GET READY FOR THE NEXT ALL-NEW DC UNIVERSE ORIGINAL MOVIE Batman vs. Robin
ON BLU-RAYTM COMBO PACK, DVD and DIGITAL HD ON APRIL 14, 2015 WARNER BROS. HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Inspired by the #1 Best-Selling Graphic Novel, Batman: The Court of Owls
BURBANK, CA (January 20, 2015) – The world is turned upside down when one of the world’s greatest super heroes – Batman – finds himself under attack by his own son in the newest DC Universe Original Movie – Batman vs. Robin. This all-new original film arrives April 14, 2015 from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on Blu-Ray™ Deluxe Edition, Blu-Ray™ Combo Pack, DVD and Digital HD. The brand-new product offering, Blu-ray™ Deluxe Edition, will include the Blu-Ray™ Combo Pack, along with a Batman figurine in a gift set.
Batman vs. Robin will be available on Blu-rayTM Deluxe Edition for $29.96, Blu-rayTM Combo Pack for $24.98 SRP and on DVD for $19.98 SRP. The Blu-rayTM Combo Pack includes a digital version of the movie on Digital HD with UltraViolet.* Fans can also own Batman vs. Robin in Digital HD on April 14 via purchase from digital retailers.
The shadows of Gotham City are no place for a child but Damian Wayne is no ordinary child. Now bearing the mantle of Robin, he blazes a headstrong and sometimes reckless trail alongside his father, Batman. While investigating a crime scene, Robin encounters a mysterious figure, Talon, who leads him on a life-altering course through the depths of Gotham’s secret society, known as The Court of Owls. It’s a dangerous journey that will force Batman and Robin to face their most dangerous adversary, each other! Based on the #1 best-selling graphic novel, Batman: The Court of Owls, this action-packed caper is one that fans won’t want to miss!
“Batman vs. Robin has all the elements of a memorable film – powerful villains, treacherous plot twists and tensions amongst allies,” said Mary Ellen Thomas, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Vice President, Family & Animation Marketing. “Showcasing a fantastic voice cast, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is proud to release Batman vs. Robin as the next DC Universe Original Movie.”
Trailer
Television stars Jason O’Mara (Terra Nova, USA Network’s upcoming Complications) and Stuart Allan (Son of Batman) reprise their roles as the voices of Batman/Bruce Wayne and Robin/Damian, respectively. Adding to the celebrity-laden voice cast is Jeremy Sisto (Law & Order, Suburgatory) as Talon, singer/songwriter/comedian Al Yankovic as The Dollmaker, David McCallum (NCIS) as Alfred, Grey Griffin (Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends) as Samantha, Sean Maher (Serenity) as Nightwing, and Kevin Conroy (Batman: The Animated Series) as Thomas Wayne.
Produced by Warner Bros. Animation and DC Entertainment, the film is directed by Jay Oliva (Batman: Assault on Arkham) from a script by award-winning comic writer J.M. DeMatteis. James Tucker (Justice League: Throne of Atlantis) is supervising producer.
BLU-RAY AND DVD BONUS CONTENT
Batman vs. Robin Blu-rayTM and Blu-rayTM Deluxe Edition contain the following special features:
- Gotham’s City Secret: The Mythic Court of Owls – The Court of Owls is the secret society that directly connects the past of Gotham to the current city. Are they silent guardians that are the noble benefactors or are they the malevolent force that manipulates a city toward their grand design?
- Talons of the Owl – If the Owls are the masterminds, their instruments of destruction are their assassins. Appropriately called The Talons, these warriors are designed to carry out the will of the Owls.
- Batman Vs. Robin Audio Commentary
- A Sneak Peak at Justice League: Gods & Monsters – An advance look at the next DC Universe Original Movie with the creators and cast.
- Bonus cartoons from the DC Comics Vault
Batman vs. Robin DVD contains the following special features:
A Sneak Peak at Justice League: Gods & Monsters – An advance look at the next DC Universe Original Movie with the creators.
