Warning: The following contains SPOILERS for The Batman.
The Batman contains a large number of Easter eggs and references to the original DC comic books that inspired the movie. These range from specific costume designs and character notes, to plot elements and themes. Even the most dedicated of Bat-fans will need several viewings to spot them all.
Set in the second year of Bruce Wayne's vigil, The Batman offers perhaps the most cerebral cinematic take on the Dark Knight yet. The main story pits Batman against the clue-loving villain, Riddler, whose riddles point the way to a conspiracy of corruption orchestrated by the most powerful people in Gotham City. This leads Batman to question both his methods and his efficiency, ultimately making a fateful choice about who he is and how he will approach his mission in the future.
Director Matt Reeves has been outspoken regarding his influences in co-writing The Batman, citing his film school professor Jeph Loeb (who is also a legendary Batman comics writer) as his primary inspiration. Yet The Batman goes beyond recreating a single author's ideas, drawing upon the rich history of Batman and paying homage to a number of classic comics and their creators. There are also a number of nods to earlier live-action interpretations of Batman, particularly the 1966 television series starring Adam West.
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Batman: Ego
Written and drawn by comics legend Darwyn Cooke in 2000, Batman: Ego pits Batman and Bruce Wayne against each other in a psychological and philosophical battle following a bad night on the job that leaves both personalities wondering if they are truly doing any good. While many comics have explored the duality of superheroes and their secret identities, none have done so as effectively as Batman: Ego. The Batman borrows heavily from the base concept and Cooke's first-person narration in its treatment of Bruce Wayne. This is most evident in the film's finale, where Batman, as in Ego, resolves to be a symbol of hope as well as fear.
Batman: The Long Halloween
Originally published across 13 issues in 1996-1997 and recently adapted into a two-part animated movie, The Long Halloween by writer Jeph Loeb and artist Tim Sale is widely considered to be one of the best Batman stories of all time. Set in the second year of Batman's career, the story finds him establishing a tentative partnership with Lieutenant Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, as they track a mysterious killer dubbed Holiday, who murders of the Falcone crime family on holidays. While not adapting its story exactly, The Batman also centers around a series of killings targeting the people who really run Gotham City, with the first murder taking place on Halloween night. The Batman also delves into the uneasy partnership between Batman and Jim Gordon and how it first developed into the unbreakable bond they had in later years.
Batman: Year One
Written by Frank Miller with illustrations by Dave Mazzucchelli in 1987, Batman: Year One established a new origin story for Batman following the Crisis on Infinite Earths event that reset DC Comics' history. The Batman borrows heavily from Batman: Year One in its development of Selina Kyle, who has the same background as her comic book counterpart. Zoë Kravitz also sports the same short haircut that Selena Kyle had in Batman: Year One and many of her costumes seem to have been taken directly from Dave Mazzucchelli's designs.
Batman: Earth One
DC Comics' Earth One line was intended to tell new stories featuring popular superheroes in a graphic novel format that was less dependent on continuity and more accessible to new readers and casual fans. The Batman: Earth One series developed by former DC Comics CCO Geoff Johns and artist Gary Frank presented the idea that the murder of Bruce Wayne's parents might have been political and tied to Thomas Wayne's campaign for Mayor of Gotham City. The Batman features the same idea, but also borrows heavily from Batman: Earth One's version of Alfred Pennyworth, who served as the head of Thomas Wayne's security detail rather than being his butler. Andy Serkis' Alfred sports a neatly-trimmed beard reminiscent of Gary Frank's design for the Earth One Alfred and is also shown to walk with a cane. The Batman also borrows from Earth One's depiction of the Bruce Wayne/Alfred Pennyworth relationship and its version of the Riddler, who was a serial killer obsessed with Batman rather than a riddle-loving robber.
Batman: The Telltale Series
Many Batman comics hinted at the romance between Batman and Catwoman. The final scene of The Batman, in which Selina Kyle leaves Gotham City on a motorcycle after trying to persuade Batman to abandon Gotham City, also seems to have been inspired by the ending of the first Batman: The Telltale Series game.
Batman: Zero Year
Batman: Zero Year established a new history for Batman following the 2011 New 52 reboot of DC Comics' continuity, spinning out of the monthly Batman comics by writer Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo. The final scene of The Batman borrows a bit from Zero Year, with Batman's existence being revealed to the world and Batman abandoning vengeance in favor of hope. The third act of The Batman, where the Riddler's sinister plan ends with a flooded Gotham City, was also taken directly from Riddler's endgame in Batman: Zero Year.
Batman: Year Two
Originally published in 1987 and written by Mike W. Barr with illustrations by Todd McFarlane and Alan Davis, Batman: Year Two placed Batman in an uneasy alliance with Gotham City's gangs in order to stop a violent vigilante called the Reaper. Beyond being set during Batman's second year as a superhero, The Batman also finds Batman questioning his methods and working with criminals like Penguin and Catwoman to end a greater evil. However, unlike the Batman of the comics, Robert Pattison's Batman remains true to his oath to avoid using guns.
Sal "Boss" Maroni
In the opening scene of The Batman, the incumbent mayor describes his efforts to bring down Boss Maroni during a televised debate. First appearing in Detective Comics #66 in 1942, Sal "Boss" Maroni was introduced as the gangster responsible for throwing acid into Harvey Dent's face, fueling his transformation into the villain Two-Face. Later stories, such as Batman: Year One and The Long Halloween, developed Maroni into the head of one of the major crime families of Gotham City, second only in power to his chief rival, Carmine Falcone. The Batman hints at a similar relationship between its versions of Carmine Falcone and Sal Maroni, whom Falcone fingers when Bruce Wayne asks him about the death of his parents.
Batman's "I Am Vengeance" Line Homages Batman: The Animated Series
While Batman's "voice" is heard during The Batman's opening narration, the first time he actually speaks comes after he prevents a skull-faced gang from killing a man in a subway station. When asked who he is, Batman replies "I am vengeance." While a similar scene occurred in Batman: Earth One, the "I am vengeance" catchphrase was first uttered in the Batman: The Animated Series episode "Nothing To Fear," where Batman first encountered the Scarecrow. Dosed with Scarecrow's trademark fear toxin, Batman began to hallucinate his worst fear, which was a ghostly Thomas Wayne calling him a disgrace to their family. In the end, Batman was able to overcome the visions, giving himself a now-famous pep-talk in which he affirmed "I am vengeance! I am the night! I am Batman!"
Titans' Tim Drake Is A Gang Member
The gang Batman thwarts in his first appearance in The Batman features one member with a half-painted face, who is apparently about to undergo his initiation into the gang by killing a random innocent. This gang member is played by actor Jay Lycurgo, who became an accidental Easter egg due to his casting in the HBO Max series Titans, where he took on the role of the third Robin, Tim Drake in Titans season 3. Lycurgo completed his work on The Batman before he was cast in Titans, but his non-disclosure agreement apparently prevented him from telling Titans' producers that he had a prominent position in the movie. While completely coincidental, many Titans fans did a double-take upon recognizing Lycurgo in The Batman.
