The DARKEST Batman Story? - Batman: Death of Innocents

[@DallySkyeAnims]

Jesus, with no colorful villains, it's just dark and depressing in this sort of war.

[@rockdesu]

The mine are the villains.

[@rclark777]

I still think “Ultimate Evil” is the darkest Batman story. In that one, Bruce travels to Asia to take down a child exploitation ring. It’s exactly as pleasant as it sounds.

[@fitnessabcvideo]

Jeez man, that was a very very hard story. I had to watch dirty rotten scoundrels to give me some comedic relief straight after

[@LyndsayW1194]

That was written Andrew Vachss, i read the novel version and it was an amazing read

[@vincentforrester4621]

An underrated story that lived in the shadows of other popular titles back in the days.

[@Ry-bo9hi]

we need to make that into a movie so that certain people would bitch about again

[@allot5530]

I’m surprise it even got made, Apparently Batman couldn’t curses so CSA is OK been depicted but, Batman saying a bad word is off-limits

[@rockdesu]

Mr. Kiyoshi Amemiya is an engineer who has dedicated his life to eradicating landmines with his inventions. You don't need to be Batman to make a difference.

[@maylabrown4584]

That's awesome, land mines suck

[@laurelsilberman5705]

I think this is a great point and further hits home the message that these real world problems are so complex and horrible that even a superhero, with all their might, would still ultimately be pretty much powerless to solve such a widespread, brutal and ongoing horror. Mr. Amemiya is a fascinating and brilliant man-his contributions towards making the world safer for millions of people living in constant fear due to land mines, him putting his considerable intellect to work laser focusing on this issue, that makes him a real life superhero if you ask me. I’m sure it’s impossible to calculate just how many lives he has saved, but he’s a role model for anybody looking to make the world a better place with their knowledge.

[@videocrowsnest5251]

@@maylabrown4584 That they do. Makes me deeply uncomfortable when I hear some of the local far right populists shouting that Finland should get out of the treaty banning land mines and just use them with impute on that eastern border. Especially as they have a rather lot of support, in the recent elections getting a heck ton of parliament seats despite really only being good at complaining loudly with half-baked arguments, and supporting hate. How they see it, someone else "came in and forbid them" for "no real reason". But then again, said folk are the type that would willingly send untold numbers of faceless humans to their demises or to grisly fates with not a single qualm. Such people to them don't matter unless they end up seeing it with their own two eyes.

[@The_Based_Batman]

Exactly! (Or well, you could always do good samaritan acts while dressed AS Batman like what I do.) The best Batman stories and incarnations are the ones where you could see him comforting a child or doing something that a real life hero like Kiyoshi is doing. I like to think Batman is just the incarnation of the good men that risk their lives to protect, save and serve innocents. Otherwise "You've just written the Punisher in a goofy mask."

[@patrickimperial579]

Batman isn't making a difference in the first place 😂

[@kirbymarchbarcena]

It is a really sad, poignant story of Batman that showed one of his failures in his advocacy. One-shot comics like this (including Elseworlds and Legends of the Dead Earth) is why I love to buy back then. The stories are relevant, interesting and enjoyable no matter how dark the plot is.

[@hippityhop9522]

A lot of people don't know things about Yugoslav wars but this story resonates with many people that were in the war. Bosnia is still littered with mines, it's very dangerous to go into the woods and fields alone. Serb soldiers used to force Croat, Bosniak and Albanian elders and children to walk into the mine fields. It was a very bad time.

[@DocDevious23]

Jesus christ. At first I was like... land mines? What a weird and specific thing to make a Batman comic about, this'll probably be about as heavy handed as a drug PSA or something But goddamn, this is dark. Yowch.

[@tiagov.s.2693]

Goddamn that ending...you knew it was coming in part because of the title of this video but still. The part where he steps out of the fire mixed with your awesome voice acting and editing genuinely made it freaking epic. Also agree with you on the art, it looks amazing

[@TeamTNTunicorn]

Love this story, I love how Bat gets defensive when the mother inadvertently brings up his own trauma and Alfred calls him on it. Makes him s lot more human and believable. The end is haunting and perfectly foreshadowed, with the soldiers speaking of children thinking landmines were toys, the villain saying she'd bring Sarah's body back to America, etc. The only person who could reliably avoid those landmines are the soldiers who placed them. Bruce not clinging onto the child seems dumb at first but it reinforces the theme: you can't protect anyone from something like a landmine for long. Bruce had nothing to plan for, or to anticipate, landmines have no motives and therefore you can't really predict them. Just a momentary lapse in Bruce's sleep deprived mind gave the child time to grab a landmine. The whole situation was set up to shell-shock Bruce and put him at his worst. No sleep, remembering his family, having to use the gun, not being safe at night, his dog getting killed, being trapped nearly immobile all night etc. When he thought it was safe he went back mentally to the state of relative safety he is used to, Gotham though super dangerous is not this insanely booby trapped, the Robins' get to have a lot of freedom because of this. He slipped up once, and it was fatal, proving how horrible these weapons are, even to someone who thinks they can outfox them.

