Synopsis: Another night falls over Gotham City and with the darkness out crawls the crime and villainy from the shadows. The days of The Batman and other noble super heroes are but faded memories; violence and despair are now the harbingers of our time. But one event will set a change into motion: when Harvey "Two-Face" Dent shuns a former rehabilitated life for a descent into corruption, an aged and weathered Bruce Wayne dons the mark and cape once more. With a stellar voice cast headed by Peter Weller, Ariel Winter and David Shelby, this gritty DC Comics legend comes to life with unforgettable battles, thrilling chases and the promise of a better tomorrow for humanity, because there is nowhere for criminals to hide when the Dark Knight returns.

Blu-ray Bonus Features
• Standard and high definition versions of the feature film
• UltraViolet™ Download
• Sneak Peak at Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2, the next DC Universe Animated Original Movie
• Featurette – “Her Name is Carrie … Her Role is Robin” – Experience the role of Robin, through the eyes of a female warrior.
• Featurette – “Batman and Me: The Bob Kane Story” – A documentary comprehensively chronicling the remarkable life of the creator of Batman.
• Two bonus episodes from Batman: The Animated Series handpicked by producer Alan Burnett: Two-Face, Parts 1 and 2
• Digital Comic – “Batman: The Dark Knight Returns” (digital comic with cover art and three full comic pages)

Two-Disc Special Edition DVD Bonus Features
• Sneak Peak at Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2, the next DC Universe Animated Original Movie
• Featurette – “Batman and Me: The Bob Kane Story” – A documentary comprehensively chronicling the remarkable life of the creator of Batman.
• Two bonus episodes from Batman: The Animated Series handpicked by producer Alan Burnett: Two-Face, Parts 1 and 2

Single-Disc DVD Bonus Features
• Sneak Peak at Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2, the next DC Universe Animated Original Movie

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part One Blu-ray Review
by James Harvey

Following the trend of previous DC Universe Animated Original Movie Blu-ray releases, Warner Home Video has given Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part One a solid presentation, but a mixed bag when it comes to extras. The Blu-ray Combo packs come with Blu-ray, DVD, and Ultraviolent copies of the movie.

The audio/video presentation is, of course, very excellent. It’s not perfect, but up to the standards of previous DC Universe Animated Original Movie releases. The video is pretty crisp, but there is some color banding that pops in from time to time. Nothing to obtrusive or really distracting. The same can be said for the occasional macroblocking flare. The DTS-HD MA 5.1 English track is gets a great workout courtesy thanks to the rousing score and bombastic action sequences. The sharp stings of violence tend to pop. While the audio is center-based, the film will give your complete entertainment system a healthy workout.

Moving on to the bonus content, there is a wealth of repeated material mixed in with some new content. Great inclusions are the two Batman: The Animated Series episodes “Two-Face, Part One” and “Two-Face, Part Two,” the Carrie-Kelly/Robin-centric featurette, and a preview of the conclusion to the two-part The Dark Knight Returns adaptation. Also worth noting is the digital preview of The Dark Knight Returns, offering a lengthy look at the original source material. The “Her Name is Carrie … Her Role is Robin” featurette takes a look at the character and women in comics, making for an interesting (though too brief) exploration of the subject. A great extra that runs far too short.

That is essentially it for bonus content. Also included in this release is the Batman & Me: The Bob Kane Story featurette, previously included on the Batman: Gotham Knight home video release. A puzzling and frankly disappointing inclusion that makes me hope that more extensive bonus material is coming for the Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part Two home video release. Given how iconic and important The Dark Knight Returns was to comics and the character, there must be more in the works. There has to be.

Overall, it’s a solid release and Blu-ray is the right avenue to go about getting the best edition of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part One. If you don’t want the bonus content, grab the film via legal download or OnDemand and wait for the inevitable re-release with Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part One and Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part Two sandwiched together. But, if you need to have it now – like many of us Batfans – pick up the Blu-ray title and enjoy the overall fine release. With a solid, albeit not perfect, main feature and a smattering of bonus material, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part One comes Recommended on Blu-ray.