Truer To The Text / The DCU

The DCU

Truer to the Text in this franchise.

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Multiple Media

Batman

• Batman: The Animated Series is more faithful (and influential) to the DC Comics series as well as Batman (along with his mythos, supporting cast, allies, and rogue gallery) in general compared to the previous Batman adaptations that came before the show (both animated and live-action).
• Although Tim Burton's films are remembered more fondly, Batman Forever is the most faithful to the source material of the Burton-Schumacher film series. The movie incorporates the campy elements that are just as ingrained into the character as the dark vigilante; it shows Batman taking pains not to kill anyone, using his skills as a great detective, being much more active in running Wayne Enterprises and in the Gotham socialite and charity scene, and depicts him as the kind of one man army who drops in the middle of blackguards and takes them all down — all of which are completely absent or heavily subdued in Batman (1989) and Batman Returns.
• In terms of costuming, the Batsuit (and Batmobile) from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is much closer to the comics than the Batsuits from any of the prior major Batman movies. Those movies had a molded armor appearance, with thick rubber or PVC layered on top, and mostly evoke a Batman-esque appearance without actually being based on any previous design. The BvS suit looks more like a textured fabric that he can actually put on without the aid of a costuming department. And from a purely visual standpoint, it is taken right out of the look in The Dark Knight Returns.
• The Batman: Mr. Freeze is closer to his original comic portrayal instead of following the backstory of undergoing an accident while trying to save his terminally ill wife Nora that was established by Batman: The Animated Series, lacking a wife and simply being a bank robber.^note Although a flashback in this debut episode showed him carrying a photo of himself with a (presumed) girlfriend.
• Batman: The Telltale Series is truer to the character's portrayal prior to becoming Darker and Edgier, with a greater focus on Bruce Wayne and his double life (the series opens with Bruce attending a gala), a batmobile that is a black sports car rather than a tank, and character designs that are largely sourced from their very first appearances in comic books. The series de-emphasizes Batman's One-Man Army qualities to focus on him solving problems as a detective. As such, it is very close in spirit to the Batman stories published after the "New Look". It should be noted that how true it is to the comics can also depend on the player.
• Zigzagged with Nyssa Raatko in Gotham. Unlike in Arrow and Batman: Arkham Knight, Nyssa isn't subjected to Adaptational Heroism, but the Gotham version loved her father Ra's al Ghul, whereas the Arrow and Arkham version retained the same hatred for him the comic incarnation had.
• While Victor Zsasz is a mob hitman in Birds of Prey (2020) like he was in Batman Begins and Gotham, he does also harken back to Zsasz's earliest appearances by sporting a head of blond hair as opposed to being bald (and in Begins's case, sporting a brunet beard). He also maintains the classic character's sadistic and twisted streak, and seems to still believe in his deranged serial killer philosophy — it just seems Black Mask gave him a job that would allow and encourage his killing.
• In a case of Older Than They Think, the age gap between Barbara Gordon and Dick Grayson being wide with the former an adult and the latter a teen in The LEGO Batman Movie is closer to how it was depicted in Batman (1966) and the comics when Barbara became a Canon Immigrant. While it would become Ret-Canon to the comics and the basis for subsequent adaptations, it was Batman: The Animated Series that started depicting Dick and Barbara as around the same age.
• Birds of Prey, volume 1, issue 37 introduced an In Name Only version of the Condiment King from Batman: The Animated Series, a teenager named "Mitchell Mayo" who's former fast food worker, Lean and Mean, Red and Black and Evil All Over, and willingly turned to crime. Detective Comics #1000 brought is a more accurate version, being a stocky, blue and white-clad adult named Buddy Standler (though it's unclear if he's a comedian like the original character or if he's Brainwashed and Crazy like Standler was in B: TAS or is himself a case of Adaptational Villainy).
• The New Adventures of Batman gave Commissioner Gordon a more comic-accurate look than how he was depicted in Batman (1966) and The Adventures of Batman, having white hair, a mustache and glasses (the last of which he already had in The Adventures of Batman).
• Compared to the Batman Film Series and The Dark Knight Trilogy, The Batman (2022) skews much closer to the comics, and indeed, lacks any sort of origin story in favour of just being a standard mystery case and battle with one of his classic rogues, and just has viewers assume that Batman's origins in this version were broadly the same as the comics. It also averts the usual Superhero Movie Villains Die, includes his more amicable leniency with the GCPD, and explicitly establishes Batman's moral code against killing, which previous movies were much looser on. It also returns the Batmobile into being a supped-up street car rather than the literal tank it was in The Dark Knight Trilogy and DC Extended Universe.
  • In particular, Carmine Falcone's appearance and characterization are much closer to the comics, rather than his other live-action incarnations, which just had him as a generic mob boss who happens to share the same name. This version, unlike the other live-action incarnations, keeps his moustache, the cut marks on his face he earns from Catwoman's claws, his possible parental relationship to Selina (which is explicit in the film), the backstory connecting him to the Waynes, and loosely adapts his storyline from The Long Halloween.

