What if WB made a show about Bruce Wayne instead of Clark Kent?

[bannermanonemillion]

Imagine....

Let's say WB decided to create a show about the formative years of Bruce Wayne instead of Clark Kent. IOW, they figure thanks to the Donner Superman, everyone pretty much knows the hows and whys of Superman but Batman got barely a half-origin in the Burton comics. And the Animated Batman was more focused on the Bat than the boy who grew into it, so what if we didn't get Smallville but instead got a show centering around Bruce Wayne's youth?

Who would the other characters be?

Any ideas for guest stars?

Would young Bruce out-mope young Clark?

[1HELLBOY]

I could die happy.


Seriously though, it would be freakin' awesome.


I love Smallville, but a Smallville-esque show about Bruce Wayne? That would be kick-ass.

[bannermanonemillion]

I've got the opening theme picked out.

"Personal Jesus" covered by Marilyn Manson

[Rod G]

The Series' title?

WAYNE

The main characters would be a young Bruce Wayne and his butler/guardian
Alfred Pennyworth.

[Spot]

ive been watching smallville all five season, i cant say its bad because ive missed very few episodes... but it can get drawn out at times... i need more of a story then 20/24 episodes of the seasons being based around some infected meteor rocked person...

also take in, bruce really didnt do anything until he was a lot older, he went to school got book smart... how fun would that be to watch... i donno its hard to think of bruce fighting any if at all no crime in his youth...

[Panman]

I'm not a big fan of Smallville, but I would definitly watch a Bruce Wayne version of the show. Hopefully It'll force the Batman writers to give Wayne more of a personality in the comics.
What if a young Bruce Wayne made an appearance in Smallville?

[Pól Rua]

also take in, bruce really didnt do anything until he was a lot older, he went to school got book smart... how fun would that be to watch... i donno its hard to think of bruce fighting any if at all no crime in his youth...

It'd probably be more along the lines of investigating stuff than punching gang bangers in the face, but if Veronica Mars can work, why not Bruce Wayne?

[YoungG03]

Yea; but he could be fighting his peers and whatnot...Kinda like Harry Potter. We get to see the training this man went thru....the people he dissed in the past and what not. What really made him so untrusting...

[Uncensored]

What if a young Bruce Wayne made an appearance in Smallville?

The creators of the show have been hinting at that for a while now, but nothing has ever come of it.

[dancj]

I'd picture hist story being more like Lex Luthor's is in Smallville. There'd be occasional hints that Bruce might pull himself together and live a normal life, but we know he's doomed to wind up as the Batman

[cactusmaac]

It probably won't be done for some time since WB wouldn't want the origin in Batman Begins to be conflicted with.

[Tomodachi]

I imagine it being not necessarily a "high school" series. Instead it would follow Bruce out of school as he travels the world to get his training. He's almost like a drifter in that he is moving around a lot. How does that affect him? Does he still make friends/connections if he knows he isn't sticking around? Does it make him lonely/ a loner, or make Bruce want to quit his plans because they seem too difficult to carry out?

Spend half a season or a seaon in Japan or somewhere where he learns his ninja/martial arts skills like in Batman Begins. Another story arc/season finds him learning his detective skills somewhere else, etc.

The only problem I can think of is having a solid/stable supporting cast. If he is moving around alot the people in his life are constantly changing.

[Mia]

I imagine it being not necessarily a "high school" series. Instead it would follow Bruce out of school as he travels the world to get his training. He's almost like a drifter in that he is moving around a lot. How does that affect him? Does he still make friends/connections if he knows he isn't sticking around? Does it make him lonely/ a loner, or make Bruce want to quit his plans because they seem too difficult to carry out?

Spend half a season or a seaon in Japan or somewhere where he learns his ninja/martial arts skills like in Batman Begins. Another story arc/season finds him learning his detective skills somewhere else, etc.

The only problem I can think of is having a solid/stable supporting cast. If he is moving around alot the people in his life are constantly changing.

I think this idea was floated but it was deemed too expensive to go with. I don't see how it would interfere with continuity to cover Bruce's high school years.

They could set it around an exclusive prep school set in a corrupt town. The show could cover his trials and tribulations. Not to mention his studying of the criminal mind under various teachers. 1. A gang leader, 2. A Kung-Fu master who was once a member of a Hong Triad and 3. the kindly yet cynacle sheriff.

The part of Bruce could be played by Teddy Dunn who plays Veronica's ex- boyfriend on Veronica Mars.

He reminds me a lot of Bruce Wayne. Very smart, serious yet charismatic.

[RawShark]

or,

they could go with the Young Indiana Jones concept,
where you'd have different ages Bruce.

- right before/after the death of his parents,
we could see a development of his parents

- high school years, with Alfred as a major player

- training years, learning martial arts, and detective skills

The episodes wouldn't even have to be in chronological order either.

[bannermanonemillion]

I like the idea of showing Bruce in a kind of prep school. This Bruce hasn't learned how to fake being a rich playboy so the "Pre-Batman" part of him comes out at the wrong times. He's called "blunt" behind his back. At a young age, we learn he considered being a cop and read as much as he could but the more he learned the more he realized that cops have to follow far to many rules with too many loopholes for criminals. He doesn't know what he wants but he wants to stop criminals.