Tag Archives: batman animated
Batman- Mask of the Phantasm
A strange wraith-like creature stalks the streets of Gotham, killing off old mobsters. When Batman is spotted on the scene, he takes the blame for the murders and becomes a wanted man, hunted by Gotham police under the guidance of Councilor Reeves, a slimy individual eager to make a grab for power. The deeper Batman investigates the mystery, he is surprised to find old wounds opening that he had thought long scabbed over with time. An old love, Andrea Beaumont, has returned to Gotham just as the murders are on the rise. As the death toll rises, he becomes overwhelmed with emotion and must make a choice which life takes precedence, Batman’s or Bruce Wayne’s.
Released on Christmas day in 1993, Mask of the Phantasm was a bomb for Warner Bros., mainly due to the lack of support from the studio and poor marketing. But it is a marvelous testament to the Batman mythos and a celebration of the animated series.
I understand that the film was rushed into theatrical release. Using the talented animators, directors and superb voice actors, Mask of the Phantasm is a remarkably moving drama with romance, action and even humor (thanks to the marvelous Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. as Alfred). The mystery of the Phantasm is enough on its own, but the addition of the Joker raises the stakes and the clown prince of crime is at his most outlandish in this story.
Watching this movie, I must admit to feeling frustration that the live action films never achieved this level of excellence. I do enjoy the Burton films, but they fall flat in so many places such as action and dialog. The Chris Nolan movies are outstanding but sacrifice much of the Batman mythology in order to tell a bold and daring story about Western civilization. Mask of the Phantasm, in contrast, is a well executed Batman story through and through, weighing in heavily on gritty pulp crime, Gothic atmosphere and much more.
I had the good fortune to watch the film on the big screen at the NC Comic Con this past weekend and it was a fantastic experience, reminding me why I had embraced the Batman animated series long ago and why it continues to hold a special place in my fanboy heart.
Recommended:
Beware the Batman: Hunted (and Wonder Woman too)
Created in 1939, Batman is one of the most enduring pop culture icons of the modern world. At times a brutal vigilante, at others a campy crime fighter and most recently a post-modern statement on western civilization, Batman has so many facets but each one is generally regarded as definitive by fans. To some this means that the 1966 Adam West Batman is either an embarrassment or an icon, while others regard the Chris Nolan Batman films as perfection or perversion. as this is the latest in a very long line of animated versions of Batman, there is ample room for the creators to pick and choose how they would like to proceed.
Simon Liu of The Batman, Hulk Vs., and many other animated projects is helming this first computer generated Batman cartoon, one that will definitely divide fans straight away. As it also arrives on the tail of the Young Justice cancellation, it has a very steep uphill climb to earn new viewers. This is a very new take on Batman, a young crime fighter who is in prime physical condition yet still very mortal, something that his faithful butler and bodyguard Alfred Pennyworth is determined to fix. An-soldier (which is surprisingly in canon, for anyone interested), Alfred does his best to keep Bruce Wayne/Batman on his toes, but he has a secret edge… that we’ll get to later.
Professor Pyg and Toad are thankfully not the same distorted and violent characters from Batman and Robin, bit instead hearken back to the Dick Sprang hey day of the 50’s when Batman villains were over the top and bizarre. They drive around in a modified vintage car firing tranquilizers from a blunderbuss at industrialists who threaten ‘the animal world.’
For all its differences and visual changes, Batman still operates from a secret cave outside Gotham City, driving a jet-propelled Batmobile using batarangs and other high tech gear to fight crime. Rather than the faithful boy wonder, Katana is the assistant in this version of the Batman myth. Called into action for an old favor by Alfred, she should add an interesting edge to the series (no pun intended).
The cartoon strangely pays homage to many of Batman’s past mythologies and to DC Comics as well (with the Grant Morrison-created Professor Pyg and Toad kidnapping Simon Stagg from the old Metamorpho comics and Michael ‘Mister Terrific’ Holt also showing up). Pyg and Toad are seeking revenge for the ecological crimes that Gotham’s rich industrialists have incurred. Their punishment is to run the gamut like cornered animals, through a maze filled with booby traps.
