When it was first announced in
2017 followed by its first few trailers, the “Titans” series that streams
exclusively on the DC Universe video-on-demand service did not exactly meet
with positive reactions off the bat. Still, when the show premiered in October of
last year, its overarching storyline and plot style overcame all initial doubts
about the product and even secured for itself a second season. And then that follow-up
started generating buzz of its own with the revelation that Scottish actor Iain
Glen, fresh from HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” is playing Bruce Wayne/Batman. But
from his first appearance on the “Titans” season 2’s premiere episode he pulled
it off quite nicely, if somewhat different.
Comic Book Resources tells us that WB Television, DC Entertainment
and Berlanti Productions pulled off a surprisingly great swerve in the
beginning of “Titans” on its second season at DC Universe, particularly in the characterization
of Bruce Wayne/Batman, who is played by Iain “Jorah Mormont” Glen. His
appearance on the final segment of S2-E1 “Trigon” last Friday, September 6, is
a far cry from how he is not-fondly remembered by Dick Grayson/Robin I (Brenton
Thwaites). In fact, the season 1 finale has Dick suffering a supernatural nightmare:
Batman becoming a murderous vigilante and forcing Dick to kill him in turn.
But when Dick drops in on Wayne
Manor after the Titans break up in the aftermath of the death of Rachel/Raven’s
demonic dad Trigon, The Bruce Wayne that greets him is – contrasting the
popular portrayal on comic book, film and animation thus far – very warm and
compassionate, with Glen’s American accent being reminiscent of prolific Batman
voice actor Kevin Conroy. He listens to Dick unload his personal baggage from
the past, regarding how Bruce trained him as a vigilante sidekick following his
adoption after the deaths of his birth parents.
All throughout, Bruce lends dick
a sympathetic ear, but also demonstrates that, open personality aside, he still
has a Batman-like edginess, such as when he praises Dick for being evasive when
Bruce asks a probing question. And when Dick broaches his plan to reform the
Titans in a new locale – San Francisco – Bruce manages to get him to take on
his current Robin, Jason Todd (Curran Walters) as part of the team without any
objection. One has to wonder if that is the end of Iain Glen’s involvement in
the series; some fans on social media are hoping not yet.
“Titans” also stars Anna Diop,
Teagan Croft, Ryan Potter, Alan Ritchson, Minka Kelly, and S2 new regulars
Joshua Orpin, Drew Van Acker, Chella Man, Chelsea Zhang, and Esai Morales as perennial
Titans nemesis Slade Wilson/Deathstroke. The series airs new episodes weekly,
Fridays on DC Universe.
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