A Rejected Batman TV Pitch Would've Adapted An Epic '90s Event
"Batman: The Animated Series" is one of the most celebrated animated shows of all time, certainly when it comes to cartoons based on superheroes. Bruce Timm's show redefined Batman to a new generation, with an exquisite Art Deco style, and one of the best voice cast ever. After the end of the hugely successful show, there were many different directions Warner Bros. Animation could have gone with the Caped Crusader. Several ideas were explored, including a teenage Batman cartoon. Before moving forward with what would ultimately become "Batman Beyond," Timm's futuristic take on the character, there was another show in contention, one based on a big comics crossover from the '90s — "No Man's Land."
"No Man's Land" was a big crossover across the many Batman titles of 1999. The story took place after a massive earthquake struck Gotham City, leading to the government evacuating most of the city, declaring it a "no man's land" and blowing up all bridges to the city to stop people from entering or leaving. This results in several supervillains carving up the city. Concept artist Coran "Kizer" Stone took to DevianArt to unveil some concept art for the show that never was, one he described as a "dark as hell" take. "T'was fun though. James Tucker (the producer) was such a seriously talented dude to work with."
It is unclear whether the show was meant to be in continuity with any of the other Batman shows, or if it was going to be a "Batman Beyond" scenario with a nebulous timeline. Based on Stone's concept art, it seems the "No Man's Land" show would have featured Nightwing, Tim Drake's Robin, Jason Todd as Red Robin, Batgirl, and both Joker and Bane.
What was the No Man's Land show going to be?
It is hard to imagine a "No Man's Land" animated series, at least not one aimed at a general audience. The story is more focused on the villains than Batman pulling spectacular stunts. It is a darker story, with Batman growing more and more desperate over the situation. Unfortunately, Warner Bros. Animation decided to go in a different direction. Even when James Tucker pitched the project again in the mid-2000s, the studio passed in favor of the more lighthearted "Batman: The Brave and the Bold." It's a shame, because the concept art makes it look distinct from other Batman shows, pulling inspiration from Frank Miller, Paul Dini, and even Chuck Dixon. Another interesting show that was in development in the late '90s that never saw the light of day was a Lobo animated show, despite that being incredibly not kid-friendly.
Tucker may not have got his "No Man's Land" series, but he did work on "The Brave and the Bold," and "Justice League: Gods and Monsters" along with other titles. Coran Stone, meanwhile, went on to work on "Young Justice."
As for "No Man's Land," the storyline would wind up becoming one of the inspirations for Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight Rises," as well as the base for one of the seasons of the very silly and very good "Gotham."