HBO Max has announced that Batman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond and Green Lantern: The Animated Series, among many other titles, will be joining the streaming service starting January 1, 2021. HBO Max is an American-based subscription video on demand streaming service from AT&T’s Warner Media, which owns publisher DC Comics and its characters.
Warner Media confirms that all 109 episodes of Batman: The Animated Series will be available, as will all 52 episodes of Batman Beyond and 26 episodes of Green Lantern: The Animated Series. Also confirmed is the addition of Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. HBO Max previously added Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, Batman & Mr. Freeze: Sub-Zero, Batman & Harley Quinn back in July 2020, with Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman also recently added to the service’s library. The majority of the DC Comics-based animated content coming to HBO Max was previously available on the DC Universe streaming service, which is in the process of switching over to a comics-exclusive streaming platform starting January 2021.
Additional related titles coming January 2021 to HBO Max include the DC Showcase Batman: Death in the Family interactive animated short, the CW Seed Vixen animated series, and the DC Universe Movie titles Batman: Bad Blood, Batman: Hush, Justice League Dark: Apokolips War, Superman: Doomsday and Superman: Man of Tomorrow. HBO Max has been regularly adding DC Comics-based animated and live-action content since it launched May 27, 2020, including porting over content from the DC Universe service such as the Harley Quinn and Young Justice animated series. More content – both new and classic – is slated to be added to the service in 2021 and beyond.
Additionally, The Batman is slated to join the streaming service starting February 15, 2021. All 65 episodes plus the series’ spin-off feature will be available.
HBO Max and Warner Media have provided program descriptions for Batman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond and Green Lantern: The Animated Series, all of which are available below:
Batman: The Animated Series
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 collection contains every episode, with all the allies, criminals and showdowns in Batman’s history.
Batman Beyond
Terry McGinnis was just an ordinary teenager…until his father was mysteriously murdered. Suspecting foul play at his father’s company Wayne/Powers Corporation, Terry meets Bruce Wayne and learns a secret identity hidden for decades. Now too old to battle injustice, Wayne refuses to help. So Terry does what any brash young kid would do: steal the Batsuit and take matters into his own hands! Vowing to avenge his father’s death, Terry dons the high-tech suit tricked out with jetpacks, a supersensitive microphone and even camouflage capabilities in search of his father’s assassin. Get in on the action from the beginning of a new partnership between an ex-crimefighter and his apprentice.
Green Lantern: The Animated Series
The Green Lantern lights up adventure in this CG animated action series from world-renowned producer, artist and animator Bruce Timm (Batman: The Animated Series, Justice League). Based upon the DC Comics legend, this 26-episode groundbreaking superhero series follows Earth’s Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, a onetime test pilot who’s used to being in dangerous situations – but he’s never faced anything like this! Set in the farthest reaches of deep space, Green Lantern: The Animated Series finds Hal on the Guardian Frontier, where he must face down an invasion from the Red Lantern Corps. Powered by pure rage, the evil Red Lanterns have sworn to destroy the Green Lantern Corps and everything they stand for. Dispatched on the experimental spacecraft The Interceptor, Hal is soon joined by a group of heroes on a mission to protect Guardian Space – and the Green Lantern Corps itself!
Stay tuned for continued select updates right here at The World’s Finest. In the meantime, check out The World’s Finest subsites dedicated to Batman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond, Green Lantern: The Animated Series and The Batman, each section packaged with extensive coverage and exclusive content. Additionally, coverage of assorted DC Universe Movie and DC Showcase Animated Shorts titles can also be found on their respective subsites, here and here. Also, be sure to click the link below to discuss this news!
Produced, directed and written by Brandon Vietti, DC Showcase – Batman: Death in the Family offers an inventive take on the long-demanded story. In the new animated presentation, the infamous murder of Batman protégé Jason Todd will be undone, and the destinies of Batman, Robin and The Joker will play out in shocking new ways as viewers make multiple choices to control the story. And while Batman: Under the Red Hood provides a baseline, the story also branches in new directions and features several characters previously unseen in the original film. Bruce Greenwood (The Resident, Star Trek, iRobot), Vincent Martella (Phineas and Ferb) and John DiMaggio (Futurama, Adventure Time) reprise their Batman: Under The Red Hood roles of Batman, young Jason Todd and The Joker, respectively. Other featured voices are Zehra Fazal (Young Justice) as Talia al Ghul and Gary Cole (Veep) as Two-Face and James Gordon.
