Official Synopsis: Batman is the only super hero who started with
a purpose, then sacrificed everything in order to develop the human
powers to fulfill that purpose. Kids admire his unequaled fighting
skills and his equipment and vehicles.
Batman: The Complete Animated Series DVD Review
by James Harvey
The Feature: With the holidays around the corner and Batman still on the lips of
countless consumers, Warner Home Video is jumping on the bandwagon and
releasing an elaborate collection of the entire Batman: The Animated
Series run, from the very first episode to the very last. It's a
smart idea and, for those fans who may have passed up the original
volume releases of Batman: The Animated Series, they now have a
great looking box set to put on their shelves. But, is it a good deal?
Well, we'll look into that once we get the standard synopsis out of the
way.
When two shots rang out, Bruce Wayne's life changed forever. He pledged
himself to justice, and he held that oath for years. Wearing many names
- the Dark Knight, the World's Greatest Detectives, the Caped Crusader
and Gotham's Greatest Hero - he battled tragic foes like The Joker,
Penguin, Mr. Freeze and so many more. But deep inside, he knew that he
shared something with them that most of humanity wouldn't understand - a
commitment to the fight. The acclaimed, Emmy-winning TV series redefined
this complex man as an edgy hero struggling for revenge and redemption
each time he donned the cape and cowl, and this Comprehensive 17-Disc
DVD Batman: The Complete Animated Series collection contains
every episode, with all the allies, criminals and showdowns in Batman's
history.
Since this review is primarily on the DVD release itself, and the new
content it contains, this part of the review will be brief. What else is
there to say about Batman: The Animated Series? Whether you're a
comic fan or not, an animation fan or not, it's hard to ignore how
revolutionary this series was. It completely changed the face of
animation as we know it. It was a series that not only refused to speak
down to younger viewers, it also kick-started a multi-series continuity
that fans still rabidly follow to this day. It was a monumental series,
one that is still acknowledged as one of the best cartoons ever created
to this day. And it should be, too. The series is just that good. And,
to be honest, I could go on and on about how great this series is. I
truly could!
But, I'll spare you all that. I mean if you look at my other work, such
as the The World's Finest website for example, that should tell you what
my thoughts are on this series. But, still, I'll say a few more words
before moving onto the reason why everyone is reading this review - the
actual DVD release.
Batman: The Animated Series was one of those rare occurrences
where everything just went right. Sure, some of the early episodes are
uneven, and there is the occasional bad episode, but, for the most part,
everything went right here. The writing, the directing, the acting, the
designs, all of it. It all came together like no other animated series
before it, and is still inspiring other cartoons to this day. This show
effectively nailed why Batman...was Batman. Like nothing else before it,
even the comics, this stripped away all the garbage from the character
and just left the gold. And we got gold. The fans knew it and the
critics knew it. The best way to describe this series, I suppose, is
that it...well...it was Batman.
And this collection celebrates that. The complete Batman: The
Animated Series is truly something that everyone, and I mean
everyone, should check out. I'm sure they'll be pleasantly surprised by
what they see. It has writing that equals, and usually surpasses,
anything found in prime-time, or even on the big screen. Episodes like
"Heart Of Ice," "Two-Face," "Mad Love," "Over The Edge," and "The
Demon's Quest," among many, many others, are testaments to how
brilliantly the creative team handled this series. Nearly every episode
has something positive to offer the viewer. Yes, there's some weak
episodes, such as "Cat Scratch Fever" and "Moon of the Wolf," but those
can be easily forgiven when you stumble across an episode such as
"Dreams In Darkness" or "Robin's Reckoning." I think it goes without
saying that Batman: The Animated Series is a definite Must
Own and is something that everyone, absolutely everyone, should see.
The DVD:
Now, this is the part of the review that everyone, well the majority of
readers here, are concerned about. Warner Home Video has released
Batman: The Complete Animated Series in an elaborate collectible
box set, and, well, fans will be very proud to have something like this
on their shelves.
So, let's start on the outside and work our way in. Batman: The
Complete Animated Series comes in a rather sturdy black cardboard
case, which itself is covered with a transparent plastic sleeve. The
plastic sleeve features a couple images of Batman, plus the name of the
collection, with a rundown of the contents on a piece of paper
soft-glued to the back. Once you remove the plastic sleeve and open the
black casing, the contents are housed safely inside. First up is the
40-page booklet, featuring a written introduction by Alan Burnett and a
massive amount of production artwork. Now, some of the artwork in here
was previously featured in the acclaimed Batman: Animated
coffee-table book, but there's also a lot of new artwork to be found,
including model sheets, character expressions, and beautiful background
paintings. The booklet also contains information on each disc included
in the set.