[@n543576]

On another topic concerning landmines IRL, in Columbia there was (i mean theres still some but for the most part they disarmed last i heard) a guerrilla army/cocaine trafficking group called "FARC" that was notorious for planting landmines near soft targets like near schools, hospitals, and playgrounds. The jungle where the group grew coca leaves to later turn into cocaine are full of landmines as well for "protection". After the war and FARC disarmed and the attempts of reintegration and forgiveness back into society the military are still finding landmines and its a very labor intensive activity to find them and prevent injury. Ok random fun fact over.

[@CodenameJameslee]

People are cruel

[@evanabbott2737]

“Forgiveness”? They should make all those members dig around in the jungle until every single land mine has been found and disarmed.🤔

[@xrphoenix7194]

4:30 Bruce looks just like Kevin Conroy there

[@jerrym1218]

This story should be a wake up call for those that want to fight fire with fire. “Everyone burns”

[@slkjvlkfsvnlsdfhgdght5447]

unfortunately, sometimes that's the only way. to give the most extreme example possible: there wasn't any other way to deal with nazi Germany and imperial japan other than with force

[@jerrym1218]

@@slkjvlkfsvnlsdfhgdght5447 That’s a sad truth. There were tons of evil men and women committing atrocities on all sides during the times of war, especially that conflict, but then there were a whole bunch of good people on all sides that were just trapped slaves of their governments and they had no choice but to kill or be killed, in the US and UK’s case deserters still had to be punished in some way or another by their governments. When it came to World War II Germany, Japan and Italy were committing the most extreme evil atrocities and definitely had to be stopped, and since it was war it was kill or be killed once on the battlefield. I still see everyone that fought in World War I and II as human beings, and the fact that millions lost their lives was truly tragic. Our species still hasn’t learned to stop getting involved with conflicts and wars after hearing about and witnessing the destruction and mass loss of life it caused, because they still start wars and atrocities are still being committed sadly.

[@DangoJoey]

I wonder how Alfred feels about guilting Bruce into getting traumatized in a grotesque war that was in another country entirely

[@lukejensen9933]

Of which Bruce got a man killed in

[@Rengokuo4o6]

​@@lukejensen9933 i believe he insisted to go on his own.

[@daltonbecker4494]

Don't take a shot every time he says "landmine" it's dangerous. As dangerous as a landmine.

[@busbrain2215]

The “give me the gun” comic panel is SO HARD

[@Gundam_JAY]

9:05 definitely reminded me of one of the shorts from "Gotham Knight" an anthology animated film from like 2010 or something

[@notsofatfilms85]

In my opinion Batman: Night Cries is the darkest batman story ☠

[@ThedarklordSauron96]

In my opinion it's Arkham Asylum a serious house on serious earth

[@Vanderstein950]

I second this opinion

[@ZombossLordOfDoom]

Arkham Asylum: A serious house on serious earth

[@luciferfernandez7094]

Child abuse in Night Cries is darker than whatever broken psycho babble Arkham Asylum is, and I love Arkham Asylum.

[@samuraicosmico]

I’ve always wanted to read “Night Cries”… just not ready for it yet.

[@mclekfkeiwdisidido6858]

9:07 i think you find this familiar because of a scene of the animated movie Gotham Knight where batman is also walking on fire

[@ricardomiles2957]

i don't remember seeing a batman story where everything is just dark. No cool edginess, no captivating super villain or mystery to be resolved, not even familiar faces beyond batman. That story begs to be adapted, i can really imagine a very grim and bleak, european war film style live action style

[@TooRudeProductions]

"They can't punch a land mine" well not with that attitude

[@stefangreen3770]

I understand why they had to dumb down Batman because it makes for a more impactful story. On the flipside, Bruce would have used a minesweeper, or a drone to comb the area of landmines and use the information to feed it to his helmet in order to know where the landmines are beforehand.

[@joshuacruz2972]

Smokey, you are my new favorite comic channel. That being said, if I close my eyes it sounds like Forman from That 70's show is reading to me which is hilarious. A+ my friend, love the show.

[@M567dk]

Wow, Just Wow. I never knew of this story nor of the dangers of Landmines outside of Animated cartoons. I mean just wow. One of the few times Batman...just failed. I am just shocked and speechless by the overall story of it all.