The interactive Blu-ray presentation offers many different ways for viewers to tell the Batman: Death in the Family story, with numerous twists and turns in the middle, and several possible endings. The choices along the way put greater weight on the viewers’ decisions and result in even stronger stories. Viewers can also choose to allow the story to tell itself, as there is an option to let the Blu-ray decide its own path.
Packed with Easter Eggs, the centerpiece short’s story – with its foundation grounded in the original “Batman: A Death in the Family” comic run, and the acclaimed Batman: Under the Red Hood animated film – balances a number of integral themes within its entertainment, including fatherhood, mental health, death, rebirth, revenge and redemption. Along the route, viewers encounter new, surprising looks at some classic DC characters.
The Blu-ray release of DC Showcase – Batman: Death in the Family Special Features will also include the 2019-2020 DC Showcase titles Sgt. Rock, Adam Strange, Death and The Phantom Stranger, with commentary tracks on all those and on the per-arranged Batman: Death in the Family story path Batman: Under the Red Hood – Reloaded by DC Daily hosts Amy Dallen and Hector Navarro. The Digital release will include the same content as above, along with the per-arranged Batman: Death in the Family story path Batman: Under the Red Hood – Reloaded and three non-interactive versions of the Batman: Death in the Family – entitled Jason Todd’s Rebellion, Robin’s Revenge and Red Hood’s Reckoning.
For a complete rundown on the home media release of Batman: Death in the Family, please check out the press release.
Is there some other outcome, some better future for Jason Todd than his fate in the top-notch, critically-acclaimed Batman: Under the Red Hood animated feature? That is, essentially, what the DC Showcase Batman: Death in the Family animated short posits. Taking us back to the opening minutes of 2010 fan-favorite DC Universe Movie title, viewers now have the chance to determine whether Batman will swoop in to save Robin, let him perish (sound familiar?), or allow the story to explore some surprising alternate avenues. Get comfy on that couch, because you’re about to find out how differently these events could’ve played out.
Produced, directed, and written by Brandon Vietti – who worked on Batman: Under the Red Hood with Judd Winick – Batman: Death in the Family doesn’t play it safe in the slightest. While it’s easy to offer up some negligibly different variants of Todd’s fate, Vietti instead creates a series of legitimately startling, unique outcomes that manage to keep the surprises rolling up to the very end. The trailer and promotional materials don’t even hint at just how shocking some of these differing outcomes are, and each are littered with guest appearances, great easter eggs and homages and references to the four-color source material.
Please note, in an effort to preserve many of Batman: Death in the Family‘s surprises, this review will be spoiler-free.
Inspired by the original Batman: A Death in the Family 1980s comic event where readers ultimately decided Jason Todd’s fate (hint: it does not end well), naturally, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment chose the perfect material to adapt for their first major interactive feature. The first major choice viewers will make in Batman: Death in the Family – and this is not a spoiler as this option screen has prominently appeared in promotional material for the animated short – is not only whether Robin will die, but also how he’ll survive. Does he cheat death or does Batman save him? This is the first of many choices where just the slightest of difference in choice results in Batman and Robin going down some pretty wild paths. To compare, Batman: Death in the Family plays out in a fashion similar to the recent Batman: The Telltale Series games, though understandably not as layered or complex
The new content in Batman: Death in the Family, for the most part, is compelling. Vietti’s writing remains, of course, top-notch, and his love of these characters and the DC Comics universe is evident. While the animated short’s promotional material offers a brief glimpse of how things could’ve gone for Jason Todd, there’s a lot more to discover than you might expect. For example, the short is littered with characters and moments that are pretty deep pulls from DC Comics history. For the most part, each outcome is different enough that things never really get stale or repetitive. Further, each path does a great job in keeping a sense of unpredictability that guarantees close attention until the end credits roll.
Story points for Batman: Death in the Family won’t be spoiled here because, frankly, the less revealed about each outcome, the better. There are twists and turns that viewers will never see coming (there’s at least one character that appears that completely threw me for a total loop, in a good way, for example), and part of what makes this interactive animated short so appealing to dig into it is uncovering every last one. And you’ll definitely want to. Vietti, clearly taking a lot of the lessons he’s learned from Young Justice to heart, is able to keep every outcome a guessing game, and isn’t above throwing in a few last-minute twists.
