Here's why The Batman is the most visually stunning comic book movie yet

Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Batman.

The Batman is one of the biggest comic book films of 2022 and has received massive praise for its cinematic style. Fans and critics were left in awe of the spectacle that director Matt Reeves and his team created.

Even before the film was released, the hype around it was that this might be the Batman film (apart from the Nolan Trilogy) that would do justice to comics. When asked in an interview about which comic book the film was inspired by, Reeves told the press that Batman: Year One by Frank Miller was the key source.

Apart from staying true to its source, it has one of the best, most stunning cinematographies amongst comic book films. The credit goes to Australian cinematographer Greig Fraser, who has served as a DOP in films like Dune, Vice, and Disney+ show The Mandalorian. Matt Reeves appointed him to make the movie look straight out of the comics.

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Why 'The Batman' is the most visually appealing comic book movie yet?

Matt Reeves is known for films like Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Let Me In, Cloverfield, etc. Often, directors choose the cinematographer they'd like to work with. To make his most ambitious film yet, he relied on his friend and cinematographer from Let Me In, Greig Fraser.

The uniqueness of Greig's cinematography is that he relies on breaking several rules along the way in his camerawork and likes to use high contrast colors. In an interview, Reeves said that the biggest challenge for the camera team was to light up the Cowl and the Bat Suit.

Michael Keaton (R) and Christian Bale's Batmen were lit up using whiter and yellower tones (Image via Shutterstock)

Jim Burton and Christopher Nolan relied on white and yellow lights to light up the Caped Crusader in his full suit. They also used elements of smoke to light up the entire area.

Fraser's choice of red perfectly complements the tone (Image via Warner Bros.)

Whereas Fraser's choice of color red perfectly complements the "more darker" version of the black color of the Bat Suit. When asked in an interview with Collider, Fraser said that his use of red complements the matte texture of the suit as compared to the glossier versions made in earlier franchises.

Bold use of anamorphic lenses can be seen in the film (Image via Warner Bros.)

Moreover, his use of Arri Alexa Mini LF to shoot this entire film was a bold choice. Out of the focus regions in the shot, the use of anamorphic lenses led to the making of The Batman, not just a comic book film but a masterclass in cinematography.

Fraser used a different take on the Caped Crusader's gliding (Image via Warner Bros.)

One of the shots that stands out is where The Caped Crusader jumps from a building and glides using his wingsuit. The POV angle on his face as he flies is straight out of the comic books.

When asked by the cast members, Robert Pattinson and Zoe Kravitz told Collider that while everyone was so stressed on the set to prep for the next shot, Fraser was usually seen chilling on the side and reading a Batman comic.

Zoe also told them how Greig took pictures of her facial profiles during the screen test so he could choose shots while filming the movie. Paul Dano and Jeffrey Wright contributed to their views and had high praise for Greig's work.

The scene where the camera tilts up when the Riddler is revealed (Image via Warner Bros.)

Dano told Collider how he was fascinated by the camerawork of the entire diner scene where Gordon and The Dark Knight finally captured him. The actor also said he loved how the coffee cup sequence was shot using a rig that tilts down and tracks up to reveal the Question Mark, The Riddler's trademark.

Additionally, with Fraser's experience shooting The Mandalorian, the LED walls by Stagecraft were put to use in The Batman. He used it to construct the background depth of certain scenes usually shot in front of a chroma wall but are now shot in front of this gigantic screen.

Overall, The Batman draws comparisons from comic book movies, and Greig Fraser continues to be one of the most skilled cinematographers alongside Roger Deakins. His out-of-the-box thinking, using excessive noise in his shots, blurry lenses, and out-of-contrast images are something that gives his films a more grounded look, putting the audience in the thick of the action.

And that is what The Batman needed to make it the most visually stunning comic book movie yet.

Note: This article reflects the author's views.