The next installment of the Spotify Batman audio drama series is more of a direct sequel to Unburied than the Riddler podcast set in the same world. Though it does make reference to Barbara Gordon’s role in the spinoff story. For fans of the comics, this has elements of practically every modern Batman story from comics to video games. Those greatest hits combined together formed Batman: The Fallen City.

The Fallen City Cast: Present and Past

The Fallen City is part of the Batman: Unburied podcast feed. The english language version released the week of November 25 on Spotify and stars Colman Domingo as Bruce Wayne/Batman. Domingo replaced Winston Duke in Riddler: Secrets in the Dark. Other retuning players include Jason Isaacs who reprises his role as Alfred Pennyworth. From the season one returns Gina Rodriguez as Barbara Gordon. And, for the first time on this rendition of the caper crusader, Jim Gordon played by Cheech Marin. A recognizable name and voice that didn’t fit with the Commissioner Gordon everyone knows. That said, this version of the character isn’t your typical Jim Gordon.

Maybe they explained it in the previous season, but Batman’s ally in the GCPD is a drunk who turned his back on Gotham’s vigilante of the night. I liked the take on the character it was fresh, and having a former police commissioner be broken down by the system is something not even Joker could do in The Killing Joke with his one bad day philosophy. That face it was all the corruption makes it feel more real. especially in today’s social climate.

Screaming Woke in a Quiet Theater

From episode one titled “The Brave and the Bold,” Batman: The Fallen Kingdom right-wing grifters are going to cry wokeness ruined Batman. Those same people cried the same thing over The Batman 2022 film over a single (practically throwaway) line about privilege. Here, the writers don’t try to hide or limit themselves to one line not meant to be part of some liberal agenda. They go full force in the first episode and then nothing substantial is done with it. If you hated Matt Reaves take, you probably won’t get very far into episode one.

Even though it starts this way, they never really do much with the social justice angle. It’s not part of the plot, but it feels a bit disingenuous focusing on societal ills when the rest of the story doesn’t tackle those themes.

A Batman’s Greatest Hits Mashup

Like the previous season, Fallen Kingdom shares a lot in common with the 2022 Batman movie. It also has borrows some DNA with The Dark Knight trilogy and the Gotham Knights video game. Since it’s not surprise for comic book fans that The Long Halloween heavily inspired The Dark Knight I won’t dwell on it. If you’re looking for a fresh take on Batman, this probably isn’t it. While everything else about the production is topnotch, it really felt like they Frankensteined a bunch of modern Batman stories and called it something new. The end result being a mashup song that sounds better than it should considering the components used.

8.5+/10 Stars