[@allenlovell1604]

I'm 66 years old, and I remember a comic that came out called " Heroes for Hope ! " [ I think each book sold was dedicated to African Famine Relief 😮], and another dedicated to Those Perished on 09/11/2001.•And again, the proceeds from each sale went to helping the survivors ! That comicbook featured every Marvel character reacting to what happened and what each did to help. I bought one and read it and then cried 😢 afterward !

[@isral8765]

I don’t mind this story much. I could see this being a great Pattinson Batman movie

[@rockdesu]

Pattision would step on the landmines like the idiot he is. I didn't like how that batman would just stand there and get hit by 2 machine guns. Like wtf.

[@isral8765]

@@rockdesu ok lol

[@Facade953]

Indeed. Pattinson would have given another great performance.

[@Facade953]

@@rockdesu The action scenes would have been way darker and more badass with Batfleck though.

[@theofficialvernetheturtley338]

​@@rockdesu Yeah it's not like Batman ever gets hit by bullets while moving. How crazy...

[@djwristtakers8406]

sarahs death was dark, woah. even batman looked sad

[@jordanthomas4379]

Batman the cult, is a very dark story, Jim starlin did a great job

[@allenlovell1604]

When I was attending college about 40 years ago, I met a former Vietnam 🇻🇳 War Army Medic, who encountered a particularly nasty type of landmine called a " Bouncing -Betty ! " It has two features, one explosive goes boom at about your ankle or knee ; the second 🤔 😳 is set at your waist ! It incompacitates you and slows up others. He lost both 🦵sadly ; he made it home and got a bunch of medals, which aren't worth anything ! Went to school and farmed after he got out and was 100% disabled. He was one of the bravest men I have met .

[@AVspectre]

I did some training through the Red Cross as part of their youth anti-landline advocacy support (program designed to educate and empower young folks to help advocate for the international ban (before it was passed). It was shocking to handle some of the small colourful plastic pieces and realize how toy-like they could appear to a child. They also posed a question that stayed with me… how many land mines would it take to make a plot of land no longer useable? They answered - zero. Without a way to verify that an area is clear and safe, the belief that an area is mined (or could be mined) is powerful enough to force communities to avoid efficient travel routes, productive farmland, etc. That - even if you could somehow keep innocents from being maimed and killed by mines, they can still destroy a community - years and even decades after the conflict.

[@jeppeboe96]

This Batman looks a lot like Kevin Conroy when he was younger.

[@mishmashmedley]

that ending was BRUTAL

[@concept5631]

Batman hadn't properly slept for several days and still walked in and destroyed a group of military soldiers. Don't mess with a pissed off Batman.

[@joshprime8568]

Dame bro that got darker and darker robert Patterson batman should go through this

[@loudtaste1046]

Well damn that was depressing

[@rout200]

I found this comic at some store with my mom when I was 3… couldn’t read but I figured it out and I still remember it

[@PurplePaddy]

Always enjoy the content you make 10/10

[@thetruth45678]

9:02 Is that Kevin Conroy? If not, damn bro! You need to voice Batman, because that sounded just like Kevin!

[@greyspeight8776]

I'm here from reddit my dude. I love small comictubers especially when there knowledgeable. Edit: goddamn I'm already learning stuff and I'm only three minutes in.

[@DemonDethchase]

9:01 Crossfire (from Gotham Knight)...? I know it's The Batman, but just aiming for something a little less obvious 😉

[@squidking191]

The ending had me fucking floored. I was not expecting that

[@houstonburnside8985]

Kravia definitely based on one of the Balkan nations like Bosnia based on when this came out.

[@TheMightyN]

15:56 Wouldn't pass the Justice League to step into Politically International conflicts were a faction to expand their threat overseas; it didn't stop Bruce, Clark, Diana, or Wally from stopping civil wars, government hired assailants, or trumping corrupt politicians and monarchies from the behind scenes. So why is it implausible for the League to try and thwart the manufacturing of an unseen threat like a landmine, a practical bio-weapon that lays waste to all living things even after a conflict has subsided generations after?

[@Goofy-G]

Love the art style, a black suit with a blue cowl is great.

[@yugimon135]

Next Time it's the Millerverse Batman. Ooh Boy

[@deadchannell424]

Damn.

[@TH3F4LC0Nx]

Darkest Batman story? I dunno. I think that title might actually go to Andrew Vachss's Batman: The Ultimate Evil. If anyone even remembers that. I'm not sure whether it's even still in print.

[@ChaseDaOrk3767]

What's that one about?