Teen Titans

• The Teen Titans (2003) animated series was much lighter in tone than the 1980s Titans comics, with references to death removed and villains being generally made less grey so as not to be too sympathetic. Most notably, Terra's original characterization as Fille Fatale was changed to a more sympathetic anti-villain remorseful over betraying her teammates. The DCUAOM movies, Justice League vs. Teen Titans and The Judas Contract, were more faithful adaptations, even though the latter was softened a bit due to the obvious squick factor. Ironically enough, despite Teen Titans Go! being an even Denser and Wackier revival of the 2003 cartoon, it's more faithful to comic Terra's role as unrepentant backstabber, as well as Raven and Beast Boy eventually getting a Relationship Upgrade, whereas in the 2003 series it was only teased at. DC Universe Online not only has Terra back to being a flat-out monster, she has a comic-accurate costume as well.
• Teen Titans Go!: This series integrates more material from the source comics than Teen Titans 2003.
  • This series introduces Sarah Simms, one of Cyborg's Love Interest from the New Teen Titans.
  • Issue 8 has Mad Mod using hypnotic clothes, referencing his comic origins as a fashion designer.
  • Issue 43 sees the creation of the Fearsome Five, the five-man team that Jinx, Gizmo, Mammoth, Dr. Light, and Psimon all belonged to in the New Teen Titans.
  • Issue 46 belatedly introduces Starfire's little brother, albeit under the name "Wildfire", unique to this comic. (In the source comics, Ryand'r's name works out to "Darkfire").
  • Issue 49 briefly shows Wintergreen residing in Slade's old residence with a picture of Slade himself in safari gear, looking exactly like he does in the source material.
• In Arrow, William Wintergreen was Australian and became an Adaptational Jerkass since he betrayed Deathstroke and Titans (2018) depicted Wintergreen as younger than Slade and an African-American. While still depicting Wintergreen as a black man like in Titans, the Deathstroke: Knights & Dragons version of Wintergreen is truer in that he's an ally of Slade, around the same age as Slade, and — given he's voiced by Colin Salmon using his normal voice — presumably from the UK.
• The 2003 cartoon had its version of the Doom Patrol omit the Chief with Mento replacing him as the team's leader. When the Doom Patrol was added to the continuity of Teen Titans Go! in that show's sixth season, while Elasti-Girl became black and Negative Man became the much younger Negative Girl, the Chief is reinstated as leader of the Doom Patrol (and ironically replaces the now omitted Mento as Beast Boy's adoptive father).
• Teen Titans Go! has Beast Boy speak while in his animal forms like in the comics, when the 2003 cartoon consistently only had Beast Boy talk while in human form.
• In the comics, Gizmo is an adult with dwarfism — a fact only kept by his counterpart in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, as both Teen Titans (2003) and Teen Titans Go! gave Gimzo an Age Lift into a Bratty Half-Pint and Titans (2018) depicted Gimzo as Abled in the Adaptation (he's an adult, like in the comics, but is of average height instead of a little person).

