Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League, on HBO

In Batman Ninja, the time-traveling Dark Knight had to channel Toshiro Mifune in a Chanbara adventure. This time, he must find his inner Takeshi Kitano or Ken Takakura. Batman and the extended “Bat family” are back in their proper Bat-time, but history has changed. Japan is now a land of Yakuza clans, much like the planet of Chicago gangsters in Star Trek’s “A Piece of the Action” episode. Unfortunately, the alternate Justice League has also gone full Yakuza in Junpei Mizusaki & Shinji Takagi ‘s animated Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League, which premieres today on HBO or Max, or whatever.

Batman and Robin (his son, Damien) returned to the right world, but Japan no longer exists. Instead, an alternate Japan was created in a sort of liminal zone that only the Bat family (also including the former Robins, Nightwing, Red Hood, and Red Robin) can see, because they traveled through the previous time vortex, or something like that. This Japan is entirely governed by Yakuza, with the Hagane Clan on top, thanks to their super-powered enforcers.

Sarcastically dubbed the “Yakuza League” by Robin, they consist of Bari, Ahsa, Zeshika, and Karaku, the evil Flash, Aquaman, Green Lantern, and Superman, as you might surmise from their Katakana-rendered names. However, Daiana Amazone is still good and just, thanks to the power of this Japan’s analog to Paradise Island.

Even allied with Daiana, Batman might look outmatched, considering the League’s powers remain the same. However, he believes he holds certain advantages. For one thing, this League has never fought anyone with remotely equivalent powers, so they aren’t used to slugging it out in a real fight. Batman has also had long-standing contingencies to take down his fellow JLA teammates, “just in case” the need arose. That revelation does not completely shock his son. Not at all, really.

The first act plays out somewhat hectically and rushed, but Mizusaki, Takagi, and screenwriter Kazuki Nakashima really settle down and deliver a darned good Batman story thereafter. Arguably, they show the value of guile and “family,” which turn out to be superior to superior to brute force. For genre fans, there are also a lot of knowingly hip Yakuza details.

This is the Summer of Superman, so he ought to play a major role in the Yakuza League, but obviously Karaku is a very different Superman. Consequently, anime English dub-artist Aaron Campbell provides one of the most hardboiled Superman voices ever (and I would know), but it suits the film perfectly. Nevertheless, the film finds a clever and rewarding way to pay tribute to our Superman.

Mizusaki and Takagi also celebrate Japanese pop culture and animation even more in Yakuza League than in the original Batman Ninja. In fact, there is a wild and wacky homage to Gatchaman that comes straight out of left field. Yet that gag almost represents the turning point, where the film really starts to pick up energy and attitude. The is a wild Batman ride, but it stays true to his brooding character. Enthusiastically recommended, Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League starts streaming today (7/3) on HBO [Max?}.