6 Ways Tim Burton's Batman Changed Everything
2. It Expanded The Possibilities Of The Medium
Before Batman, most people had a skewed view of what to expect from a superhero story; male, tall, square-jawed protectors that vanquished the foe and got the girl. It was good versus bad and the two were clearly delineated. This perception lingered longer after comics began changing in the sixties and seventies.
Compared with the serials of the forties and fifties, Richard Donner's Superman: The Movie was a surprisingly elegant big screen adventure, yet there was little to be read between the lines. Prompted by a dark shift in graphic novels, Tim Burton's Batman sought to change all that. With writer Sam Hamm and production designer Anton Furst, Burton made Gotham an oppressive and corrupt dystopia with shadowy monsters around every corner.
Like The Dark Knight almost 20 years later, Tim Burton's Batman revealed the depth that could come from the 2D medium of comics. Though the 1989 movie seems quaint by comparison, The Dark Knight Trilogy only exists because Burton and his team broke the ice. Risks were taken with what was expected to be a "kids' movie" and what audiences got was a surreal look at complex, adult characters whose issues, just dressed up in larger-than-life costumes.
The movie gambled with expectations and won a victory for itself and comics, commanding more respect for the medium - even from Hollywood.