Knightfall: TAS

#1
The DCAU has produced some of the best cartoon shows ever made: Batman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond, Justice League Unlimited, and a few others. However, while I love Batman: Beyond, the destruction of the Bat Family by the Joker when Tim was still Robin, while not badly done by any measure, does tend to limit storytelling in Gotham City a bit. Hence, I'm proposing that for any authors with the time and energy to do it, a virtual season of The New Batman Adventures.

This virtual season would be set between the end of the original TNBA and Superman: TAS: In other words before the formation of the Justice League. It would serve to fill in a few of the gaps in some of the backstories of JLU's characters and would also allow for the introduction of some new characters, from the DCU or elsewhere.

I would put together a general outline for the season (but would allow for other people to input their own ideas), and each author involved would take an "episode" of the season. There would be twelve-sixteen episodes in all, and if enough people wanted to continue it a second season would be done as well.

But let's talk about the first season, and the basic outline I've put together for it along with a few points of note:

Virtual Season 3: Knightfall

The Black Mask has masterminded a way to take over the city of Gotham City-The underworld. The only obstacle in his way is the Dark Knight, and with this in mind Black Mask comes up with a brilliant plan to weaken and then destroy Batman. Said plan is simple: He employs Bane, Clayface and his own men to break the security at Arkham Asylum and Stonegate and Blackgate Prisons, staging mass breakouts of every prisoner and costumed criminal into Gotham City.

Batman is almost overwhelmed by having to handle all of his enemies all at once. He manages to triumph over a large number of his foes, but the majority still escape and the GCPD is essentially waging open war in the streets to get the thugs contained. Batman manages to return home, only to meet Bane there-He had been following the Dark Knight's movements and had discovered the entrance to the Batcave. Simultaneously, Bane has discovered Batman's secret identity and in the very Cave itself they fight. Much as in the original comic, Bane breaks Batman's back. As he's about to finish Batman off, Nightwing arrives and manages to defeat Bane.

Now crippled and facing a long, arduous recovery, Bruce reluctantly asks Dick to take over the mantle of Batman and to deal with the even more chaotic and dangerous Gotham. Dick agrees, and alongside Tim they attempt to regain control of the city. However, they are immediately short-handed. Black Mask has contracted the assassin David Cain to kill Commissioner Gordon, and the good Commissioner barely survives, left in a coma. Harvey Bullock becomes the temporary police commissioner, and appoints Barbara Gordon as his third in command after Montoya. Bullock's reasoning is simple-Barbara is more than qualified for the post and having another Gordon in the PD is good for morale. Barbara is unable to turn it down, but realizing that this will leave Batman shorthanded, decides to do what she can to assist them.

To wit, she uses her skills in hacking and computers to create a command center in the GCPD where heroes and police can coordinate their efforts. She adopts the codename "Oracle" and her position as this coordinator is kept secret by heroes and police to prevent it from becoming public knowledge. Bullock is reluctant to do so but realizing the enormity of the task ahead of them, realizes that cooperation is the only way to go. They have a hell of a year ahead of them and they'll need all the help they can get to defeat Black Mask and for Bruce Wayne to once again become Batman.

I have a few ideas for this virtual season that we may or may not use, depending on how many people are interested:

-The Huntress and Black Canary debut, working as agents of Oracle thanks to Barbara's friendship with the two women outside of their masks.

-The animated Teen Titans would be brought into mainstream continuity, arriving in Gotham to assist Dick when a few superpowered criminals form an alliance to try and topple Black Mask and rule Gotham in the chaos.

-Cassandra Cain appears and later becomes the new Batgirl.

-Stephanie Brown appears in the guise of the Spoiler.

-Jason Todd appears, in the guise of the Teen Titans anti-hero Red X.

-Dick doesn't fool most of the Rogues, leading to the news that the old Batman is either dead or otherwise gone. At least one reaction to this is a number of Batman wannabes appearing, including the infamous AzBat.

-Selina Kyle tries to form a relationship with Batman without the masks.

