Batman: Under the Red Hood Review

While I'm in the review writing mood, I may as well get to writing about something that came out at the end of July, the (sort of) latest DC Universe direct-to-DVD animated film, Batman: Under the Red Hood. I say sort of, because Superman/Batman: Apocalypse released just two weeks ago, and while I bought it day 1, I haven't had the chance to watch it yet. Here's to catching up!

Batman: Under the Red Hood is the latest film in the DC Universe series since Februrary's Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, which while I liked at the time, doesn't really hold up with repeated viewings. And unlike Crisis on Two Earths, Under the Red Hood returns to adapting an actual DC Comics story arc, in this case Judd Winick's "Under the Hood," making it the first full length animated adaptation for a Batman comic, as opposed to Gotham Knight, which was just separate stories that very loosely filled the gap between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight.

The Movie
The films centers around the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin, and his subsequent rebirth and rise to criminal power as the new Red Hood (a mantle once held by the infamous Joker, the man responsible for Jason Todd's death) and how Batman and company must deal with him.

I never read the "Under the Hood" stories because when I was younger, Batman: A Death in the Family was one of my favorite collected comic books; and when I learned that they basically retconned the events of those books to bring back an already dis-likable character, it honestly just pissed me off. So I can't really speak of this as a good adaptation, but I still think the process of bring back Jason Todd was a terrible decision and the movie still hasn't changed my opinion at all. Call me bitter, but it's just one of those thing I can't let down, and I only bought the film as a collector in the slightest sense.

However, stylistically, the film was more appealing than some of the more recent DCU films, and I found most of the voicework to be believable and close to the characters' personalities. It's not that I hated the film as a film, but the deep ties it has still bother me to say much more.

Jonah Hex
Speaking of mediocre films that came out in the summer, Jonah Hex. Now, thankfully this 12 minute short has no connection to that other Jonah Hex feature film, lead character aside of course. Presented in a traditional western fashion, the animation and character designs here are neat and far more mature than the lead title on this disc, and you could probably even argue that Thomas Jane makes a better Jonah Hex than Josh Brolin, but I refuse to take the time to find out. Plus, it's got Sarah Conner, that's kind of cool right?...

Extras
This section is slowly appearing to be a sign of the times, as the DVD sets slowly lose material to the Blu-ray editions of these films. And while I do have a Blu-ray player, I still prefer the DVD sets because all the packaging matches when placed on my bookshelf, and generally these films aren't that stylistically great that I need to see them in true HD.

What do I mean by this? For one, this is the first '2-disc special edition' DC Universe film to not include a Digital Copy (since the introduction of that feature at least), and the discs don't even have colored labels any more (I noticed this first on the new Superman/Batman, so maybe I'm wrong). And aside from that, there's just a brief look at the history of the Robin character, but more so Jason Todd as the likes of Stephanie Brown and Damian Wayne aren't mentioned. Plus there's a Batman: The Animated Series 2-parter, but, I could do without things I've already seen.

Final Thoughts
Overall, Batman: Under the Red Hood isn't a terrible film, but it doesn't blow me away either. It works better as an overall story then the previous Batman-centric DCU release, Gotham Knight, but the reasons for that are pretty obvious. However, I have deeper annoyances with this film than the actual film itself, which may have been one of the major factors preventing me from reviewing this, and not just my busy schedule. And when it comes to the extras, DC is clearly trying to make it more apparent that the DVD releases are becoming more and more inferior, which sucks.

Overall Score: 7/10

The Alternate DC Comics Covers of Fringe

There was a subtle (I can't say very subtle, there's a shot where the Red Lantern cover is right in your face) inclusion in last night's Season Two finale of Fox's Fringe, which you can read my full review of here.

While the episode, and other alternate universe episodes of Fringe, included the usual subtle differences: an actual bronze Statue of Liberty, money with different Presidents on it, photographs of older versions of people that were killed in our world, etc; "Over There (Part 2)" included alternate DC comic book covers, framed on the wall of Peter's new apartment. And thanks to a helpful post at DC's The Source Blog, the covers from the episode have been posted online:


Their World


Our World

As cool as the concept of the alternate covers may be, I still prefer our world's originals. I mean, in concept, alternate comic book covers are an awesome idea, but the execution's a bit off. For instance, the Red Lantern one which was featured front and center on screen is perplexing, as the titles are all Silver Age, but the art is far too over-rendered to be conceivable from that era. You could maybe excuse it because in the Fringe alternate universe, the technology is better than our own and perhaps that also means they could have digital inking in 1970... but that's going a bit too far.

