Can we discuss Telltale's Batman series...

Can we discuss Telltale's Batman series? Is it the best new take on Batman since the first two Nolan movies or does it kind of suck? I'm of two minds about it.

Just to explicate a bit: I like several things a great deal. The character designs are cool as fuck, just different enough to be distinct while still drawing on great elements from Bat stories of yore. For example, Bruce looks like a cross between Jon Hamm and Gregory peck, who was Frank Miller and Dave Maz's inspiration in Year One. I also dig that he's not a huge jacked up guy but lean and handsome in a classic way. Also dig Selina's design and Two-Face's scarring. Harvey as a huge bodybuilder bro is a cool idea and appropriate given that we see him working out in some classic Batman lit. The Batsuit is maybe my favorite in non-comics media. Bar none. Voice acting is also top-notch.

That said, some of the story elements are underwhelming me. Love that Telltale went hard on the politics angle, something that was my favorite bit about the early Scott Snyder Bat stories. I also don't hate on its face them making the Wayne's crooks. Could be a cool twist, borrowing loosely from Grant Morrison's Doctor Hurt ambiguity. That said, it really only works well when you're getting the rug pulled out from you after years of stories. Bruce learning this at the beginning of his career is a little bizarre. Not sure what they've done with it that has been interesting, either. I could honestly forsee a twist reversal in episode 5 that reveals it was all a hoax. That's how little it has actually mattered except as a plot device to get Bruce removed as CEO.

Speaking of which, why is he CEO? Did he go off and get training? We get very little actual origin stuff (not his parents getting shot; that shit doesn't even register anymore) for an "origin story." Not even sure this Bruce seems all that much of a genius, desu.

Anyway, it's been a mostly fun experience and it's great to get a Batman story that's an original remix, unmoored from existing continuity and with new designs.

None of this is even touching the rote Telltale gameplay or whatever. If you've played any of them before, you know what you're getting yourself in for. I do and did and I enjoy them for what they are. That said, I like to have a few eps saved up to play back to back. I binged the first four eps of Batman in two days and that was a better way to do it, I think. Can't imagine playing one 90 min segment and walking away satisfied.

I'm enjoying it so far. Will wait until episode five to judge the whole series/season.

I hate how they're making many of Bruce's villains tie in to his personal history. That "everybody knew one another in high school" malarky.

Penguin? Seriously?

Makes his own tragic friendship with Harvey less special.

Yeah that was growing old when Spiderman did it in like the 70s

Literally best boi

Fuck him for bullying Zsasz. Zsasz did nothing wrong.

look like Quake 2 on low.

Bruce was only friends with Oswald when they were kids. He seems kind of weirded out that he came back after all those years and doesn't seem too broken up when he finds out he's a villain.

His friendship with Harvey was current and thus had more weight to it.

Though I suppose they did that to tie in to what Falcone said about not trusting people he calls friends (Harvey, Oswald, Vicki, even Selina to an extent).

Speaking of which, I really didn't like his voice actor for this. Mr. Tally Marks, that is.

>That said, some of the story elements are underwhelming me. Love that Telltale went hard on the politics angle, something that was my favorite bit about the early Scott Snyder Bat stories. I also don't hate on its face them making the Wayne's crooks. Could be a cool twist, borrowing loosely from Grant Morrison's Doctor Hurt ambiguity. That said, it really only works well when you're getting the rug pulled out from you after years of stories. Bruce learning this at the beginning of his career is a little bizarre. Not sure what they've done with it that has been interesting, either. I could honestly forsee a twist reversal in episode 5 that reveals it was all a hoax. That's how little it has actually mattered except as a plot device to get Bruce removed as CEO.


I dunno, if they handle it right, it could help him find a better motivator for fighting crime than just MUH PARENTS. He doesn't have to be defined by that anymore and can gain some autonomy in his life.

Plus it helps with his parallels to Vicki and Oswald. Mainly how a good man like Bruce came out of the death of two wicked people, while the death of good people like the Arkhams and the Cobblepots created evil children. The latter is particularly amusing since in The Batman and the Arkham games, the Cobblepots ruined their own family and blamed the Waynes, while in Telltale, they have every right to feel wronged.

Fuck you. Zsasz is a piece of shit.

>b-but he only kills bad guys now

>Victor Zsasz, defender of cucks

Well Oz does come up at the park telling him "stay out of the way Bruce when we come to tear the Wayne name to the ground."

IS RIDDLER IN THIS YET?

No, and considering Telltale games don't usually do second seasons, I wouldn't expect to see him.

On the other hand, Batman does print money.

I didn't expect to see the Ventriloquist, particularly after the Arkham series largely ignored him.

I also didn't expect to see Socko. That was a cool nod.

Batman season 2 Gotham PD hires a criminal profiler named Edward Nigma.

"Everyone is a riddle Commissioner, some just more complex than others."

So far, it's so good. This is probably a series that Telltale could really REALLY sink their teeth into, as the duality of Batman and Bruce Wayne, and Batman's thirst for vengeance and justice alike are easilly exploitable, and is rife for player input. The only downside to this is that it's fucking Telltale handling the entire thing, so the outcome never fucking changes no matter what you do. Harvey still turns into Two-Face, no matter whom you decide to save. You still get to bone Catwoman, no matter who you decide to save. Bruce still attacks Cobblepot, no matter what you decide to say, and Gordon still calls you to help out, no matter how you act to him. Telltale's story telling has always pissed me off, because they lie about their main selling point (YOU get to decide the story! YOUR choices have REAL impact on the story!). Although the ending for Episode 4 gives me some hope, given the radicalness of your two choices. Then again, I thought the same thing in Episode 2, and look how that turned out.

For the most part though, they at least get the vharacters right. Harvey is a bit too corrupt for my liking, but with the overall theme of the story being corruption, to the point where you can make Bruce take that very path, it makes sense. It's just a shame our once-proud Harvey had fallen to such a petty political level before he had half of his face melted off.

I like the somewhat subtle differences between scarred and not Harvey. Without the scars, he's kinda pathetic and ungodly paranoid. With the scars he's more bitter and aggressive when speaking.

>I'm of two minds about it.
Ha.

I do like that distinction. It's like watching Big Bad Harv vs Actual Two-Face. Like I said, characterization by Tell-Tale is pretty good. They've always been great at telling a straightforward narrative, just terrible at making player choice matter.