[@randallflagg3700]

@@ChaseDaOrk3767 - It's the one about CP, where Batman ends up going to Thailand to fight child traffickers; but it's poorly written, and retcons Martha Wayne as some super spy, assassinated because she was doing too much damage to the CP industry or whatever. Not a good read, despite the good intentions.

[@e_knees8816]

@@randallflagg3700It’s unrealistic because the government would never put that much effort into stopping child trafficking.

[@lewisaino]

​@@e_knees8816Considering some of them are members

[@Hellstromknight]

Am I going to hell for laughing at some of Batman's faces in this comic? Like when he turns around to see Sarah trying to grab the landmine?

[@powpro759]

You need more subscribes for this type of video continent

[@_riketa_2985]

Continent?

[@SmokeysVideos]

@@_riketa_2985 I'm a whole continent compared to those little islands on KZbin! 😎

[@powpro759]

@@SmokeysVideos yay

[@dougjones3305]

Surprisingly a good story. They did make batman seem dumb and he is a human being so it's a powerful reminder that he is in comparison to how he has super powers now a days. I miss the Batman stories of the 90s where he was completely invulnerable... It gives the victories more gravitas.... Just in my opinion. I mean if you only alpha sleep or what ever your going to have issues with patience I suppose.

[@plasticweapon]

dumb, and emotionally blackmailed with ease by the people around him. it's a dennis o'neil story. and while he touched greatness at times, he was far from a great writer.

[@Lerkion]

9:08 batman gotham knight reference? yoo

[@attackofthecopyrightbots]

kinda wish we got the scene of batman carrying her after she died like the cover but im used to those covers now

[@sinistertwister686]

I dont think there were anything left to carry...

[@DavidAllen-gc7cm]

Did any one else laugh at that funny Batman face at 13:32 or am I just sick in the head???

[@doomshill110]

God that art is fantastic

[@Nono-hk3is]

Holy shit

[@slashingzordz7998]

I remember reading this when I was 6 it was from my dad and he had it hidden on the top shelf of the bookshelf

[@TheRamrod3001]

Would love to see you do a review of Batman: Seduction of the Gun

[@faris6174]

If I had a penny for every time he says landmine

[@joaogregorio6059]

For me the darkest Batman story is Arkham Asylum A Serious House on Serious Earth.

[@dayasagar-g5e]

this guys looks like if the antagonist in frozen had a brother

[@realrobh]

Starts at 3:20

[@AlmightyGoblinmaze]

What the fuck was that ending?!

[@cliffwoodbury5319]

Great Story - Sad As Heck

[@samt5911]

A buddy of mine gave me a copy of this a few years ago. The cover and title are very intriguing but 2 pages into it made me feel like it was a PSA comic. However, unlike PSAs, Death of Innocents is very dark and depressing. I remember thinking this Batmam feels very out of his element. If this was a young unexperienced Batman, it would be a bit more believable I suppose. I mean, Batman has all kinds technology and gadgets. He doesn't have a Bat-minesweeper? Maybe he did I don't remember this book very well. Also, he has hated landmines for 25 years? How old is this Batman?

[@Low_commotion]

I think that part was referring to firearms, he's staring at the gun revolted that he's going to have to use it on the mines. So it puts Batman at about 30-35 depending on when his parents were shot.

[@k2geekd]

😭 u wasn’t paying attention

[@vincentwilsonsr8652]

Still a threat in countries today. Princess Diana was a huge fighter of landmines and helping those who have been crippled from them .

[@laurelsilberman5705]

Dude. Such a fucking bleak ending😭Realistic and tragic. It’s often clunky yet produces interesting results when you set out to make stories including both a wildly fantastical element or character like a superhero, and a truly deadly real world issue like land mines, because these incredibly powerful beings are powerless against the endlessness of humankind’s drive to destroy each other in new and more barbaric ways. Because like this story shows-these type of ACTUAL real world problems are something that EVEN a superhero couldn’t solve. All their power means nothing in the face of human progress-progress which includes us all killing each other more violently and more creatively as time goes on.

[@dandychiggins7240]

Idk why they recommended me this but it was interesting 🥰

[@redherringoffshoot2341]

the Flash is the best superhero for an issue like this, since he can actually do smth about it w/ his speed

[@kwayneboy1524]

Nah just have superman go through a stroll in that area

[@zhandao]

Darkest Batman story is Bane snapping Alfred's neck right in front of Damian, who is tied to a chair just a few feet away. Alfred being Bruce's father figure and Damian being Bruce's son... Bruce comes back to Gotham... Damian assumes thinks Bruce hates him because he let him down. In other words, Damian hates himself. So he left, in hate, back to the League of Assassins. And Bruce is left with his father passed, his son gone.

