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The animated Batman was an extremely successful television series, first broadcast on the Fox Network and then moved to the WB, since it was a Warner property. If I remember correctly, the key frame animation was executed in the States and then sent to Korea for completion. The style and feel remained distinctly American; not so Batman Gotham Knight. This PG-13 rated Batman is conveyed in anime style, with significant Asian influences. I was tipped off immediately by the first of six loosely related stories. Character designer and overall animation director for Have I Got A Story For You is Syojiri Nishimi. I recognized his unique style from my having reviewed the imaginative and entertaining anime Tekkonkinkreet on Blu-ray Disc.

It’s no coincidence that one of the bonus episodes from the original animated Batman series involves a small group of young teens sharing fanciful stories, each exaggerating their impressions of brief encounters with the caped crime fighter. Each tells a tale of a Batman that only exists in their furtive imaginations, a ghost-like specter, a winged beast, or an armored superhero more akin to Iron Man than Batman. Their tales are interrupted violently by a brutal fight between the caped crusader and a powerful miscreant, proving that reality can be more intriguing than imagination.

Deadshot presents Batman with a unique challenge; he must defeat a skillful sniper for hire, someone capable of killing from great distances and from any direction with a very powerful weapon. With his high-tech resources and trusty Alfred to assist, Batman tracks down the killer before he can assassinate Lieutenant James Gordon (who will become police commissioner), but the confrontation is more than Batman expected. (I noticed that Gordon’s appearance is based on Gary Oldman, imparting a new generation continuity to the stories.)

Crossfire introduces us to Detectives Anna Ramirez and Crispus Allen. They are tasked with transporting a criminal captured by Batman to a prison island isolated from the rest of Gotham; it’s essentially a subculture of criminality kept apart from civilized people, similar to Manhattan in Escape from New York. Two rival gangs put the detectives in the crossfire of an intense firefight and only Batman can save them from certain death. Allen, who is deeply disturbed by the relationship between a masked vigilante and the police department, learns firsthand of Batman’s value to Gotham society.

In Darkness Dwells begins with a confrontation between Batman and Crock, the huge and powerful reptilian villain. Batman prevails, but not until he’s bitten and infected with the fright toxin developed by Scarecrow. The fight in Gotham’s sewers leads to a second confrontation with that fright-inducing criminal. Batman must save an innocent and escape, all while being outnumbered and influenced by the fear toxin. This episode begins an ongoing theme of Batman’s mortality and vulnerability. He’s wounded, but after a spectacular climax, refuses any help.

This segues logically into a segment titled Working through Pain. It’s not clear if this is a continuation of the previous episode since the styles keep evolving, but Batman is bleeding profusely through a wound just below his ribs. He uses one of his utility belt gadgets to cauterize the wound, but he’s in pain and probably bleeding internally. As he works his way to the surface, where he can reestablish communications with Alfred and arrange a pickup, he flashes back to his experiences as Bruce Wayne providing medical assistance in a war torn third world country. He dwells on his experiences in India seeking the knowledge required to overcome his pain. When he’s finally within reach of the sidewalk above, and Alfred offers to help pull him up for respite and healing, he’s torn by a discovery buried under trash, a sad demonstration of his obsessions.

Field Test revolves around Bruce Wayne’s relationship with Lucius Fox, his tapping into Wayne Industry’s technologies, and the unexpected consequences of bringing advanced technology to bear. Batman adds a form of bullet repulsion to his bag of tricks and puts himself between rival criminal gangs feuding on the waterfront. A victim of the firefight motivates Wayne to make a decision that reinforces our perception of his morality and values.

The artists, directors, and, for one segment, country of origin vary from episode to episode. Batman becomes a slightly different creature for each team of artists, making this collection of stories both intriguing and a bit schizophrenic. But I enjoyed the elevated violence and bloodletting; it added a note of gravitas that is completely missing from the televised series and the feature-length animations it inspired, like Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. The animation is much more complex and richer than any Batman you’ve seen before, even if there are only eight hand drawn cels for each second of runtime. I welcomed the participation of Kevin Conroy, who, in the opinion of this writer, is the single most effective Batman voice actor. I was also pleased with the performance of David McCallum as Alfred Pennyworth, replacing the venerable Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.

