It’s funny how Batman comics have kind of come full circle for me.
When I first started really getting into comics, the New 52 had just launched. Arrow and The Flash had just started on TV, and I was diving headfirst into comic shops, graphic novels, and anything Batman-related I could get my hands on.
One of the very first graphic novels I ever bought was Nightfall. I remember being blown away by the size of it. These books were massive. The entire story felt bigger than anything I had read before. Batman isn’t just fighting another villain—he’s being systematically broken down mentally, emotionally, and physically. Every villain has a role to play. Bruce is exhausted. Gotham is falling apart around him. Then he finally gets home, and Bane is there waiting.
It’s still one of the most iconic Batman stories ever told. That’s why I was so excited to see the trailer for the upcoming animated adaptation.
For years I’ve thought Nightfall would make an incredible animated project. Back in the day I imagined it as a multi-episode event in the style of Batman: The Animated Series. Instead, we’re getting a trilogy of animated films, which honestly might be even better. This story is way too big to fit into one movie.
The trailer looks fantastic.
The animation looks like it was ripped straight from the comics, which is exactly what I wanted. Nightfall is a dark story, and the trailer isn’t shying away from that. We get Bane. We get Azrael. We get Jean-Paul Valley taking over as Batman. It looks like they’re embracing everything that made the original story memorable. My only small concern is the voice acting. It’s not even really a criticism—it’s just that every Batman voice is going to be compared to Kevin Conroy. Those are impossible shoes to fill. But from what we’ve seen so far, this looks like it’s going to be an incredible adaptation.
Whenever the trilogy eventually gets a Blu-ray box set, there’s a very good chance it’ll end up on my shelf.
As excited as I am for Nightfall, that wasn’t the only Batman announcement.
DC also announced that Absolute Batman is getting its own animated series.
And honestly, this might be even bigger news.
After drifting away from comics for a while, it was Scott Snyder who pulled me right back in. His New 52 Batman run was fantastic, but Absolute Batman has become something else entirely. It’s currently one of the hottest comics in the world, and every issue somehow manages to raise the bar.
Absolute Batman takes everything you think you know about Bruce Wayne and twists it into something new. Bruce isn’t the billionaire everyone expects. The world is different. The villains are different. The relationships are different. There are major surprises that I won’t spoil because discovering them is half the fun. The crazy part is that we’re only about 21 issues into this story. That’s why I’m fascinated by the animated series announcement. By the time the show actually releases, there will likely be a lot more material to adapt. Personally, I hope they keep it simple and stay faithful to the source material. Give us six episodes. Adapt the comic directly. Let the story speak for itself because it’s already incredible.
For me, two things will make or break the series.
First is the animation style. Second is whoever they cast as Batman. Get those two things right and I think people are going to realize just how special this comic run really is. The comic keeps getting better with every issue, and I genuinely think the animated series has the potential to introduce a whole new audience to one of the most exciting Batman stories in years.
Between the Nightfall trailer and the Absolute Batman animated series announcement, it’s a great time to be a Batman fan. One is finally bringing one of the most legendary Batman stories ever written to animation.
The other is preparing to bring one of Batman’s most exciting new stories to an even bigger audience. As someone whose Batman fandom started with stories like Nightfall and was reignited by Scott Snyder’s Absolute Batman, seeing both of these announcements in the same week feels pretty special.