I still like looking back and forth between the real and alternate versions, but the over-rendering of the fake versions really bugs me, and that's just something about modern mainstream comics in general that really bugs me.

If you missed last night's Fringe or just want to get a second look at these covers on-screen (or even better, watch Leonard Nimoy's fantastic final acting appearance), watch the episode over at Hulu.

Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths DVD Review

After a couple of lack-luster films (lack-luster in comparison to the VFH Seal of Approval winning Wonder Woman film at least), Warner Bros. Animation's DC Universe line is taking another crack at a completely original animated film, instead of adapting a pre-existing comic book story-arc, this time with the Justice League. Note, this is a review of the DVD edition, as have all the other DC Universe films on DVD and collector's OCD won't let me go Blu.

As stated, Crisis On Two Earths isn't based on a pre-existing DC book or story-arc, so it requires a bit more explaining. It should be noted that the general idea for this film was penned back when he Justice League animated series was on television, and a TV-movie, titled Justice League: Worlds Collide, was written as a bridge between that series and the then-upcoming series, Justice League Unlimited. But obviously that never came to fruition, and we now have this film, which follows a similar story as planned, but completely removes itself from the series by having new character designs, voice actors, and characters (i.e, no Jon Stewart Green Lantern, it's Hal Jordan).

The Movie
The film mainly centers around an alternate world's Lex Luthor, who has come to the familiar Earth after losing the final member of his Justice League to the Crime Syndicate, evil parallel versions of the good Justice League. The primary Justice League is a bit weary of this Luthor, but is soon in agreement to save his world, all except for Batman.

But, once in this alternate world, our Justice League learns that things are much different from their world, and this Crime Syndicate isn't afraid to use lethal force, even against the President of the United States and his family. But what seems like a regular Justice League TV plot soon gets a bit heavier, when the evil universe's anit-Batman, Owl Man, carries out his plot to not only destroy the good universe, but reality as we know it.

Overall, the film holds together pretty well, even if it does feel over-reminiscent of the television series, albeit a bit heavier and more mature in tone. I also found that due to the diversity of characters, there's never a big focus on just one, other than Owl Man (James Woods), and you end up forgetting that these characters have completely new voices from what you're used to. Like I'd like to say that Mark Harmon and William Baldwin did good jobs portraying Superman and Batman respectively, but you never even get to hear them that much. Even Nolan North, playing both the Green Lantern and his evil version, Power Ring, who you may be tired of by new after playing games like Uncharted, Prince of Persia, and Dark Void, isn't on screen long enough to even have an opinion. But, James Wood's Owl Man, who does get plenty of screen time is perfect, as the subtle, menacing mad man that he is. As for character design, gone are the super-bulked up characters from the animated series and Public Enemies, and these trimmed down designs move a bit more fluidly.

My only complaint about the movie is that there's some subplots that really don't have time to flesh out in this 75 minute film, and would have to rely on an unlikely sequel movie to make sense of their inclusion. I also found that the characters a persuaded a bit to easily, perhaps to make up for the short run time. And, please, some of the lines in this are just stupid, "well, I'm a murdering psychopath..." the whole thing that makes a murdering psychopath a murdering psychopath is that they aren't aware that they're a psychopath; you should know better Super Woman.

The Spectre
For the first in what I assume will be a regular feature on these DC Universe animated release, is a DC Showcase short, which focuses on lower-tier DC characters. The first one, included here is The Spectre, a ghostly crime fighter at night, and a detective by day. Running at just over 11 minutes, the film doesn't really have time to express itself storywise, but visually this short was awesome. It takes a page from Grindhouse, adding in film grain/scratches, lo-fi sound track, funk music, and surprisingly gory violence. It's a really nice treat, and hearing Gary Cole trying to be menacing in what is essentially a 70s noir is just awesome. Definitely worth watching.

