The Batman Trailer Breakdown: What's Black And Blue And Dead All Over?

The trailer begins in a city diner. What initially looks like a hapless soul having a late night coffee turns into a worrisome scene as a team of SWAT-style police officers approach from the outside. Immediately the vibe of the trailer is that of a thriller from director David Fincher, and that's something we're very excited to see unfold in Gotham City.

As he's apprehended by the Gotham City Police Department, accompanied by Jim Gordon (Jeffrey Wright), his face remains obscured as it's slammed down on the diner counter. The camera lingers on a single coffee cup as Paul Dano is taken out of the diner. Inside the cup is a little design in the coffee, but this doesn't appear to be a cute design done by some barista.

Warner Bros. Pictures

It's a question mark signifying the presence of Batman's enemy known as The Riddler. Paul Dano is playing the villain, and, as we're about to see throughout this trailer, he's left a variety of clues behind for Batman to solve in order to stop some kind of dastardly plan. 

This is probably the most haunting and intimidating version of the Batman symbol we've seen yet, at least when it comes to how hit appears in the sky. It just has that threatening look to it, which makes the voiceover accompanying these shots perfect. Robert Pattinson can be heard saying, "Fear is a tool. When that light hits the sky, it's not just a call. It's a warning." Based on how angry Batman is throughout this trailer, that's a good warning.

This shot of Batman rising up to meet these painted thugs in a shady alley of Gotham City is just awesome. Even though this gang is trying to be tough, it's clear they're scared shitless of the Caped Crusader. This reveals more of the confrontation between Batman and these thugs, which we saw in the previous DC FanDome trailer. We don't get the extended beatdown with the "I'm vengeance" tag, but that scene is repurposed later in this trailer anyway. 

Plus, we get to see a wide shot of Batman delivering justice in the shadows. The lighting in this scene is outstanding, giving us the perfect silhouettes of Batman fighting off all of these criminals. 

Again, Batman seems to have a good relationship with the police, because he's allowed to visit The Riddler in prison by way of one of those traditional phone hubs you see in movies over and over again. It's worth pointing out that Paul Dano's face again remains hidden with a convenient cut away. The Riddler quietly says, "I've been trying to reach you." 

Batman is clearly frustrated with this wild goose chase as he punches the glass and shouts, "What have you done?" Admittedly, this line was a little hard to understand, not unlike some of Bane's dialogue in "The Dark Knight Rises," and hopefully that won't be a consistent issue in the final cut of the movie. But the raw anger from Pattinson in this scene is palpable. 

Here's Zoe Kravitz as Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman. She tells Batman, "I can take care of myself," with a rather flirtatious look in her eye. It's worth noting that she has a pixie haircut here, but we see her donning several wigs throughout the rest of the trailer, showing off her skills as a cat burglar who can easily hide among a crowd.

A quick little montage of shots reveal Selina Kyle fighting, looking sultry, and preparing for some kind of motorcycle chase, presumably with Batman. Honestly, every shot of Zoe Kravitz in this trailer is great. Could she give Michelle Pfeiffer's take on Catwoman a run for her money? I don't think the role will be quite so overt with the sexuality, and it will lack the camp of Tim Burton's "Batman Returns," but Kravitz will certainly give the character her own flair.

Ladies and gentleman, it's Andy Serkis, and he's not wearing a motion capture suit. At least we think he's not. We wouldn't put it past him to do a motion capture performance of himself. Anyway, Serkis feels like the most intimidating version of Alfred we've seen on the big screen. We hear Bruce Wayne's loyal butler say, "If this continues, it won't be long before you have nothing left." Clearly Alfred isn't on board with Bruce Wayne's nighttime crime fighting shenanigans. 

This is undoubtedly the most intriguing shot of the whole movie. Bruce Wayne is doing some real detective work, trying to decipher the clues that The Riddler has left behind. With an emphasis put on "The sins of my father?" it would appear as if something Bruce Wayne's father did in the past is the driving force of The Riddler's motivation. 