Films

• During his appearances in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League, Aquaman sported a radically redesigned costume that more closely resembled the garb of an ancient warrior, in fitting with the overall Darker and Edgier tone of Zack Snyder's films. However, in the solo Aquaman movie, director James Wan opted to give him a modernized take on the classic orange and green costume the character is known for wearing in the comics (that being the royal suit of King Atlan).
• The self-titled redo of The Death of Superman and Reign of the Supermen are Truer to the Text in many areas than Superman: Doomsday and the duo of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League (2017), including more than one battle against Doomsday; the Justice League being present for the battles with Doomsday; the Eradicator's involvement in Superman's recovery instead of a robot or the League; and the presence of Steel, Superboy, the Eradicator, and Cyborg-Superman, instead of a clone that's a fusion of the latter three as in Doomsday. It also features a version of Mercy Graves truer to the DC Animated Universe version as a white brunette human who acts as Luthor's bodyguard, as opposed to making her an Amazon, blonde, a cyborg, Asian, or a personal assistant. Granted, there's still some changes, like Lex Luthor and Martian Manhunter plainly as themselves instead of the former posing as his own son and the latter as Bloodwynd, Supergirl being Adapted Out, a more A-list Justice League line-up (namely, the classic big seven, plus Hawkman and Cyborg) as opposed to the Justice League International, and Darkseid taking over Bertron and Mongul's respective roles as Doomsday's creator and the power backing Cyborg-Superman.
• Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths was notably the first completely faithful adaptation of the Justice League's evil alternate selves the Crime Syndicate, with previous efforts to adapt the concept of an evil Justice League from another universe having varying degrees of discrepancies to the comics. The evil Justice League in Superfriends were called the Super Enemies and only showed counterparts to Superman, Batman, Robin, Aquaman and Wonder Woman (who had the same codenames as their heroic counterparts and were distinguished from the Super Friends by having more sinister appearances and costumes), the closest thing the DC Animated Universe had to the Crime Syndicate were the Justice Lords from Justice League (who were closer to Knight Templars than true villains and became that way after their Flash was killed) and even the interpretation in Batman: The Brave and the Bold took some creative liberties (most notably renaming the team the Injustice Syndicate and omitting every member from the source material except for Batman's counterpart Owlman, partly because of an executive mandate at the time initially obstructing the show from using Superman and Wonder Woman and therefore preventing their counterparts Ultraman and Superwoman from appearing).

Live-Action TV

• The 2014 television series Constantine was aiming to be a much more faithful adaptation of Hellblazer than the 2005 film version was. The movie had the title character more of an exorcist using traditional religious items and creature weaknesses to defeat them, while the man in the original comics was an outright master of dark magics. This version of the character was subsequently brought into the Arrowverse after NBC canceled his solo show, with John making a few guest appearances on Arrow and becoming a regular on Legends of Tomorrow.
• Much like Nyssa Raatko in Gotham, this is zigzagged with Vigilante in Peacemaker (2022): while the show keeps Adrian Chase and Vigilante as the same person instead of pulling a Decomposite Character like Arrow (and fusing Chase with Prometheus), Vigilante is reimagined as a loony busboy whose personality is more akin to Deadpool than the serious Crusading Lawyer turned Vigilante Man (with a Healing Factor) from the comics.
  • Thematically, though, using him to show the darker side of vigilantism (mental instability, accidentally killing innocents, Disproportionate Retribution...) rather than making him a borderline expy for The Punisher as Arrow did is actually more faithful to the original intent behind the character, who was created to deconstruct the '90s Anti-Hero.
• Arrowverse
  • Dinah Laurel Lance (Earth-2) / Black Siren / Black Canary is this in many ways compared to Laurel (and the other Canaries, really).
    • Unlike the original Earth-1 Dinah Laurel Lance, she has the organic metahuman cry the character is known for.
    • Unlike the original Earth-1 Dinah Laurel Lance, it is heavily hinted that she actually goes by Dinah instead of Middle Name Basis. She only really goes by Laurel due to; a.) she's stuck in her Dead Alternate Counterpart's universe, b.) she made a Dead Person Impersonation of said counterpart, and c.) there are already two living Dinahs there (though she debuted first than the one who regularly uses the name).
    • Black Canary debuted as a villain on a The Flash medium, much like she did. ^note though of course The Flash in question was Jay Garrick instead of Barry Allen. Also the Black Canary in question was Dinah Drake instead of Dinah (Laurel) Lance, and she was later revealed as The Mole instead of an actual (misguided) villain.
    • Her overall backstory ^note Black Canary from an Alternate Universe with dead loved ones who went to the main universe to start over and eventually resume her Dead Alternate Counterpart's mantle is largely lifted from the Injustice comics.

