DC has released a new Batman movie, which explores a few iconic villains from the comics through a new lens that makes them quite different from how the characters are usually portrayed, though some elements remain. Batman’s future is firmly rooted in live-action when it comes to movies, with both The Batman 2 and the DCU’s The Brave and the Bold drawing attention.
That said, the hero is well-known for his animated footprint in addition to the Dark Knight’s live-action legacy. Batman’s animated movies have often introduced exciting villains, like the Phantasm, or reinterpreted classic ones. The same goes for the historical Batman: The Animated Series. Now, ahead of DC’s major upcoming projects, an animated Batman movie reinvents five of his biggest villains.
The Joker
Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires has been released on digital, which means that DC fans can now watch what is one of the most intriguing Batman movies ever made. The story connects the hero’s legacy to Aztec culture, resulting in major changes for a number of villains. As the Dark Knight’s biggest foe in the comics, the Joker had to appear.
Instead of being called the Joker in the movie, the character goes by the name Yoka. The Joker is one of the most mysterious Batman villains in DC Comics, with most of Batman’s stories leaving out how he came to be, though a few possible origins for the character are out there. Aztec Batman shows how Yoka descends into madness.
At first, the villain is the priest who has the ear of King Moctezuma II. He tries to get him to let the Spanish conquistadors into Tenochtitlan, claiming that is what the gods want. However, the Joker was being played by Tezcalipoca, the Aztecs’ trickster deity. Disgraced and having committed human sacrifices, Yoka ends up being led to kill his family.
This version of the Joker uses his family’s ashes as his chalk white makeup. The red on his lips comes from blood. Yoka dons conquistador armor, making him look strikingly different from other movie versions of the Joker, and, by the end of the movie, he strikes an alliance to help Two-Face take out the Aztecs.
Two-Face
The Joker’s story and changes from the comics in Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires stand as a perfect example of how DC’s Elseworlds brand can create exciting and unique stories with beloved characters, allowing its projects to co-exist with James Gunn’s expansive DC Universe. The Batman movie’s use of Two-Face as its main villain follows the Joker’s use.
Two-Face is not Harvey Dent in the Batman movie, but none other than the conquistadors’ real-world leader Hernán Cortés himself. The way Cortés gets his nickname and scars in the movie differs from the character’s long history. Instead of seeing his face get burned with acid or by fire, Cortés is scratched violently by this universe’s version of Catwoman.
The movie initially depicts the character as sinister, putting up a charismatic persona with an ulterior motive behind it as he meets the Aztecs for the first time. Cortés’ goal is to kill them all or make them work for him, taking Tenochtitlan for the conquistadors. He becomes frantic and more aggressive after his Two-Face transformation, also using Dent’s classic lucky coin.
Catwoman
Catwoman is also different in Aztec Batman’s world, going for a Jaguar design that includes a jaguar headdress. Still, the character is one of the closest Batman villains to the comics in the film. Like Selina Kyle, this version of Catwoman is also a thief stealing small items and food in the movie. It is revealed that she does so to help the poor.
Jaguar Woman also has the same kind of romantic relationship with Yohualli Coatl, the Elseworlds movie’s Batman, that Catwoman is known for in the comics. They have playful banter and fight before eventually becoming a team against the conquistadors. DC’s new Catwoman is responsible for Two-Face’s disfigurement, carving out his face to protect Batman and save his life.
Poison Ivy
Poison Ivy is a powerful figure in Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires. The movie does a lot with a mystical side that few Batman adaptations have explored thus far. Forest Ivy is a character who helps guide the young Yohualli in his journey to become Batman, saving his life early in the film and returning in the final fight.
Ivy’s role in the film is very much that of a spirit guide of sorts, a force of nature that wants to keep it safe from the destruction the conquistadors are bringing to the land. In terms of the character’s design, she looks a lot like Poison Ivy from the comics, with green skin and red hair, save for a few Aztec accessories.
The Penguin
Finally, the Penguin is reserved for Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires’ post-credits scene. The villain is only shown briefly in DC’s new Batman movie, but it is enough to know that this animated version of the character is quite different from all those that came before. The Penguin appears to be a priest or a powerful religious man, ready to order men around.
The Penguin’s new Batman movie design also includes a sinister plague doctor mask, which makes him look striking. While Two-Face and the Joker form an alliance at the end of the film, DC is seemingly setting up the Penguin to be the main villain of a potential sequel.