-The Joker, thinking that the old Batman is well and truly dead, goes stark raving sane.

All of that is probably more than enough for one season, so there will be no shortage of ideas for writers who sign up for it. Keep in mind given how much schoolwork I have to do this semester I might just save this for next year. However, if enough people want to give it a shot, then full steam ahead.
 

zerohour

Well-Known Member
#2
This sounds like fun. I'm in.

Edit: Got links to the episodes? I'd like to refresh my memory on how they feel.
 

FanboyimusPrime

Well-Known Member
#3
Of course I'm in.

This will be a blast. Now the only question is what the hell Orpehus<sp?> origin was. And if he just faded into obscurity or got killed in some event.
 
#5
To do this though, I'd have to basically put all my other fics (with one or two exceptions) on hiatus, or just permanently abandon them. And I'm not sure I could do this with just two other authors.

As for the idea itself, I figure the first thing to do is to make an outline of the first episode, which would probably be best done as a two-parter. So, anyone willing to help with that?
 
#6
Andrew Joshua Talon said:
To do this though, I'd have to basically put all my other fics (with one or two exceptions) on hiatus, or just permanently abandon them. And I'm not sure I could do this with just two other authors.

As for the idea itself, I figure the first thing to do is to make an outline of the first episode, which would probably be best done as a two-parter. So, anyone willing to help with that?
You are certainly setting yourself a tremendous, Nay, a titanic task there Andrew. Tread carefully, friend. For such a challenge can either make a man, or break him.

Might I suggest taking a leaf out of Kingdom Come? As the chaos intensifies and even the cooperating GCPD and heroes can't keep up, Batman decides to bypass his disability by constructing an army of Bat-Robots for him to command from the Batcave, providing his allies with much needed back up and a direct link to himself as the World's Greatest Detective.

In other words, he starts setting up the eventual C&C role he takes in Batman Beyond. Of course, that remains a temporary solution for him until he gets better.
 

zerohour

Well-Known Member
#7
Andrew Joshua Talon said:
To do this though, I'd have to basically put all my other fics (with one or two exceptions) on hiatus, or just permanently abandon them. And I'm not sure I could do this with just two other authors.

As for the idea itself, I figure the first thing to do is to make an outline of the first episode, which would probably be best done as a two-parter. So, anyone willing to help with that?
I'll give you a hand with that, at least with the outlining and editing. Since you're the head writr/producer/whatever, you should write the first to set the tone and feel of the series.

I think we should use the rest of the year to hammer out the details/outlines, and really get into it in January. I'm not going to really be available in November due to NaNoWriMo, and most people are busy with holiday related things in December.

So how long should each "Episode" be in terms of words?


Hm... thoughts on the joker going sane... I think that could be really good, since Joker losing his sense of humor could make him deadly competent, and have no problem just killing whoever gets in his way. He could easily form a rival block to fight against Black Mask, which could tear Gotham apart. If we save that for the mid season finale, it could provide a good opportunity for Batman to resurface with his Batbots. The Joker has crushed Black Mask, and stands to rule over Gotham, but returns to his insane, fun loving self when he hears from dear old Bats.
 

zeebee1

Well-Known Member
#8
If this is a round robin how long will it before you bail?
 
#9
zerohour said:
Andrew Joshua Talon said:
To do this though, I'd have to basically put all my other fics (with one or two exceptions) on hiatus, or just permanently abandon them. And I'm not sure I could do this with just two other authors.

As for the idea itself, I figure the first thing to do is to make an outline of the first episode, which would probably be best done as a two-parter. So, anyone willing to help with that?
I'll give you a hand with that, at least with the outlining and editing. Since you're the head writr/producer/whatever, you should write the first to set the tone and feel of the series.

I think we should use the rest of the year to hammer out the details/outlines, and really get into it in January. I'm not going to really be available in November due to NaNoWriMo, and most people are busy with holiday related things in December.

So how long should each "Episode" be in terms of words?


