Release Date: July 8th, 2008
Running Time: 76 minutes

The Film

Certain film franchises lend themselves to being explored outside the traditional, live-action medium. The Animatrix and Star Wars: The Clone Wars are perfect examples of worlds that were worth exploring on smaller terms while retaining the artistry and style that made their parent films so popular. Batman: Gotham Knight is an example of grade-A animation and short form storytelling, and a solid companion piece to the current Batman movie lore.

The film is comprised of six short stories, each featuring a different animation style and take on the Dark Knight. The stories take place after Batman Begins and before The Dark Knight. They flesh out the world of Batman, showing us what goes on in his crime fighting life when he’s not battling iconic super villains. Do not mistake the more isolated stories as less important or lacking depth – whether it is focusing on Gotham citizens’ perception of Batman, or him exploring new technologies, all of the stories have a point and help complete the picture of his world.

“Have I Got a Story for You” (written by Josh Olson, directed by Shojiro Nishimi) opens the film and has four teenagers recounting their individual experiences and perceptions of Batman over a day, providing a unique perspective on Gotham’s hero.

“Crossfire” (written by Greg Rucka, directed by Futoshi Higashide) follows Detectives Allen and Ramirez who get caught in the middle of gang war.

“Field Test” (written by Jordan Goldberg, directed by Hiroshi Morioka) is a fun little piece showing Batman testing out a new technology that allows him to deflect bullets—with unforeseen consequences.

“In Darkness Dwells” (written by David Goyer, directed by Yasuhiro Aoki) features Batman tangling with Scarecrow and Killer Croc. It is action heavy and, stylistically, closer to what most people’s perceptions of a Batman story would be.

“Working Through Pain” (written by Brian Azzarello, directed by Toshiyuki Kubooka) is my favorite of the bunch and follows a wounded Batman trying to work through the anguish. He has flashbacks to when he learned techniques to put pain in its place, providing another layer to Batman’s always insane, sometimes mysterious training.

Lastly, “Deadshot” (written by Alan Burnett, directed by Jong-Sik Nam) features the most detailed, impressive animation. The story finds Batman having to prevent a killer named Deadshot from completing his assassination contract on Gordon.

Depending on what your expectations are, Batman: Gotham Knight can be an extremely rewarding experience. It doesn’t contain a large, arcing story like the films, but rather is a more contained look at the man and the myth—Gotham’s Dark Knight.

The Disc

The video is presented in a 1.85:1, 1080p High Definition transfer. It is hard to judge because the transfers are very inconsistent between the different segments, much of this due to differing stylistic choices, especially concerning the level of grain or sharpness of the image. Overall I found the colors to be spot on and the black levels solid. Various levels of video noise popped up throughout the shorts, but nothing was ever severe enough to detract from my enjoyment of the film.

The audio is offered in English/Japanese Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, as well as Spanish/German Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo with English/Spanish/German/Japanese subtitles. While not as crisp as a lossless track, the audio still makes a good showing for itself. Dialogue is clean and balanced in the mix. The score truly shines, engulfing you from all sides, and heightening the intensity. The surround effects are there, but are a tad basic considering some of the more unique and realistic Blu-ray efforts I have encountered. If I have one minor complaint, it is that the atmosphere of Gotham could have been better portrayed. The city is very much a character in the Batman mythology, and I would have loved to hear all the dingy, subtle atmospheric nuances of Gotham.

The Extras

Commentary is offered with DC Comics Senior VP of Creative Affairs Gregory Noveck, former Batman editor Dennis O’Neil, and Kevin Conroy. The trio give plenty of background information regarding the project, but I think individual commentaries with the segment animators/writers would have been more informative.

“Batman and Me, a Devotion to Destiny” is a 38-minute documentary on the life of Bob Kane, the creator of Batman. It is a stellar tribute piece to one of the most influential men in comic book history.

“A Mirror for the Bat” is a 35-minute documentary with tons of interviews discussing Batman and the various villains that have tormented him over the years.

A 10-minute sneak peek at the upcoming Wonder Woman film is available, though the lack of any finished footage prevents it from really giving you an idea about how the project will turn out.

Lastly, four bonus episodes are offered from the incredible “Batman: The Animated Series” - “Over the Edge,” “I Am the Night,” “Heart of Ice,” and “Legends of the Dark Knight.”

Final Thoughts

Batman: Gotham Knight is the perfect supplement to Christopher Nolan’s films. With varied, but equally impressive, animation styles, and gritty, stand-alone stories, this collection is an artistic treat for Batman fans.