Batman: Arkham 2017: 10 Ways To Make The Perfect Damian Wayne Game

6. Keep Bruce As A Supporting Character

Old Bruce Wayne Batman Beyond
Warner Bros. Animation

Like it or not, introducing a new Batman into Arkham is a massive change - one that has the danger to make or break a narrative way before it's gotten past the first act. In this instance, continuity, rather than change, should be a prime concern.

And what better way to provide that continuity than to add a withered old Bruce to the proceedings? After all, Kevin Conroy's grizzled portrayal of old-man Wayne in Batman Beyond proved to be one of the series' best aspects, and given the context of the Arkham saga following Knight, would provide a sense of closure to the Asylum trilogy whilst retaining a sense of mystery if Montreal's writers so desired.

Bruce's cruel, selfish and totally unconvincing return to the cowl at the end of Knight not only seemed to contravene the trilogy's message altogether, but also the direction of the series itself. In this case, allowing Bruce to explain his actions - however irrational they may be - would provide emotional agency to a franchise that has never really tried (or rather succeeded), to depict the Caped Crusader's emotions beyond those obvious instances of rooftop broodery.

One angle that would be of particular interest is Bruce's unwillingness to part with the cowl and coming to terms with passing down a legacy. If the suitor of the mantle is indeed Damian, expect sparks to fly at a moment's notice.

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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.