Not only does Vietti return to the world of Batman: Under the Red Hood, but so do a number of the film’s original cast and crew. Bruce Greenwood and John DiMaggio reprise their roles of Batman and The Joker, respectively, and Vincent Martella is back as Jason Todd (and steps in for Red Hood‘s Jensen Ackles to voice said character). New to the cast is Zehra Fazal, as Talia Al Ghul, and Gary Cole, voicing both Commissioner Gordon and Two-Face. Composer Christopher Drake also returns, revisiting and expanding upon his incredible work for Batman: Under the Red Hood, with his stirring, ominous, haunting score here helping to convincingly bind the new and old animated materials together in a thrillingly unexpected fashion.
Batman: Death in the Family provides a wealth of legitimately intriguing outcomes for Jason Todd, nearly all of them worthy of their own episode-length or movie-length feature. Vietti’s work here is that good. Unfortunately, the unique presentation for this animated short does impact how detailed and deep these stories can go, which is completely understandable given the generally short run-time for these DC Showcase titles. The assorted outcomes do differ substantially in length for the most part, though that said, some honestly don’t require as much fleshing out as others. Story-path lengths range from roughly 10 minutes to upwards of over 30 minutes, again all depending on the choices made.
Still, most outcomes tend to unfold more like a detailed summation of what happens to Jason Todd and the Bat-Family as opposed to being a full-fledged story. Given the limited running time, it’s totally reasonable, and keep in mind Batman: Death in the Family is still a longer-than-usual DC Showcase short (just like the Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam extended short from a decade ago). Here, there just happens to be a wealth of story material which maybe runs this animated short a little thin. But what’s here is absolutely top-notch. Vietti has such a strong grasp on what makes these characters tick, and really understands how they and this fictional world work. The substance, no matter how light it may feel at times since Batman: Death in the Family doesn’t really have the real estate to dive really, really deep into these characters (it uses our knowledge of Batman: Under the Red Hood to get some of the leg work done), remains just as engaging and engrossing as one would expect.
Animation quality for the most part is good, though occasionally bumpy. While Batman: Death in the Family stitches together the new animated material with scenes from Batman: Under the Red Hood quite impressively, there are times when the level of quality between the new and older content is jarring. A sizable portion of the new content blends seamlessly and, unless you know Batman: Under the Red Hood inside and out, is impossible to discern. Other times … not so much. Stilted character movements and less detailed design work are noticeable and stick out on occasion. Batman: Death in the Family also makes use of panning still shots with voice-over (these type of shots appeared semi-regularly in Young Justice: Outsiders) in some instances which, again, is understandable given the time restraints of the short, though can be deflating (that said, one of my favorite endings is done via those still pans). While uneven in parts, the overall final product is undeniably strong.
As good as the material itself is, the interactive presentation of this short will likely be a key deciding factor for many consumers. For those who want to watch Batman: Death in the Family without having to actively participate in the unfolding story, the Blu-ray release might not be the most attractive option. That said, the collaborative portions are not really all that burdensome. When presented with a choice, simply press the respective arrow on your remote, hit ‘enter,’ and that’s essentially it. It’s very fool proof and actually does become a fun, engaging aspect of the viewing experience. It evolves into something of a hunt the further you get into the story and the subsequent choices that come with. Upon finishing up my first viewing of the animated short, I immediately wanted to see what other outcomes awaited.
However, the interactive aspect of Batman: Death in the Family does hamper rewatchability somewhat. To revisit specific portions of the animated short, viewers are required to go through all the same choices again, which can feel a little tedious and repetitive. Unfortunately there are no pre-arranged story-paths to unlock or access after watching the entirety of Batman: Death in the Family, which seems like an oversight.
In terms of the Batman: Death in the Family‘s home media release, the interactive version of the animated short is available on Blu-ray only, along with the four previous DC Showcase animated shorts released over 2019 and 2020. For the digital edition, Batman – Death in the Family is presented as a non-interactive, pre-assembled version of the story, titled Under the Red Hood: Reloaded, along with the other four 2019-2020 DC Showcase shorts, and three other non-interactive versions of the Batman – Death in the Family which follow specific pre-assembled story-paths (titled Jason Todd’s Rebellion, Robin’s Revenge and Red Hood’s Reckoning) as bonus features. Batman: Death in the Family‘s Blu-ray also features roughly five minutes of additional story from the title short that’s not included in the Digital version. Basically, you’ll need both the physical and digital editions to get every version of Batman – Death in the Family.