Western Animation

• Superman: The Animated Series is a much more faithful (and influential) adaptation of the DC Comics series as well as Superman (along with his mythos, supporting characters, allies, rogue gallery, etc) in general compared to all of the Superman adaptations that have been created before the show (particularly the live-action ones).
  • The series' take on the Fourth World is more faithful to Jack Kirby's conception than the Comics' reworkings of Kirby after his departure and Aborted Arc. Darkseid is the Galactic Conqueror searching for the Anti-Life Equation, he and his agents operate behind the scenes of crime syndicate like Intergang, and he serves as The Corrupter and The Chessmaster. All the character designs of the New Gods: Darkseid, Desaad, Kalibak, Steppenwolf, Orion, Mr. Miracle, Big Barda, are very much in keeping with Kirby.
    • Darkseid in the DCAU resembles his formidable comic book counterpart more than his first, weaker depiction. His baffling fascination with Wonder Woman, tendency to play second fiddle to Superman, the lacklustre Omega Beams, and his preference for scheming over fighting are gone. Instead, Darkseid possesses raw intellect and strength, allowing him to go toe-to-toe with the Man of Steel. He is portrayed as a looming threat, forcing Earth's heroes and villains to unite against him in the finale of Unlimited. And the Omega Beams are a one-way ticket to doom, as Dan Turpin tragically discovered.
• Justice League (Unlimited) is a more faithful adaptation of The Justice League of America (along with the members of the group as well as their mythos, costumes, origins, enemies, etc) and the Main DC Universe in general in comparison to older DC adaptations such as Superfriends. Many stories were adapted faithfully, despite distillation, with the most notable example being "For the Man Who Has Everything", which not only remains faithful to Alan Moore's original story, but being one of the only adaptations of his work he approves of.
  • While later versions of Giganta would make her a human who gained superpowers, Justice League chose to make her an ape that was transformed into a human as her Golden Age incarnation had been.
  • In turn, Young Justice (2010) is even more faithful, at least in some respects as far as the Justice League themselves go^note ironically, it is not this to the titular comic, being more an adaptation and composite of Justice League Elite and Teen Titans, but is otherwise In Name Only to the Young Justice comics. The Secret Sanctuary from the comics, the Team's base, was originally the first Justice League base here too. And unlike seemingly every other version of the League, where Starro, Darkseid, or other various threats were the League's first opponent, the rarely-remembered Appellaxians were the first threat they ever faced (as they were in the comics; Starro appeared first chronologically, but the League's battle against him wasn't their formation).
• My Adventures with Superman: The series is the first time Mallah and the Brain have been allowed to explicitly be a couple and in love outside of the comics. Every other series, animated or live-action, either completely ignores it, or only just hints at it in a more low-key manner, such as Teen Titans Go! where Mallah kissed Brain lovingly once but otherwise they don't get too affectionate when they're shown living together in their A Day in the Limelight episode.
• Lobo (Webseries) shows Lobo in his hard-edged, profanity-laced and violent form, especially compared to his one-shot appearance in Superman: The Animated Series. It is notably the only DC Animated Universe installment geared towards an older audience.
• Like with Dick and Barbara, the age gap between most of the Justice League of America's line-up during the Satellite era and member Zatanna was wide with Zee as a teen compared to the majority of the others being adults — and much like with Dick and Barbara, it was Batman: The Animated Series that started depicting Batman and Zatanna as around the same age with not only it becoming Ret-Canon to the comics, but other adaptations following suit. However, Zatanna: Trial of the Crystal Wand, Young Justice (2010) and DC Super Hero Girls 2019 kept Zatanna as a teen.

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