There are also two names seen in this spread. There's Colson, which refers to Peter Sarsgaard's character Gil Colson, the district attorney and chief prosecutor of Gotham City. There's also Mitchell, which likely refers to Gotham City Mayor Don Mitchell, who may be one of The Riddler's victims. 

Also among all these clues are phrases about lies. We can see "No more lies" and "Renewal is a lie" on the ground. These are likely messages that were included at the crime scenes in question. What is this all leading to?

Two motorcycles speed through a cemetery. We're assuming one of them is Batman and the other is Catwoman. As for the reasons for their chase, more than likely it has to do with burglary and Batman's attempt to foil crime leading a game of cat and bat. But maybe there will be a little more to it than that when all is said and done. After all, Catwoman also warns Batman, "It's only gonna get worse for you." Maybe she knows something that he doesn't yet.

Batman throws around some fisticuffs in a club, and The Penguin is there. In a classic mafia-style voice, he says, "Whoa, take it easy, sweetheart." Through the next montage of shots of Batman tearing through bad guys, Penguin says, "You're everything they say, ain't ya?" This is the kind of playful banter that I've been missing from Batman. There was plenty of it with Joker in "The Dark Knight," and a little bit of it with "Bane," but I like a little theatricality being put back into Batman's rogues gallery.

Catwoman shares another embrace with Batman. As she strokes his cowl, we hear Selina say, "Who are you under there?" It's interesting to note that this unfolds in the same magic hour lighting from that previous shot of the two standing in a building that appears to be under construction. Even more interesting is the shot that follows. 

Warner Bros. Pictures

That's Catwoman making a run for it, and I'm pretty sure that's Penguin who has lunged at Batman. Why is she in such a hurry to get away? Maybe Penguin is after Selina Kyle for some kind of job gone wrong that she was hired to do. Perhaps it's a job that was foiled by Batman, bringing all three of them together. 

Here's our new Batmobile, speeding through the streets, barreling through anything that gets in its way. It's the most practical Batmobile that we've seen in any franchise, looking like a real customized car rather than a military vehicle or a car that was clearly made to be a superhero's ride. Will it have any handy gadgets within, or is this Batmobile more about speed and brawn?

A swarm of vehicles sits outside of what appears to be a Gotham City courthouse. There may be some kind of big case being decided upon, perhaps something to do with The Penguin. Then again, the previous trailer showed us some kind of event happening in front of the courthouse that may have involved a press conference from someone in the Gotham City government. This could easily be the scene where there's an SUV sent crashing into the crowd with writing like "DOA" all over it. In that sequence from the teaser trailer, a man emerges from the vehicle with an envelope taped to his body that's addressed to Batman. That scene gets deadlier later in the trailer.

The Riddler is certainly a 21st century villain because a news broadcast shows video from a livestream featuring the masked character, who is still donning his signature glasses, but has obscured his face more than traditional depictions of The Riddler. This feels like it echoes the sequence in "The Dark Knight" when Joker addressed Gotham City and threatened to kill someone everyday until Batman revealed his true identity. What does The Riddler have to say to the citizens of Gotham City?

This is an intriguing shot during a montage of a variety of scenes. Batman is using a flare to lead a group of people somewhere. We're not sure where they are or what's going on here, but the red lighting in this scene is exquisite.

This close-up shot shows the handcrafted stitchwork that went into creating this suit. It's rare to see detail like that on a Batsuit. Previously, the Batsuits have been molded rubber or fitted armor (though "Batman Begins" featured a basic tactical suit early on). "The Batman" certainly has a suit with elements of previous Batsuits, but this kind of detail on the cowl lends a nice touch of authenticity to the suit being created by Bruce Wayne himself.

This entire sequence totally rips. From the road rage of Batman to the maniacal glee from The Penguin thinking he's gotten the best of the Dark Knight, this is the kind of stuff that blockbusters are made of. Will The Penguin be apprehended and put in Arkham Asylum in this movie? Is this a prelude to him becoming an even more prominent villain in a presumed sequel? We know Colin Farrell didn't have to shoot very long for "The Batman," so it's not out of the realm of possibility.