He's too young for the police academy anyway and Alfred reminds him that the Wayne legacy means that he can't bring shame to his father's name.

When the show starts he's about 15 and convinced he's ready to begin. He starts off by helping a friend of his, a detective. He does background research, interviews, that kind of thing. He tries to hide his identity with a number of pseudonyms maybe even changing his hair color, adding glasses, clothes whatever. And he gets into trouble. Lots of trouble. This is a kid who refuses to stand by and watch someone die so he leaps in way past where angels fear to tread.

He falls in love with a girl (he fell in love once and almost completely), she tries to get past his emotional force field (think Lana/Clark but less nauseating). Then something horrible happens near the end of the first season. The girl he loves is murdered. By her father. Right in front of a badly-beaten Bruce. This is the beginning of Bruce thinking that he can't let anyone get close to him. His confidence is destroyed but his anger is unleashed. He realizes he is far from ready. He leaves Gotham at 16 to travel the world. Now he does this during the summer. He returns to Gotham to finish school but once summer starts, he's gone. While at school, he's more withdrawn, more distant and more focused on his training. He mentors with several DC characters including several members of the JSA. He's known Ted Grant all his life, even calling him "Uncle Ted." Grant and his father were friends and he runs the local gym. After his parents death, Bruce gravitates toward Grant and wants him to start teaching him how to fight and defend himself. Grant doesn't want to turn Bruce into a weapon, but he knows that if Bruce won't be trained by him, he'll go somewhere else ("Just like your father, I can't talk you out of anything") and he feels he can help Bruce out of his shell.

Later when Bruce learns about field medicine he meets a gentleman named Dr. Charles McNider AKA Doctor Mid-Nite. McNider is middle-aged and fully blind. But Bruce discovers that when the lights are out, that McNider can move like Daredevil.

Also Bruce will have what can be called an "adventure" with Dr. Fate and barely escape with his life. It'll be a mind-bending horror that leaves Bruce forever convinced that magic can't be trusted.

He trains with David Cain until he learns what kind of scum he is.

He learns of a prophecy that there's an alien on Earth, blended into society and that he and Bruce are destined to save the world together (hints at Clark Kent).

Those are a few of my ideas.

How about yours?

[Mia]

Just to add to the prep school thing or borrowing from the Duncan Cain character that Dunn plays on Veronica Mars.

We could have Bruce be the complete flip side of Smallville's Clark. Arrogant, irreverent and a pernicious influence. He has a lot of bottled rage, but doesn't let it show by going nuts. Instead he does dumb but very clever stunts sort of like Ferris Bueller(sic) or Parker Lewis. He knows how to cover his tracks. And the school authorities can't touch him because he's either a) too smart or b) his families money heavily contributes to the school. Or the young James Bond in John Pearson's bio. Bruce is the kind of guy who doesn't give a damn about anyone but himself. But there also has to be an inherrant likability to him.


As for the love interest.....well Bruce is naturally interested in the only girl who won't throw herself at him.

[The Xenos]

I remember hearing talk of this years ago. It was starting to happen. It was turned down in favor of a origin movie, eventually Batman Begins, and Smallville.

I even made a piece of fanart years ago when I heard news about the possiblity. I also typed out my idea for what they could do.

http://www.comics2film.com/DCG/DispArt.php3?f_id=5705&f_ssn=&f_fooble=1

Art Notes(2002-01-03): I was hoping they’d do a pre-Batman series before they did a pre-Superman series. Now that Smallville has done well, maybe we shall see a young Bruce Wayne one. Here is a mock up of a promo for what I could see. My envisioning of the series takes place during Bruce’s time training around the world.

I’d set Ra’s Al Ghul as meeting Bruce earlier like they did with Lex. Heck, he knows his identify as Batman in the books and on the toon anyway. Here I put Lance Heinriksen as Ra’s. I got this idea form a sketch I did and got to thinking he could make a good one. This was back when I was watching Millennium. David Warner did an excellent job on the toon and could be good live action too.

Of course you’d have his lovely and deadly daughter Talia. Now this is rather random casting. I threw in Nadia Bjorlin, a young soap opera actress I found pics of. I just saw a pic of her I thought had a good look for Talia.

Now how to extend a more regular cast? Who else could be put in? Well I remembered the toon episode with Zantana. They flashed back to Bruce training with her and her father. I figure you could have him traveling with them for a while. He could even meet some other trainers as he does. Here I put Mila Kunis as Zantana. Not a solid casting, they could likely go with more unknown actors like Smallville, but might as well use known here. Saw her while looking up pics and thought she looks rather Eastern European and fitting.

And then there’s the pre-Batman himself. I put Roswell’s Jason Behr. I’ve done this before. Not that I think it’s the best casting, but he could be just as good as Welling playing Clark on Smallville.

As for design and making the pic, I found some map base pics and blended them for the background. I got the idea for Bruce walking over maps from a trading card by Rick Burchett. I decided to add the shadow. They kinda avoid he capes in Smallville, but why not hype the Bat. I found some guy in a suit that had the right pose. I tried different ways to throw Behr’s head on. The first try came out funky with using just a face graft and looked like neither Behr nor the original model. Then I just chopped off his head and put on Behr’s full head. I added Ra’s beard and the two lovely ladies. Though all this I did a lot of fiddling here and there and took a while, but I think it came out good. Mainly just wanted to get the concept across, but I like the look of it too.