Extras
As usual, the first disc extras are crap. Other than The Spectre short, you have re-hashed previews for previous DC Universe films, an interesting preview of the next film, Batman: Under the Red Hood, and trailers for other Warner Bros. projects, like the recently released Halo Legends. Otherwise, no commentary whatsoever.

The second disc is of course the actual special features disc, well at least you'd think it was. But when you boot up this disc, you'll be surprisingly shocked to only see two options on a bare menu. First is a 25 minute documentary called DCU: The New World which focuses on the various "Crisis" story-arcs in the DC Universe as well as the people and background behind the major events in the DCU. It's really informative if you're looking into the back-story of major comic book stories, but if you're someone that just likes the DC characters in film/animation, and don't care for the actual comics, then you might not have much interest here.

Then there's he two-part Justice League episode, "A Better World," which features a similar parallel universe storyline and is one of the better episodes of that series. But it also feels like a cop out for new content. If you want features, like more JL episodes and un-aired TV pilots, get the Blu-ray.

Final Thoughts
Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths is definitely a step above Green Lantern: First Flight and Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, both in visual appeal and storytelling, and just overall is a better film. However, it still falls flat in the extras department. Sure, The Spectre short film is worth the asking price, but the somewhat alienating Crisis documentary and the Justice League episode being the only features on the second disc is really upsetting. If there's one thing DC should learn from what made Wonder Woman so good it's that not only was the film great, but the extras were both informative and plenty. And it's a shame that a good film like Crisis On Two Earths suffers from a lack of proper supplementary material.

Overall Score: 8.3/10

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies DVD review

Despite each hero already having their own DC Universe release (Superman Doomsday and Batman: Gotham Knight), not to mention both appearing in Justice League: The New Frontier, Superman and Batman return to the direct-to-DVD scene with a film of their own. After the disappointment that was Green Lantern: First Flight, have Warner Bros. and DC Comics stepped up there game? Or has this DC Universe animated movies series lost its fuel?

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies is actually an adaptation of the first story arc of DC Comics' monthly Superman/Batman series, "The Worlds Finest," which released in 2003. Myself, I never actually read the series, but I do remember when it came out, as I wasn't particularly fond of all the characters' obnoxiously muscular, bulky designs. And coming into this film, I still retained the same distaste, as the animated adaptation designed itself after the comics, giving Public Enemies a much different appearance than any previously release DC animated projects.

Story is simple, Lex Luthor (Clancy Brown) becomes President of the United States, declares Superman (Tim Daly) as a threat with a $1 Billion on his head... oh, and a kryptonite meteor is heading towards Earth. Along the way Superman enlists Batman's (Kevin Conroy) help, as they fend of DC villains and heroes alike and try to save Earth and stop Luthor. The film is just a predictable as any other Superman vs. Lex Luthor story, but it's still a fun watch. Design wise, I was surprised by some of the fluidity in the bulky characters, but then there's parts where it all just seems stiff. I still can't get over how ugly some of the character and CGI designs are though, that bothered me the most.

In terms of extras, the first disc, like the last few DC Universe releases before it, just rehashes the mini-previews for previous direct-to-disc releases, and nothing more, sadly. And once again, there's no movie commentary and the Digital Copy is Windows only (seriously, iTunes/Mac support is that hard?).

The second disc however, again like previous releases is where the real extras come in. There's two main features here, the 19-minute, "A Test of Minds: The Psychology of Superman and Batman," which is a pretty interesting comparison of DC's two big heroes. Next is the 26-minute "Dinner with DCU and Kevin Conroy," which has DC Universe's main people in charge, along with Batman himself, Kevin Conroy discussing the film at the DC animated history. Also on the disc is the first previous of the next DC Universe animated film, Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths, which looks pretty interesting and is wholly original story. Lastly, there's two episodes of Superman: The Animated Series, which happen to feature Batman. It doesn't sound like much, but considering what was lacking from their last release, this is a nice return to form.

Overall, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies isn't a bad film. It's certainly better than Green Lantern: First Flight, but not really near the caliber of Wonder Woman. Also, for my tastes, I felt the film was a little too much of a Superman story rather than a real combined Superman/Batman tale; so, Warner Bros., next time you try this, at least let us see Gotham City, OK?

