It’s been an eventful couple of weeks for Bruce Wayne fans. After a teaser featuring his infamous ‘baring’ scene from The Batman, Robert Pattinson has finally unveiled the full wallpaper collection featuring the billionaire vigilante.
The first installment in the series, which will eventually consist of five portraits, was posted to Reddit and other social media platforms on Tuesday. Since then, fans have had plenty of time to analyze and scrutinize the images, which feature the actor in a variety of outfits and settings. What’s more is they now have an officially sanctioned interpretation of Batman’s ‘look’ to reference.
How Does It Work?
The Bruce Wayne wallpapers function as a sort of homage to the Batman mythos. The first picture in the series is an illustration of Batman in a classic pose from the 1960s TV show. The wallpaper itself is made up of a 5K by 5K grid of pixels, designed in a manner reminiscent of a comic book panel. The choice to use such a small canvas for the collection is an obvious nod to the oft-maligned ‘small phone’ trend in the industry.
With each subsequent image in the series, Pattinson seems to reference another aspect of the Batman mythology. The second image in the set, for instance, features Batman in the Batsuit from the 1966 film. The third image is a reference to Tim Burton’s 1989 film, with the actor donning his iconic ‘goth’ look. And so it goes, with each successive portrait serving as a reference to a classic moment or aspect of the Batman mythos. It’s fitting, then, that the final image should be of Batman in a fashion shoot entitled ‘Alter Ego,’ which was first published in the 1980s.
What Do Comics Artists Think?
Those who have seen the set of wallpapers will undoubtedly have noticed a marked stylistic resemblance to the work of artists such as Jim Lee and Alex Ross. This is no accident — the collection was crafted with an eye toward modernizing the look of the legendary Caped Crusader.
Though stylistically evocative of the Silver Age of comics, the images fit perfectly within the current ‘dark’ trend in the industry. When asked by Entertainment Weekly about the design of the Bruce Wayne wallpapers, designer Bobby Berk spoke fondly of his former collaborator, saying, “I love working with Alex on these, and I love how he’s bringing in all of these elements from the ‘60s and ‘70s—the retro feel, but with the modern twist.”
It’s clear that Pattinson regards the Batman mythos as a touchstone for his work, whether it be in film or costume design. In a recent interview with Harper’s Bazaar, the actor spoke about the influence of the Caped Crusader on his work. “I’ve always loved the way he looked,” said Pattinson. “Even as a little kid, I had an affinity for Batman; it was my favorite superhero, and I still love him to this day. The thing I love most about Batman is his duality—he’s this dark person, but he has moments where he’s very funny and sarcastic. It’s inspiring to me as an actor to portray someone so ambiguous.”
Why A Wallpaper Collection?
Pattinson has long been engaged with the wallpapers medium, having released a series of designs for his own line of wallpaper, Room 101. This is the first time, however, that the actor has collaborated with a design team to create a cohesive wallpaper collection. When asked by Entertainment Weekly why he decided to bring his designs to life as actual wallpapers, Pattinson responded, “I love the idea of a gallery wall. It’s so much fun to look at a design and know that there’s a physical object with it. It feels like there’s more connection when you can feel the paper in your hand.”
While the idea of a gallery wall is certainly appealing, it’s interesting to note that the collection was designed with the wall treatment in mind. In the Room 101 design, for example, the wallpaper was deliberately mismatched, in a manner reminiscent of an early ‘70s disco or nightclub. The Gotham City sequence of the Batman wallpapers is, similarly, a study in ‘nude’ that is meant to be seen from multiple angles.
What’s Next?
In addition to the Batman wallpapers, Robert Pattinson has released a series of teasers highlighting other aspects of the Dark Knight’s legendary persona. Some were quite subtle, while others were more overt clues as to the direction of the full collection. As well as referring to other films and television shows in his wardrobe, the actor has also dropped hints about other characters he could bring to life via wallpaper.
In the most recent set of teasers, posted to Reddit and other platforms, we see the actor in costume as Robin, the Boy Wonder. Wearing a long green cape and red-hooded outfit, the teaser shows off Robin’s classic ‘archer’ pose, a nod to the Boy Wonder’s ‘Arkham Origins’ storyline. In that story, Robin was inspired by his own father, Bruce Wayne, to don the archer outfit and take on the persona of ‘the birdman.’
Though Robin is generally regarded as a cheerful character, it seems that the archer outfit and role have a darker undertone. Pattinson’s decision to use it as a recurring costume in his latest film, The Batman, has, perhaps, hinted at this. The actor plays multiple roles in the movie, including, but not limited to, the Penguin, the Riddler, and the Joker. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly about his upcoming film, Pattinson spoke about working with his ‘on-set family,’ saying, “I think what makes a family is the ability to laugh together and work through problems. That’s what we’ve done as a unit, and it’s made a real difference.”
Whether or not this is just a coincidence, it’s interesting to see Robin’s dark side emerge during this time of uncertainty. Will Penguin make a comeback? Does Harvey Weinstein have something to do with it? Who knows. All we have to do is wait and see.
Final Takeaway
The world is changing, and we’re adapting. Though some might still choose to fight it, the future is undoubtedly trending toward embracing the unusual, the unexpected, the creative. To those who continue to resist it, we say, “try dressing like someone else sometimes.”