The latest original DCU animated movie is Justice League vs. Teen Titans, and it does what it says on the tin. It also tries to do more, which is admirable, but I thought its reach exceeded its grasp. There’s just too much in this movie for it to be called a success, although a lot of what they were trying to do I wanted to see. I’m talking mostly about the generational themes. This is the first appearance of the […]

Well, it’s a one-night-only special, but Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and Fathom Events will be running the upcoming original animated film Batman: The Killing Joke in selected US theaters on Monday, July 25, 2016, at 7:30 and 10 PM (local time). The “social screening event … will include exclusive-to-the-evening presentations before and after the film rolls.” The movie can be bought on Digital HD the next day, or on Blu-ray or DVD a couple of weeks later. The special features […]

Warner Bros. has now released more details for the upcoming Batman: The Killing Joke original animated movie. They previously discussed the film’s R rating, but now we have a release date, extras listing, and cover art. The Blu-ray combo pack (list price $24.98) will be available along with the single DVD edition (list price $19.98) on August 2, with the Digital HD version debuting July 26. In addition, there’s a Blu-ray Deluxe Edition (list price $29.96) that adds to the […]

The DC Universe original animated movies, over the nine years the line has run, have often featured violent scenes (and the occasional bad word or sexual implication) that firmly put them in PG-13 territory. Just because these are cartoons doesn’t mean they’re for kids. However, this is a new milestone, one of questionable significance. Batman: The Killing Joke will be released as part of the DCUOA line later this year, and the MPAA has given it an R rating. Warner […]

Batman: Bad Blood opens with action, as Batwoman (voiced by Yvonne Strahovski) is battling a gang that includes Firefly and Killer Moth. Unlike Batman (Jason O’Mara), she uses guns, which to the Dark Knight’s eyes makes her just like the villains they battle, so he wants her out of his city. Conveniently, she’s immediately captured by the bad guys. He rescues her but is presumed deceased in a following explosion. This isn’t a spoiler. This is the first five minutes […]

The next original DC Universe animated movie has been announced as Justice League vs. Teen Titans, which “welcomes the Teen Titans to the ever-expanding canon of classic DC Comics characters”. As expected from a Titans project, the big bad is Trigon, who’s possessed the Justice League, causing them to fight the younger heroes. Here’s the official plot description: When Damian’s over-aggressive tendencies almost destroy a Justice League mission, he is sent to learn teamwork by training alongside the Teen Titans. […]

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has announced that the next DCU original animated movie will be Batman: Bad Blood. It’s coming out on Blu-ray and DVD on February 2, 2016, with the digital HD version available a month earlier, on January 19. This was the film previewed on Justice League: Gods & Monsters this past summer. The story involves Batman going missing, so it will require “the entire Bat ‘family’ — including new additions Batwoman and Batwing — to keep the […]

Justice League: Gods & Monsters is the best of the DC original animated movies in a long while. That’s because it’s fresh. It’s based on an original story by Bruce Timm and Alan Burnett, two creators who know what they’re doing, and the result is that you don’t know every plot beat before it happens. That kept me interested, even if the film was more violent than I usually like my cartoon superheroes. I liked the revamped takes on the […]