Looking at the Blu-ray, Batman: Death in the Family is given a solid though slightly flawed presentation. The 1080p transfer looks fantastic, and helps to blend the old Batman: Under the Red Hood animation with the new material, but does succumb to color-banding and macroblocking on occasion, though it’s infrequent enough that it’s not incredibly noticeable. While disappointing, the lack of a physical 4K release makes sense given the short’s interactivity and multiple animation source usage. The audio delivers a strong, immersive presentation that’s as top-notch as can be expected. Dialogue is clear and never gets drowned out, with action beats or character heavy scenes suitably crisp and distinct. While dialogue is center-focused, every channel gets heavy usage here. It’s another commendable bit of work by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.
Bonus content is light but still enjoyable. The special features include the aforementioned 2019-2020 DC Showcase animated shorts – Sgt. Rock, Adam Strange, The Phantom Stranger and Death – and commentaries for all of those shorts and the Batman: Under the Red Hood – Reloaded version of the Batman: Death in the Family. It’s worth noting that you can only watch Reloaded with a commentary and that’s it. To watch it without, you’ll need the digital version of Batman: Death in the Family. The commentaries, featuring former DC Daily contributors and geek culture personalities Amy Dallen and Hector Navarro, are lively and fun, giving off a vibe of fans just hanging out and enjoying some cartoons. While the commentaries do occasionally fall into the trap of narrating what we’re seeing on screens, for the most part Dallen and Navarro discuss the content of the shorts (or “gushing” about them, as Navarro occasionally quips), their respective comic book ties, all intermixed with personal anecdotes and an upbeat tone. While there’s no real deep dive into the production of these shorts, these are still entertaining tracks to listen to, but the lack of any appearance by the creatives involved with the DC Showcase shorts is disappointing.
For a closer look at each of the four shorts included in Batman: Death in the Family, please check out their respective mini-sites – Sgt. Rock, Adam Strange, The Phantom Stranger and Death.
The disc wraps up with trailers for Justice League Dark: Apokolips War, Superman: Red Son and Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge and a digital copy of Batman: Death in the Family. To reiterate, the digital copy included with the Blu-ray is the extended pre-arranged story-path titled Batman: Under the Red Hood – Reloaded and the four 2019-2020 DC Showcase animated shorts, while the purchasable digital edition will include those five animated shorts plus three more pre-arranged story-paths culled from Batman: Death in the Family.
The digital edition offers a slightly selection of content, as mentioned. The main Batman: Death in the Family animated short story path featured is Batman: Under the Red Hood – Reloaded, and three other non-interactive versions of the Batman: Death in the Family – entitled Jason Todd’s Rebellion, Robin’s Revenge and Red Hood’s Reckoning – are available as bonus content. These options allow for a more passive viewing experience, though keep in mind not all of the footage from the DC Showcase short’s Blu-ray release is included here. Each of these paths are clearly arranged from specific choices, leaving out content from the other choices as they would’ve appeared on the Blu-ray release, which accounts from between 5-6 minutes of removed material. All bonus content on the Blu-ray release, with the exception of trailers, are also included on the digital edition.
While incomplete, these digital editions are a serviceable way to revisit Batman: Death in the Family without having to actively participate in story decisions, but it won’t be the complete experience. It’s also worth noting most digital editions of Batman: Death in the Family are available in 4K streaming, though the quality of video and audio when compared to standard Blu-ray 1080p are actually roughly the same with the digital having a slight but negligible better quality. The Blu-ray release is still the most complete edition of the DC Showcase animated short.
A smart, novel take on the classic 1980s Batman storyline that inspired it, Batman: Death in the Family is a strong outing for Warner Bros. Home Entertainment’s first interactive feature. While the presentation does limit how detailed and in-depth these story paths can go, what’s here is still fascinating and intriguing. The DC Showcase animated short is an engaging and addictive experience, and a slick spin-off/companion piece to the fan-beloved Batman: Under the Red Hood. There’s something legitimately cool about seeing Vietti explore how different things could’ve played out for doomed Robin #2, Jason Todd, and the addictive nature of wanting to see every potential path makes it nearly impossible to put the remote down, especially during the first watch-through. While the interactive nature might not appeal to everyone, the solid execution of it here makes it well worth giving a chance. Batman: Death in the Family is ultimately a satisfying adventure that, despite a few shortcomings in the overall home media presentation, makes for a plenty enjoyable experience. Highly Recommended.