Batman must endure the traps laid throughout Pyg and Toad’s fortress as well in his attempt to rescue the prisoners. using his wits and remarkable fighting abilities. Visually, the Batman moves very fluidly. There are several moments where he seems to disappear and re-appear as if by magic, making this one of the more impressive version of the hero in animated form. Newcomer Anthony Ruivivar makes a formidable voice actor for Batman (a role that many believe is owned by Kevin Conroy who voiced the dark knight for many years on the small screen, in direct to dvd films and even in video games).
I cannot say that you will love or hate this latest weekly Batman cartoon as it is so very strange and to be frank the animation style is a major hurdle. The entire episode felt more like a series of cut scenes from a video game ten years old. But that withstanding, I am in full approval of the new direction story wise and the inclusion of obscure and outlandish villains over the standard fare is a bold decision that the production staff should be applauded for.
Watch and judge for yourselves…
In addition to the new Batman, viewers this Saturday were treated to a surprisingly different take on the Amazon Princess.
DC Nation Short Preview; “Wonder Woman”
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns part one trailer
Back in the mid-1980’s, there were three books that reshaped the comic book landscape, impressing the media that had so long ignored it that funny books could be recognized as an art form. One of those books is The Dark Knight Returns, a dystopian tale of the caped crusader in a world that darkly mirrored our own. A broken and weak old man, Bruce Wayne is roused from his slumber by the call for justice as gangs of mutants seek to take over Gotham. Exhibiting a brutal form of violence more at home in a Charles Bronson vehicle, Miller’s comic showed many fans and reviewers a new edge to Batman, one that was much more disturbing than they were used to.
The long-awaited animated adaptation of Frank Miller’s 4 part story The Dark Knight Returns, is on its way. Batman is voiced by former Robocop star Peter Weller, a superb choice for his gravelly diction. Directed by Jay Oliva, written by Bob Goodman and executive produced by Sam Register and Bruce Timm (the same team behind many a DC animated project), the first part of this epic has a street date of September 25, 2012.
…it’s been a decade since Bruce Wayne hung up his cape, following most of the other superheroes who had been forced into retirement. Facing the downside of middle age, a restless Bruce Wayne pacifies his frustration with race cars and liquor – but the bat still beckons as he watches his city fall prey to gangs of barbaric criminals known as The Mutants.
The return of Harvey Dent as Two-Face finally prompts Wayne to once again don the Dark Knight’s cowl, and his dramatic capture of the villain returns him to crime-fighting – simultaneously making him the target of law enforcement and the new hope for a desolate Gotham City. Particularly inspired is a teenage girl named Carrie, who adopts the persona of Robin and ultimately saves Batman from a brutal attack by the Mutant leader. Armed with a new sidekick, and re-energized with a definitive purpose, the Dark Knight returns to protect Gotham from foes new…and old.
Batman The Brave and the Bold- Mitefall
Batman The Brave and the Bold- Mitefall
Episode 3.14
Batman has a long standing relationship with cartoons. From the days of the 1968 Batman/Superman Hour to the much vaunted award winning Bruce Timm-helmed Batman The Animated Series. Throughout Batman’s long association with animation, the character has undergone several interpretations ranging from the campy to the grimly dramatic. The latest cartoon version of the caped crusader has, in my opinion, been the most dynamic and far-reaching as it delved into the most absurd material one week and investigated some of the heaviest material ever the next. Teaming up with every superhero this side of the B’Wana Beast, Brave and the Bold has been a wild ride from start to finish, blending computer imagery and traditional animation into a colorful program the likes of which we will likely never see again.