-Xenos

[bannermanonemillion]

Just to add to the prep school thing or borrowing from the Duncan Cain character that Dunn plays on Veronica Mars.

We could have Bruce be the complete flip side of Smallville's Clark. Arrogant, irreverent and a pernicious influence. He has a lot of bottled rage, but doesn't let it show by going nuts. Instead he does dumb but very clever stunts sort of like Ferris Bueller(sic) or Parker Lewis. He knows how to cover his tracks. And the school authorities can't touch him because he's either a) too smart or b) his families money heavily contributes to the school. Or the young James Bond in John Pearson's bio. Bruce is the kind of guy who doesn't give a damn about anyone but himself. But there also has to be an inherrant likability to him.


As for the love interest.....well Bruce is naturally interested in the only girl who won't throw herself at him.


I like this.

Think of all the underhanded stuff that could go on in a private school full of rich kids (Cruel Intentions?). I like that he'd be unlikable, sort of a young "House M.D." who's redeeming qualities are the compassion he feels for orphans like himself and the fact that any kind of crime or victimization lights his fuse like nothing else.

It explains why he can't get close to the other kids-he's investigating them.

He fights dirty and plays dirty. While Ferris and Parker Lewis were more the anti-authority BMOCs, Bruce is a vigilante-in-the-making who resorts to violence, blackmail, deception, character assassination, anything to get the bad guys. And his prep school is chock full of them.

And the summers? Then he can focus 24/7 on his training.

This is a boy who aspires to be the most dangerous man alive.

And he's making progress.

Good ideas, everyone!!

EDIT: And the girl who doesn't throw herself at him? Vicki Vale. If Bruce is the opposite of Smallville's Clark, Vicki is the Anti-Lana. No puppy-dog love here. He's drawn to her initial disinterest as well as her beauty (yes, gentlemen prefer blondes) and she's drawn by the feral intelligence behind those eyes.

[bannermanonemillion]

Just a bump to keep the thread from fading....Don't mind me.....

[jadegiant77]

I think they were gonna do this. There was an article about it in Wizard, then it vanished and Smallville came up. The show would be about him learning to fight and shoehorning as many of his foes into his teen years as possible(I think it would be cool to see a jailbait Selina Kyle as the bad girl who smokes in the girl's room and braks as many noses as hearts). As the series wound down, he would begin the world travels and studies under the world's greatest martial arts masters.

[Mia]

I like this.

Think of all the underhanded stuff that could go on in a private school full of rich kids (Cruel Intentions?). I like that he'd be unlikable, sort of a young "House M.D." who's redeeming qualities are the compassion he feels for orphans like himself and the fact that any kind of crime or victimization lights his fuse like nothing else.

It explains why he can't get close to the other kids-he's investigating them.

He fights dirty and plays dirty. While Ferris and Parker Lewis were more the anti-authority BMOCs, Bruce is a vigilante-in-the-making who resorts to violence, blackmail, deception, character assassination, anything to get the bad guys. And his prep school is chock full of them.

And the summers? Then he can focus 24/7 on his training.

This is a boy who aspires to be the most dangerous man alive.

And he's making progress.

Good ideas, everyone!!

EDIT: And the girl who doesn't throw herself at him? Vicki Vale. If Bruce is the opposite of Smallville's Clark, Vicki is the Anti-Lana. No puppy-dog love here. He's drawn to her initial disinterest as well as her beauty (yes, gentlemen prefer blondes) and she's drawn by the feral intelligence behind those eyes.
OMG!!! :D

You evil person! I really don't know why I didn't think about 'Sabastian' in Cruel Intentions, as a template for a YBW. That is so on the mark!

[bannermanonemillion]

OMG!!! :D

You evil person! I really don't know why I didn't think about 'Sabastian' in Cruel Intentions, as a template for a YBW. That is so on the mark!

*bows humbly*

Thank you, thank you.

I wasn't necessarily thinking about Sebastian but if the shoe fits....

However CI did inspire the idea of ultra-exclusive prep school and the only reason Bruce goes there is to blend in as a rich kid in a school for rich kids. Like the Bruce we know he really can't stand to listen to Muffy and Charlton discussing their latest BMWs or how their parents won't shell out for another European vacation.

I did have an idea today. Bruce is a genius but he wants to keep it under wraps. One of the things he does is hook up to a pretty math whiz to get the gossip mills running. Bruce scores well on a number of tests (he keeps it under perfect to avoid suspicion). Like a girl that everyone thinks slept her way to the top, the other kids are convinced that Bruce just sleeps with smart girls, gets "study help" and aces his tests (think Matt Dillon in "Wild Things"). In fact, Bruce knows that one girl in particular is a closet lesbian. Bruce strikes up a mutually beneficial deal: She pretends to help him ace tests, and he wraps his arm around her in public as a kind of beard. Later, when she decides to come out, Bruce shrugs and says "I ruined her for other men" *eg*

What did you think of Bruce investigating his classmates, furthering his distrust in others altogether and at the same time, honing his detective skills?

[Mia]

Actually the reason why I jumped when you mentioned CI, is because I got the impression (It's been awhile since I saw the film) that no one trusted Sabastian. He was nasty and snotty. And he did make observations which he stored in diary about people. But on the inside he was nice (sort of).

