'Bat-Mania' is bad for comic fans, and bad for creativity. Whilst it's undeniable that The Dark Knight has had an awful lot of critical successes that success has at times proven to be overbearing, with the character enjoying a renewed choke-hold over all avenues of DC entertainment from games, to film, and even comic books themselves. This is because Batman sells, and though the old DCAU certainly had its fair share of the pointy eared vigilante it gave plenty of space for other characters to thrive - as evidenced by the wide range of material provided in DC's Animated Original Movies. Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Superman and more all had titles to their names whilst DC's animated department was at its peak, but since then attempts to expand adaptations have all but faded into obscurity. Though Bruce Timm had indicated a wish to pursue features centred around Green Arrow, The Flash and The Teen Titans (the latter of which would've adapted Marv Wolfman's famed 'Judas Contract' to the small screen), DC's slate has been predisposed with Batman, Batman, and oh, more Batman. Perhaps the most frustrating thing about it is Warner's determination to use the name to sell stories not wholly dependant on the character - as is the case with the upcoming 'Batman: Bad Blood'. It's a shame that even when writers wish to make a film about Batwoman they feel the need to prefix Wayne's guise to the title, especially as animation presents the perfect opportunity for DC to expand their characters to different audiences.
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.
