Batman: Gotham by Gaslight is my new favorite of the DCU original animated films. It takes the original source and changes it to make for a better cartoon movie, emphasizing atmosphere over plot (although the story is full of twists, keeping my attention throughout). I previously posted the trailer and plot description, but the high concept is simple: Steampunk Batman fights Jack the Ripper. However, there are a number of deviations from the original comic (which was retroactively called the […]

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has announced the next original animated DC universe movie. Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay will be available on April 10 on Blu-ray Combo Pack, 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack, and DVD with an earlier digital release on March 27. The Suicide Squad have previously been animated in Batman: Assault on Arkham, but that was set in the videogame universe and had a different voice cast. This won’t be your typical cartoon, as Warner warns “Suicide […]

Watching the sneak peek for Batman: Gotham by Gaslight on the Batman and Harley Quinn disc made me anticipate it more than I have any of the original DC universe animated films in a while. Comic fans know the story, originally told as an Elseworlds by Brian Augustyn and‎ the well-chosen Mike Mignola: a steampunk Batman chases Jack the Ripper. Here’s the plot description provided by the studio: Batman: Gotham By Gaslight takes place at the turn of the century […]

This 72-minute sequel to Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders is a blast to watch but kind of a mess if you stop and think about it. So, in that way, Batman vs. Two-Face is faithful to the original 1960s Batman TV show inspiration. It was wonderfully nostalgic to again hear Adam West as Batman, although it made me melancholy, since this was his last film role. Who else, though, could do a scene where the hero is “dating” Catwoman […]

We were thrilled to get a copy of the recent re-release of the animated film Justice League: The New Frontier. The Commemorative Edition came in a gorgeous steelbook (see pictures below) and added a new featurette, “Retro Action Cool: The Story of Darwyn Cooke”, which we were eager to see. (The studio, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, provided me with a free review copy of this Blu-ray edition. My opinions below are mine, obviously.) That remembrance featurette consists of Mark Chiarello, […]

I didn’t see the need to ever rewatch Batman and Harley Quinn after seeing it in the theater, but someone wanted to keep the collection of DC original animated movies complete, so we picked up the home video release. Just to fill out my coverage, here’s a brief rundown of the special features on the Blu-ray. The main extra is the 21-minute “The Harley Effect”, a history of the character’s origin and motivations with creators Paul Dini and Bruce Timm. […]

Thanks to a pass from Fathom Events, I saw the new DCU original animated film, Batman and Harley Quinn, on the big screen. Which makes it the first one I’ve watched all the way through without distraction. It only aired for one night, but in future (because I imagine there will be additional releases of this type), if you’re interested in the movie, I recommend that approach, particularly if, like me, your attention is susceptible to wander to the internet. […]

Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders, the original animated movie featuring Adam West voicing the 1960s version of the hero, has a follow-up coming, and it’s got an astounding guest star. William Shatner will be playing the other title character in Batman vs. Two-Face, out in October. West and Shatner previously worked together in a pilot for a 1963 TV show, Alexander the Great, that wasn’t picked up. This is one of West’s last roles, as he passed away in […]