The debate of Marvel vs DC has been happening for decades and doesn't show signs of stopping anytime soon. Many Marvel fans consider the DC comics and heroes to be too shiny and hopeful, while Marvel characters like the X-Men and Daredevil are decidedly more dark and flawed. This debate only becomes more confusing because the current movie universes actually do the opposite- MCU movies have a fair amount of levity and the DCEU is somber (thanks Zack Snyder). But even hardcore Marvel fans can't deny that Batman is the best. The brooding vigilante stands out for his myriad skills, tragic backstory, and capability in battle despite lacking superpowers. Everyone loves the Dark Knight, so HBO subscribers should be especially excited for the month of November. That's right, the Bats is coming to HBO.
HBO recently announced the various movies that are entering its catalogue starting in the month of November. It turns out there's a crap ton of Batman movies headed to the streaming service, in both live action and cartoon form. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is the main attraction and will be premiering November 26th (via HBO Binge), but the rest of the movies will be available at the first of the month. Here's a full list of all the Batman flicks that will be airing on the small screen:
Batman (1989)Batman & Robin (1997)Batman Forever (1995)Batman Returns (1992)Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (Part 1, 2012)Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (Part 2, 2013)Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010)Batman: Year One (2011)Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Now that's a lot of Bat. November is shaping up to be a glorious month for fans of the caped crusader. And let's face it: 2016 can take any positivity it can get.
While its exciting that Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice will be on television for the first time, having all those other movies is perhaps even better. HBO has adopted the majority of the iconic Batman movies, with the exception being Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy. Those were presumably a bit more expensive than the 90's and animated movies, so HBO decided to exclude them from the November Bat-tastic programming.
All of the Joel Schumacher age Batman flicks are now available on HBO, which is a double edged sword. While Batman and Batman Returns are solid installments in the franchise and contributed to the modern view of the Caped Crusader, things quickly went south. Batman Forever had moments of light, but saw the overall quality declining as campiness was amped up.
And then there's Batman and Robin. In theory it should have been great. They booked George friggin' Clooney as Batman, added Batgirl into the mix, and you'd think that Uma Thurman would be perfect to play Poison Ivy. But what we got was a cartoonish and awful new adaptation that effectively stopped the franchise in its tracks.
Perhaps what is the most interesting about HBO's new collection of Batman movies is the inclusion of animated movies. The animated Batman movies can sometimes be more effective than the live-action. They have the advantage of not worrying about a budget, and can show off battles and effects that would be a fortune to shoot in live-action. Additionally, they can sometimes include darker stories like The Killing Joke. So if you're an HBO subscriber make sure to check out the Batman animated movies.
The above list will be available starting November 1st on HBO, with Batman v Superman joining the ranks November 26th.