Please note a copy of the Batman: Death in the Family Blu-ray was provided by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, but the iTunes digital edition was purchased by the author for the sake of a complete and thorough review.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has released a look at the opening credits to DC Showcase: Batman – Death in the Family, a special upcoming interactive stand-alone release from the DC Showcase animated shorts line. The highly-anticipated animated short, which arrives on Blu-ray and Digital starting October 13, 2020, is the label’s first-ever venture into interactive storytelling. Continue below for both images and a video clip, plus additional details on DC Showcase: Batman – Death in the Family.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment describes Batman: Death in the Family as follows:
Produced, directed and written by Brandon Vietti, DC Showcase: Batman – Death in the Family offers an inventive take on the long-demanded story. In the new animated presentation, the infamous murder of Batman protégé Jason Todd will be undone, and the destinies of Batman, Robin and The Joker will play out in shocking new ways as viewers make multiple choices to control the story. And while Batman: Under the Red Hood provides a baseline, the story also branches in new directions and features several characters previously unseen in the original film. Bruce Greenwood (The Resident, Star Trek, iRobot), Vincent Martella (Phineas and Ferb) and John DiMaggio (Futurama, Adventure Time) reprise their Batman: Under The Red Hood roles of Batman, young Jason Todd and The Joker, respectively. Other featured voices are Zehra Fazal (Young Justice) as Talia al Ghul and Gary Cole (Veep) as Two-Face and James Gordon.
Please note DC Showcase: Batman – Death in the Family will have multiple viewing formats on home media. The Blu-ray features all of the 2019-2020 DC Showcase shorts in hi-definition, including the fully-interactive, extended-length DC Showcase: Batman – Death in the Family, plus a digital version of the four other 2019-2020 shorts. For the digital release, DC Showcase: Batman – Death in the Family will be presented in a non-interactive format (pre-assembled version of the story, entitled Under the Red Hood: Reloaded), along with the other four 2019-2020 DC Showcase shorts, and three other non-interactive versions of the DC Showcase: Batman – Death in the Family (entitled Jason Todd’s Rebellion, Robin’s Revenge and Red Hood’s Reckoning) as bonus features. The Blu-ray also offers approximately five minutes of additional content within the DC Showcase: Batman – Death in the Family story that is not included in the Digital version.
Click here for the complete DC Showcase: Batman – Death in the Family press release.
DC Showcase: Batman – Death in the Family arrives on Blu-ray and Digital on October 13, 2020. For further details, check out the special DC Showcase: Batman – Death in the Family subsite at The World’s Finest! Stay tuned for for further coverage, and a full review, here soon at The World’s Finest.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has provided details for the upcoming physical and digital release of DC Showcase: Batman – Death in the Family, a special interactive stand alone release from the DC Showcase animated shorts line. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation and DC, the anthology of 2019-2020 animated shorts arrives on Blu-ray and Digital starting October 13, 2020. Batman: Death in the Family is the label’s first-ever venture into interactive storytelling. Continue below for press details, package artwork and the trailer.
INTERACTIVE STORYTELLING ALLOWS VIEWERS
TO CHOOSE & CHANGE DIRECTIONS OF THE STORY
IN RETELLING OF LANDMARK DC COMICS EVENT
DC SHOWCASE: BATMAN – DEATH IN THE FAMILY
WARNER BROS. HOME ENTERTAINMENT AND DC PRESENT COMPILATION
OF 2019-2020 ANIMATED SHORTS
COMING OCTOBER 13, 2020 TO BLU-RAY™ & DIGITAL
NEW COLLECTION INCLUDES ACCLAIMED TITLES SGT. ROCK, ADAM STRANGE, DEATH AND THE PHANTOM STRANGER
Five fascinating tales from the iconic DC canon, including the first interactive film presentation in Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) history, come to animated life in DC Showcase: Batman – Death in the Family. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation and DC, the anthology of 2019-2020 animated shorts arrives from WBHE on Blu-ray and Digital starting October 13, 2020.
Anchoring the compilation of shorts is DC Showcase: Batman – Death in the Family, WBHE’s first-ever venture into interactive storytelling that allows fans to choose where the story goes through an innovative navigation guided by the viewer’s remote control. Central to the extended-length short is an adaptation of “Batman: A Death in the Family,” the 1988 landmark DC event where fans voted by telephone to determine the story’s ending.
