Batman may well be the most well known, beloved, and iconic superhero in the world today, even with the worldwide takeover of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. What is often cited as the greatest piece of Batman in cinema, is Christopher Nolan's spectacular Dark Knight trilogy.
There is a lot of debate over the best Batman movie and the best performer, but what about the best era? Is Nolan's best, or is it Tim Burton's era of the Bat, or even the DCEU? Here we look at both sides of whether or not Nolan's is the best.
Not Nolan - Gotham
It is a small thing in the grand scheme of talking about what makes the best Batman era, but the actual city of Gotham itself is an iconic thing that is done better in other eras of Batman from Nolan's.
Specifically, Burton's gothic take on the city stands out, with animated takes on the caped crusader also looking the part. Nolan does not incorporate Gotham as a supremely important aspect of his film, but it is there and is great, just not as fitting.
Nolan - Box Office
The box office may not speak volumes to some when it comes to the quality of a movie, or an era of a specific property. However, it is crucial for Batman and all superhero movies, really.
All three of Nolan's trilogy add up to nearly Justice League. It reached out to comic nerds and casual fans alike, and the box office shows that.
Not Nolan - They Are A Lot To Take In
As is the case with all Nolan films, the Dark Knight trilogy is long, with each film coming in around two and a half hours. They also have a lot to absorb and take in, with some complex narratives, and a very dark tone.
To some, this holds back the trilogy; it is not as easy to watch the trilogy as it is to watch, say, 1989 Batman. The movies demand your attention and are good enough to have that authority, but some people may not want to give that level of attention for that long for superhero movies when there are alternatives.
Nolan - Best Performance & Ensembles
Performances are a massive part of films, and unquestionably Nolan has the greatest of any superhero or comic book movie of all time.
The legacy of The Dark Knight rests on the shoulders of Heath Ledger's spectacular effort as the ultimate anarchist, the Joker. Many believe that it beats out any performance in any Batman movie by a mile. On top of that, there are exceptional performances all round in the trilogy, from Christian Bale to Tom Hardy to Michael Caine to just about everyone in between.
Not Nolan - A Lot Of Nostalgia For Tim Burton & The Animated Series
Batman: The Animated Series is often heralded as one of the best-animated series out there, and it came out the same year as Batman Returns.
This means a lot of nostalgia for people who both Tim Burton's Batman movies, and the animated show. Nolan three films may not match the nostalgia level of the animated show, but nostalgia for the Dark Knight trilogy could grow as the years go by.
Nolan - The Best Film & Best Origin
Talking about The Dark Knight is obviously needed. It is heralded as a perfect movie and is often considered one of the best superhero movies of all time, automatically putting Nolan's era ahead of others.
Alongside the middle movie, though, Nolan's trilogy also has one of the best portrayals of Batman's origin story in of theatrical films: a pretty perfect beginning.
Not Nolan - More Fun Options
It got a mention earlier that the Dark Knight trilogy is a lot to take in; this relates to a second point that they are not the most fun Batman movies around.
Nolan's trilogy is not the typical set of movies you would put on to have fun, or a laugh, or a feel-good time. Once again, you would go back to the nineties for Burton's Batman, The Animated Series, and even Joel Schumacher's car crashes.
Nolan - Brought Batman Back
Speaking of Joel Schumacher's car-crashes, those two movies did a lot of damage not just to Batman, but to superhero movies in general, with not much aiding their cause in the years after except for Sam Raimi's Spider-Man.
When Nolan released Batman Begins and then The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises, he brought Batman back to the big screen, back to credibility. Nolan's trilogy also spearheaded superhero movies' rise to prominence, with Batman Begins releasing three years before the beginning of the MCU, and The Dark Knight released two months after its inception.
Not Nolan - No Agreement On The Best Batman
The debate over who is the best actor to portray the caped crusader has raged on for years now, with Christian Bale, Michael Keaton, Kevin Conroy, and even Ben Affleck having their irers, and Robert Pattinson hot on their heels.
A lot of people discredit Bale's performance for his Batman's voice, despite his amazing look as Bruce Wayne. Some love Keaton all round, some believe Affleck did not get a fair shake, and overall there is no agreement on who the best Bat is.
Nolan - Complete & Consistent Trilogy
Nolan does something nobody else has managed to do with Batman thus far, a consistent, high-quality trilogy, with the same cast.
It has a clear start-middle-end structure and has a memorable journey with both Bruce Wayne and Batman. All three movies individually are better than most other Batman movies.