Overall Score: 8/10

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies

With the release of DC Comics' next DC Universe direct-to-disc (because it's now DVD and Blu-ray releases) animated movie, Green Lantern: First Flight, just a week or so away, it seems that Warner Bros. is silently gearing up for their next release: Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, based on the "Public Enemies" story-arc from the first six issues of the 2003-present Superman/Batman comic series.

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies website and trailer

Based on the trailer alone, I can say that this is certainly the most visually different work that DC and Bruce Timm have released in recent years. Other than Batman: Gotham Knight, which was made by anime studios, Superman-Doomsday, Justice League: New Frontier, and Wonder Woman all resembled past DC work, albeit slightly tweaked. Public Enemies (not to be confused with that new Johnny Depp as John Dillinger film...) instead aims to look like its source material, giving the character designs that very comic-booky, unreal design. Personally, it bothers me, because I've always liked the look of Bruce Timm's animated series/films for DC Comics, and this just seems to stray too far from that for me to visually enjoy. I'll be the final judge of that when it releases on DVD and Blu-ray this September 29th...

The Dark Knight to be re-released on January 23rd, 2009

You read right. Variety.com reports that The Dark Knight will be re-releasing in theaters on January 23rd, 2009 in an effort to break the billion dollar record, and give the film one last push before the Academy Awards in February. While the release will be just weeks after the DVD and Blu-ray release of the film, Warner states that they want people to get to see the film in it's true form one last time. It is currently unknown if this includes IMAX screenings.

It should also be noted that the release date is exactly one year and a day after supporting actor, Heath Ledger died of an accidental drug overdose. In many people's eyes it was his portrayal of The Joker that really made the film come to life; so perhaps the one year anniversary re-release date was intended as a pseudo memorial for the actor.

For more on The Dark Knight you can read my review from it's midnight release back in July.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold preview

Cartoon Network is finally starting to get the public aware of Batman: The Brave and the Bold, a new Batman animation series that pairs the Caped Crusader with other heroes from DC Comics' collection. You may have remembered us posting the debut trailer from Comic-Con. Well now things are getting into full gear for the series premiere on November 14th.

From now until December 8th you can watch a short clip from an episode, "Rise of the Blue Beetle", on Cartoon Network Video. You'll definitely notice a sense of campiness but we'll have to see how it feels in full context.

Also, CN has launched a page for the series the includes character profiles, a game, and some downloads; all of which can be found at CartoonNetwork.com

Quick edit, this one download in particular raised my eyebrows a bit in that it hints at who we'll presumably see appearing in the show.

Nice to see that DC B-Lists like Dr. Fate and Metamorpho will be getting some screen time, no? Not to mention a push for un-mainstream characters like Red Tornado and Jaime Reyes' Blue Beetle; keep it coming DC!

Batman: Gotham Knight on CN

The direct-to-DVD anime collection, Batman: Gotham Knight, will be premiering on Cartoon Network tomorrow night at 9:00 PM EST. This should be good news for any of you unwilling to actually purchase the collected six shorts. No idea how edited this televised version will be, but there was some grotesque violence in a couple shorts, so I'm sure something has to be edited.

If you need some catching up on Gotham Knight, you can check out my review at VFH Classic.

LEGO Batman at McDonalds

I haven't eaten at McDonalds for quite some time, ok, when they had Cartoon Network toys was the last time I ate there, anyways ... For this month, McDonalds will be having 10 different LEGO Batman toys, to coincide with the release of the game; and being that there was no The Dark Knight tie-ins at restauraunts, or game, I guess this is the next best thing.

LEGO Batman at McDonalds

These are the "Boys" toys, for girls they have Madame Alexander: The Wizard of Oz ... but I don't need to cover that. My only complaint about the toys is that none of them are actually LEGOs ... really, was that too much to ask?

You can get LEGO Batman toy related downloads here.

The Dark Knight Returns

Forgive that pun, I can't help myself. Word is that Warner Bros. wants a theatrical re-release of the summer's finest film, The Dark Knight, in order to give it an extra push for the Oscars. There are already talks about re-releasing it in IMAX as a yearly event, however this push is more so for standard theaters.