All that said, it’s not to everyone’s liking, especially for the many fans that feel the cartoon life of the dark knight ended along with the Batman Animated Series. But the intention of Brave and the Bold is something entirely different from the Bruce Timm version. While the animated series explored the noirish world of crime, Brave and the Bold featured a hero who fought crime underwater, in space, throughout time and in other dimensions as well. This Batman was more of a cartoon character who broke the laws of logic whenever the adventure suited him.
Case in point, the opening of the final story Mitefall…
Batman and Abe Lincoln vs John Wilkes Booth
Batman The Brave and the Bold has run for three successful years with some really outrageously silly outings (“Invasion of the Secret Santas!”, “Invasion of the Secret Santas!”,”Crisis: 22,300 Miles Above Earth!”, and “Triumvirate of Terror!” come to mind) in addition to some impressive less-absurd adventures (“Dawn of the Dead Man!”, “Deep Cover for Batman!”/”Game Over for Owlman!”, “The Last Patrol!” and “The Siege of Starro!”) along with the stand out genius that is “Chill of the Night.” In “Chill of the Night,” Batman’s soul hangs in the balance as the Spectre and Dr Fate watch our hero hunt down the man responsible for his parents’ deaths, Joe Chill.
For the finale of Brave and the Bold, the 5th dimensional imp watches a goofy adventure where Batman and Aquaman are battling Gorilla Grodd at sea. Disappointed and bored with the cartoon that used to make his Friday evenings worth waiting for, Batmite wonders why the series can’t just be more like “Chill of the Night.” What he wants is a return to the dark and edgy Batman of the Bruce Timm animated series. In order for that to happen, though, Brave and the Bold has to be cancelled.
Batmite uses his strange reality-warping abilities to make Batman: The Brave and the Bold the worst cartoon ever made. Toy tie-ins, a precocious kid and an awful soundtrack are just the first steps into the awfulness, though.
Gleefully altering the program to by relocating the series from gritty streets of Gotham City to sunny surf of Malibu. Donning swimming trunks, the caped crusader hangs ten for justice along with Aquaman, Ace the Bat-Hound… and his puppy cousin bearing a not dissimilar resemblance to a certain other cartoon pup.
Enter the meddlesome Ambush Bug, a zany comic book character capable of breaking the 4th wall. Watching the demise of the Brave and the Bold at the gym (what gym shows that on their monitors instead of CNBC? I want a membership there!!), Ambush Bug can see where all of this is headed and implores Batmite to alter his plans. But it is too late, leading to a war between the two characters as Batmite steers the program toward doom with the super sonic bat-luge just as Ambush Bug tries to save it with senseless violence.
Despite the intervention of Ambush Bug, Batmite accomplishes his goal and Batman The Brave and the Bold is pulled from the screens. Too late, Batmite realizes that he too is doomed as his reality fades away, replaced by a computer generated action cartoon starring Batgirl.
Batgirl CGi trailer (spoof)
For all of the ‘meta-commentary’ the Batgirl trailer struck a particularly strong cord as the upcoming 2012 cartoon ‘Beware the Batman’ will be the first CGi Batman series. I’m not sure if the joke was meant to be so spot on or if it’s just a coincidence, but it felt incredibly ominous.
The final moments of the program are somber and bizarre as Batman joins a farewell party already in progress in the Batcave. The obscure heroes that he had teamed up with chat and clink glasses; Woozy Winks, Kamandi, the Metal Men, the Haunted Tank crew, OMAC, Prez Rickard, G’Nort and more are in attendance, harkening back to a time when DC Comics was a colorful and inventive world of possibilities.
While the heroes mingle, stagehands deflate the Bat-computer and fold away the backdrops. In a final post-modern moment, Batman thanks the viewers for watching and gives one last clamor for justice.
The last hoorah
Batman: The Brave and the Bold could be the most unwatched amazing cartoon ever made. While The Batman was an award-winning series, it still suffered from Bruce Timm fan backlash, but at least it was still an action series. Brave and the Bold was a madcap program that embraced the possibilities of cartoons and stretched Batman’s character into realms so absurd that Dick Sprang would think it weird. It was weird, brazen and new… and it’s gone.
