr created for the character's Batgirl of Burnside comic. Said design has featured in multiple animated projects, and has even formed the basis for the new outfit seen in the upcoming Batgirl film, but its reimagining here is also noteworthy. It may intimate that Gotham Knights will utilize elements of Batgirl's days in Burnside into its story, but in any case, it's clear that the character's recent past in the New 52 and DC Rebirth has influenced her depiction.
Like Batman: Arkham before it, Gotham Knights takes inspiration from a variety of different interpretations of the DC mythos, but its connections to Batman: Reborn and other recent comics feel particularly noteworthy. The majority of Batman's games have justifiably focused on the Caped Crusader, and pushed allies like Batgirl into the periphery. However, by embracing the Bat Family's recent past, as well as its decades of prior material, Gotham Knights can illustrate that a Batman game without Bruce Wayne isn't just possible, but maybe even preferable. The Dark Knight is arguably DC's hottest commodity, but games like this can show that his supporting cast can be just as compelling.
Source: Gotham Knights