The Batman vs. Dracula
dir. Michael Goguen (Warner Bros., 2005)
Beyond the outrageous title lurks a half-decent concept (Batman imagery as an offshoot of the vampire legend), undone by some truly indigestible dialogue and Bruce Wayne’s ludicrously troll-like physique. This is dark Batman done in a cartoon fashion, which doesn’t quite work.
Batman: The Lazarus Syndrome
by Simon Bullivant & Dirk Maggs (BBC Radio 4, 1989)
A nostalgic fiftieth anniversary celebration, authenticated by Michael Gough’s appearance as Alfred but with a storyline more suited to comic book form than audio drama. Commissioner Gordon hears word that the Batman is dead. Bruce Wayne, meanwhile, seems not to be himself…
The Dark Knight
dir. Christopher Nolan (2008)
Too much guttural Batman, not enough Bruce Wayne. Heath Ledger’s virtuoso Joker raises the stakes for a mould-breaking dénouement: the recasting of Batman as villain; yet, with the Joker a more obvious scapegoat for Two-Face’s crimes, this carefully structured transformation lacks credibility.
Batman
dir. Tim Burton (Warner Bros., 1989)
By far the pick of the franchise pre-Nolan — albeit not as funky as Prince’s soundtrack would intimate — the original Batman soared, giving us Jack Nicholson as a whimsically understated over-the-top Joker and Michael Keaton as the most beguiling Bruce Wayne of all.