How sad.
Missed out? Buy the series on DVD.
Batman: The Brave and the Bold - Season One, Part One
Batman: The Brave and the Bold - Season One, Part Two
Batman: Brave & The Bold - Season Two Part One
Batman The Brave and the Bold- Four Star Spectacular
Batman The Brave and the Bold- Four Star Spectacular
Episode 3.13
The final series of Batman The Brave and the Bold has been nothing short of astounding. The brakes are clearly off as the cartoon leads a mad foray into the realm of the absurd and uncanny. Featuring episodes with musical numbers, an international club of Jokers and even a team-up with Space Ghost, it is clear that nothing is too out of the ordinary. This week’s episode was an anthology-style adventure split between Adam Strange, the Flash, ‘Mazing Man and the Creature Commandos. Titled ‘Four Star Spectacular,’ this installment was a reference to the DC Comics mag from the late 70’s that featured an ever-changing line-up of heroes each time all in an over-sized book that was often difficult to fit in your back pocket.
In print, Four Star Spectacular was partly composed of reprint material but the animated homage was all new wall-to-wall action.
The first part starred Adam Strange, that star-faring Earthman who spends half of his life on the planet Rann, home of his beloved Alanna. Using the Zeta Beam, Strange is transported to Rann where he leads the life of an adventurer and hero to an alien culture. When the radiation wears off, he returns to his life on Earth. In ‘Worlds War,’ the bizarre Zeta Beam radiation that enables Adam Strange becomes a problem as it strikes random objects, transporting them to some foreign planet as he anxiously tries to reach Rann to celebrate his anniversary with Alanna. Finally hitching a ride on a Zeta Beam, Strange learns that the interplanetary pirate Kanjar Ro is attempting to use the beam to transport a bomb to Rann.
Picking up an ally in the unusual form of a puppy, Strange battles Ro across several alien worlds as they are transported via wild Zeta Beams, fists flying. In the end, the four legged friend defeats not only Kanjar Ro but serves as the ideal present for the shapely space vixen.
A celebration of the sci-fi comics of the 1950’s and 60’s, this installment was lots of fun. Oddly, it featured Batman only in a fleeting glimpse as the two planet-hopping combatants traversed the various realms of the cosmos. I quite like Adam Strange and this installment reminded me why he is so great. A few years ago, a magnificent modern take on the character surfaced by Andy Diggle and Pascal Ferry, but you can also enjoy the classics in a black and white Showcase Presents collection.
Adam Strange: Planet Heist
Showcase Presents: Adam Strange
I am a big fan of the scarlet speedster, so I was especially happy to see that the second part of the four star spectacular centered on Barry Allen, the Silver Age (and current) Flash. In ‘Double Jeopardy’ we see the dark knight facing the cur known as Captain Boomerang. Even enamored by the Batman’s batarangs, Captain Boomerang is a murderous foe and driven to kill Batman with his own signature weapon. Before the killing blow can land, the human whirlwind arrives, two minutes late.
Feeling the need to explain the lack of an instantaneous reaction, the Flash weaves a tale of his battle with the Mirror Master, the Scots version (created by Grant Morrison). I weep for comics fans who cannot appreciate the genius of the Flash as he has the most bizarre rogue’s gallery this side of Batman or Spider-Man. The Mirror Master has developed a new ‘gimmick’ that allows him to create solid mirror image doppelgangers which he sets against his ruby foe. In the midst of his battle, Abra Kadabra arrives from the far future, gleeful that he will soon bear witness to his arch enemy’s death. Showing Allen a newspaper from the future depicting the Flash’s death, it all seems to be set in stone.
The ‘inevitable death’ trick has been used in comics for ages, no matter what the discouraged modern fan thinks. In each case it is shown that death is inevitable and each time our hero evades the reaper’s grasp. This is no exception and a great homage to the writing stylings of Bob Haney, that mad architect of the B & B comic book series.
