The superhero Batman is certainly one of the most iconic comic book characters of all time. The DC hero has been featured in films, TV shows, video games and of course some of the greatest graphic novels ever made. Christian Bale and Christopher Nolan teamed up to make an incredible trilogy of Batman films that showed a dark and grounded take on the hero.
The Dark Knight trilogy has been referred to by many fans as the best series of Batman films made to date. Here are 5 moments that Christian Bale's Batman was accurate to the comics, and 5 times he wasn't.
10 Accurate: Arkham Asylum
Arkham Asylum has become an important part of Batman's history. In all of the best Batman stories, the asylum is full of his most iconic villains. In Christian Bale's trilogy, the asylum is featured in each of the three films and it plays an important part in the series.
In the first film, Batman has to fight a group of villains from the League of Shadows that were breaking out of the asylum. The building they filmed in was perfect, it looks ominous but also a realistic depiction of what the asylum should look like. At the end of The Dark Knight, Joker is arrested and turned into the iconic Arkham Asylum, which is a great moment for comic book fans.
9 inaccurate: Batmobile
In almost every adaptation of the dark knight, there is some form of Batmobile that he uses to get around the city at night. There have been plenty of variations on this vehicle, but Christian Bale's Batman had a Batmobile that was very different from every other version. In this trilogy, the Batmobile is nearly indestructible, and it looks like a military vehicle that can barrel through buildings.
The design was unique and cool, but Batman is mostly an inconspicuous character that does not draw a lot of attention to himself. This Batmobile was impossible to miss, flattening cars with ease as he chases the Joker around the city.
8 Accurate: Moral Compass
One of Batman's most common attributes is his strong moral compass. Even when he goes up against the toughest villains Gotham has to offer, he still refuses to kill anyone no matter what. Christian Bale's Batman keeps this same moral compass throughout the trilogy.
Batman's rule to not kill anyone becomes a part of the plot when he goes up against the Joker in The Dark Knight. Bruce Wayne trained to be a highly-skilled assassin, so having this moral rule keeps him from going down a dark path that leads to being an expert killer.
7 inaccurate: Robin
Christian Bale's trilogy of Batman films is, without a doubt, an excellent take on what a real-world superhero would look like. In the comics, Batman has mentored a few different sidekicks, most notably is his trusted sidekick Robin. In The Dark Knight Rises.
In the film, Batman bonds with an ambitious detective named John Blake who was also an orphan and has grown to idolize the masked hero. At the end of the trilogy, Bruce Wayne ends up handing over the Batcave to Blake, who then reveals his real name is Robin. This reveal is interesting, but it does not resemble the sidekick from the comics in any way besides the name.
6 Accurate: Ra's Al Ghul
Christian Bale gives an excellent performance as the most grounded version of Batman in any film. The first film in the trilogy establishes Ra's Al Ghul as both the mentor and ultimate adversary to Bruce Wayne. He trains him in line with the League of Shadows, making him a deadly assassin. Ra's Al Ghul sees Batman as a worthy opponent, and he even tries to recruit him for his villainous plan.
This villain was an ambitious character for the first villain in a realistic take on Batman, but it worked perfectly. Liam Neeson gave an excellent performance, and the character honored the original comic book version in many ways.
5 inaccurate: Only A Year Under The Mask
The legend of Batman is supposed to have a permanent impact on the city of Gotham. While he has effectively struck fear into the criminals of the city before the Joker shows up, he only spent a few months fighting crime at night.
This works for the realistic take Nolan was going for with the trilogy, but it does take away from the weight that the legendary hero should have. People talk about him around the city as though he has been protecting them for years, but over the course of all three movies, Bruce Wayne spends more time in hiding after Harvey Dent dies than he does fighting crime as Batman.
4 Accurate: Commissioner Gordon
In the comics, Commissioner Gordon and Batman often work together to fight the criminals of Gotham. Gordon is often portrayed as an officer that is smart enough to hold his own against some of the most dangerous villains. Christian Bale and Gary Oldman work well together on-screen to show this mutual respect between an officer of the law and the masked vigilante.
In the films, Gordon is there for Bruce when his parents die, and he helps him fight crime without finding out who Batman is until the very end of the trilogy. The relationship between these two characters is consistent both in the comics and on-screen.
3 inaccurate: Lack Of Detective Work
Christian Bale does an excellent job of showing the human struggles that Bruce Wayne faces, trying to balance his two different lives of running a business and fighting crime as a masked vigilante. However, Batman is supposed to be the best detective in the world. In the trilogy of films, Batman does very little detective work that would reflect his comic book counterpart.
In the films, Bruce Wayne uses his gadgets to get some information, but he is oftentimes one step behind the villains and has to punch his way out of situations. In the comics, Batman is able to outsmart the greatest villains and he is able to plan ahead and solve mysteries with ease.
2 Accurate: The Broken Bat
Bane has been one of Batman's most formidable villains for years. In the film The Dark Knight Rises, Bane is trained by the League of Shadows and he takes control of Gotham. The city descends into complete chaos as he isolates the city and criminals take control. One of the most iconic moments in both the film and in the comics is when Bane lifts Batman over his head and brutally breaks the hero's back over his knee.
The scene is tragic in the film and it is almost a direct adaptation from the comic book. Batman must watch the city he loves as it falls apart while he recovers from the devastating injury.
1 inaccurate: His Voice Change
Bruce Wayne is a well-known millionaire, so protecting his identity has always been a part of the Batman mythos. Christian Bale is the perfect Bruce Wayne, but when he puts on the mask, he changes his voice to help hide his identity and to make himself more intimidating.
The idea makes sense, but his new voice is comical at times, and it does not always work the way it is supposed to. The voice change works when he is yelling at criminals, but anytime he talks one on one with another character, his Batman voice just does not fit with the rest of the character.