While personally, I'm for it, as I'd consider seeing it on that big IMAX screen just one more time, there seems to be some issues. One, there's a planned December DVD/Blu-Ray release, which makes a January re-release seems almost pointless. However, no ones Blu-Ray player, and no matter how nice their HDTV is, can match the IMAX experience.

via Reuters

SDCC - Batman: The Brave and the Bold

First footage of the Cartoon Network Studios' Batman cartoon, Batman: Brave and the Bold. The series takes a slightly campier Batman than seen in recent media, and has him fighting along side heroes like Blue Beetle, Green Arrow, and Plastic Man. The shows looks a bit better than I expected it to be, but this is just a trailer; we'll have to wait till the November 14th premiere to make a real judgment.


Check out the high-res version at VFHvideo.

Warner Bros. announces Motion Comics

Via Newsarama, "Warner Bros. Digital Distribution and Warner Premiere announced today a new way for graphic novel fans to connect with their favorite characters and the stories they know and love through short-form digital content. “Warner Premiere’s Motion Comics” draw on a massive amount of source material to bring a visually engaging experience to life through the use of subtle movements, voice-overs, sweeping music scores and stunning comic book artwork."

To start the program, for the next two weeks, you can download Part One of Watchmen for free, via Entertainment Weekly, which will redirect you to iTunes. From there you can import the Motion Comic to you iPod or iPhone. Each following episode will cost you $1.99 a piece. Also, on Xbox Live and Verizon's VCast service you can download Batman: Mad Love, which will become available starting July 22. Expect more news on Motion Comics at this year's San Diego Comic-Con!

I've downloaded the free "episode" of Watchmem, despite owning the actual book. I will say, with the music and voice over, it makes the comic more engaging, in similar fashion to the Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel. And considering this first episode is roughly over 25 minutes, there's no excuse for yo to not check this out while it's free.

The Dark Knight review

I just arrived back from the midnight IMAX premiere of The Dark Knight, it's about 3:15 A.M. To be honest with you, I'm really at a loss for words; I left the theater speechless, staring down the full moon as I was driven back home. I really wasn't sure what to think, I'm honestly fumbling in my thoughts right now, especially from the lack of sleep, but I will prevail.

The Dark Knight (TDK) takes place after the events of Batman Begins. Bruce Wayne is without his mansion, Lucius Fox is in charge of Wayne Enterprises, the Mob is still running the streets, and crime is still ramped; it's all carried over. As hinted at the end of Begins, the main villain this time around is The Joker, and what a villain he is. Portrayed by the late Heath Ledger, The Joker becomes more the focus of the movie than Batman himself. But that is not a bad thing, Ledgers performance is phenomenal to say the least. TDK's twisted, disheveled, and ruthless representation of The Joker probably could not have been done without the talented Ledger, and it's truly a shame to know he has passed. He has brought us, quite possibly, one of the most memorable character portrayals in movie history, it's simply brilliant.

But TDK's greatness is not just because of Ledger. The introduction of Gotham's new District Attorney, Harvey Dent, portrayed by Aaron Eckhart, is also a site to be seen. Eckhart, much like his character in Thank You For Smoking, uses his charismatic charm to win the heart of Gotham City. But with this charm he also brings with him a very serious tone, a tone heightened later in the film, which I won't delve into due to spoilers. And what would a Batman film be without The Dark Knight himself? Christian Bale once again out performs himself, and everyone else to ever don the Batsuit. He provides the character with a moral complexity, and really makes Bruce Wayne's struggle for love and justice believable. Where Begins portrayed Bruce as a wreckless playboy, TDK shows that he does have the ability to mature, and take risks that he himself may not truly believe in.

Other cast members are not left without mention; Maggie Gyllenhaal does a much better job of making the Rachel Dawes character interesting than Katie Holmes did in Begins. She no longer acts like Bruce's forgotten childhood friend, and becomes a thought provoking character of her own, creating a love triangle between herself, Bruce Wayne and Harvey Dent. Alfred, portrayed by Michael Caine, doesn't get that much screen time this time around; but his wit and guiding words still make him an important part of the film. Morgan Freeman, playing Lucius Fox, is much more of an asset to this film than he was in Begins, with a certain serious charm that only he can pull off. And lastly I'd like to mention Gary Oldman, who returns as Lt. Gordon, much like Freeman, his character becomes more central to the story than in Begins; in fact, Gordon will seem more of a hero than Batman at some points.

