Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires

The new Batman from Mexico is nothing like the 1968 Lucha Libre-inspired The Batwoman. There is no camp this time around, nor is it an exploitation rip-off. Instead, DC/Warner Brothers fully collaborated with the Mexican animation studio Anima, to legally and officially tell a new, non-canonical alternate universe Batman origin story in Juan Meza-Leon’s Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires, which releases tomorrow on DVD.

Arguably, the Spanish vocal track could be considered the primary edition, since that was the version released in Latin American theaters, but the English language dub was produced simultaneously, sort of like the 1931 Dracula productions. However, it is weirdly ironic, when you consider Spanish was the language of the conquering bad guys, rather than the much-abused indigenous population.

Regardless, young Yohuali Coatl realized the Conquistadors were dangerous when Hernan Cortes killed his father in front of his eyes. Surviving the ensuing massacre, Coatl took refuge with Acatzin, the loyal family retainer, who helps train the son to become a warrior like his late father.

Coatl yearns for vengeance, but he must tread carefully, because Moctezuma gives Cortes a full diplomatic reception on the faulty advice of his high priest, Yoka. Wisely, Acatzin recommends a disguise for Coatl’s vigilante work, inspired by the family’s protective bat deity, Tzinacan. Tragically, Yoka soon drives the Aztec Empire to the brink of destruction, because he has been deceived by the visions of a hostile demigod. The revelation will drive him mad, creating a persona of sadistic lunacy that will be very familiar to fans. Obviously, Coatl needs allies, so he forges a truce with Mujer Jaguar, a thief in feline garb, who steals from the Moctezuma’s Empire to support her indigenous tribe.

Ernie Altbacker’s screenplay is quite clever when it shows how Cortes, Yoka, and Mujer Jaguar evolve into Two-Face, Joker, and Catwoman analogs. Weirdly, the development of the Aztec-era Batman lacks similarly inspired parallels. Yes, Coatl is orphaned and raised by the help, but he lacks Bruce Wayne’s brooding and his suave facade. Honestly, his costume is not very Bat-like either. (However, there is a mid-credits stinger that teases the next villain, which baits the hook quite tantalizingly.)

Aztec Batman adequately reconceives Batman for the age of discovery and conquest, but the world-building is not as rich as that of Batman Ninja or as slyly nostalgic as Batman: Soul of the Dragon. It also wears its anti-colonialist ideology on its sleeve—despite the Spanish vocal track—which sometimes leads to reductive storytelling. Also, Cortes’s lieutenant bears a bizarre resemblance to Oliver Queen, a.k.a. Green Arrow, which is distracting for DC fans, who will constantly wonder whether it is intentional or not.

Still, Anima’s animation captures the vibrant colors of the Aztec world, as well as the noir vibe of the nocturnal action sequences. Yet, it is hard to overlook how un-Batman like the Aztec Batman (who is never actually called Batman) behaves throughout the film. Frankly, he gets sort of whiny. Aztec Batman has enough to amuse hardcore fans, but casual viewers intrigued to see Batman in a radically different setting should start with Batman Ninja first. It releases tomorrow (9/23) on DVD/BluRay.