Hm... thoughts on the joker going sane... I think that could be really good, since Joker losing his sense of humor could make him deadly competent, and have no problem just killing whoever gets in his way. He could easily form a rival block to fight against Black Mask, which could tear Gotham apart. If we save that for the mid season finale, it could provide a good opportunity for Batman to resurface with his Batbots. The Joker has crushed Black Mask, and stands to rule over Gotham, but returns to his insane, fun loving self when he hears from dear old Bats.
Okay, that sounds good. So, the basics. The tone is basically Batman: The Animated Series. It's a dark situation, true, but finding light in such circumstances is what many characters will try to do. This is basically Dick and Tim's characters, trying to keep upbeat and optimistic despite the circumstances. Overall, this is like what would happen if Batman: TAS had been done with season-long story arcs in mind rather than each episode being a "mini-movie" as they were done.

The themes are fairly straightforward: Bruce is beaten, broken, defeated, and his family has to fight in his stead until he can reclaim his mantle as Batman, redeeming himself after a fashion. He's also forced to accept help from others, which could go a long way towards repairing the fractures in their relationships. Another significant theme is how Batman is an inspiration to the people of Gotham and how he affects more than just his Rogues Gallery. Spoiler, Batgirl, the fake Batmen, Huntress and the Birds of Prey all come about as a result of Batman's fall to try and fight against the tidal wave of crime and chaos brought about by his defeat. It also deals with Bruce facing his mortality and the possibility of turning over his cowl someday, Dick again facing the prospect of becoming Bruce when he wants to be his own man, Tim forced into the position of a mentor to Batgirl and Spoiler like Batman and Dick were for him, Barbara having to face the divide between vigilantism and the police and trying to find a compromise between them, and other possibilities as they occur.

It would also be debatable if it fell into the canon of Batman Beyond at all. Again, I loved that show but if we could consider it an an alternate timeline it would make story telling a lot more flexible. Nor am I trying to just retell the DCU in the DCAU. The point of the animated universe was to tell these stories about these heroes and villains in unique ways, so we'll strive to do that here too. Nor am I going to reject original characters or takes on villains wholesale, though references to the comic tie-in to the show wouldn't be bad.

For instance, the Riddler going straight occurred in the animated comic tie-in before it happened in the regular DCU-I'd like to keep that. Catwoman robbing only from scumbags is also from the tie-in comics, and maybe her trying things with Batman without the masks would work, especially given his condition.

Basic Outline So Far:

1. Story Arc Start Part 1
2. Story Arc Start Part 2
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17. Story Arc Conclusion Part 1
18. Story Arc Conclusion Part 2

I think adding on an addition two episodes would made things a lot more flexible, though we can add more if need be. A typical American animated series season is a lot shorter than, say, a Japanese animated series season.

I have even thought about introducing Damian Wayne, but I think I'll save that for a virtual second season if we get that far.

As for how long each episode is, I'm not sure. We'll have to work that out too.
 
#10
Okay, revised idea for the overall plot: I want to do my own take on Hush, but better than a simple "childhood friend I've only heard about now" plot. Crippling Bruce in this season seems a little too big a first step, as does Barbara becoming Oracle. Bruce still gets crippled but it'll be a season ender rather than the start.

Okay: At the start of the season Jim Gordon begins to address the problem of dirty cops in the GCPD. His own core of officers are loyal and good cops but a recent rise of police officers involved in bribery and even acting as low-level enforcers for the mob and a new rogue named Hush forces him into action. He assigns a new but well connected and accomplished cop, Howard Erst, into an undercover assignment to infiltrate these cops on the take in order to understand the driving force behind the rise in activity. However, the problem only gets worse as Hush begins making big moves in the Gotham Underworld, manipulating the various players both Rogue and non-costumed into various confrontations with Batman and the police.

At the same time, after a near-death experience on a case she worked with Batman on, Selina Kyle confesses that she knows Batman's secret identity and wants to start a relationship with him. Urged on by Alfred and the rest of his family, Bruce reluctantly agrees. At the same time he reconnects with three childhood friends: Mallory Moxon, Howard Erst, and Dr. Thomas Elliot. All who become unintentionally involved in Batman's mission. The first as the daughter of a prominent crime boss, the second in his job as a police officer investigating Hush, and the last when he begins working at Leslie Thompkin's shelter.

