“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!”

December 1, 2017 2:37 PM

First Look At The Batman Ninja Anime [Kotaku] “When the Batman Ninja anime was first announced this October, a short clip was shown at New York Comic Con. Now, the animated feature’s first footage has been uploaded online, and it’s glorious. Story writer Kazuki Nakashima (Kill La Kill) and character designer Takashi Okazaki (Afro Samurai) have created a Batman unlike any we’ve seen previously. There are two teasers—one with English subtitles and one without. Batman Ninja will be released on DVD and Blu-ray next year.”
posted by Fizz (38 comments total)

My favourite comment so far:

“It’ll still be better than Justice League.”

posted by Fizz at 2:43 PM on December 1, 2017 [5 favorites]

Wow, this is gorgeous, thanks!
posted by ITheCosmos at 2:45 PM on December 1, 2017

Related thing I now also want to see: Batman: Gotham by Gaslight, "the classic Victorian alt-reality tale drawn by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola." And now I need to find those comics, too.
posted by filthy light thief at 2:50 PM on December 1, 2017 [10 favorites]

filthy light thief, that flew under my radar. Thanks for posting that. Oooh, such a great idea.
posted by Fizz at 2:52 PM on December 1, 2017

This looks like a lot of fun. Plus it's got the whole gang! Besides the big two, I noted Nightwing, Robin, Catwoman, Harley Quinn, and Two-Face, and I probably missed a few.

(Wikipedia tells me Catwoman in Japanese is キャットウーマン Kyattoūman, which I'm filing away for my next character creation screen.)
posted by zompist at 3:00 PM on December 1, 2017 [1 favorite]

"FROM THE TOP CREATORS OF JAPAN"

Ah, yes, the people behind Japan.
posted by Foci for Analysis at 3:01 PM on December 1, 2017 [46 favorites]

I am legit excited about this; I cannot lie.
posted by LMGM at 3:03 PM on December 1, 2017

I am hoping that there's only a subtitled version. This does not need a dub.

Subs > dubs.
posted by Fizz at 3:07 PM on December 1, 2017 [11 favorites]

1. It's weird that the katakana for the title reads "Ninja Batman" but all the English sites write the title as "Batman Ninja".

2. It's redundant, ether way.

3. I know he's not a Batman villain so probably not, but is that fucking Gorilla Grodd?
posted by Sangermaine at 3:14 PM on December 1, 2017 [4 favorites]

It does look like it Sangermaine, and I also glimpsed Deathstroke. Unless the Gorilla we see is somehow Bane? Which as I'm typing out makes less and less sense.
posted by Fizz at 3:17 PM on December 1, 2017 [1 favorite]

Grodd was my first thought, but it could be even odder if they went for actual Batman villain Gorilla Boss.

(Not to be confused with Mod Gorilla Boss.)
posted by Four Ds at 3:20 PM on December 1, 2017 [1 favorite]

Also, loving that Joker's face is almost the perfect Oni mask. So creepy and so well done.
posted by Fizz at 3:27 PM on December 1, 2017

I watched the trailer six times today. Kinda want to watch the whole thing without subtitles.
posted by middleclasstool at 4:26 PM on December 1, 2017 [2 favorites]

My favourite comment so far:
“It’ll still be better than Justice League.”

If they had Batman and Joker being catty bored househusbands gossiping against other to their fake friends at the Premium Outlet Mall, it would still be better than Justice League.

The visuals are fab, but it's not really unlike anything I have seen before. Bats and Joker are always fighting each other over something. We get it: they hate each other. The end.
posted by Alexandra Kitty at 4:37 PM on December 1, 2017 [2 favorites]

It looks cool, but it seems more like Batman Samurai than Batman Ninja.
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 4:45 PM on December 1, 2017 [7 favorites]

If they had Batman and Joker being catty bored househusbands gossiping against other to their fake friends at the Premium Outlet Mall, it would still be better than Justice League.


I...I would watch this?
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 5:18 PM on December 1, 2017 [23 favorites]

I clicked on this link expecting to hate it, and instead I found I'm really excited for this now. Good job, top creators of Japan!
posted by JDHarper at 5:45 PM on December 1, 2017

(Wikipedia tells me Catwoman in Japanese is キャットウーマン Kyattoūman, which I'm filing away for my next character creation screen.)

I can't believe they missed the chance for it to be "Nyan-Chan", SMDH.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 5:46 PM on December 1, 2017 [4 favorites]

If they had Batman and Joker being catty bored househusbands gossiping against other to their fake friends at the Premium Outlet Mall, it would still be better than Justice League.

