Robby Patty best Batty

'The Batman' provides a refreshing take on Wayne, more accurate to the comic hero

One of the elements I’m most excited to see reimagined in live-action is the city of Rapture. “There Are No Gods or Kings, Only Man” in this physical reflection of a scientific revolution corrupted to ruin by greed and self-serving agendas, a setting as relevant now as ever. The game’s artwork and design of the city and its inhabitants so well encapsulated the still-popular 1960s idea of American exceptionalism that it was acknowledged by the Smithsonian Institution, where the game art was put on exhibit in 2011. To this day, I can still remember when I was first introduced to the jaw-dropping scope of its exterior, and I’m still entranced by the memorable layout and details. I know I’m not the only one, either: that trademark “Bioshock” design and music are still replicated in fan-made merchandise to this day, despite the game having been released 15 years ago. However, it wasn’t just the setting that sold 2.2 million copies within its first year. Just as important was its universally-acclaimed plot.

“Bioshock” was the first game that made me question my morals, and subsequently was the first one to also drop my jaw more than once at each new narrative development. The plot of the initial “Bioshock” sent shockwaves across the gaming industry, as it was the very first video game to break into mainstream

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MIA NGUYEN Life and Arts Editor

While some Batman fans were left unsatisfied after viewing an angsty Robert Pattinson clad in a trenchcoat and greasy bangs, I left the theatre with the soundtrack, clang of armor and roar of Gotham nightlife echoing in my ears. Despite some peoples’ distaste for Pattinson, I believe he gave one of the best performances in the long history of the caped crusader.

There have been many renditions of Gotham’s masked vigilante, but very few left me satisfied with the comic-to-screen adaptation. It is hard to take older versions seriously, and Ben Affleck was unlikable and pushed the “rich douchebag” troupe too far. Christian Bale, on the other hand, was the perfect combination of billionaire playboy and angsty orphan. Entering with a strong adoration for Christopher Nolan’s Batman movies and a lasting hatred for Affleck, I’ll admit I was initially unsure that Matt Reeves’ new adaptation would live up to my expectations.

Right from the get-go, it is clear that this film is a lot darker than the others. It takes strong aesthetic cues from film noir with its gloomy lighting, impeccable narration from Pattinson and rampant, realistic crimes. While this Batman lacks the charming, seductive persona that Bale had (and that Affleck attempted), his performance matches the film’s intense, dangerous atmosphere. Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne was awkward and a bit of a prick, and it was fantastic because it was so different from what we have seen from Batman before. Best of all, this rendition focuses on the mystery and deep web of crime in Gotham, finally letting Batman be the “world’s greatest detective” that the original comics intended. We see an intellectual side of the hero, unlike many action films that simply revolve around brute force.

So, while Bale played an immaculate Bruce Wayne, Pattinson is a better Batman. He was so expressive in everything he did, from scanning a crime scene for clues to his hand-to-hand combat with Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz). Some viewers saw that emotion as a weakness, but I thought Pattinson brought a new level of sensitivity and anger to Batman, at points making the viewer question if he was a hero or just a broken man with