Why The Batman's Officer Martinez Is The Best, According To Reddit
This article contains spoilers for "The Batman"
After suffering numerous delays and patiently awaiting movie theaters to safely reopen, "The Batman" is finally here for the world to see. Free of ties to the wider DC Extended Universe, director Matt Reeves set out to tell a vastly different Dark Knight tale than the ones most moviegoers are accustomed to, and suffice to say, he succeeded. Instead of focusing on Kryptonians with the potential to go rogue or Bat-credit cards, this film is predominantly a hard-boiled detective story set within the second year of Batman's (Robert Pattinson) tenure as Gotham City's shadowy protector.
Despite his relative inexperience as a crime-fighter, Batman shows no hesitation when a meticulous serial killer known as the Riddler (Paul Dano) begins his crime spree. Crime scene after crime scene, sick riddle after sick riddle, he's there ready to bring this monster to justice. Although, he doesn't do so alone, seeing as the Gotham City Police Department is just as keen on ending the Ridder's reign of terror before it can truly begin. Considering most of the force harbors no love for Batman, their union proves anything but stable as the investigation continues.
Jim Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) serves as the mediator between the GCPD and Batman, though he's not the only cop that learns to appreciate the caped detective. Officer Martinez (Gil Pérez-Abraham) comes to value the vigilante's help on the Riddler case throughout the film, just as many "The Batman" viewers came to adore Martinez himself with each passing scene. Here's why DC fans on Reddit think he's just the best.
Officer Martinez helped Batman as much as he could with the Riddler case
Redditor EpicHawkREDDIT posted a thread in appreciation of Officer Martinez on March 7, 2022, simply titling it "Shout out to this guy right here." Below sat a picture of the new fan-favorite, specifically when he smiled and waved to Bruce Wayne at the funeral of Mayor Don Mitchell Jr. (Rupert Penry-Jones). Not only did it earn a staggering amount of upvotes, but it opened the floor for a conversation about why Martinez went from a seemingly unimportant background entity to a standout part of "The Batman."
"I actually love how at the beginning he is basically like 'f*** this bat freak dude' and at the end he just lets bats do his thing and helps him out," wrote Reddit user cdawg_66, pointing out how Martinez eventually shed his anti-Batman stance the more he saw how much good he could do. In response, CyberPoenk notes that the two actively worked together as they got closer to cracking the Riddler case, not unlike how the Dark Knight and Jim Gordon had. High_Chariot adds, "he came in clutch and helped Bats solve the final riddle."
Martinez is just a kind, happy dude
As crime thrillers tend to be, "The Batman" is largely a dark, gloomy tale that gives viewers little to smile about. That is, except for Officer Martinez, whose positivity and comedic timing provided some much-needed levity every now and again. "This man truly deserves to be in every subsequent sequel. Maybe not in a majorly important way but used exactly how he was in this film. A bit of a wholesome light of the film," replied Redditor c_draws, and few — if any — people disagreed.
"His character was a great comedic relief throughout the film, and I look forward to his appearance in the show and future films along with his interactions with Bats and Gordon," added edude78, and Vexingwings0052 commented, "I thought he was gonna end up being a corrupt bad guy, but he ended up being a genuinely great guy who even helped Bruce figure out the final clue." Admitting that the character grew on them, slavebilly92 said, "I thought he was going to be annoying at first but I really liked him as the film went on."
People are eager to see more of Officer Martinez down the road
Officer Martinez very well could've been a forgettable character, but he has stuck in the minds of many long after the credits of "The Batman" rolled. He did his part in keeping Gotham safe from Riddler's wrath, struck up something of an alliance with Batman, and gave audiences some great, light-hearted moments in an otherwise dreary story. So, naturally, this has led Reddit to ask one obvious question: when and where can they see more of Martinez and what's next for him?
Redditor gonzoZ99 claimed, "if he doesn't appear in the sequels to at least a small capacity I'll definitely be disappointed," which is a sentiment that multiple people shared. Dawn_Faded referred to him as "the Jimmy Woo of the Reevesverse," comparing him to Randall Park's beloved Marvel Cinematic Universe character. Should he reemerge in the years to come, he could fit that role. RB1293 even pitched that he could become the new GCPD captain once Gordon inevitably becomes the commissioner.
No matter where Officer Martinez ends up next, evidently, he'll always have a place as a highlight of "The Batman."