Inspired by characters and stories from DC’s robust portfolio, the 2019-2020 series of shorts – which have been individually included on DC Universe Movies releases since Summer 2019 – include:
• Sgt. Rock
• Adam Strange
• Death
• The Phantom Stranger
DC Showcase: Batman – Death in the Family will be available on Blu-ray (USA $24.98 SRP) and Digital (19.99 SRP). The Blu-ray features a Blu-ray disc with all of the shorts in hi-definition, including the fully-interactive, extended-length Batman: Death in the Family, plus a digital version of the four other 2019-2020 DC Showcase shorts. The Digital distribution features the Batman: Death in the Family extended-length short in a non-interactive format (pre-assembled version of the story, entitled Under the Red Hood: Reloaded), along with the other four 2019-2020 DC Showcase shorts, and three other non-interactive versions of the Batman: Death in the Family (entitled Jason Todd’s Rebellion, Robin’s Revenge and Red Hood’s Reckoning) as bonus features (Note: not all Digital retailers offer bonus features with purchase). The Blu-ray also offers approximately five minutes of additional content within the DC Showcase: Batman – Death in the Family story that is not included in the Digital version.
Produced, directed and written by Brandon Vietti, DC Showcase: Batman – Death in the Family offers an inventive take on the long-demanded story. In the new animated presentation, the infamous murder of Batman protégé Jason Todd will be undone, and the destinies of Batman, Robin and The Joker will play out in shocking new ways as viewers make multiple choices to control the story. And while Batman: Under the Red Hood provides a baseline, the story also branches in new directions and features several characters previously unseen in the original film. Bruce Greenwood (The Resident, Star Trek, iRobot), Vincent Martella (Phineas and Ferb) and John DiMaggio (Futurama, Adventure Time) reprise their Batman: Under The Red Hood roles of Batman, young Jason Todd and The Joker, respectively. Other featured voices are Zehra Fazal (Young Justice) as Talia al Ghul and Gary Cole (Veep) as Two-Face and James Gordon.
“DC Showcase: Batman – Death in the Family is essentially a comic book come to life,” says Vietti, whose DC Universe Movies directing credits include Batman: Under the Red Hood and Superman: Doomsday, and he is co-creator and co-executive producer of the popular Young Justice animated television series. “We’ve paid homage to the 1988 interactive experience of DC’s ‘A Death in the Family’ comics release by giving fans a unique opportunity to craft their own story through a branching tool that can lead in multiple directions. The viewer gets to choose these characters’ paths, and each choice paves an alternate future for all of the characters and, ultimately, the story.”
The interactive Blu-ray presentation offers many different ways for viewers to tell the Batman: Death in the Family story, with numerous twists and turns in the middle, and several possible endings. The choices along the way put greater weight on the viewers’ decisions and result in even stronger stories. Viewers can also choose to allow the story to tell itself, as there is an option to let the Blu-ray decide its own path.
Packed with Easter Eggs, the centerpiece short’s story – with its foundation grounded in the original “Batman: A Death in the Family” comic run, and the acclaimed Batman: Under the Red Hood animated film – balances a number of integral themes within its entertainment, including fatherhood, mental health, death, rebirth, revenge and redemption. Along the route, viewers encounter new, surprising looks at some classic DC characters.
“From the very first navigation card, we wanted to give the audience an impression of what they’re getting into, but then also give them something unexpected – maybe even something they’ll regret, so they have to think twice about every future choice they make,” Vietti explains. “Branched storytelling has to be stronger than just the gimmick of the choices – it has to be rewarding and offer new and worthwhile insights into the characters. It needs to involve you, and keep you searching for the next twist. So we sought to subvert expectations and do something very different.”
Beyond Batman: Death in the Family, the additional four shorts on Blu-ray & Digital are:
Originally attached to Batman: Hush, Sgt. Rock is executive produced and directed by Bruce Timm (Batman: The Animated Series) from a script by award-winning comics writers Louise Simonson & Walter Simonson and Tim Sheridan (Superman: Man of Tomorrow, Reign of the Supermen). The original tale finds battle-weary Sgt. Rock thinking he has seen everything that World War II can dish out. But he is in for the surprise of his life when he is assigned to lead a company consisting of legendary monsters into battle against an unstoppable platoon of Nazi zombies. Karl Urban (Star Trek & Lord of the Rings film franchises) provides the voice of Sgt. Rock. Also voicing characters in Sgt. Rock are Keith Ferguson, William Salyers and Audrey Wasilewski.