For Bruce to go around (openly) solving crimes and collecting dirt on people (ala Veronica Mars) would provide too much to him as Batman right now.


On the other hand I guess he could collect dirt and do detective work, but he would have to do so very discreetly so not to mask his spoiled rich brat persona.

[bannermanonemillion]

Actually the reason why I jumped when you mentioned CI, is because I got the impression (It's been awhile since I saw the film) that no one trusted Sabastian. He was nasty and snotty. And he did make observations which he stored in diary about people. But on the inside he was nice (sort of).

For Bruce to go around (openly) solving crimes and collecting dirt on people (ala Veronica Mars) would provide too much to him as Batman right now.


On the other hand I guess he could collect dirt and do detective work, but he would have to do so very discreetly so not to mask his spoiled rich brat persona.

Exactly, he's being VERY discreet about it.

In the first season, he's got most of the student body wired. He peeked a lot of closets and can intimately describe most of the skeletons. Maybe some narration a la "Veronica."

"Sometimes I don't know where to begin. Jeremy is taking steroids and he's being supplied by someone off-campus. William has fantasized about walking into school one day with a machine gun. Melissa is emailing cheat-sheets to the entire European History class. Some of the behavior of my classmates is outright criminal, some of it is simply dishonest. I understand myself enough to know that the hypocrisy I see around me mirrors my own. I spy on the other kids, I collect personal information and I do it all while maintaining the image of a spoiled but trustworthy associate. People open up to me on occasion and I always promise to keep it to myself and sometimes I actually keep up my end of the bargain. I don't spread gossip and I'm good at keeping secrets. I can only do so much without drawing attention to myself. I don't have that many friends in high places. Not yet."

Often times, he'll hand info off to people who CAN do something about it, like a detective or even the police if it's serious.

One thing Bruce does do is set people up so that they end up walking into a trap and screwing themselves over. The fingers never point to Bruce but we know he's behind it. A phone call here, an email there, subtle manipulations designed to catch crooks in their own schemes. It's a dangerous game trying to keep up a "spoiled rich brat" image while taking down the criminals that walk through the hallways of his school. Of course, it helps that he sits through class looking bored or indifferent (having read/memorized the chapters way in advance) or even yawning. He likes fast cars and faster girls and in reality has lost his heart to the wrong girl more than once, he just never admits it. He works out in private, never in the school gym and has never once tried out for any sports. His private studies center on criminology, detection, strategy, and other topics that don't fit his image.

What messes Bruce up is his temper. When he sees crime or injustice, that rage kicks in and he ends up doing something more reckless. He CAN'T stand on the sidelines.

Keep in mind, he's still trying to figure out what exactly he wants to do with his life. All he knows for sure is that he wants to stop criminals. And his school is chock full of them.

[Mia]

Bannermillion they should give us jobs in Hollywood as writters!

Actually your ideas are very very good. And that's not idle flattery on my part. It would make a great spin off from Smallville. But now with the Batman films. There's no chance of that happening. Unless someone wants to use another DC character who is Batman like (ie. Dr. Mid-Nite) or maybe a young Phantom.

I haven't watched 'Smallville' on a consistant basis. Apart from the fact that I find Lana a bit boring. What makes Vicki Vale her opposite?

[lonewolf23k]

I remember hearing talk of this years ago. It was starting to happen. It was turned down in favor of a origin movie, eventually Batman Begins, and Smallville.

I even made a piece of fanart years ago when I heard news about the possiblity. I also typed out my idea for what they could do.

http://www.comics2film.com/DCG/DispArt.php3?f_id=5705&f_ssn=&f_fooble=1



-Xenos


I like the concept. You know what would make for a good episode for this? One where young Bruce joins the circus for a time, learning acrobatics, contortionism and knife throwing, and befriending a couple of acrobats and their young son.. The Grayson family.

Nice pic, btw.

[bannermanonemillion]

Bannermillion they should give us jobs in Hollywood as writters!

Actually your ideas are very very good. And that's not idle flattery on my part. It would make a great spin off from Smallville. But now with the Batman films. There's no chance of that happening. Unless someone wants to use another DC character who is Batman like (ie. Dr. Mid-Nite) or maybe a young Phantom.

I haven't watched 'Smallville' on a consistant basis. Apart from the fact that I find Lana a bit boring. What makes Vicki Vale her opposite?

I enjoy flattery of all kinds, including idle. :D

My idea for Vicki Vale in this case would make her the anti-Lana in that she doesn't have the Halo Of Adolescent Perfection that Lana wore so often (particularly in the 1st season of SV). Vicki isn't "destined" to fall for Bruce.
Remember this is like a flip of Smallville: the hero is sneaky and ballsy, the setting is among the rich and spoiled, etc. Vicki is one of the few girls who don't fall for Bruce's Pierce Brosnan aura. She walks right past him. She's tough and independent and doesn't need to be saved. Bruce is drawn to the kind of girl that doesn't need him. Vicki starts to realize that behind the rich boy looks is a feral intelligence and healthy dose of controlled rage.

[Bloopinator]

You know maybe he could have an early batsuit of some kind. It wouldn't have all the things that make it the batsuit as he wouldn't get the bat idea yet but I'd say something like the suit before the batsuit in BB would work.