As good as the cast was, they would be nothing without fabulous cinematography; and for that you can thank Christopher Nolan. Nolan once again reinvents his style, bringing to life what is probably, The Greatest Comic Book Film Ever Made. It's no lie, forget all the praise around Iron Man, or even Batman Begins; The Dark Knight may be the first comic book film truly worthy of an Oscar nomination. What's most notable is Nolan's direction of the film. Begins was created to reboot the Batman film franchise, leaving it open for sequels. However, with The Dark Knight, Nolan wanted to create a film that could be viewed and appreciated in its own right, hence why the title lacks the Batman name, opting for a relative title instead. This direction is noticeable, and really makes the film that much more special.

And lastly, this is really outside the film itself, and more about presentation. The IMAX experience is truly a magnificent way to see the film, especially when IMAX technology was used to film it. Sure not all the scenes are filmed using IMAX, and you can tell when it is and isn't used, but when it is in use, the film is truly captivating. The engagement of motion, the incredible sound, it truly is the best way to see this film. I'd also like to note about the marketing of this film. The viral websites leading up to the films release gave the movie a very real world feel long before release. Whether it be the Why So Serious? campaign, or getting fans to "vote" for Harvey Dent, Wanrer did a fabulous job of getting word out there. And I'm also quite thankful for the lack of media tie-ins like cereals and video games, it gives the film the direct attention of what it's worth, and a crappy video doesn't ruin the experience.

All in all, this movie is the pinnacle of what comic book movies should be. The acting and cinematography is just breathtaking, and will keep you in suspense the entire time. It should be noted that like Batman Begins, this Batman is not the kid friendly image portrayed in the Joel Schumacher films. In fact, The Dark Knight raises the bar over Begins, just clearing an R rating. The real special part of the film though is indeed Heath Legder performance as The Joker, which will make you laugh, and will also frighten you. In what is basically his final film, Ledger has given us a masterpiece, and he will surely be missed. I will honestly be truly surprised if this doesn't win some sort of Oscar, Ledger's performance alone grants it so. If you were a fan of Begins, then chances are you already plan or have seen The Dark Knight. If you're new to this whole comic book movie thing, see it anyways. If you've never even seen a movie in your life, see this film!

Overall Score: 10/10

The Dark Knight

Hey readers, you there?, I'm going to be heading out soon because I'm going to the midnight screening of The Dark Knight in IMAX. Therefore you want be seeing any of me until tomorrow at like 4 A.M. but I'll be sure to post my review of the movie as soon as possible!

Batman: Gotham Knight review

Here it is, after two long years, View From Heaven finally has a new anime review! With it you will also notice a new anime banner style. For example:

Old Banner style


New Banner style

I'm still debating whether or not I should make new banners for all animes, even though I know I really should. Anyways, back to why I'm here. I finally got around to purchasing a new anime, it may not be what you'd expect, but it's anime no less. I really enjoyed the Gotham Knight shorts, and i hope you check this review out. Its not like you've read a new VFH Anime review in the last two years right?

Note: The review only focuses on the anime aspect of the set, so nothing about the featurettes on Bob Kane or Batman's Villians in noted, nor are the 4 episodes of Batman The Animated Series, it is strictly the anime part.

Batman: Gotham Knight review - Classic VFH

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UPDATE (3/22/10) VFH Classic is dead; while this review was unrestorable from the web, I luckily somehow had it saved on my computer:

Overview
The third of the DC Universe direct-to-video series, Batman: Gotham Knight is different because it is a series of six short anime films. Each story is by buy a different artist, writer, and staff; with four studios contributing. The studios are Studio 4°C, Production I.G., Bee Train, and Madhouse; with Studio 4°C and Madhouse providing two shorts each. Each segment has a completely different style, but some consistencies are had. For instance, there is a constant story of a power struggle between Italian and Russian mafias, elements and characters of the story appear with in each short, and the voice cast is consistent; with Kevin Conroy ,who voiced Batman/Bruce Wayne in The Animated Series, reprising he role.Instead of covering the film as a whole, I will review it short by short.

