Newly revealed character designs for a Batman animated show that never came to fruition appear to be inspired by the work of artist Greg Capullo.Comics artist Kris Anka (X-Men, Runaways) shared the artwork online, explaining the designs were for a "TV show pitch" he was apparently involved in "back in 2019." The post shows different variations of Batman's costume, offering three separate visions for the inside of his cape. The first is a light shade of blue while the second is a traditional grey/black. The third version is a deep purple, mirroring Batman's look in parts of Scott Snyder and Capullo's Batman run.
The presence of purple in the Dark Knight's costume hearkens back to the Caped Crusader's Golden Age roots, where Bruce Wayne's original Detective Comics disguise featured a pair of purple gloves. This element of the suit quickly vanished but eventually re-emerged in Snyder and Capullo's Batman: Zero Year. The storyline provided a retelling of the Batman's early days, putting him in an outfit inspired by the classic Bob Kane and Bill Finger version, complete with purple gloves. Capullo and Snyder worked on the Dark Nights: Metal and Dark Nights: Death Metal events, co-creating the grotesque Batman Who Laughs -- a twisted amalgamation of Batman and the Joker. Notably, despite his association with Batman and other dark characters like Spawn, Capullo never wanted to become a horror artist but considers himself "typecast" due to his partnership with Snyder.
Although this particular pitch failed to progress past the development stage, Batman's animated future is assured, with J.J. Abrams, Bruce Timm and Matt Reeves teaming up to create a spiritual successor to the highly regarded Batman: The Animated Series. Titled Batman: Caped Crusader, the new series was showcased at this year's DC FanDome on Oct. 16 in a behind-the-scenes video featuring its considerably high-profile creative team. The clip didn't contain any new imagery from the series, but Timm assured fans of its authenticity, describing Batman: Caped Crusader as "more Batman: The Animated Series than Batman: The Animated Series."
Like Zero Year, the upcoming Batman: Caped Crusader calls back to the character's origins as a vigilante detective. Abrams described the show as "a complex psychological story about someone who, in a way, needs to be redeemed," at least as far as the first season is concerned. This reflects Warner Bros.' current approach to the character across various media, the most notable example of this being Reeves' The Batman, which boasts a gritty noir aesthetic.
Source: Twitter