We’re only a few months into the year, but we’ve been treated to some pretty buzzworthy installments within the world of superhero storytelling. In addition to countless comics, 2022 has already brought the launch of two wildly-different DC properties: the HBO Max television series Peacemaker, and the theatrical film The Batman. Both projects could not be more different in concept and execution — Peacemaker is a violent, foul-mouth action comedy that spins directly out of the events of The Suicide Squad and stars a largely-obscure antihero; while The Batman is a noir-fueled crime drama that is set in its own continuity and surrounds some of DC’s most recognizable heroes and villains. Still, the two properties DC has released thus far this year have been illuminating in some surprisingly similar ways, particularly in showing how its multiverse of programming can turn into a truly successful franchise.