The Video: How Does The Disc Look?

The keepcase may specify an aspect ratio of 1.85:1, but I found the images completely fill the 1.78:1 high definition frame. The visuals are splendid. With a modest runtime of only 76 minutes and the generous storage capacity of Blu-ray Disc, the transfer has a very high bit budget and retains a high level of detail. The backgrounds run at the full twenty-four frames per second, having been generated as CGI. That’s where the level of detail and finely grained textures excel. I still don’t understand why no animation studio has applied morphing techniques to generate the missing images among the hand drawn cels. Black levels plumb the depths. Colors, particularly red blood, are vivid and noise-free. Edge halos are non-existent. This is a terrific looking disc.

The Audio: How Does The Disc Sound?

The disc producers did nothing to enhance the audio track compared to the DVD release; this track is also in Dolby Digital 5.1. Regardless, I was impressed with the dynamic range and fidelity. With no practical recordings and all studio recordings, fidelity is high and the acoustics dry. Some of the various scores by a variety of composers are more successful than others, but all are presented with satisfying precision for a lossy audio CODEC. (I would have been even happier with this disc had the producers brought Shirley Walker back to score all the episodes.) The sound effects have a pleasing attack time and bite. The surround channels are very active, both with discrete sounds and effective pans. Enable EX dematrixing for a more immersive experience. The bottom end is impressive, with bass that I felt as well as heard. And the dialog remains distortion-free throughout.

Other audio options include Japanese Dolby Digital 5.1, and Spanish and German in Dolby Surround 2.0. English SDH, Spanish, German, Japanese subtitles are available.

Supplements: What Goodies Are There?

We begin with an audio commentary by DC Comics Senior Vice President of Creative Affairs Gregory Noveck, former Batman editor Dennis O’Neil, and Kevin Conroy. The men discuss Batman related topics and take on a casual air. Conroy talks about his interpretations of the character over time and within the context of each tale. Noveck highlights the differences each animation team brought to the show. Time didn’t permit my listening through the entire commentary, but I was left with the quick impression that this should be an interesting listen.

The Sneak Peek at DC Univer’s Wonder Woman featurette (10:28) reveals that fans can look forward to a feature-length animation for that superhero. The history and background of the character is briefly discussed and we get to meet the voice actress who will assume the title role, the petite (rather than Amazonian) Keri Russell. She talks about the character and her admiration for the premise. This is essentially EPK material. I’ll withhold judgment until I’ve seen the flick.

A Mirror for the Bat documentary (35:44) makes the point that a hero is judged by the nature of the villains he fights, and Batman has a remarkable rogue’s gallery of miscreants. Each of the Batman villains is discussed, and special emphasis is placed on his conflicted relationship with Catwoman.

I particularly enjoyed the Batman and Me: The Bob Kane Story documentary (38:23). This biographical film traces Bob Kane’s life from his childhood through his career failures and successes (including his creation of the Batman character), and his ultimate elevation to icon. Like many driven and ambitious men, he had a deprived childhood, coming from a poor household. But he was very lucky to have had an insightful father who ensured his rights when the Batman character was created. Kane was a bit of an egoist and travelled in very interesting circles. For example, I was surprised by an influence of Hugh Hefner on his career. Kane had an eye for the ladies and married an attractive and much younger woman; his wife participates in this excellent documentary.

And now we come to a special treat. Bruce Timm Presents Four Bonus Batman The Animated Series Episodes: Heart of Ice; I am the Night; Legends of the Dark Knight; and, Over the Edge. I was pleasantly surprised to find that these are presented as 1.33:1 pillar-boxed high definition and they have never looked better. The selections are also intriguing; there’s the inspiration for Have I Got A Story For You, a mind- bending episode about the Scarecrow, and an episode in which Batman has a crisis of self-doubt. Not as sharp as productions made for either the big screen or HD broadcasts, I was still very pleased with the presentations.

Final Thoughts

This is a great little collection of adventures with distinctive Asian sensibilities; five were produced in Japan and one in Korea, and all are a cut above any animated Batman you’ve experienced. The video presentation is excellent, the audio could have benefitted from a lossless CODEC, and the supplements are generous, informative, and entertaining. Recommended.