Artist Francesco Francavilla gives Matt Reeve's fresh take on Batman and the Riddler from The Batman a classic comic book-inspired makeover. Robert Pattinson and Paul Dano take up the roles of the iconic DC hero and villain respectively in the long-awaited 2022 film. Pattinson and Dano star alongside Jeffrey Wright, Zoë Kravitz, Andy Serkis, and Colin Farrell.
Following Zack Snyder and Ben Affleck's previous portrayal of the Caped Crusader that saw the hero fight alongside Superman (Henry Cavill), Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), and the Justice League, Reeves' The Batman promises to scale the character back from recent cinematic outings. Focusing on a younger, less experienced Bruce Wayne early in his crime-fighting career, the film grounds the hero in a more gothic-meets-noir-inspired aesthetic, complete with a more grounded, realistic world. Though a return to a more realistic approach, fan-artists have reinterpreted Pattinson's Batman in different styles, from Bruce Timm-inspired artwork to posters inspired by Joel Schumacher's vibrant films of the late '90s. A more recent piece of artwork has placed Pattinson and Dano's takes on the characters into classic-comic book-inspired artwork.
Artist Francavilla shared two pieces of artwork inspired by classic neo-noir comic books on their personal Instagram account, one focused on Batman and the other focused on the Riddler. The piece focused on Batman sees the hero staring sternly into the distance, half of his face covered in shadow. Francavilla's Riddler piece sees the villain standing with clenched fists in the pouring rain, orange lighting creating an ominous atmosphere. Each piece is finished with the film's title in a noir-inspired font. Check out Francavilla's striking pieces below.
As seen by Dano's Riddler costume, Reeves's take on the DC comics characters seeks to ground them in a more realistic world, rather than a more stylistic take. Dressed in a thick, muted heavy-duty coat and mask that obscures the actor's features, Dano's villain has been seen being responsible for grizzly murders and terrifying bombings in trailers, a far cry from the more comedic and colorful takes seen previously on-screen, such as Jim Carey's and Jim Nash's in Batman Forever and Harley Quinn respectively. The titular hero has also seen himself be more grounded in Reeves' world, as not only is Pattinson's Batmobile a more realistic model that resembles a modified muscle car, but recent merchandise has revealed Bruce will don a drifter disguise in parts of the film.
While much of the film seeks to stay grounded in a realistic setting, Francavilla's artwork proves Reeve's The Batman can perfectly fit into a neo-noir comic-book aesthetic. Not only do costumes like Colin Farrell's Penguin's perfectly embody attire worn by gangsters and crime bosses seen in those stories, but even more out-of-the-ordinary costumes like Batman's and Riddler's perfectly fit into the gloomier, downbeat, somber style. After nearly a decade of Affleck's globe-trotting, experienced, and technologically advanced Batman, Reeves' take seeks to remind fans of the character's crime-fighting origins.
Source: f_francavilla