Have I Got A Story For You
From Studio 4°C, this first is probably the most creative of the shorts. The story is about how three kids tell their encounters with Batman to a fourth character. Each story creates a different image of Batman; the first being a demonic shadowy figure, the next almost emulating Man-Bat, and the last being a robot. But Batman himself soon crashes in, and smoke fills the room, and the only one who can see Batman is the fourth kid. The direction was very similar to an episode of The Animated Series, "Legends of the Dark Knight". I happened to really enjoy this one because of the variety and style, which makes it much different from the rest.
Score: 9/10

Crossfire
From Production I.G., this follows two cops from Gotham City Police Department's Major Crime Unit (MCU), Crispus Allen and Anna Ramirez. Both are leery of Batman's activity, with Crispus persisting that The Bat is a vigilante, where Anna wants to defend him. Lt. Gordon sends the two out to bring in a criminal, and they soon find them selves in the middle of a fire fight between the Italians and Russians. This one was decent, and it is important as it introduces Lt. Gorden, Crispus, Anna, and the Italian Mafia (led by Sal Moroni) and the Russian Mob (led by a man known as "The Russian"), all of which play important roles in the later shorts. As for the portrayal of Batman, this one is much more traditional, but you don't see too much of him to really get a feel for him.
Score: 6/10

Field Test
From Bee Train, this film focuses on Bruce Wayne more so than Batman. It starts out with Bruce and Lucius Fox testing out a new electromagnetic weapon, with the capability of deflecting bullets. Bruce decides to first use it out on the golf course, in order to make his opponent look bad. After receiving a tip about the Italians and Russians out at sea, he dons his Bat suit and pursues the ships. After rounding the groups together, he grabs old of the two bosses and demands they settle their differences. All is well, but one grunt doesn't gets the message and fire, but with Batman's new gadget the bullet ricochets and hits a nearby thug. It's hear that Batman's human side comes in and rushes the man to the hospital. He later decides that he must put his own life on the line, and no one else's, leaving the gadget behind. It was nice to get to see Bruce for a change, thought hearing Conry trying to sound younger seemed a little forced. The Bat suit of this short is also a little strange, with a beak-like mask and oversized chest plate.
Score: 6.5/10

In Darkness Dwells
From Madhouse, this is probably the darkest film of the set. It portrays Batman as a stout, grumpy, demon-like man, almost contrary to all other portrayals of him in the film. Batman is given word of an 8 foot tall reptilian like creature lurking the sewers, and he believes Scarecrow's toxin gas is causing whatever the creature is, to act this way. Soon after his exploration of the sewers, Batman is attacked by an infected Killer Croc, who bites Batman and injects the Scarecrow's toxins into him. Woozy, he persists on through the sewers, and hears chants being led by the Scarecrow, and sees the group has held a Cardinal hostage. Batman confronts the Scarecrow, blowing up the sewers, and saves the hostage. It was nice to see a short that really referenced Batman Begins in story, even if it didn't do so visually. The dark portrayal of the characters also made it feel closer to Batman Begins.
Score: 7.5/10

Working Through Pain
The second film from Studio 4°C, this starts of with an injured Batman trying to escape the sewers, and realizing he has been wounded in his abdomen. As he tries to heel it, he is overcome with pain and recalls a time when he was aiding a wounded man, and rethinks of how he overcame his pain. It is here he remembers when he was in India, and he met with a spiritual woman named Cassandra. He wanted her to teach him way to overcome pain, but he then learns that he can never escape it. Back as Batman, he persues back to the surface, and gives Alfred a call. But while still in the sewer he starts to find guns, including one thrown in there during Field Test. I personally really liked this portrayal of Batman, because it really shows that he can suffer the same pain as everyone else. I also really and enjoyed the single tone coloring style used, especially in contrast with the heavy black tones of Madhouse's work. I also felt the Indian setting was a nice change from the slums of Gotham.
Score: 9.5/10

