DVD Review: Batman: Gotham Knight
Reviewed by Craig Byrne
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The latest offering from Warner Home Video and their exclusive "DC Universe Animated Original Movie" line, the animated and PG13-rated Gotham Knight was created to bridge the gap between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, which hits theaters later this week.

Warner Home Video was kind enough to provide me with a copy to review here at KryptonSite. Unfortunately, this review focuses on the 1-disc version rather than the 2-disc collector's edition, which contains many more features.

Packaging/Design: There's not a lot to say here; it's pretty straightfoward. The animated style on the cover is some of the best on the set, so, it's a good choice.

The Content: Gotham Knight is really a series of vignettes that are peripherally connected but can all be seen on their own. It's really an artistic expression, and the varied styles are the real reason to watch.

One of the shorts, "Field Test," has a distinctive anime style with Lucius Fox creating a new kind of armor for the Batman. This is so visually striking that it may be my favorite of the lot.

Other sequences include confrontations with Killer Croc and Deadshot. The character of Crispus Allen of comics fame appears which made this comic book geek smile. Considering the participation of such talents as David S. Goyer, Brian Azzarello, and Greg Rucka, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. The animation in almost all of the segments - each produced by a different studio - is visually stunning, especially when it comes to the backgrounds. However, some styles tend to work better than others.

I did not particularly care for the first segment on the DVD, "Have I Got A Story For You," but that might be because I liked it better the first time as the Batman animated "Legends of the Dark Knight" episode, which I thought was much more fun. Fortunately, "LOTDK" is included as a bonus on the 2-disc set.

The voice casting for this DVD feature includes many of the people that made the Dini & Timm Batman animated series so wonderful. Kevin Conroy returns as the voice of Batman; listen for other animated Batman veterans such as Will Friedle (from Batman Beyond) and even George Newbern (JLU Superman) within.

The Extras: The one-sisc version includes commentary and a sneak peek at an upcoming DC Universe feature; the two-disc version is loaded with much more, and from what I'm told from friends, the two-disc version is a much better product, and even includes a documentary about Batman's creator, Bob Kane.

Video Quality: This is beautiful. No doubt about it.

The Final Verdict: While it's great to have new Batman product in time for Dark Knight, I feel like this one might be better suited for those who are particularly interested in animation or seeing some really experimental stuff. Personally, I'd prefer to see something live-action or any of the previous animated Batman series, as I think they had more consistent entertainment value, but this i still a joy to look at and definitely worth a rental at the very least.

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