The time has come for what is arguably the most highly-anticipated comic book movie of 2022: The Batman. The Dark Knight has officially returned to the big screen with a sensational detailed dark, gritty detective drama and crime thriller that combines real-world ideas into the vigilante’s mythology. Speaking of the mythology the film features elements from Batman’s visual catalogue such as The Long Halloween and Batman Year One etc. It’s brooding and full-on vengeance as we follow a young Bruce Wayne in his early years as the masked vigilante, struggling to balance rage with righteousness.

Two years of stalking the streets as the batman (Robert Pattinson), striking fear into the hearts of criminals, has led Bruce Wayne deep into the shadows of Gotham City. With only a few trusted allies-Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis), Lt. James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright)-amongst the city’s corrupt network of officials and high-profile figures, the lone vigilante has established himself as the sole embodiment of vengeance amongst his fellow citizens.

When a killer targets Gotham’s elite with a series of sadistic machinations, a trail of cryptic clues sends the World’s Greatest Detective on an investigation into the underworld, where he encounters such characters as Selina Kyle/aka Catwoman (Zoe Kravitz), Oswald Cobblepot/aka the penguin (Colin Farrell), Carmine Falcone (John Turturro), and Edward Nashton/aka the Riddler (Paul Dano). As the evidence begins to lead closer to home and the scale of the perpetrator’s plans becomes clear, Batman must forge new relationships, unmask the culprit, and bring justice to the abuse of power and corruption that has long plagued Gotham City.

Director Matt Reeves has truly crafted the greatest Batman yet, with his visual storytelling that is deeply reminiscent of a detective novel, especially as he includes all the elements featured in the mystery/thriller genre. His nocturnal visuals are accompanied by a rich and hypnotic score created by the maestro Michael Giacchino. The Batman also has masterful cinematography thanks to Greig Fraser who has approached this film as an art piece you’d see at a museum. The immaculate sequences showcase magnificent ariels and the production design of Gotham is neon dripped, dirty, gothic and grimy.

It’s clear from the opening that Reeves and his creative team behind the making of the film are Batman fans at heart as watching this version of the iconic caped crusader is a technical achievement, The Batman gives us the most comic-accurate portrayal. From the precise fight choreography to the innovative modern weapons and gadgets, this Batman is on par with Rocksteady Studio’s version in the Arkham video games. This is not your typical caped crusader, this is a creeping, angry, psychological thriller mixed with a crime noir and though The Batman is its own entity many influences also include references from other iconic movies notable Zodiac, Se7en, Chinatown and Saw. Also if you want to understand Gotham and its residents more then I would recommend “Batman: Ego” which features Batman confronting the beast that is himself. “Zero Year” is another big inspiration for The Batman as that storyline details Batman’s growth from a simple vigilante to a hero for the entire city, the comic also showcased how the Riddler grew to become the villain we know.

Pattinson truly has done his homework on the iconic DC character, he perfectly embodies the Dark Knight Detective with a refreshing aspect and plays with the duality of being Batman and Bruce. His incredibly commanding performance showcases the aggressive hunger for justice Bruce has. Pattinson’s Bruce is a more vulnerable, human version of the titular orphaned billionaire, he’s removed himself from high society and becomes crippled metaphorically by his unresolved trauma. In The Batman, Bruce is the mask whilst the vigilante is his true persona. For Bruce, being Batman is like having a drug addiction, he’s flawed and sometimes unable to control himself.

Zoe Kravitz is just purrrrfect casting, she’s able to bring her own flair to the character. The film’s narrative invests a lot into Selina Kyle, she’s an integral part of the plot which showcases the cat burglar’s clawed past. Her character is becoming a femme fatale, figuring out who she wants to be, and she’s just someone trying to survive. She is just ripped from the comics of Batman: Year One, her moral ambiguity challenges Batman’s view of good and evil. And whilst she represents femininity in contrast to Batman’s masculinity both are drawn together by their desire to fight for vulnerable people. In every scene the chemistry she shares with Pattinson is undeniable, their electric energy is like watching a game of cat and mouse, it’s all very hot.

As for Dano, he was absolutely terrifying as the Riddler. This is a far, far complete opposite from the previous Riddler by Jim Carrey as director Matt Reeves writes a more grounded and realistic approach that puts a modern, murderous spin on the iconic DC Villain. This wordsmith is heavily influenced by the real-world Zodiac killer. Dano provides an unhinged performance depicting a deranged psychopath who seems to be targeting elite citizens of Gotham and ultimately he seeks to unmask the truth. His corrupt use of using social media and the dark web is taunting and truly brings the character up to another level. This serial killer truly has an anarchist social following. From the first 10 minutes, The Riddler is full-on creepy as Dano’s movements give me chills and thanks to the newly updated costume which is versatile, camouflage, and full-on cult leader.

Colin Farrell was truly unrecognisable and completely transforms himself into Oswald Cobblepot. He steals every scene he’s in as Falcone’s lieutenant who operates the Iceberg Lounge. Speaking of Carmine, John Turturro was intimating in the role and is perfect casting. His Falcone is truly well-realised. Oswald is a mid-level mobster guy who’s not quite the crime kingpin he’s depicted as in the comics. He dislikes being referred to as the Penguin and personified he’s an entertainer with a bit of showmanship to him. However, as the film progresses you can see he wants more and that he’s been underestimated. There is tons of potential with the penguin and what Farrell wanted to bring to the character on set, I’m excited to see the spinoff series that’ll hopefully expand upon Penguin’s story.

The Batman is at large a murder mystery in which a traumatised narrow-minded Dark Knight is working with the only detective in the Gotham City Police Department who trusts him, Jim Gordon is an ally to the Bat and the film follows his beginnings as a GCPD lieutenant, allowing for future films to show his progression to Commissioner. The pair are wrapped up in this high-profile case. Wright hits all the best notes for his portrayal as Jim Gordon, he has a nice buddy-cop dynamic with Pattinson which leads to some detective noir sequences.

I also loved that In The Batman, Serkis’s Alfred has a different relationship with Pattinson’s Bruce which is more paternal and one that connects him to the Wayne family which packs an emotional punch, even though they begin with a hostile relationship and rarely speak, he’s Bruce’s only confidant, though Alfred thinks he’s gone insane.

Matt Reeves aimed to make a more realistic, grounded Batman film and he’s exceeded all expectations. The film creatively does amazing work with the visuals as the use of shadows is remarkable. The Batman also has tons of amazing comic book references and easter eggs which keeps the viewers engaged. Within its three-hour runtime, Reeves contains each hour as its own chapter such as setting the film Year two and on Halloween night. I’ve also got to mention the incredible action scenes specifically that phenomenal car chase. What an intense introduction to the Batmobile.

The Batman also boasts a truly phenomenal score from Michael Giacchino as I mentioned above. It’s haunting, eerie, loud and ceremonious. Each track on the score is moody and magnificent. The Batman is truly sensational and BATSHIT crazy, it pays homage to the characters’ legacy and rogues gallery as a divine, gothic entry, with nuanced storytelling which makes It the best Batman yet.