The Flash Archives, Vol. 1
The Flash by Geoff Johns Omnibus, Vol. 1
The third part of the four part omnibus stars a hero that I must admit ignorance of. I recall seeing ads for the ‘Mazing Man comic book but as it arrived at the pinnacle of grim 80’s comics, I had no interest in a wacky comedy series. Shame on me, really, as the animated version is lots of fun.
An addle-brained miniature superhero, ‘Mazing Man takes up cat sitting and nearly destroys the entire dwelling of his clients through the course of a single night. It’s straight-ahead vaudeville done with pitch perfect humor. I must learn more about this character.
My favorite moment could be when our hero wonders to himself what his idol Batman would do upon losing a cat and imagines the caped crusader freaking out like a loon.
Despite the high quality of the first three segments, the final part of this episode is by far the best as it involves the Creature Commandos (enjoying a Renaissance of sorts in the pages of Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E.). Targeting an island populated by dinosaurs, the Commandos fight a War that Time Forgot. A squad of experimental mutants, the Creature Commandos are a weird secret weapon in DC Comics’ WWII era. Criminally uncollected in any format, your only chance of reading about these characters is to hunt down the issues at a comic con or steal them online. Honestly, DC and readers alike are missing out on some big money by not collecting these rarities.
I’m sorry, but if a werewolf, vampire, gorgon and Frankenstein’s Monster versus dinosaurs doesn’t stoke your fire, you’re dead inside.
The segment gets more complex when Batman enters the fray against the body-swapping villain known as the Ultra-Humanite. Inhabiting the body of a T Rex, the Ultra-Humanite’s plan is to use mind control technology in a mad dream of world conquest. Using monster teamwork, the Commandos are able to strike a killer blow against the Ultra-Humanite’s plan, forcing him to reject his host body and crawl away like the brain in a jar that he is.
Showcase Presents: The War That Time Forgot
Frankenstein Agent of Shade #1
Immensely inventive, madly entertaining and unpredictable… there is no cartoon like Batman The Brave and the Bold. The world will be a poorer place when it concludes next week.
Quick review: Catwoman animated short
An added bonus on the Batman Year One DVD (review forthcoming), Warner Bros. released a short feature centered on that feline vigilante and vinyl fetishist, Catwoman. Catwoman is voiced by Eliza Dushku (of Joss Whedon fame) who fits the character so well that Warner Bros. would be mad to not pursue more animated projects in which she could reprise the role. The ideal blend of tough and sexy, this is how it is done.
Written by the legendary Paul Dini (of Batman the Animated Series and more) and directed by Lauren Montgomery, a veteran of several DC animated films, the story is rather straightforward but told in such a clever fashion that it holds the viewer’s attention throughout. On the trail of some gangsters led by Rough Cut (voiced by John DiMaggio). The trail leads to a seedy strip club where Rough Cut (whose teeth have been replaced with diamonds) tips the dancers with rough cut jewels. Catwoman takes the place of one of the dancers and proceeds to engage in the most adult content that I have ever seen in a DC-related animated product.
No, this is not a 'family friendly' cartoon
Disarming the thugs who think that she is just the next dancer (and dressed as she is, who wouldn’t mistake Catwoman for an erotic entertainer?), Catwoman unzips her catsuit and extrudes her bullwhip from within… one of the weirdest moments of fan fetish I have ever seen. That costume may look skin-tight but apparently it is like Doctor Who’s TARDIS and has inner dimensions that far exceed the outward appearance. Using her whip and her feline grace, Catwoman brutally beats the thugs and takes on Rough Cut single-handedly. The violence is very extreme and definitely indicates that DC Entertainment are interested in pursuing a more ‘adult’ path in their releases.
