At long last, The Batman has been released. The film has been highly praised and has even been favorably compared to The Dark Knight. The film is a true love letter to the character. The Batman Easter eggs are littered throughout the entire thing. Matt Reeves and those who worked on the movie made it clear they know their stuff from name drops to background objects. Many fans are looking to rewatch The Batman, and trying to find these 10 Batman references is a great excuse to do so.
Spoilers Ahead For The Batman
10. Hush
Right from the beginning, Matt Reeves has stated the classic Batman comic Hush was an inspiration to the film. Fans excepted to see some easter eggs and callbacks to the comic, which features one of Batman’s most brutal moments. Receive one they did, and it wasn’t as subtle as they thought. The Riddler looks to expose the Waynes for their past corruption. He reveals in a video that Thomas Wayne supposedly had a reporter killed. The reporter’s surname was Elliot, the same last name as Thomas Elliot from Hush. Riddler sprawls the word hush over Elliot’s face to drive the reference home.
9. Selina’s Father
Selina Kyle seems to have it out for Carmine Falcone from the very beginning. While nobody can blame her for not liking the crime lord, her disdain seems personal. When it was finally revealed why fans of The Long Halloween series recognized this Batman reference. Throughout The Long Halloween and its sequels, it is revealed that Selina heavily suspects Falcone to be her father. In that story, as well as in The Batman, part of the reason she even dons the Catwoman attire to get close and eventually overtake her father. In the comics, this is mainly implied while it is confirmed in the film.
8. Carmine And The Waynes
Throughout the film, Bruce Wayne is trying to find out if his parents were the people he thought they were. According to The Riddler, they were some of the most corrupt people in Gotham. While trying to get to discover the truth, he finds some connections between Carmine Falcone and his father. Years prior, Carmine Falcone was shot and nearly lost his life. He was taken to the home of Thomas Wayne, who operated on him and saved his life right there. This was yet another The Batman Easter egg alluding to The Long Halloween, where the same thing occurs. Falcone claims he did this because the Waynes have always been loyal to the Falcones. Bruce swears it is simply because his father was Doctor and a good man. Or so he desperately wants to prove.
7. Selina’s Appearance
Selina Kyle has her hair cut very short in the film. When she is prowling the nightclubs, she is shown donning various wigs. This could explain why she keeps her hair short. It could also be because it makes it easier to wear her Catwoman mask. This isn’t the first time her hair was shown to be this short. There are plenty of Batman references to the story Year One, and this is one of them. In that story, Selina has a very similar hairstyle to the one seen on The Batman. In fact, everything from her hair to the way she acts seems to be lifted straight from the pages of Frank Miller’s classic Batman origin story.
6. Shakespeare’s Head
This is one of the more subtle The Batman Easter eggs. When Alfred is reading the letter from The Riddler, a bust of William Shakespeare is shown. While some may think this is just implying Bruce is a fan of the legendary poet, many fans know this is a nod to the classic Adam West series. In the Batman series from the ’60s, Bruce and Dick gain access to the Batcave in Bruce’s study. There is a bust of William Shakespeare that hides a button. Once pressed, some bookcases slide apart to reveal poles that lead to the Batcave. While the cave isn’t present in this movie, this bust could hint that it is under construction and will have a similar entrance point.
5. “World’s Greatest Detectives”
After a thrilling chase scene with the Batmobile, Batman and Gordon tie up The Penguin and interrogate him. Penguin is about as helpful as fans would expect. When he realizes the two have misinterpreted the Spanish code hidden in Riddler’s message, he insults them even more. At one point, he calls Batman and Gordon “The World’s Greatest Detectives” in a mocking tone. Batman has had many nicknames over the years. The World’s Greatest Detective is one of them. This Batman reference to his pat is fitting in this movie, as this is the first time Batman has received a true detective movie in live-action.
4. Blüdhaven
When Selina feels her job is done, she tells Batman she leaving Gotham. When asked where she plans on going, she mentions the name Blüdhaven. Fans of the comic will have instantly picked up on this Easter egg. Blüdhaven is a city that is near Gotham. Blüdhaven is notable because that is where Nightwing operates. In the comics, Dick Grayson decided to leave Batman and the mantle of Robin behind. He doesn’t give up crime-fighting, however. He takes up the mantle of Nightwing and moves to Blüdhaven to become his own hero. There is much speculation that RObin will later appear in Matt Reeves’ Batman movies, and this reference may further hint at that.
3. The Iceberg Lounge
The nightclub run by Carmine Falcone is known as The Iceberg Lounge. Fans of the comics know this is more than a random nightclub. In the comics, Penguin is actually the owner of The Iceberg Lounge. Typically, it is a more polished and fancy club. Some of Gotham’s most elite find themselves dining there. Of course, being run by Penguin, there is far more to it. The club is used as a front for Penguins’ illegal activities. This usually involves smuggling and selling illegal weapons. With Falcone out of the picture, this means Penguin will likely be running the club when fans see him next.
2. Zero Year
Batman: Year One is usually the starting point when Batman’s origins are brought to the big screen. Whether an adaptation is made or goes unreleased, Year One has been used as inspiration several times. The Batman is no exception, although it also borrows from another Batman origin in a huge way. Batman: Zero Year serves as the origin story or the New 52 version of the character. In it, The Riddler floods Gotham and makes it a wasteland. Anyone who has seen the film knows this is exactly Riddler’s endgame in this film. Using several well-placed bombs, he plunges most of Gotham underwater. While this is less than an Easter egg and more of an adaptation, fans of the comics knew exactly what was coming when they saw the bombs go off in the trailer.
1. “I’m Vengeance”
The moment fans accept Robert Pattinson as the new Batman is when he tells a beaten criminal, “I’m vengeance.” The film shows this is more than just a cool line; it is his moniker. Several people refer to Batman as Vengeance as if it were his name. This incredible line spawns from Batman: The Animated Series. Kevin Conroy is probably the best-known voice of Batman. One of his most iconic lines of the character is, “I am vengeance, I am the night, I am Batman.” This line has been repeated several times, including in the animated series and Arkham video games. Pattinson’s character introducing himself as such is one of the best Batman references in the movie, and fans hope he gets the chance to finish the quote.