Deadshot
The second film from Madhouse and finale of this collection, this focuses of the short's titular character, Deadshot, a hired assassin. Cut to Wayne Manor, where Bruce is studying he new found gun collection, and discusses with Alfred of how he refuses to use guns, but can understand their appeal. We then find out that Deadshot is hired by the Mafia to take out Lt. Gordon is order to get Batman's attention. Thanks to Batman, he misses Gordon, but still gets his chance at Batman. They duke it out on a high speed train, and when Deadshot's tool of destruction are ruined, he's left helpless, and Batman rides off. This certainly was the story that Warner wanted to focus on, as it is used on the cover on released versions of the film. And it certainly is the most traditional looking Bat suit of the entire series of shorts. However I personally did like like the art style used, as it just didn't work that well on human characters. But at the same time this was a very good culmination to the set, and should flow well into The Dark Knight.
Score: 8/10

Final Thoughts
Batman: Gotham Knight is the first ever DC Universe anime, and it certainly stands out amongst the other DC animated projects, as there's just nothing like it. And what makes this different from Warner's previous anime project, The Animatrix, is the fact that Gotham Knight follows a consistent story. So that even with an entirely different team working from film to film, the story flows really well, and characters seem to evolve. It creates a great sense of variety while still keeping it self together. It's a must buy for Batman and anime fans alike. Even if you aren't a fan of anime, but like Batman, this is a great way to get you to appreciate the medium.

Overall: 8/10

Limited free early screenings for TDK

Just got an e-mail from the Why So Serious? mailing list that reads:

"http://www.whysoserious.com/kickingandscreening HA HA HA HA HA ha HA HA ha HA HA ha HA HA HA ha HA HA HA ha HA HA HA HA HA HA HA ha ha ha HA HA ha HA HA HA ha ha ha HA HA ha HA HA HA ha ha HA HA HA HA HA HA HA ha HA HA ha HA ha ha HA HA HA HA HA HA ha HA HA ha ha ha HA HA HA HA HA HA ha ha HA HA HA ha HA HA HA HA ha ha HA ha HA ha HA HA HA HA HA ha ha ha HA HA HA HA ha HA HA HA ha HA HA HA HA ha HA ha"

If you follow that link, here, you'll get a list of IMAX theaters participating and their times. As you can see though, nearly all the shows are sold out already, what with tickets being FREE. But if you live in the area of Salt Lake City, Denver, Portland or Omaha, you may be in luck as of this minute.

UPDATE: ALL SHOWS SOLD OUT!

New Dark Knight poster

I don't care what I said about any previous posters for The Dark Knight; this is the best Batman poster ever!

I'm seeing this movie next week at midnight in IMAX. I'll be sure to post my review/impressions/thoughts as soon as possible.

Image via MovieWeb

First footage of Two-Face

Here it is, the first footage of Two-Face from The Dark Knight! I cannot embed this, but you can follow the link below. Not only is this quite awesome, but it also proved my theory. See, when the 3rd trailer released, there was two versions, the normal, and the "Dork Knight" version that had Joker scribbles all over it. Within that version the .5 second clip of Harvey Dent presumably as Two Face has "My Hero" written on it, but no one believed me that it was Two Face. But, take a look at this link.. what the address? I think this is score 1 for me

Why So Serious? - My Hero

New LEGO Batman sets include The Dark Knight?

It very well seems that way, the four new Batman now available at LEGO.com each have The Dark Knight related packaging; including both the logo of the film (minus the its name) as well as artwork of Batman in a suit based upon the design in the movie. But what's even more interesting is the set below.

As you can see, not only is the packaging reminiscent on The Dark Knight, but the Batmobile used is The Tumber, an exclusive to the two new Batman films.

Upon closer look you can see the Batman mini-fig is also based upon The Dark Knight design. However the Joker's design is that of previous sets, and not Heath Ledger's Joker. And the thug is also not one of the Joker's "goons" from the film.

The other new sets available contain the same Batman mini-fig and package design, but do not relate to the film in any other way. I'm just curious to see if any of this transfers into the new LEGO Batman video game, as there is no The Dark Knight tie-in video game. It's not too far fetched when the game was the first to show the now available Harley-Quinn figure, and new shots of the game show off a non-available Clay-Face mini-fig.

via LEGO.com

Batman: Gotham Knight

Quitea bit on the upcoming DVD Batman: Gotham Knight. First off, the site gota major over haul, with more features yet to come, you can view it here. also, with the new site comes two videos. The first is the trailer that released a week or two ago, the second is brand new and features the staff and lots of new footage!

Batman: Gotham Knight - Trailer


Batman: Gotham Knight - Sizzle Reel