This article contains spoilers for “The Flash.”
Beyond being yet another multiversal superhero tale, “The Flash” is a chance to examine the emotional impact of the Batmen in your life.
Just where we are in the current state of Batman at the movies perhaps only DC Studios co-head James Gunn knows for sure, but rare is the film that allows you to see so many bats on the screen at once. Granted, there’s no Christian Bale under the watchful eyes of director Christopher Nolan and a Hans Zimmer score. The bold blondness of Val Kilmer is not reexamined, perhaps because he met his cameo quota in the most recent “Top Gun.” Robert Pattinson’s Batman is likely to remain a solo act unless he gets a Robin. And if you’re looking for Gunn’s soon-to-be-anointed Batman, nice try, but that’s not happening here just yet. What we do get are both the best and most frustrating versions of cinematic Batmen. Michael Keaton. And Ben Affleck. With one extra surprise Batman at the end for good measure. (We’ll get to him in a second.)