Inspired by Neil Gaiman’s “The Sandman,” Death is produced & directed by Sam Liu (Superman: Red Son, The Death of Superman) and written by J.M. DeMatteis (Batman: Bad Blood). In the story, Vincent, an artist with unresolved inner demons, meets a mysterious girl who helps him come to terms with his creative legacy … and eventual death. Leonard Nam (Westworld) provides the voice of Vincent, and Jamie Chung (The Gifted, Big Hero 6) is the voice of Death. The cast includes Darin De Paul, Keith Szarabajka and Kari Wahlgren. Death was originally included with Wonder Woman: Bloodlines.
Attached as a bonus feature on the release of Superman: Red Son, The Phantom Stranger has Bruce Timm (Batman: The Killing Joke) at the helm as executive producer & director, and the short is written by Ernie Altbacker (Justice League Dark: Apokolips War, Batman: Hush). Set in the 1970s, the short find the enigmatic DC mystery man simultaneously playing both omniscient narrator and active character in a story of supernatural comeuppance for evil doers. Peter Serafinowicz (The Tick) gives voice to The Phantom Stranger, and Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville, Impastor) provides the voice of Seth. The Phantom Stranger also features the voices of Natalie Lander, Grey Griffin and Roger Craig Smith.
Adam Strange is produced and directed by Butch Lukic (Superman: Man of Tomorrow), who also conceived the original story – which is written by J.M. DeMatteis (Deathstroke: Knights & Dragons, Constantine: City of Demons). The short was initially attached to Justice League Dark: Apokolips War. On a rugged asteroid mining colony, few of the toiling workers are aware that their town drunk was ever anything but an interplanetary derelict. But when the miners open a fissure into the home of a horde of deadly alien insects, his true identity is exposed. He is space adventurer Adam Strange, whose heroic backstory is played out in flashbacks as he struggles to save the very people who have scorned him for so long. Charlie Weber (How To Get Away with Murder) provides the voice of Adam Strange, alongside with Roger R. Cross, Kimberly Brooks, Ray Chase and Fred Tatasciore.
All five new DC Showcase shorts credits include Jim Krieg (Batman: Gotham by Gaslight) as co-producer and Amy McKenna (Wonder Woman: Bloodlines) as producer. Sam Register is executive producer.
Initially launched in 2010, DC Showcase was originally comprised of four animated shorts produced by Bruce Timm and directed by Joaquim Dos Santos: The Spectre (released on 2/23/2010), Jonah Hex (7/27/2010), Green Arrow (9/28/2010) and Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam (11/9/2010). An additional short, Catwoman (10/18/2011), was attached the following year to the release of Batman: Year One, and was directed by Lauren Montgomery (Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths) and executive produced by Bruce Timm. Screenwriters on the initial quintet were Steve Niles (The Spectre), Joe Lansdale (Jonah Hex), Greg Weisman (Green Arrow), Michael Jelenic (Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam) and Paul Dini (Catwoman).
“Interactive storytelling offers an entirely new dimension of entertainment for DC animated movie fans, and an exciting look into potential titles for the future,” said Mary Ellen Thomas, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Senior Vice President, Originals, Animation and Family Marketing. “Brandon Vietti has crafted a uniquely involving, multi-tiered approach to captivating the audience with both popular story devices and some very unexpected plot twists.”
DC Showcase – Batman: Death in the Family Special Features – Blu-ray
• Audio Commentaries – Commentary tracks on Sgt. Rock, Adam Strange, Death and The Phantom Stranger, plus one of the linear “Death in the Family” shorts (Under the Red Hood: Reloaded), by DC Daily hosts Amy Dallen and Hector Navarro.
DC Showcase – Batman: Death in the Family Special Features – Digital
• Three non-interactive versions of the Batman: Death in the Family – entitled Jason Todd’s Rebellion, Robin’s Revenge and Red Hood’s Reckoning. (Note: not all Digital retailers offer bonus features with purchase).
DC Showcase: Batman – Death in the Family will also be available on Movies Anywhere. Using the free Movies Anywhere app and website, consumers can access all their eligible movies by connecting their Movies Anywhere account with their participating digital retailer accounts.
DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION ELEMENTS
On October 13, 2020, DC Showcase – Batman: Death in the Family will be available to own in high definition and standard definition from select digital retailers including Amazon, the Apple TV app, FandangoNOW, PlayStation, Vudu, Xbox and others. On October 13, 2020, DC Showcase – Batman: Death in the Family will be made available digitally on Video On Demand services from cable and satellite providers, and on select gaming consoles.