[Tsoul]

I don't know. To be honest smallville has alot more familiar faces. I mean I know some of the characters are new, but there's still: Lex Luther, Lana Lang, Lois Lane, The Kents.

Bruce Wayne has Alfred, and that's about the only character that's from the series they can use other than possibly ras a ghul (which would require some rewritting to say the least). I mean tim drake, barbara gordon, dick grayson? They aren't even born yet are they? I guess Gordon is possible somehow, but since he's moving around it doesn't seem like he can even have a regular supporting cast other than possibly alfred unless he stays in one place.

It could be a cool twist if one of his high school buddies is hinted at becoming the joker at the end of the series or something (he says he's going to go join a gang or be a standup comedian or something) since they haven't really defined the joker's past. I just don't really think they can find any supporting characters other than villains, and even then it may be forced. Also we won't be seeing any of them in action if it's during prep school without some serious rewritting. Two face? Doesn't happen till much much later, same with Mr. Freeze, Riddler, and really there's not that same dynamic IMO. I mean with Lex and Clark they have arch nemesises before they were arch nemesises. I don't know if Batman could have anything even resembling that dynamic and they will have to make up the supporting cast from scratch. You'll basically be tuning in for Batman who is a great character, but other than that who else? Batman's basically a loner, and alfred is just the lone father figure. Unless someone writes a strong story behind it I don't think it could fly. I guess something like characters take interest in bruce because he's a loner (female love interest, I suppose selina could somehow be put in here) and I guess they could think bruce is a jerk until he shows them his kind side and helps them with their problems. There's also the issue unless some martial arts is involved (which probably won't be unless it's the varying location gimmick, which is both costly, and removes supporting casts) there won't be any real element of batman. I mean in smallville it's still about superman, he still uses his powers, and it's about he makes due with his powers and the problems they create for him. Without batman using martial arts and perhaps other things it won't really be a "Batman" show, it'll be the "teen detective hour". I just don't know if it can fly honestly.

The main problem the show has is this:

1) It can choose to be about Bruce's training. In which case there's no real supporting cast, because they keep changing it throughout the series. Although it brings up interesting fight scenes, changing the locale so much is said to be expensive in this thread. It has potential, but is Bruce really so strong he can hold the entire show by himself? He's essentially the only reason to tune in, with only a single supporting character (Alfred). He doesn't really have any other companions, and I don't think they could even invent any to be a travelling companion without some major rewritting. (a robin type character predating dick grayson)

2) Prep School/High School type show. A few more supporting characters. I suppose Bruce could know some martial arts at this point. He could be alot like a Yuske type character that when pushed kicks people's heads in and is a tough guy. However, this would really counteract the act he adopts later on as the "clueless millionaire playboy". It could just be his teen phase. Also there is the fact that there isn't that element of people nearly discovering his secret like in smallville due to the fact that he isn't batman yet. However I can see this working more than no.1 even though there have been alot more people wanting to see bruce's travels.

All in all, I'm just not sure it could actually work, much less surpass smallville due to a few cast problems. If they would make it and it works somehow it would probably be due to some really really talented writing, and the addition of new compelling characters.

[bannermanonemillion]

I started thinking about this old thread...

(That's what I like to do, go over old ideas and see if I can resuscitate them for awhile.....)

Anyway, I was wondering, what kind of town would Gotham be? Beyond the old cliches of rampant corruption and psychos around every corner, I started thinking that Gotham would be both a town that breeds lunatics as well as a place people go to start over or run from their past. The whole city is one big Terminus Hotel*

One of the ideas I was playing with was the fact there are lots of references to DC continuity. The fact that there was a group of "extraordinary gentlemen" who helped us win WWII who vanished except for a handful of individuals scattered across the world. One of them is Ted Grant, who is a friend of the family and a kind of uncle for Bruce. Ted is Bruce's first teacher, who trains him in boxing, gymnastics and street fighting. And he only does it to draw the boy out of his brooding. Ted looks about 40 but we learn much later that it's closer to 80.

The show would take place between "eras." We learn that from the end of WWII to the time that we assume Bruce becomes Batman, Clark becomes Superman, etc. that world-threatening menaces still exist and are only held in check by a few special individuals. There are no major "hero-vs-villain" fights in the streets. It's more of a Super Cold War.

It's established that Bruce is unique in two ways: One, he's called an "adept" or "another Terry Sloan"** in that he has the capacity to learn just about anything in a fraction of the time it would take for an average person. We learn that his father had the same gift but focused on medicine. Two, Bruce is called a "Seer." This is someone who suffered a major trauma that caused the person to (for a moment) see the world as it truly is. The experience is so scarring that most who experience it go insane. A rare few survive the experience mentally intact but changed forever. They become paranoid, emotionally hardened and spend their lives either fighting the evil they see or becoming part of it. Since Bruce is both an Adept and a Seer, it makes sense that Bruce gets the attention of a number of individuals.

* Terminus Hotel was a building in a run-down area of Gotham that might have been possessed. It was a place where desperate people running from their pasts would wallow in their own guilt and fear. It was seen in an old issue of LOTDK years ago.

** Terry Sloan was the original Mr. Terrific. He had no powers but he had an extraordinary mind. Think of him as DC's version of the Pretender.

