12 Reasons You Were Wrong About Batman: Arkham Origins
11. A Batman That Makes Mistakes
Rocksteady's previous entries had portrayed a Batman at the peak of his career - a seasoned crime-fighter who's been through everything and has still managed to persevere. WB Montreal's decision to embark on a title centred around the early days of Batman's career meant that it wouldn't make sense to depict him in the Rocksteady mould; instead a younger, less-refined version of the character was needed - a decision that definitely works in the game's favour.
This younger version of the World's Greatest Detective is shown both visually and verbally, as Bruce takes his brand of justice to the streets in a more exposed suit and an abrasive style. His often arrogant and holier-than-thou attitude is indicative of his tragic past, and an over-confident nature to boot helps create a sense of vulnerability distinctly absent from his later years as Gotham's protector.
The iteration of Batman in this title is very much more overt, not shying away from the brutal tactics reminiscent of Frank Miller's multiple runs on the character. Whilst he does have his limits, WB Montreal's decision to portray Bruce's formative years really works to their advantage.
WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well.
In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.