[@tomstokoe5660]

How can Batman morally condemn someone for engaging in extrajudicial violence as a response to the traumatic loss of family members when he does the exact same thing? "The greater good" isn't just the justification of monsters it's the justification of people who at least claim to fight monsters too, it's his justification. At least the kind of violence that rebel leader engages in could actually remove that awful government and save other people from having their kids killed for writing a letter. Batman can spend his whole life beating up random muggers and guys in costumes but there'll still be kids losing their parents to gun violence, possibly even in front of them. Maybe I'm reading too much into a story about a guy who dresses up in a bat costume to fight clowns.

[@clems_bucket9895]

For me its still Arkham Asylum A Serious House On Serious Earth, though its mostly about arkham i consider is an everyone story especially batman with arkham

[@bobrbw]

dang there’s a lot of the darkest Batman comics-

[@ashartemis2126]

Please do more sandman!

[@CAMSLAYER13]

Look, if the guy insisted its really not Bruce's fault

[@gracz0unl]

The video starts at 1:22. You're welcome. And also: Geez!

[@nexusgiga]

Well this is depressing

[@etherealbladerx8153]

Wait all that technology he has access to and he still needed a mine detector dog? 🤔

[@DoorNumber3Films]

Golly gosh. What an incredible comic book. That should totally be enough to make every nation and army on earth stop using landmines in war...

[@thurmanstevenson5692]

Jesus that is horrible

[@locodesert2]

I feel Batman Arkham asylum a serious house on serious earth gives a run for this stories money.

[@samanthamarkle6923]

Batman works being edgy and using him to talk about war (in this comic) or human trafficking in Batman Ultimate Evil does the trick!

[@williamerickson520]

I don't know, depends on what you mean by dark. Arkham Asylum was pretty dark. And what about Damned?

[@shockwave2617]

Art thou familiar with Blood Meridian?

[@dwayneasher6765]

I love the video

[@hitochiquito8952]

That story was pretty dark but mediocre but the Batman voice wow professional man professional

[@colingallagher1648]

thanks

[@twindrill2852]

But Sarah survived…right? I’m sure she’d live if she was taken to the hospital…right?

[@plasticweapon]

wrong.

[@lewisaino]

She met Martha and Thomas

[@certifiednolife]

I have eight words for you batman arkham asylum: serious house on serious earth that is the darkest batman comic this one is sad but it won't beat Serious house on serious earth

[@billyboleson2830]

Funny cause the one video on that story has people in the comments going “wel ackshully there are other darker Batman stories”

[@luciferfernandez7094]

Night Cries.

[@KainsTorment]

Can I still buy this book it looks great

[@hariffton8482]

This issue of landmines is more prevalent due to the activity in Ukraine, small, cheap, colorful, plastic 'butterfly mines' are quickly scattered across roadways in Ukraine and Russia due to their efficiency.

[@DARTH_COMiX]

Give. Me. The gun

[@fanceeCrafts]

Why do you sound like 87 Raphael?

[@oofyeet5935]

In my opinion it is Batman The Ultimate Evil They Didn't Pull Any punches like honestly I would not recommend this to anyone who is very sensitive and I am not being an ass some of the stuff here is pretty disgusting

[@cryamistellimek9184]

This entire comic feels way to preachy and out of the scope of a Batman story. I feel this should have never been written with his character. If you want to write about the dangers of landmines, just do it with actual people, the ones who get affected by this shit not batman.

[@genyakozlov1316]

The only way to make people read and internalize the message is to include recognizable characters. If there was no Batman no one would remember this story like a lot of other great one off stories forgotten to time. This message is important to deliver to as many people as possible.

[@lynntownsend100]

Sacrifice to the Algorithm Gods 😎👍

[@רועיקנר-ב9ד]

wtf

[@gianlucamai]

❤

[@louche2388]

That was not very enjoyable at all.

[@aidsderhal445]

Tbf Northrop Grumman does more than just make weapons so the book could of been about building ships or planes a lot of it is war based ships and planes though but not all. That’s like calling Lockheed Martin a weapons manufacturer when they make not just war planes too.

[@iconoclast137]

i'm a vermonter. i like bernie sanders, but i also like patrick leahy mostly for being in batman movies. what a nerd

[@thesmilyguyguy9799]

:)

[@johnnydollar579]

Nice to know comics being used as propaganda didn't start in the last 10 years. 🙄 And before anyone says anything I've been in the military we where trained on how to disarm land mines and what they can do to people hell half my job is getting rid of them. It's just the propaganda's elements of this annoy me.