Could they do a British Batman?

This is just a thought I had, but wouldn’t Batman work weirdly well if he had been set in Britain instead of America (along with Gotham city and his extended cast).

For one, if Batman was set in another country, it makes sense why there would be so little help from other, more powerful, American superheroes, and why his corner of the DC universe is so removed in general from everyone else.

Also, Batman/Gotham today tends to take influence from 70s New York, but what would also work is taking inspiration from an 80s UK city, as the UK went through a rough period, arguably as bad or worse than 70s New York/America (Thatcher, racism issues, IRA bombings, high crime rates etc.). And a British Batman could also take influence from British crime fiction, offering another take on the character that seems to fit really well tonally, especially when having Batman contrasted with other DC superheroes like Superman.

And, it wouldn’t change any key elements of Batman or his story, it would simply offer a new take, and perhaps best of all, there are plenty of brilliant British comic book creators who could do a great job at doing a British Batman. Not necessarily a rebooted Batman though, but maybe an elseworlds story (that isn't played for laughs like the British superman)?

Any thoughts?

Em... what ? Why that, when is he already British ! He is British character in american story !!! What you need more ???

@drarcania: Because... he isn't British? Are you joking, because I don't get it unless your just being silly.

Actually he is kinda right, like you could practically lift Gotham, Wayne Manor and all the rest of it from the US and park it in Britain and all you'd really do is change the numberplates and the occasional accent. One could ask, what exactly is it that makes Batman a particularly American character?

Ehhh.... I really wouldn't dig Batman with an English accent. It'd just feel off. Gotham has a bit of that New England feel (if you've ever lived in/been to Boston, you know what I mean), so it does kinda-sorta feel UK-like, but the setting just wouldn't fit to me. It seems like it would be able to, but in my head, it just doesn't.

@outside_85: Well, it probably depends on which version of the character you are looking at, but while he has a darker, more cynical tone, it always felt like a very American version of that, for the most part (except for Alfred, of course).

@reactor: Fair enough with the accent, though New England never seemed very English to be, it just sort of draws from a time period people often think of in an English context.

I'll just say, as someone from the UK, Batman doesn't feel very British (in my opinion).

Oh I agree. That's what my "kinda-sorta" was for; it's really not an emulation of British architecture, but some areas, like Worcester? It's probably the closest you'll find to it in the United States.

@reactor: That's fair, in Britain there are a lot of examples of maintained older architecture, like New England, and with the older New England architecture its probably closer to English architecture of the same period.

Ninjak.

Thats perhaps true, and as you point out, maybe you need to be British to notice it. But, from an everyman's/international perspective (in this case mine), there isn't much about Batman or his world I could really say 'this could only possibly be in America'.

@outside_85: That's a fair point, though I think that if they did a more British version, though it wouldn't necessarily feel as distinct as say some other possible elseworld stories, it would offer another take on the character, and possibly give a good British writer the excuse to do something interesting they couldn't get away with, with the main universe Batman.

Actually... isn't Gotham by Gaslight practically set in Victoria-Era London?

@outside_85: Well, yes, but modern Britain is very different than the Britain of about 130 years ago.

Thats true, but how much different is it from modern america?

@outside_85: To be honest, hard to say for me, I've never been to America so aside from TV etc. Its difficult to pin down, compared to America the outlook seems a bit more cynical, with a more particular, cynical and self-deprecating humour, which comes through in tv and things. There is a different history, such as with the class system and the rich, so like if Batman had been invented in Britain him being born to wealth would likely be depicted differently, if not more negatively. But we do have quite a strong cultural influence from America, at least in more recent years (possibly because America produces a lot of tv, music etc. and its all in English). But yeah, I don't really have any first hand experience of America to compare, as I've only ever lived in Britain.

As a knight of the Scottish court, Gawyne de Wayne (Bruce Wayne ancestor) gave his life on a crusade to free the Holy Land. According to his wishes, when he fell in battle, Sir Gawyne's heart was embalmed and returned to Scotland. Another Wayne ancestor also existed during the Crusades; charged with the defense of the Holy Grail, the ancestor wore the crest of a bat on his tunic.

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Descending from Anthony Darius Wayne, a hero of the American Revolution (if i remember right it was British vs British), Charles Arwin Wayne managed the Wayne Family's modest fortune by buying cheap property and holding on to it as Gotham grew.

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Another version (Earth-One)

In the waning days of the Crusades, a man named Harold served as the first lord of Waynemoor Castle in Northern England until he died, childless and unmarried, at which point his brother Lorin took over the estate.

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Silas Wayne would often berate his great-nephew, Bruce Wayne, over the bored playboy lifestyle he had chosen in contrast to the achievements of his ancestors. Silas's brother Elwood Wayne was lord of Waynemoor Castle in England.

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The Waynes are a family of Norse, French, Scottish, and English descent who emigrated to colonial America and settled in what would one day become Gotham City.

||||| Now... about what we talking ?

It would be cool to see a batman incorporated mini series. Where he travels around picking and training other batman, including the knight.

That would be a good one to watch, wether animated or live action.

That's an interesting lineage Bruce has.

Batman is iconic to AMERICAN culture as James Bond is to BRITISH culture. so if you want a british accent, come up with your own character. There is yet to be an american james bond even though every single iconic american character has been played by non-americans.

@drarcania: batman is american, the joker is american, two-face is american, the whole freaking series is american. I dont know why they let a welsh actor play him when the idea of an american playing james bond throws everyone up in arms.

@outside_85: what makes james bond a british character?