Hush's strikes begin to hit Batman and family hard, particularly with the near-successful assassination of James Gordon that leaves him in a coma, and the resulting appointment of new police commissioner Howard Erst who cracks down on Batman's mission and the rogues alike.

Hush is behind all of this, and Batman finds himself at the end of the season faced with three possible candidates: Mallory Moxon, Thomas Elliot, or Howard Erst. Finding out who Hush is and what his plan for Batman, his family and his City is vital to the survival of them all-Especially when Hush's final push, the break outs of both Arkham and Stonegate Prisons occurring on the night Batman's parents were murdered. Next storyline (if we got to it) would be heavily based on Knightfall.

Cassandra Cain would still appear but would not become Batgirl until later. Barbara Gordon would break things off with Bruce due to Selina and Bruce becoming involved, and would renew her relationship with Dick Grayson, who is considering leaving Gotham City after proving himself as good as Batman himself. And Tim Drake tries to adjust to Selina Kyle now living in his home as well as becoming a mentor to Cassandra Cain and the new vigilante Spoiler.

I think this works a lot better as a virtual season concept.
 

zeebee1

Well-Known Member
#11
I would think that a single encounter would be enough for him to determine the gender of Hush.
 

byakuryuu

Well-Known Member
#12
Andrew Joshua Talon said:
Okay, revised idea for the overall plot: I want to do my own take on Hush, but better than a simple "childhood friend I've only heard about now" plot. Crippling Bruce in this season seems a little too big a first step, as does Barbara becoming Oracle. Bruce still gets crippled but it'll be a season ender rather than the start.

Okay: At the start of the season Jim Gordon begins to address the problem of dirty cops in the GCPD. His own core of officers are loyal and good cops but a recent rise of police officers involved in bribery and even acting as low-level enforcers for the mob and a new rogue named Hush forces him into action. He assigns a new but well connected and accomplished cop, Howard Erst, into an undercover assignment to infiltrate these cops on the take in order to understand the driving force behind the rise in activity. However, the problem only gets worse as Hush begins making big moves in the Gotham Underworld, manipulating the various players both Rogue and non-costumed into various confrontations with Batman and the police.

At the same time, after a near-death experience on a case she worked with Batman on, Selina Kyle confesses that she knows Batman's secret identity and wants to start a relationship with him. Urged on by Alfred and the rest of his family, Bruce reluctantly agrees. At the same time he reconnects with three childhood friends: Mallory Moxon, Howard Erst, and Dr. Thomas Elliot. All who become unintentionally involved in Batman's mission. The first as the daughter of a prominent crime boss, the second in his job as a police officer investigating Hush, and the last when he begins working at Leslie Thompkin's shelter.

Hush's strikes begin to hit Batman and family hard, particularly with the near-successful assassination of James Gordon that leaves him in a coma, and the resulting appointment of new police commissioner Howard Erst who cracks down on Batman's mission and the rogues alike.

Hush is behind all of this, and Batman finds himself at the end of the season faced with three possible candidates: Mallory Moxon, Thomas Elliot, or Howard Erst. Finding out who Hush is and what his plan for Batman, his family and his City is vital to the survival of them all-Especially when Hush's final push, the break outs of both Arkham and Stonegate Prisons occurring on the night Batman's parents were murdered. Next storyline (if we got to it) would be heavily based on Knightfall.

Cassandra Cain would still appear but would not become Batgirl until later. Barbara Gordon would break things off with Bruce due to Selina and Bruce becoming involved, and would renew her relationship with Dick Grayson, who is considering leaving Gotham City after proving himself as good as Batman himself. And Tim Drake tries to adjust to Selina Kyle now living in his home as well as becoming a mentor to Cassandra Cain and the new vigilante Spoiler.