[suprmn1982]

Originally They Were Going To Do Bruce Instead Of Clark But Because Of Something With The Licencing They Couldn't Thats Why He Never Has Nor Never Will Be In Smallville

[Be Stiff]

I'm not a big fan of Smallville, but I would definitly watch a Bruce Wayne version of the show. Hopefully It'll force the Batman writers to give Wayne more of a personality in the comics.
What if a young Bruce Wayne made an appearance in Smallville?


A while back a friend and I agreed that if he turned up, he'd have to be the ultimate angsty goth.

[effang]

This would be SO much better. No need to focus upon his childhood. Just show his parents murdered, his rage, and then show whatever Christian Bale was doing before he showed back up in Gotham. You can take him around asia, learning different techniques, taking on different adventures, feature new selina kyle ties (so much hotter than...)

[G. Wayne]

The Series' title?

WAYNE

The main characters would be a young Bruce Wayne and his butler/guardian
Alfred Pennyworth.

Considering that they're calling the Aquaman spinoff "Mercy Reef," if they did the show, it'd probably be called something like Gotham, or Gotham Nights or some such.

[Freelyx]

Some or all of this may have been said here, I only read about a page and a half before I decided to chime in.

Maybe Bruce could work and internship from his prep school at a CSI lab. There he runs into a slightly older woman who is working at the local Gotham shelters part time and training in medical assistance or nurses school.

He could pick up much needed knowledge in criminal investigation and along the way help out and get to know the young rookie cop officer Gordan. This leads him away from the life of the police officer based on his understanding of the workings of a criminal mind.

Also they could explore the idea that young Bruce may have at first acted like the spoiled rich brat who feel the world owes him because of his tragic youth, and how he transforms himself into the driven and dark person he becomes later in life.


As far as who would play what character, they should do it much the same as they did with Smallville. Find new blood with decent acting chops who are hungry to excel. They could also pull from some of Batman's past films for characters as they did for Smallville. An instructor at the school played by Danny Divito. a police scientist played by Micheal Keaton. And maybe a reoccurring character such as Bruce’s father figure and butler played by I don't know who, but recognizable.

[hmnut73]

Considering that they're calling the Aquaman spinoff "Mercy Reef," if they did the show, it'd probably be called something like Gotham, or Gotham Nights or some such.

Whoa whoa whoa! They are making an aquaman TV show. Someone thought that was a good idea. The fact that most of his comic books get cancelled never came up.

Hopefully he will have a better TV career then his comic book career.

[SlightlyMad]

You guys know there was a proposal for a Bruce Wayne series before Smallville right?

Read all about it here. (http://www.kryptonsite.com/brucewayne/) :cool:

[literally exaggerated]

Here's how I'd do it:

Bruce Wayne is 18 years old, and just home from a brief stint at the FBI academy.

Following the death of his parents, he became determined to acquire the strength to never be a victim again, to protect those around him, and most of all, to not be afraid anymore. But following his parent's death, Bruce found himself psychologically unable to cope with the idea of shooting someone. Alfred hired the best local martial arts instructors, and Bruce began to train himself physically in other areas as well, lifting weights, swimming, running, etc.

The discipline of the martial arts, combined with Bruce's own natural intelligence and curiosity, as well as his top notch education, lead Bruce to become a stellar student as well. He skips a few grades, too withdrawn and preoccupied with his issues to care much about a social life. He does have one friend though, Vicki Vale. One of the few scholarship students at the prestigious Gotham Day Academy, Vicki was Bruce's one academic rival, and eventually, his best friend. Sexy, intelligent and down to earth, she has no time for Bruce's occasional bouts of self pity, and seeks to help him overcome the rage she sees within him, recognizing that Bruce has the potential to be a great man.

Regardless, Bruce graduates early with top marks. He drifts for a while, training with various martial artists and experts in fields like criminology. toying with the idea of becoming a cop, before deciding that the FBI holds the key to his hunt for justice. It doesn't. Frustrated with the beaurocracy and pettinenss that pervade the system, Bruce leaves.

He returns to Gotham, frustrated and angry. Not knowing what else to do, he enters the utra-elite small liberal arts college Arkham Academy. Founded by the same philanthropist who founded Arkham Asylum (and who later went insane), its among the finest colleges in the world.

There Bruce reunited at Vicki, and after some initial hostility the two find themselves friends again,and later, possibly something more.

Bruce begins to study psychiatry, law, medicine, unsure of what to do. His wealth, looks and obvious intelligence make him popular, and despite the fact that he is almost always disinterested in most of the vapid rich girls who cloud around him, he is nevertheless always surrounded by rumors, and develops a reputation as an aloof party boy. Through all of this he is accompanied by and advised by Alfred. There he meets some of the most brilliant young students the world has to offer. In addition to Vicki, they include:

Jonothan Crane - the golden boy of the psych department as well as a chemical genius, Crane is awkward, geeky and mysanthropic. He resents Bruce's popularity and intelligence.

Professor Edward Nigma - A brilliant young academic in the philosophy department, Nigma's "puzzle theory" changed the face of modern philosophy, and he's something of a superstar. Mildly autistic and obsessed with puzzles, Nigma sees in Bruce a potential protege, but is his massive ego also causes him to resent Bruce.