ABOUT MOVIES ANYWHERE
Movies Anywhere is a digital movie platform that enables movie fans to discover, access, and watch their favorite digital movies in one place. Movies Anywhere brings together a library of nearly 7,500 digital movies from Sony Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox Film, The Walt Disney Studios (including Disney, Pixar, Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm), Universal Pictures (including DreamWorks and Illumination Entertainment) and Warner Bros., and will continue to expand the consumer experience as more content providers, digital retailers and platforms are added. By connecting participating digital retailers that include Amazon Prime Video, the Apple TV app, FandangoNOW, Google Play, and Vudu, movie fans can now bring together their digital movie collections (whether purchased or redeemed) in one place and enjoy them from the comfort of their living rooms, and across multiple devices and platforms, including Amazon Fire devices; Android devices and Android TV; Apple TV, iPhone, iPad and iPod touch; Chromecast; Roku® devices and popular browsers. Movie fans can also redeem digital codes found in eligible Blu-ray and DVD disc packages from participating studios and enjoy them through Movies Anywhere. Movies Anywhere – your movies, together at last.
ABOUT DIGITAL
Digital movies or TV episodes allow fans to watch a digital version of their movie or TV show anywhere, on their favorite devices. Digital movies or TV episodes are included with the purchase of specially marked Blu-ray discs. With digital, consumers are able to instantly stream and download movies and TV shows to TVs, computers, tablets and smartphones through retail services. For more information on compatible devices and services go to wb.com/digitalmoviefaq. Consult a digital retailer for details and requirements and for a list of digital-compatible devices.
BASICS
PRODUCT SRP
Blu-ray $24.98 USA
Blu-ray Languages: English, Spanish, French
Blu-ray Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
Running Time: 96 minutes (151 minutes for interactive storylines)
Rated R for strong bloody images, and some drug material
About Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, Inc.:
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) brings together Warner Bros. Entertainment’s home video, digital distribution and interactive entertainment businesses in order to maximize current and next-generation distribution scenarios. An industry leader since its inception, WBHE oversees the global distribution of content through packaged goods (Blu-ray Disc™ and DVD) and digital media in the form of electronic sell-through and video-on-demand via cable, satellite, online and mobile channels, and is a significant developer and publisher for console and online video game titles worldwide. WBHE distributes its product through third party retail partners and licensees.
ABOUT DC
DC is one of the largest English-language publishers of comics and graphic novels in the world and home to some of the most iconic and recognizable characters ever created. As a creative unit of WarnerMedia, DC is charged with strategically integrating its stories and characters across film, television, consumer products, home entertainment, interactive games, and the DC Universe digital subscription service. For more information visit dccomics.com and dcuniverse.com.
About Warner Bros. Animation:
Warner Bros. Animation (WBA) is one of the leading producers of animation in the entertainment industry, producing and developing projects for multiple platforms, both domestically and internationally. WBA’s current series include Animaniacs for Hulu, Green Eggs and Ham for Netflix, Aquaman: King of Atlantis, Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, Jellystone, Little Ellen and Looney Tunes Cartoons for HBO Max, Harley Quinn and Young Justice: Outsiders for DC UNIVERSE, DC Super Hero Girls, Teen Titans Go!, ThunderCats Roar and Unikitty! for Cartoon Network, Bunnicula, Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz, New Looney Tunes, Scooby-Doo! and Guess Who?, The Tom and Jerry Show, Wacky Races and Yabba-Dabba Dinosaurs! for Boomerang. WBA’s full-length theatrical film, Teen Titans GO! to the Movies, was released in summer 2018. As home to the iconic animated characters from the DC, Hanna-Barbera, MGM and Looney Tunes libraries, WBA also produces highly successful animated films — including the DC Universe Movies — for DVD, Blu-ray® and digital media. One of the most-honored animation studios in history, WBA has won six Academy Awards®, 35 Emmy® Awards, the George Foster Peabody Award, a BAFTA Children’s Award, an Environmental Media Award, a Parents’ Choice Award, the HUMANITAS Prize, two Prism Awards and 20 Annie Awards (honoring excellence in animation).
DC Showcase: Batman – Death in the Family arrives on Blu-ray and Digital on October 13, 2020. Stay tuned for further updates and DC Showcase: Batman – Death in the Family coverage right here at The World’s Finest!