Posted on: July 12, 2008 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

In much the same way that The Animatrix provided viewers with a little bit of back story to the events that gave a little bit more in the way of context to the events that happened in the Matrix trilogy, Batman Gotham Knight fills viewers in with the events that have taken place between the events of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. There are six different stories, done in different animation styles and couched in a slightly different Batman universe, that really go and give individuals more of an introduction to a character that, in this iteration, has only been on screen for the totality of 2 hours.

For each of the stories, Batman is voiced by Kevin Conroy, who has voiced the character before in countless shows (Batman Beyond, The New Batman Adventures, Batman: The Animated Series) and games. OF all of the stories, Deadshot has to be the most interesting of Batman: Gotham Knight. This is due to the fact that Batman eirself falls into the trap laid out by the titular character, showing a vulnerable character that, despite all of eir gadgets and wits, is still a human being. The two-disc editions of Batman: Gotham Knights that individuals can purchase provide a number of bonus features that give viewers that much more in the way of information about Batman. Specifically, “Batman and Me: The Bob Kane Story” provides viewers with a way to compare the Batman first shown during Batman Begins to a classic (Bob Kane) version of the character. The episodes of Batman: The Animated Series that are present (“Heart of Ice”, “I Am The Night”, “Legends of the Dark Knight”, and “Over The Edge”) provide further differentiation of the Batman character from the one currently being shown in the movies.

The trailer for the next movie in the DC Universe animated movie line, concerning Wonder Woman, shows that the same care that went into the different stories in “Batman: Gotham Knight” is being given to the treatment that a number of different DC Universe characters. Despite the differences in the stories that are present, the maintenance of different character voices and the framing of each short into the larger universe of the two Batman movies makes this a great addition for anyone that has Batman Begins or is gearing up for The Dark Knight. Pick this set up and then make your way out to The Dark Knight.

Rating: 8.5/10

Batman Gotham Knight / 2008 Warner Bros / 76 Minutes / http://www.batmangothamknight.com / http://www.warnervideo.com /

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