Harvey Dent - Bruce's other best friend, and rival for Vicki's affections. The trio are rarely apart. Harvey is good looking, cocky, and possessed of a passion for justice which rivals Bruce's. He is studying law, and all predict great things from him. But Harvey has a dark secret: when he was 12 years old his older sister was raped and murdered. The young Harvey stole his father's gun, and sought out the perpetrator and killed him. Though his youth and obvious trauma prevented any legal consequences, and years of therapy almost completely buried his dark side, it occasionally still surfaces.

Talia Al'Ghul - A foreign student, Talia is beautiful, capable, and has a reputation for being something of an ice queen. She is intrigued by Bruce, but also is disdainful of what she sees as emotional immaturity and lack of focus in him.

Professor Pamela Isley - Something of a vamp/the "hot teacher", Pamela Isley is legendary for two things: her radical environmentalist politics, and her absolutely brilliant work in the field of Botany.

Roman Sionis - Bruce's sworn enemy, Roman is popular, athletic and smart, just not as much so as Bruce. But he makes up for what he lacks in ability with meanspiritedness and bullying.

Tommy Elliot - A childhood friend of Bruce's, not seen in years and years. He and Bruce are on good terms, but Tommy spends most of his time on his studies, so they don't see each other that much.

Eugene Cobblepot - Roman's best friend/lackey, Eugene is the son of one of Gotham's most notorious gangsters, and he flaunts the fact with startling impudence.

Professor Kirk Langstrom - a brilliant geneticist, and deeply kind man. He advises Bruce, and is one of the few people Bruce can truly trust in the den of snakes that is Arkham Academy.

Professor Victor Fries - a minor character, the withdrawn, Fries always has an air of sadness about him, and is often the butt of jokes by Harvey Dent.

Professor Jervis Tech - A creepy old man, a genius when it comes to neuroscience and a big fan of Alice in Wonderland.

Professor Hugo Strange - an oddball psychiatrist who seems overly interested in Bruce.

Lex Luthor - Older than Bruce by several years, Lex is the previous genius, the student to which Bruce and the other brilliant members of the class find themselves constantly compared too.

In addition to these characters, the following other characters could appear:

Selina Kyle - wild, kinda crazy and uninhibited, Bruce's fellow student in a few of his martial arts classes. She moonlights as a stripper. Her brash exterior hids a kind young woman who in another life might have been something great, but life on the streets has hardened her. She takes great delight in trying to make the "uptight preppy" Bruce lighten up. She and Vicki knew each other from their youth, and hate each other.

Zsasz - a deranged serial killer all over the newspapers.

Oswald Cobblepot - Eugene's father, the notorious penguin, often seen on campus intimidating professors into boosting his son's grades.

Clark Kent - a high school senior who visits Arkham Academy when visiting colleges, and who befriends Vicki, as he too is interested in journalism. Bruce resents him at first but comes to like and respect him for his decency.

Jim Gordon - one of the few good cops out there, met Bruce briefly when Bruce considered becoming a cop, is currently working on the Zsasz case.

Lucius Fox - Bruce's liason at Waynecorps, a brilliant scientist and businessman who procures the occasional odd bit of equipment of Bruce

Harvey Bullock, Renee Montoya - cops on the GCPD

Ted Grant - One of Bruce's trainers, a legendary former boxer and MMA expert

the Graysons - a family of acrobats who help train Bruce in gymnastics and acrobatics. They have a 3 year old son named Dick.

The format of the show would see Bruce surrounded by the intrigues and misdeeds of the rich, powerful, and deeply messed up. Format of the show would not be a "villain of the week" format (except rarely), but rather see an ongoing cast of lots of minor characters of dubious moral nature. Bruce, often aided by Vicki and Harvey, would try to uncover eveyrhting wrong they're doing without exposing his identity.

Fights would be rare, though Bruce would be an exceptionally capable fighter. A fight early onw ith Zsasz nearly kills him. Although he might use the occasional gadget, by and large they would be tracking bugs and whatnot, not grappling hooks. Over the course of the show, Bruce would come to learn that:

Harvey has a real dark side
Talia is actually a spy for some sort of terrorist organization
Selina Kyle has been a burglar and thief from a young age
Victor Fries is hiring people to steal daimonds for some mysterious research
Edward Nigma is responsible for a number of mysterious crimes around the city.
Jervis Tech uses his mind control technology to molest his female students
Pamela Isley is helping Talia's insane ecoterrorist agenda
Roman Sionis and Eugene Cobblepot are both heavily involved in crime
Jonathan Crane is responsible for frightening several students to death

[continued below]

[literally exaggerated]

Some of these cases he would be able to prove, leaving the evidence for Jim Gordon. Others he can't, though he might disrupt some of their operations. In each case, heavy amounts of prep and detective work are required, as all the while he walks a fine line, trying to see his desire for justice fulfilled without ever letting any other students find out. This even applies to Vicki Vale and Harvey Dent, though they do help him on some stuff, especially at first.

A big theme in the show is the idea of Bruce trying to come to peace with himself and his life and settle his issue and NOT end up becoming Batman. Of course he fails though. As every single person around him ends up turning out to be a criminal or insane, he becomes less and less trusting of others, his mask goes further and further up, to everyone but Alfred. By the end of the show, Vicki and Harvey have each given up on him, as he has driven them out and they too have come to buy into his vapid partyboy persona.

New elements of the bat mythos will be introduced over time, and towards the end he will have a few adventures where he moonlights on rooftops and whatnot with some climbing equipment, a mask and a bulletproof vest, some sort of preliminary batarang, etc. But he would not yet decide on becoming Batman.