Better than the entire DC production of the last decade....
posted by GenjiandProust at 5:50 PM on December 1, 2017 [2 favorites]

Related thing I now also want to see: Batman: Gotham by Gaslight, "the classic Victorian alt-reality tale drawn by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola." And now I need to find those comics, too.

THIS looks really fucking good.

The other thing I could take or leave. Mainly just the 3D models I could do without... extremely stiff.
posted by selfnoise at 6:37 PM on December 1, 2017

Related thing I now also want to see: Batman: Gotham by Gaslight, "the classic Victorian alt-reality tale drawn by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola." And now I need to find those comics, too.

I loved that book so very much. It had such a distinctive vibe while staying true to Bats. I think it was one of my favourite Batman stories of all. So much in a quick read, and its elegance in storytelling was truly impressive.
posted by Alexandra Kitty at 6:49 PM on December 1, 2017 [3 favorites]

Man, that animated version of Gotham by Gaslight totally failed to capture the visual appeal of the comic.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 6:55 PM on December 1, 2017 [1 favorite]

Quasi-related: Mikey Neumann (of Movies with Mikey) asked Twitter a while back who they would cast as Batman, no restrictions. Here's his video exploring the responses.
posted by nubs at 7:05 PM on December 1, 2017 [1 favorite]

You know, pretty much DC Animation has never failed to please me. They seem to be a lot more willing to take risks with the animated stuff. As thus, I expect to be pleased again.
posted by Samizdata at 7:19 PM on December 1, 2017 [1 favorite]

Kazuki Nakashima of Gurren Lagann and Kill-La-Kill being the screenwriter has me really looking forward to this.
posted by needled at 7:28 PM on December 1, 2017

Who would I cast as Batman, no restrictions?
Danai Gurira.
posted by The Great David S. Pumpkins at 7:42 PM on December 1, 2017 [1 favorite]

I clicked on this link expecting to hate it, and instead I found I'm really excited for this now.

I feel the opposite of this. Bleh. Pass.
posted by maryr at 7:48 PM on December 1, 2017

I look forward to watching one episode of this and immediately dropping it.
posted by knuckle tattoos at 8:22 PM on December 1, 2017

Pretty sure it's an OVA, so you might accidentally watch the whole thing .
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 8:33 PM on December 1, 2017

This pleases me.
posted by Purposeful Grimace at 1:21 AM on December 2, 2017

The character design is so Sengoku Basara, Joker steals the "dairokuten maoh" / "devil king from the sixth heaven" thing as well as the moustache from Oda Nobunaga. I wonder if the shot of Batman in a weird tank chariot thing is a reference to Date Masamune's horse with bike handles at the beginning of the SB anime.
posted by sukeban at 3:50 AM on December 2, 2017

Me, hearing about this: 'This is sounds stupid'
Me, watching the trailer: 'THIS IS AMAZING!!!!'
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 3:57 AM on December 2, 2017 [6 favorites]

This looks pretty cool, DC Animation cranks out a lot of stuff that's tons better than their movies. I have this nagging funny feeling about wanting Celty Sturluson to time-travel (or just have been around already) and be the Catwoman. That would be so BOSS.
posted by zengargoyle at 4:33 AM on December 2, 2017

This looks pretty cool, DC Animation cranks out a lot of stuff that's tons better than their movies. I have this nagging funny feeling about wanting Celty Sturluson to time-travel (or just have been around already) and be the Catwoman. That would be so BOSS.

Going to be kinda hard to have her kiss Bruce. Just sayin'.
posted by Samizdata at 2:18 PM on December 2, 2017

Celty is too sexy and best girl to be flummoxed by not having a head. She'd make it work.

Aside, there was a Wolverine and an Iron-Man anime that I'm not sure made it to the US (if you weren't paying attention or of the pirate persuasion). They were decent enough, but not spectacular or anything. Probably better than Iron-Man 2 or 3....

#teamcelty, a headless irish mythological figure in leather and a cat-eared helmet is the most awesome and human character in the Durarara series.
posted by zengargoyle at 1:38 AM on December 3, 2017

I need a full costume breakdown of what that universe version of Harley Quinn looks like.

STAT.

for allllllllllll the cosplay purposes!
posted by Faintdreams at 3:19 AM on December 3, 2017

How can this thread exist without a single mention of Batman of Shanghai?

(And why aren't they making that feature-length instead?)
posted by McBearclaw at 10:58 PM on December 4, 2017 [2 favorites]

I'd like to note that I didn't see a single ninja in that trailer. Plenty of samurais though.
posted by numaner at 4:17 PM on December 7, 2017