Netflix's Grendel Cancellation: A Missed Opportunity Shown in Stunning Batman Crossover Art!
Netflix's Huge Mistake: The Grendel That Could Have Been
New crossover art featuring Batman and Grendel (created by comic book legend Steve Skroce) really shines a spotlight on just how unbelievably huge a mistake Netflix made! They cancelled their adaptation of Matt Wagner's amazing indie comic before it even aired! Seriously. That's bananas! The art itself is completely stunning, showing that stylish and iconic Grendel costume— and a super dramatic confrontation with Batman; highlighting the overall sleekness and design which ultimately creates so much excitement in this amazing illustration! Even that little detail; showing Batman's batarangs sticking into Grendel; completely highlights the artist’s creativity and keen eye toward attention to those small details which completely made all the difference!
Skroce posted it on Instagram, stating it's a commission from a fan, totally showcasing his awareness and dedication to those fans, but more importantly: He clearly understood the assignment, folks! That art totally showcases Wagner's unique artistic design—which demonstrates great insight and capability, emphasizing his capability to create an extremely exciting crossover; showcasing his skills and mastery toward creating an incredibly successful commission that has since garnered so much positive press and publicity! This is seriously impressive, creating the most exciting visual depictions available for people.
Grendel: An Indie Comic Legend Deserving of the Big Screen
Created back in 1982 by Matt Wagner, Grendel is Hunter Rose's alter ego—this awesomely wealthy novelist who also moonlights as an incredibly skilled assassin and evil mastermind! That's not the entire picture! This amazing comic shows this evil spirit called Grendel which also possessed multiple different characters throughout this amazingly complex timeline; it truly created an extensive world which clearly displays creativity; further highlighted by that insanely intricate plot, those unique concepts. Grendel even crossed paths with Batman twice in the 1990s (both times written and illustrated by Wagner): showing how well established it already is within the comic book industry.
Grendel’s rich history and highly unique, easily memorable costume design screams out for a film adaptation. And Netflix announced one back in 2021, starring Abubakr Ali as Hunter Rose/Grendel. The initial reaction was huge – and then...they cancelled it! They stopped production shortly before airing; canceling the whole series before anyone could ever actually judge it! What is most infuriating is the amount of potential displayed within that specific canceled project. And even the fact that most people weren't necessarily familiar with Grendel did not diminish its worth! We look at those other similarly lesser-known comics titles; the incredible success of The Walking Dead and The Boys, showcasing exactly just how this decision made so little sense, ultimately highlighting those errors done in Netflix's prior judgement.
Batman and Grendel: A Match Made in (Dark) Comic Heaven!
Even though we might never get this specific Grendel series from Netflix (or should that even matter after their terrible initial judgement which left this incredibly creative and innovative idea dead even before any potential viewer got a chance to judge); Skroce’s art begs us to wonder... what might've been! That kind of impressive artistic visualization and incredible mastery that would make an extremely intense adaptation from comic to screen, suggests great possibilities which clearly highlight this missed potential. These kinds of confrontations didn’t exist since the 1990s making another Grendel/Batman story even more compelling! The Batman/Spawn crossover in 2022 showed that those older comic crossovers are back; increasing those hopes that Batman and Grendel could very well reunite— and Skroce has even mentioned this might be another series he’d want to draw.
Conclusion: Netflix's Loss, Comic Fans’ (Potential) Gain!
Netflix's cancellation remains a really, really big mess! It was entirely avoidable; completely highlighting how terrible this decision is! The creative potential alone really showcases just why that decision made so little sense, further illustrating just why they lost a seriously high-quality show that otherwise could’ve delivered greatness, even appealing to those fans that are largely unfamiliar. However, this isn’t all bad. That incredible Steve Skroce artwork proves something. The appeal is there, so hopefully somebody takes up the project, and produces something even more intense. This cancellation should remain a stark reminder: Those promising, well-produced projects should always get the time; those promising endeavors; deserve proper treatment even if most viewers weren’t necessarily expecting this specific project.
