Batman: Hush Home Entertainment Release
Studio: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
Release Date: July 29, 2019 – Digital; August 6, 2019 – 4K Blu-ray, Blu-ray; DC Universe Streaming Service – August 13, 2019
Synopsis: A mysterious villain puppeteering Gotham’s most dangerous forces leads the Dark Knight into uncharted waters in Batman: Hush, the animated adaptation of the acclaimed DC Comics graphic novel. This DC Universe Movie entry is produced by Warner Bros. Animation and DC, and is available through Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.
Batman: Hush Enhanced Content
Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack and Digital
–DC Showcase: Sgt. Rock (Animated Short) – From executive producer and director Bruce Timm comes the first new DC Showcase animated short since 2011’s Catwoman, bringing DC Comics’ gritty World War II hero to animated life in an all-new adventure.
-Batman: Love in Time of War (Featurette)– Dangerous. Seductive. Villain. Hero. This is the story of Selina Kyle and the relationship she has forged with the world’s greatest detective.
-Audio Commentary – Executive Producer James Tucker, Director Justin Copeland and screenwriter Ernie Altbacker share their thoughts and insights on Batman: Hush.
-A Sneak Peek at the next DC Universe Movie, Wonder Woman: Bloodlines – An advanced look at the next animated film in the popular DC Universe Movies collection.
-From the DC Vault –The Batman/Superman Hour: “The Underworld Underground Caper””
-From the DC Vault – The Batman/Superman Hour: “Partners in Peril”
Batman: Hush 4K Ultra HD Blu-Ray Review
by James Harvey
Offering up the expected bonus features alongside a solid 4k transfer and audio mix, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment brings Batman: Hush to home media in both physical and digital formats. For those looking to get this movie in its best possible presentation, look no further than the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release, as it offers up arguably the best home media package for the DC Universe Movie title.
Looking at the film’s audio and video transfer, the quality offers really no new surprises for those familiar with the DC Universe Movie titles. In terms of video, the colors really pop thanks to the HDR encoding. The transfer also appears to be mostly free of macroblocking and color banding, though some appears visible on occasion due to some very dark scenes, though it’s nothing really distracting to the eye. For audio, it’s another well-balanced DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 transfer. The track nicely balances the quieter dialogue moments with the varied action beats, of which there are plenty. Nicely balanced, crisp and clear. Between the three releases observed for this review – 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray and Digital, the physical 4K release is the best possible presentation. That said, the regular Blu-ray and Digital editions of Batman: Hush offer up perfectly fine audio and video transfers for those interested in purchasing the film in those respective formats.
Much like the movie’s presentation, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has done a solid job with the bonus content for Batman: Hush. Not only do we get the usual content we’ve come to expect from these titles – some featurettes, a commentary, some bonus episodes, but we also get something a little extra – a DC Showcase animated short! Batman: Hush includes a roughly 15-minute short featuring Sgt. Rock and the Creature Commandos!
The DC Showcase Sgt. Rock animated short is, hands down, a fantastic piece of work. The story is pretty basic, but it’s still a riveting watch thanks to the short’s interesting setting and engaging characters. The animation for this short is stunning and is easily some of the best we’ve seen on a DC Universe Movie release. The short is directed and executive produced by Bruce Timm, written by Louise Simonson and Walter Simonson and Tim Sheridan, with character designs led by Kevin Nowland and scored by Dynamic Music Partners. The talent on this short is incredible and the final product is pretty fantastic. Give this short a watch as soon as you’re done with Batman: Hush.
For more on Sgt. Rock, click here.
Moving on, Executive Producer James Tucker, Director Justin Copeland and screenwriter Ernie Altbacker join together for the the film’s commentary track and return a fairly interesting listen. The participants discuss how they leaned more into the romance between Batman and Catwoman as the drive for the story as opposed to the Hush’s mysterious identity, discussed the changes they made – big or small – and why they made them and how tricky it was to do that for a movie that essentially will have two very different audiences – those who have read the source material and those who haven’t. They also talk about material they cut, the homages and references littered throughout the movie and, courtesy of Copeland, which storyboard artists worked on which sequences. They cover a lot of ground in the track, so fans will definitely be able to pull some neat bits of information from the commentary.
Up next, the “Batman: Love in Time of War” featurette is a great look at Batman and Catwoman’s relationship, exploring the history of this fan-favorite pairing from the very beginning up to modern day. The featurette, which includes interviews with assorted animation and comic book pros along with acedemics, also delves a little into the production of Batman: Hush and it’s creative decision to put these two characters at the forefront. Fans of Catwoman will definitely be pleased with this nifty bonus feature, as it breaks down why she’s such an important character, her impact on Batman and why these two just shine together.
The disc is wrapped up with a preview of the next DC Universe Movie title, Wonder Woman: Bloodlines, two bonus episodes from the vintage The Batman/Superman Hour animated series, along with a selection of trailers and additional copies of the film in regular Blu-ray and Digital formats. Please note the bonus content for the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release of Batman: Hush is on the regular Blu-ray disc.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has put together a nice package of bonus features that fans of both Batman: Hush and the characters themselves will undoubtedly enjoy. With an informative commentary, a nifty featurette which looks into the long, complicated history between Batman and Catwoman, plus an absolutely top-notch Sgt. Rock DC Showcase animated short, there’s nearly two hours of extras worth sinking your teeth into. Toss in another solid video and audio transfer for the movie itself, and it all adds up to a worthwhile addition to anyone’s collection. For fans looking to watch Batman: Hush in the best possible format, the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release is unquestionably the way to go. Recommended!
Please note Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided The World’s Finest with a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray copy of Batman: Hush to review, but that had no bearing on the product’s final assessment. The author did purchase a copy of the film on iTunes for completion and comparison purposes.
[ Continue on to the Batman: Hush Feature review ]