More importantly, most of his villains, though they show the seeds of what they will eventually become (and in some cases his actions drive them further along the path, as with jervis Tech, who snaps completely after Bruce reveals to the world what he is doing to his students), but by and large none of them are there yet. No costumes, no powers or transformations. Victor Fries is stealing daimonds, but he's not yet blasting people with a freeze gun.

No Joker. Not even a hint of Joker. Harle Quinn might be okay, though she would still be a psychiatrist. But the whole idea of Joker is that he's not tied to Batman the way someone like Twoface is, he doesnt have a clear origin. He's a mystery. More importantly, he's a Batman only mystery. He doesn't care about Bruce Wayne, nor is Batman especially concerned with who he is. So no stand-up comedians, and definitely no actual killer clowns.

Through the show Crane would be suspended and nearly jailed, Nigma would be arrested, Fries would get off but the suspicion would cause him to withdraw even more, Bruce would catch Selina, but let her go, unable to bring her to justice.

The very end of the show would see an arc with Bruce finally severing the last of his ties with Harvey Dent and Vicki Vale, who begin dating. He takes down Zsasz singlehandedly, brutally beating the notorious serial killer and leaving him for the cops. He uncovers the depth of Talia's plot, of Pamela Isley's involvement, and eventually, of the fact that Roman Sionis and Eugene Cobblepot are involved as well. He takes them all down, but his fianl conrontation with Roman and Eugene results in Eugene's death (though Bruce does not actively try to kill Eugene). Overcome with remorse, loathing everything around him, recognizing that he has really been doing little more than playing a game and has accomplished little in the grand scheme of things, Bruce leaves the Academy, and heads East. Harvey graduates and goes to become a DA in metropolis with the intent of returning to clean up Gotham in a few years. The Penguin and the Falcones begin to further tighten their hold on the city. Kirk Langstrom starts investigating the genetics of bats. Tommy Elliot all but vanishes. Vicki Vale becomes a reporter.

[bannermanonemillion]

*just read literally exaggerated's ideas*

*picking jaw up off the floor*

To quote the guy on "Robocop" who tries out a new gun:

"Iiiiiiiiii LIKE IT!!!"

[Siddon]

Batman: Prelude

episode 1: Bruce Wayne (Will Estes, Reunion) transfers into a new school in the suburbs of Gotham. He meets a very attractive girl named Vikki Vale, a new room-mate in Harvey Dent(Jessie Metcaf, Desperate Housewives) and an antagonistic teacher Edward Nigma(Anthony Rapp, Rent). He also runs into a pair of Falcone brothers who also attend the school at the end of show Vikki Vale is dead and Jim Gorden(Oldman) is brought in to investigate.

episodes 2-6: Jim Gorden and Harvey Dent begin investigating their lead suspect in the Falcone brothers while Wayne investigates Nigma. It becomes more and more evident as the story proceeds that the Falcone brothers are setting up Nigma for the fall. Wayne trys to force Nigma to confess and actually drives him insane and sends him to Arkam.

7-9 Wayne begins to spiral down a dark and guilt ridden circle as he discovers the mistake that he does and plans and sets up Nigma's release from prison. Nigma is still crazy mind you, but Bruce has bought his way out of prison and into the arms of therapist Harley Quinn. Dent is now alone in attempts to take down the Falcone brothers who are now out to kill him.

9-12 Wayne teams up with Dent and beats the Falcone boys and sets the boys up to be arrested and arained.

13 Carmine Falcone shows up and sets a hitman out after the boys in an attempt to get rid of both of them. Nigma escapes Quinn's care and goes straight after Bruce season 1 ends with Bruce being shot by Nigma.

[mohammedali]

Nice post LE. Very well thought out. My personal input would be the following 2 points.
1) There needs to be fighting to make something like this work. People aren't going to watch something about Batman just to see a rehash of Dawson's Creek. Just like Smallville, Buffy and the like, there needs to be action as well as plot. The best way I can think of this is by using what everyone loves about Batman - his gadgets. Similar to how Clark uses his abilities in Smallville without having a costume or being open about it, Bruce could use gadgets that his dads old friend, Fox and/or Alfred, helps set him up with.
2) As for the cast, they don't all need to go to the same school as Bruce. They can still be around the area, and not part of the school. Even Lex Luthor, who actually went to school with Clark Kent in the comics (latest cont.) was not even a school friend in Smallville. This applied for many of the older characters especially. Not all of them have to be teachers. Bruce could interact with them in other places, maybe even through Wayne Corp.
Oh, and I also though a better background for Dent would be about how he let his brother Murrey die in a fire when he was a kid rather than involve his sister. This was covered in last years 'Batman: Jekyll and Hyde', and gives a well detailed account of what happened to Dent that started the decline in his happy life. Good read, I recommend it to any Dent fan.

Anyway, great work once again. I'm thinking about writing up my own synopsis of a Batman alternative to Smallville, but I doubt I'll have time any time soon.

Mohammed Ali

[dancj]

Originally They Were Going To Do Bruce Instead Of Clark But Because Of Something With The Licencing They Couldn't Thats Why He Never Has Nor Never Will Be In Smallville

The way you start every word with a capital letter makes you sound like Adam West!