The battle extends to the streets of Gotham where Rough Cut takes off in his limo and Catwoman gives chase on a stolen motorcycle. The chase finally ends at the docks where, if anything, the action gets more extreme and there are explosions aplenty. The animation is incredibly fluid and the action spread out with cinematic flair. Neither too short or drawn out, the feature is well-timed. I had no real anticipation for this short but it really delivers the goods and should make fans hungry for more. This is exactly where DC should be putting their attention in developing their properties for mass consumption as they have always excelled in animation.
I am more than a little concerned with the attraction of extreme violence and titillation, as the Catwoman short dances the fine line of appropriate material. I can’t understand why there cannot be a Catwoman cartoon suitable for young women instead of old dudes for instance. She’s one of their most beloved characters and deserves a more approachable product. Since Julie Newmar purred her way into the living rooms of America in the 1966 Batman TV series, Catwoman has been a sexy character. The modern interpretation presents Catwoman as not only lovely to look at but dangerous and determined to boot.
An exemplary animated feature, the Catwoman short sets a high water mark for the character that should have Anne Hathaway sweating in her high heel boots.
Sneak Peek of Batman: Year One animated film
Based on the 1987 storyline by Frank Miller and David Mazzuchelli that ran through four issues of Detective Comics, the latest DCU animated feature is a very dark shade of film noir. Set in the early days of Bruce Wayne’s career as Batman, it portrays his awkward first steps toward becoming the world’s greatest crime fighter. As Wayne returns to his home city after traveling the globe to learn the skills he will need in order to combat the forces of evil, a young Jim Gordon also arrives with his wife and daughter, unsure of what to make of the big city.
Batman: Year One is a story about the relationship between Gordon and Wayne, but it also looks at the germination of the strange world of colorful madmen and women who later populate its streets. A brutal exploration of urban decay and political corruption, it is also a thrilling adventure and gripping drama. Even speaking as someone who is tired to tears at seeing yet another animated Batman feature, this should make for a fantastic film.
Once again the voice cast is all new for these characters with Bryan Cranston (AMC’s Breaking Bad) as Jim Gordan (before he was a Commissioner), Ben McKenzie (the OC, Southland) as Batman and Eliza Dushku as Catwoman. Battlestar Galactica’s Katie Sackhoff will star as the voice of Detective Sarah Essen, who becomes intimately involved with Jim Gordon as he finds himself embroiled in the dark under belly of Gotham City’s police department.
Batman: Year One will be released direct to DVD in the autumn, but fans will get an early glimpse when it makes its world premiere at the San Diego Comic-Con next month. The DVD will also feature a Catwoman animated short.
The Batman finale: Lost Heroes
I just received this info from KidsWB! regarding the special ‘movie length’ series finale to The Batman.
Looks like the alien menace that brought this version of the Justice League together has returned!
“The Batman” closes its fifth and final season with “The Batman: Lost
Heroes” at 11:00 a.m. ET/PT. In the special TV movie, the most
powerful members of the Justice League are abducted one-by-one.
Batman, Robin and Green Arrow discover the mystery surrounding their
disappearance – The Joining has returned with some earthly villainous
assistance, and has transferred the Justice League powers into alien
androids. It’s up to Batman, Robin and Green Arrow to help their JL
friends regain their powers and prevent an alien invasion. The
one-hour special includes appearances by Green Lantern, Hawkman,
Flash, Superman, Green Arrow, Toyman, Mirror Master, Dr. Hugo Strange and The Joining. The film is written by Stan Berkowitz and Alexx Van Dyne, and directed by John Fang and Vinton Heuck.
I’m very sad to see this program go, but it has accomplished so much in such a short amount of time. In five years, The Batman has re-introduced the Rogues Gallery, a new and much more youthful Robin, Batgirl and as a hat trick the entire Justice League of America.
A series that has gone unnoticed by some Batman fans, The Batman has come under fire for not being the Bruce Timm Batman The Animated Series. It’s unfortunate that some comic book fans have avoided this excellent award winning program for such a silly reason because it’s really very good. Hopefully those reluctant to watch the series on TV will catch it on DVD.
The Daily P.O.P. 