"Batman: Bad Blood" (Jay Oliva, 2016)

A BETTER BATMAN by Mo Shaunette

Above: a scene from “Batman: Bad Blood.” Photo ©Warner Home Video.

It's an unfortunate fact that at some point, every comic book fan faces some moment of disillusionment as they age and grow.  For me, one arrived when I realized just how boring Batman actually is. 

Don’t get me wrong; there are Batman stories that I love.  But those stories are made memorable by situations, strong supporting characters, and iconic villains.  Batman himself is so arch and straightforward that he borders on being one-dimensional—a premier “human” character in DC Comics with relatively little humanity.

“Batman: Bad Blood,” the latest of the DC animated features, wisely responds to its hero’s limitations by shifting its focus away from the Caped Crusader and onto various sidekicks and supporting players.  That’s part of why the film is one of the stronger outputs from Warner Home Media’s recent uneven streak.

“Bad Blood” begins as a new gang takes hold in Gotham City: a crew of lesser-known villains led by the mysterious Heretic (Travis Willingham).  When it appears that the Heretic has succeeded in killing Batman (Jason O’Mara), Dick Grayson, a.k.a. Nightwing (Sean Maher), takes up the Bat-mantle, donning his former mentor’s cape and cowl to fight the Heretic, with Bruce Wayne’s son Damian (Stuart Allen) tagging along to make sure he does it right.

Along the way, the new Dynamic Duo get help from Kate Kane, a.k.a. Batwoman (Yvonne Strahovski)—a distant cousin of Bruce Wayne—and Luke Fox, a.k.a. Batwing (Gaius Charles), who is the son of Batman’s gadget supplier Lucius Fox (my favorite Ghostbuster, Ernie Hudson).  These compelling characters help set “Bad Blood” apart from the DC animation pack.  

The film also succeeds because of thematic concentration.  As the title implies, the idea of family and familial bonds is central to the story.  Dick remarks that it was Bruce’s ability to empathize with him and Damian as sons, not soldiers, that inspired them to a higher calling. 

Similarly, both Kate and Luke are kept at a distance by Bruce because they aren’t part of his “family”—but they are welcomed by Dick, who sees them not only as capable fighters, but as kindred spirits, scarred by trauma and spurned forward by duty to make their city a better place.

“Bad Blood” also stands apart because of the fact that Dick Grayson is at the center of the story.  His personal arc brings much-needed humanity to the movie (as does his sense of humor) and both Kate and Luke have similarly compelling hero’s journeys, especially since they are former soldiers looking for new purpose (Luke is mentioned as having returned from a tour in Afghanistan; Kate was at West Point Academy before being expelled for violating Don’t Ask Don’t Tell).

If there’s any element of the film that falters, it’s the script, which is clunky and uneven at times.  The film’s action scenes and character beats don’t always connect and the climax runs through events in such rapid succession that there’s little time to breathe, especially when the Heretic’s gang members start dropping like flies. 

I get that in a story with more characters than normal, you have to budget your screen time strategically, but I still think that DC missed an opportunity to enrich their film by at least making it longer than eighty minutes.

Still, “Bad Blood” ultimately works.  The cast brings it (especially Sean Maher, who shines in the lead role, and Travis Willingham, who effectively sells the Heretic’s madness and internal turmoil); many of the action sequences are fluid, well-choreographed, brutal and highlight each character’s particular style; and Phil Bourassa’s character designs still look fantastic, with his villain redesigns being especially distinct (although I can’t decide if the Heretic’s sleeveless trench coat looks cool or just silly).

In the end, it all comes together to make one of the better Batman movies I’ve seen in some time.  If you’re interested in exploring the world of the Dark Knight from outside his head, give it a watch.