And the discs? The disc count is 17, which amounts to one new disc and
16 discs already available in the individual Batman: The Animated
Series multi-disc volume releases. These discs are exactly identical
to the previous Batman: The Animated Series multi-disc volume
releases. Every single thing. Menus, extras, disc art, the date stamp,
the transfers, all of it, so there's no need to revisit those. In fact,
these are the discs from the previous multi-disc volume releases,
since some of them still have the old classic "DC Bullet" from their
original releases on both the disc art and menu systems. These are the
exact same discs, so for those who bought the previous multi-disc sets,
you won't get anything new here. These discs are housed in two
transparent double-sized Amaray cases, each with extra-hinge flaps to
hold the 17 total discs. The only real new content is the exclusive
bonus disc included here and the 40-page booklet.
And, well, for those buying Batman: The Complete Animated Series
for this new exclusive disc, you may want to think twice. The new
Shades of the Bat: Batman's Animated Evolution documentary
included on the disc is a roughly 23 minute look at Batman in animation,
from past to present day. The documentary covers everything, from the
character's early days in Superfriends up to The Batman.
As you can imagine, the majority of the documentary is spent on
Batman: The Animated Series, though it does mention some notable
animated appearances through the character's animated history. And that
is the main extra on the exclusive bonus disc, one which doesn't cover
any real new ground. Sure, it's nice to see animation historians and
talent discussing how important Batman: The Animated Series was,
but there's no new ground really covered here.
The rest of the extras are essentially trailers. Batman: Gotham
Knight - An Anime Evolution is the extended trailer from the
Justice League: The New Frontier DVD release. After that, we get
the same A First Look At Justice League: The New Frontier
featurette from the Superman Doomsday DVD release, followed up by
the Wonder Woman Sneak Peek featurette from the recent Batman:
Gotham Knight release. After all of that, we get more trailers,
including one for Superman Doomsday and another for the The
Dark Knight DVD release. Essentially, the only new extra is the
Shades of the Bat: Batman's Animated Evolution documentary and
the 40 page booklet. That's not a lot of new material to entice those
who've already purchased the previous Batman: The Animated Series
multi-disc releases.
So, when you head out to vote on Tuesday, November 4th, 2008 (Please
vote!), is Batman: The Complete Animated Series worth picking up
on the way home? Now, this is where I'm torn. I personally believe this
is a show that belongs an everyones collection, Batman-fan or not. The
storytelling and artistry is something that is unrivaled even today.
However, the new content exclusive to this release may not be worth the
double-dip for those who already own the multi-disc DVD Volumes #1 - 4
of Batman: The Animated Series. With less than an hour of new DVD
footage and a forty-page booklet, it's hard to justify the over $100
price tag. It's a really great collection, but it's hard to blindly
recommend it with that high price-point. However, the price of this
collection is less expensive than buying all four volume multi-disc
releases of Batman: The Animated Series, so, to those who haven't
bought any of the Batman: The Animated Series DVD releases, or
just one of them, this release is worth it.
So, is this a product worth recommending? Yes and no. For those who
already own the four volume multi-disc releases of Batman: The
Animated Series, this is something you can either skip, or wait to
purchase at a low price point. For those who have yet to buy any
Batman: The Animated Series DVD releases, this is a Must
Own. With the collection selling for upwards of $30 less than the
SRP, this is quite a steal. Plus, you get every single episode of
Batman: The Animated Series, a nice helping of commentaries and
featurettes, and some material exclusive to the Batman: The Complete
Animated Series release. So, just to repeat, to those
dollar-conscious fans who already own Batman: The Animated Series
on DVD, it's safe to skip this release. But, to those who haven't added
Batman: The Animated Series to your collection, now is the
perfect chance. Batman: The Complete Animated Series is a
comprehensive collection of famed animated series, a collection worth
adding to your collection.
Batman: The Complete Animated Series DVD Review
By Zach Demeter
The Feature:
Widely considered to be the greatest animated series of all time, Batman:
The Animated Series came about via a perfect storm of happenings at
the time. A darker Batman was on the screen courtesy of Tim Burton, Fox
wanted a show that appealed to more than just kids and Warner Bros. gave
the producers complete control over the show in terms of the stories
they wanted to tell. Never before has a show been given such freedom to
breathe and as a result one of the most critically acclaimed and Emmy
award winning animated series of all time was born.
When the two shots rang out, Bruce Wayne's life changed forever. He
pledged himself to justice, and he held that oath for years. Wearing
many names - the Dark Knight, the World's Greatest Detective, the Caped
Crusader and Gotham's Greatest Hero-he battled tragic foes like The
Joker, Penguin, Mr. Freeze and so many more. But deep inside, he knew
that he shared something with them that most of humanity wouldn't
understand-a commitment to the fight. The acclaimed, Emmy-winning TV
series redefined this complex man as an edgy hero struggling for revenge
and redemption each time he donned the cape and cowl, and this
Comprehensive 17-Disc DVD collection contains every episode, with all
the allies, criminals and showdowns in Batman's history.