I think this works a lot better as a virtual season concept.
The outline's very well done. Can I expect you under Mr Timm's employ sometime soon?

Well, an element I always wanted to add to Hush was the 'Harvey Dent Effect' that Season One of TAS seemed to have; Bruce's guilt and Dent's mind games with him were a joy to watch, even at 7 years old. Hush doesn't have to be Batman's equal. He can be everything Bruce feared Harvey would truly become. Hush could be the Anti-Joker; cold, calculating, always staying out of the spotlight; the Batman of the other side. A case of Escalated Childhood Rivalry can be brought to case here.

Basically, to put it short, Hush is the answer to 'What If Batman Was Evil?' question. Every bit as brilliant and cunning Bruce was, is, in fact. How you interpret that would be up to you, but I always liked Hush to be the sort of person Bruce Wayne would face on rare occasions, but when they would...

Ah, interpretation's all yours. Cheerio.
 
#13
The trick with Hush is to not have him show up all the other Rogues and have that be his defining trait. The trick is to truly make him an Anti-Batman.

Also, Batman: TAS's strength was that every episode was a self-contained "mini-movie". We did get stuff that showed up in later episodes but that wasn't really a story arc-It was just another part of the show's universe. The trick here is to write episodes that can stand on their own but can still fill out a storyline.
 

zeebee1

Well-Known Member
#14
The trick is to get you to continue your own stories.
 

byakuryuu

Well-Known Member
#15
zeebee1 said:
The trick is to get you to continue your own stories.
The trick is for you to actually give relevant/constructive/detailed feedback.

Also, trying to find the parallels between Elliot and Wayne. I've read on Batman: Hush (Good popcorn entertainment for a comic), all I got is "Controlled Evil" and "Devious".
 

ThySelf

Well-Known Member
#16
Cool! Just began rewatching some of the old animated Batman shows.

Several Things-
One the Joker going Stark Raving Bonkers- Everytime that I remeber him going sane, he decides to live a normal life, without the memories of being the joker.
Another thing to remeber is this- when the joker was (falsely) diagnosed with a brain turmor, he decided to go out with a bang. This was int the "Joker Last Laugh" series... This was his to do list beore he kicked the cam

One LAst thing is this: At the End of the Hush Arc, it is revealed as to how Hush knows who Batman is (Spoiler Ahead):The Riddler Figured it out.
 

zeebee1

Well-Known Member
#17
Do we even need Hush? I'm tired of villains who won't die who shouldn't have become villains in the first place. So he had a bad father, so did many others. At least the jrogues usually don't have valid reasons. They just are.
 

byakuryuu

Well-Known Member
#18
The thing I want to design in this is that, even with Joker, we don't have a pound-for-pound fighter for Batman. Joker has his mind-games and all, and for that we love/hate/appreciate/tolerate him dearly, but I really want an enemy Batman doesn't want to fight. Someone he'd rather avoid than get caught up with. Not out of fear, but out of logic. After all, shadowboxing doesn't win you title fights.

Basically, Batman Gone Off The Deep End.
 

DhampyrX2

Well-Known Member
#19
Hush is kind of a weak concept from the get go. You want an evil Bruce Wayne? You already have him, he's called Lex Luthor.
 

zeebee1

Well-Known Member
#20
Luthor is an evil Bruce Wayne turned science fiction. He doesn't fit in Gotham.
 

tcm

Well-Known Member
#21
Could I make a recommendation: Similar to how he's been portrayed in more recent comics, The Riddler becomes an up-and-coming crime info source for Gotham. Over the course of the season, Nigma figures out Batman's identity--bring in Catwoman in a nod to <a href='http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catwoman:_When_in_Rome' target='_blank' rel='nofollow'>Catwoman: When in Rome</a> which opens us up for her looking to deepen her relationship with Bruce and ultimately setting up a scenario where The Riddler figures out Bruce's identity. Bane never really convinced me he was up to the task of figuring out Bruce, but beating it out of Riddler is a pretty solid idea that allows the rest of the series to go forward more smoothly.
 
Top