The Batman Part 2 Should Copy The Mystery Structure Of Another Franchise

As one of the greatest superheroes of all time, Batman has earned his share of nicknames. The Caped Crusader. The Dark Knight. Even the Joker has nicknamed him Batsy. Perhaps one of the biggest compliments to Batman’s prowess as a crime fighter is the moniker of The World’s Greatest Detective. Unlike his fellow members of The Justice League, Bruce Wayne doesn’t have superpowers, but along with his considerable wealth, hand-to-hand combat skills, and gadgets, his skills as an investigator more than make up for it. Using his forensic analysis skills, Batman has solved complex cases in various comics as well as other media. However, this trait was noticeably absent in Matt Reeves’ The Batman.

Unfortunately, despite his name, the film’s version of The Riddler, a decidedly dark version whose characterization takes inspiration from the Zodiac Killer. Even more disappointing, Bruce Wayne’s deduction skills weren’t impressive, to say the least. To be fair, both Batman and Lieutenant James Gordon are green in this film, still honing their skills while figuring out how to work with each other. Even with this in mind, the film still fell flat in showing how they could become great. For the sequel, there’s one franchise that The Batman – Part II should look to for inspiration in order to lay out a good mystery, placing the clues in such a way, that the film feels like it earns its satisfying act three reveal.

BBC’s Sherlock

Batman may be nicknamed The World’s Greatest Detective, but when the average person thinks of a detective, chances are the first character that comes to mind will be Sherlock Holmes. These original stories were fair play mysteries, meaning that Doyle gave the reader all the clues necessary to solve the mystery at the same time or, in some cases, even before Holmes and Watson. While there have been many adaptations of Holmes over the years, especially since the original stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle are in the public domain, there have been two popular standouts. One is the BBC series, which was a fairly straightforward modern adaptation of the original books. However, the adaptation eschewed this in favor of Sherlock seeing clues or deducting certain information without the audience’s knowledge. In doing so, Sherlock appeared smarter than the audience and more perceptive. Still, the audience was let in on some parts of Holmes’ thought process. Text, images, and maps would appear on-screen as Holmes was figuring things out and the editing would often match his rapid thought process. It allowed the viewers to have a peak in Holmes’ mind, while still keeping vital information from them until it was time for the reveal.

Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes

The Guy Ritchie Sherlock Holmes films are incredibly entertaining and fun. Robert Downey Jr. is at the peak of his charisma, and he has great chemistry with Jude Law’s Watson. Being Guy Ritchie films, there’s a lot of great action to pair with Holmes’ famous intellect. Arguably, the most memorable scene in the first film is when Holmes deduces how to beat an opponent in the ring. First, the action is shown in slow motion with voice over. Then the scene shows how the action plays out in real time. Just like the glimpses of Holmes’ thought process in the BBC series, this gave insight into Holmes’ thought process, including how quickly he can formulate a plan, even if it is just to get back at someone for spitting on him. However, unlike the BBC series, the stories in these films do not come from Doyle’s original stories, but are original. The mysteries are complex, but never confusing, and, above all, engaging. In the first film, Holmes struggles to figure out how Lord Blackwood is supposedly killing people from beyond the grave, but the pieces he picks up along the way pay off in such a way that when Holmes finally reveals Blackwood’s methods and motives, it’s hard not to smile.

There was a lot going on in The Batman, but unfortunately, a lot of it was at the expense of the mystery. Considering that it was the main story engine, the film’s three-hour runtime felt especially long and tedious. It also feels like a let-down for an adaptation of a character that debuted in Detective Comics. Detective Comics may have become DC, but writers should still strive to portray him in a way that lives up to that World’s Greatest Detective moniker. The Batman does have some great elements. Robert Pattinson delivered a great, haunted and conflicted portrayal of Batman and the film had a great sense of atmosphere throughout. If more care is given to the mystery in The Batman – Part II, there’s no doubt Reeves could deliver a truly compelling entry to the Batman franchise. Viewers will just have to wait and see for themselves when The Dark Knight graces theaters again on October 2, 2026.

Batman

Batman is one of the most popular and well-known superheroes of all time. Created in 1939 by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, Batman has evolved over the decades into a cultural icon.

As a child, Bruce Wayne’s parents were murdered in front of him. Since that day, Bruce made it his mission to fight back against the criminal element in Gotham City. Taking on the appearance of what scares him most, Batman faces off against powerful villains like the Joker, Two-Face, Bane, and the Penguin.