How great it is that Warner Home Video themselves wrote the above
description? I've known as a fan of the show how brilliant it was, but
with the sometimes strange packaging that the series received over the
four volumes released, I wondered how seriously Warner was taking their
own product. Now with Batman once again on the screen with an
emotionally moving film, the series gets shoved into the spotlight once
more and as before, the fans benefit from it.
It seems almost a moot point to review this series at this point in
time. Anyone who has been visiting this site for awhile will no doubt
remember the drastic conversion that went on here through the years, as
we attempted to redefine The World's Finest into the premiere DC
Animated resource. With each passing year my time spent on the website
became greater and greater and it's safe to say I spent almost the
entirety of my teen years sculpting the site into the behemoth it
currently is. It was all because of my love of Batman and of this show
that I had the patience to spend so much time on it and to this day this
series that started it all remains at the top of my favorite series
list. You'll be hard pressed to find an animation fan who doesn't hold
this series in high regard, but for me it was something I grew up with
as a child and is something I can continue to enjoy into my adult years.
You can't say that about many other animated series-by now the majority
have deteriorated and begun to show their age, yet Batman: The
Animated Series stands out from the pack.
Of course I'd be delusional if I said that every moment of this series
was gold. There were quite a few stumbling blocks along the way, as well
as some of the worst stories in all of animation (The Terrible Trio
is something I don't particularly care to see again…ever). But for its
flaws, the series is remembered due to fantastic episodes like the Emmy
winning Heart of Ice and the first episode of the series, On
Leather Wings, which remains one of the most beautifully animated
episodes of all time.
As wonderful as Batman: The Animated Series was, however, it was
the fourth volume of the set, The New Batman Adventures that I
grew up with and as a result that volume remains my favorite of the set.
I simply love the new designs and inclusion of a younger Robin into the
mix and I could probably go on forever about how much I love that
series. No doubt there are those that disagree with me, but for the
combination of nostalgia and just how genuinely well written the fourth
volume is, that's where the majority of my favorites reside.
No matter which volume you gravitate toward, you won't be amiss on any
of them. The 109 episodes included here, running nearly forty-hours in
length, are simply some of the strongest examples of animation from the
90s you'll ever find. While modern animation has graduated onto digital
coloring and plates, Batman: The Animated Series is a key example
of animation done in the old style, complete with cel dirt and small
animation glitches in all. Must See.
The DVD:
Those who were around a few years ago may remember murmurs of a
"complete series" set in production back shortly after Volume 4
was released. This release eventually disappeared from the release
schedules and was all but forgotten until Warner Home Video dropped the
bomb on us back in July that we'd be seeing the complete series set on
DVD in November. Just in time for Christmas, this Complete Series set
would include all four of the volumes as well as a bonus seventeenth
disc with an small amount of new extras. On top of that would be a
40-page collector's book containing never-before-seen production
artwork, all packaged in a handsome cardboard box. I scoffed at the idea
of this set at first, until I actually laid hands on it.
As someone who
begrudgingly lived with the four previous volumes sometimes goofy
artwork selections, this set was exactly what I wanted all along in
terms of packaging. A fantastic shot of Batman against a city backdrop,
and underneath a matte black cardboard box with a black gloss shot of
Batman that was used as the end credits logo for so many episodes. For
those who have the cash, it's worth it just to upgrade to this new set
just for the packaging-obviously if you're a casual fan that's a bit
excessive, but if you're like me the packaging may be enough to tip you
in favor of this set.
Inside the box are the two cases, housing eight discs in one and nine
discs in another, courtesy of a swinging tray system, while the booklet
rests on top of the two cases. The disc art is the same as the
individual releases and disc content is identical. Video and audio
quality is what you'd expect from an older series, with some of the
later volumes looking pretty damn good in terms of clarity. The twelve
episode commentaries and eight featurettes also return, so there are
plenty of extras to check out if you haven't picked up the individual
releases previously.
For those who have, then you're still in for a few new goodies. The
seventeenth disc contains an all new featurette titled Shadow of the
Bat: Batman's Animated Evolution (22:50). It covers everything from
the Filmation era up to Gotham Knight and features interviews
with Timm, Dini, Radomski, Burnett and a handful of other talent that
have been involved with the animated Bat incarnations over the years.
When I first heard about this extra I thought it was just some fluff
piece they threw together from old interview footage, but they actually
seem to have commissioned some new talking heads for this one and for
that alone I have to give Warner credit. It's not an amazing bonus, but
worth checking out if and when you pick up this set. The remaining
extras on the seventeenth disc are the previews for Gotham
Knight, New Frontier, and Wonder Woman, which we've
seen on the previous DC Universe DTV releases.
Overall Batman: The Complete Animated Series comes Highly
Recommended if you don't already own the previous releases. If you
do own them and are a big fan of the series then I'd still look into
picking this release up. You could sell off the previous volumes on eBay
and recoup nearly enough to purchase the new set by itself, so you
wouldn't lose much by trading up-and the awesome packaging and new
featurette is worth the hassle, I think. |