Small Details You Missed In The Gotham Knights Game Trailer
After teasing the game for months, WB Games Montreal finally revealed the trailer and a good bit of gameplay for the Dark Knight's latest adventure, Gotham Knights. As many fans suspected, Gotham Knights features the deadly Court of Owls as a central threat. The reveal also came with plenty of surprises, including the fact that Batman has apparently died in the line of duty and left the fight to his proteges, the titular Gotham Knights. The game will see players stepping into the boots of Batgirl, Red Hood, Nightwing, and Robin. However, there were some smaller details you might have missed during these spectacular and moody previews.
The first hero shown reacting to Batman's message is Jason Todd, a.k.a. the Red Hood. Todd has a long scar running up from his lips, almost like someone began carving a smile into his face. Red Hood's origin story in the comics (and the Batman: Arkham series) involves his brutal torture at the hands of the Joker. The Clown Prince of Crime likely disfigured this version of the character.
Aside from Nightwing, the heroes seem to be donning more homemade-looking costumes in the early parts of the trailer. For instance, Batgirl appears to be wearing a simple domino mask and a hood, rather than her classic bat-eared cowl. However, later in both the trailer and the gameplay video, you see Batgirl in a more familiar (and armored) outfit. You can also catch Robin rocking a similar helmeted look in the gameplay reveal. Players may have the option to level up and customize their characters in more powerful suits as the game proceeds.
The four heroes shown in the main trailer aren't the only ones joining the fight. Gotham Knights will feature plenty of classic characters from the Batman mythos. During the gameplay trailer, Batgirl communicates with Alfred Pennyworth, who appears to be contacting the team from their new base of operations, the Belfry.
Renee Montoya, another familiar face, pops into the chat as Batgirl heads to battle Mr. Freeze. Though only her last name and a picture appear on the screen, this cameo opens up a host of possibilities for the story of Gotham Knights. The comics usually portrayed Montoya as one of the only good cops in Gotham City. Newer fans may also recognize her from the DC Extended Universe movie Birds of Prey, as portrayed by Rosie Perez. With Commissioner Gordon already dead at the start of the game, Montoya may have taken over his old job. This could introduce a very different dynamic to the Bat-Family's relationship with the police.
It's also worth noting that Montoya once became a costumed vigilante as well. In the comics, she took on the guise of The Question for quite some time, fighting crime alongside Batwoman. It's unclear if Montoya will suit up in Gotham Knights, but the fact that this game shines a light on Batman's supporting cast means it's entirely possible.
In the gameplay trailer, Batgirl mentions Mr. Freeze's attack appears to stem from Elliot Center. In the comic books, the Elliot family was nearly as influential as the Waynes. In particular, their son Thomas was a close friend of Bruce Wayne's before becoming the supervillain known as Hush. As seen in the comics (and Batman: Arkham Knight), Hush grew obsessed with replacing Wayne. He even performed plastic surgery on himself to look just like Wayne. Is the fallen Batman in Gotham Knights the real deal?
Finally, the World Premiere Trailer revealed the sinister Court of Owls and their assassins, known as Talons. In the comics, the Court of Owls has miles of tunnels containing cryogenically frozen Talons, which the Court revives whenever it needs a murder carried out. The trailer offers what looks like a brief glimpse of Gotham Knights' version of those crypts, showing off a horrific wall full of high-tech coffins.
It's also worth noting what the presence of the Court of Owls may mean for Gotham Knights' storyline. In the comics and the animated film Batman vs. Robin, Batman was kidnapped by the Court of Owls and spent over a week trapped in a maze constructed by the group. While the video game is clearly taking some liberties with the original storyline, Batman may not be dead after all. The Court could have taken him underground, eventually forcing his proteges to rescue him. At one point in the trailer, you can even seen Batgirl and Nightwing wandering through what appears to be ancient ruins, complete with massive owl statues.
It's clear the Gotham Knights developers appreciate the creators who have worked on the Batman franchise over the years. At one point in the trailer, Batgirl rides her motorcycle out of a warehouse labeled "Dixon Docks." This could be a reference to comic writer Chuck Dixon, the co-creator of Batman characters such as Bane and Stephanie Brown/Spoiler. There's a lot of love for the source material here, which indicates the game could follow the comics more closely than fans may expect.
Whatever the case, Gotham Knights is already providing fans with plenty of exciting mysteries. It should be a blast to guide Batman's sidekicks through those mysteries when the game launches in 2021.