The Batman: Year One animated film premiered to rave reviews at the San Diego Comic Con over the weekend. Shortly before hand, Warner announced the full details of the Blu-ray disc, which will be released everywhere this coming October. If the reviews and the trailer above are any indication, this is going to be one hell of a Batman film.

BATMAN: YEAR ONE
(October 18, 2011 – MSRP $19.99)
Video: 1.78:1 1080p
Audio: TBA

SPECIAL FEATURES:

• Feature film
• Sneak Peek at Justice League: Doom, the next DC Universe Animated Original Movie
• DC Showcase Animated Original Short – Catwoman: This all-new entry to the growing canon of DC Universe animated shorts features the first first solo tale centered around Catwoman. The felonious feline’s adventure takes her through the seedy streets of Gotham City. Catwoman is voiced by Eliza Dushku (Dollhouse, Tru Calling).
• Featurette “Heart of Vengeance: Returning Batman to His Roots”: “The Dark Knight Returns” provided the denouement of Batman’s life. Frank Miller’s next seminal work would provide his near-mythic origin in “Batman: Year One.” This documentary uncovers the contemporary genius of Miller and the audience that was poised to appreciate the depths of his work.
• Featurette “Conversations with DC Comics”: The Batman creative team at DC Entertainment discusses the personal influence of “Batman: Year One” on their careers. Batman producer Michael Uslan leads the chat amongst well-known writers, editors and artists of the Batman lore, focusing their dialogue on the darker, realistic interpretation of Batman’s origins by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli
• Audio Commentary with Alan Burnett, Sam Liu, Mike Carlin and Andrea Romano
• “Batman: Year One, Chapter 1” Digital Comic Book
• Two bonus episodes from Batman: The Animated Series, handpicked by Bruce Timm
• Standard and high definition versions of the feature film
• Digital copy on disc of the feature film compatible with iTunes and Windows

Related posts

• [VIDEO] Animated Batman: Year One Blu-ray trailer (1)
• Top 5 New Blu-ray releases for the Week of February 23 (0)
• Top 5 New Blu-ray releases for the Week of February 22 (1)
• Justice League: Season Two finally coming to Blu-ray (0)
• Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths Blu-ray Disc Review (1)

We saw a tease for Warner‘s upcoming direct to video Batman: Year One animated film on the Green Lantern: Emerald Knights Blu-ray a month or so back. As is par for the course in those pieces, there wasn’t much in the way of finished animation in the clip. Just a lot of design work, storyboards and interviews. With the release of the trailer above, we can finally get a sense of how this thing is going to look when it hits Blu-ray on October 18th. The animation doesn’t accurately reflect David Mazzucchelli‘s stunning artwork to me (the film is an adaptation of a Mazzucchelli illustrated Frank Miller comic book) but it seems pretty slick all the same.

Outside of the fact that the disc will contain a Catwoman short film, no disc details are known at this time. But rest assured, I’ll get them posted up here as soon as the studio gives us the heads up.

Related posts

• Batman: Year One Blu-ray announced and detailed (0)
• Top 5 New Blu-ray releases for the Week of February 23 (0)
• Top 5 New Blu-ray releases for the Week of February 22 (1)
• Justice League: Season Two finally coming to Blu-ray (0)
• Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths Blu-ray Disc Review (1)

Warner Home Video has announced that, at long last, they’ll be bringing the second season of the animated Justice League television show to Blu-ray this coming July, nearly three years after the release of Season One. The initial word on the street was that the video presentation would be the same “matted” letterbox image from the previously released DVD set, where black bars would be seen on all sides of the screen. Thankfully, the good and wise James Harvey of worldsfinestonline.com pulled some strings with his buddies at Warner and was informed that this release will be presented in full 16:9 widescreen, with the image filling the entire screen. So, all seems good with this one, for the time being. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait until 2014 for the next season set on Blu!

JUSTICE LEAGUE: SEASON TWO
(July 26, 2011 – MSRP $39.99)
Video: 1.78:1 1080p
Audio: “Dolby Surround Stereo” (?)

Special Features:

• Featurette: Justice League Declassified, Phil LaMarr (The voice of Green Lantern) takes you behind the scenes with the show’s creative team.
• Audio Commentary: Commentaries on 3 select episodes with the creators and directors of the series.
• Easter Egg: Not to Savage, a never seen before deleted scene with an introduction by producer Bruce Timm

Related posts

• [VIDEO] Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths Trailer (1)
• [VIDEO] Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths Blu-ray Preview (7)
• Top 5 New Blu-ray releases for the Week of February 23 (0)
• Top 5 New Blu-ray releases for the Week of February 22 (1)
• Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths first look, story breakdown (2)

ALL STAR SUPERMAN (2011, Blu-ray released February 22, 2011 – MSRP $24.98)

MOVIE:	★★★★☆
VIDEO:	★★★½☆
AUDIO:	★★★★☆
EXTRAS:	★★★★☆
BLU-RAY:	★★★★☆

Aside from Richard Donner‘s film from the ’70s, All Star Superman is the finest portrayal of the character on film to date. And despite a few shortcomings in its technical presentation, it’s also one hell of a Blu-ray.

“Fueled by hatred and jealousy, Lex Luthor masterminds an elaborate plot to kill the Man of Steel – and it works. Poisoned by solar radiation, Superman is dying. With weeks to live, he fulfills his life’s dreams – especially revealing his true identity to Lois Lane – until Luthor proclaims his ultimate plan to control the world with no alien hero to stop him. Powers fading, Superman engages in a spectacular deadly battle with Luthor that could truly trigger the end of Earth’s Greatest Protector. This startling and gripping DC Universe Animated Original Movie stars the voice talents of James Denton, Anthony LaPaglia, Christina Hendricks and Ed Asner.”

It’s tough to judge the film on its own merits without comparing it to the brilliant 12-issue All Star Superman comic book series by writer Grant Morrison and illustrator Frank Quitely from which it was adapted. At a fleeting 77-minutes, par for the course for direct-to-video animated projects, the filmmakers are tasked with whittling down the juggernaut of a story that appeared on the comic page into a tight, yet still epic film. And they succeeded on most every level. The film version maintains the episodic nature of the comic series, cherry-picking which events to document in animation while preserving the over-arching narrative – a story that manages to be the most touching Superman tale ever written.

All Star Superman can look impressive on Blu-ray but suffers from a presentation with a fair amount of flaws that might disturb those with a critical eye. You’ll see banding, artifacts and aliasing in the image, if you’re sensitive to such things. Those merely watching with an eye toward a slick, high-def image will enjoy the bold colours and detailed linework. It doesn’t look bad at all but it’s far from demo quality. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, on the other hand, is all kinds of awesome, with active lows, crisp, clean highs and active surround channels.

The special feature collection on the All Star Superman Blu-ray disc might just be the finest that Warner and DC have ever assembled. The headline extra is a wonderfully produced 30-minute featurette called “Superman Now” which examines Morrison’s re-imagining of the character, Quitely’s artwork and the journey to realize All Star Superman. But for me, the most incredible feature on the disc has got to be the feature length audio commentary by producer (and DC Comics animation God) Bruce Timm and Morrison. This is a fantastic listen that I’d highly recommend to any fan of the animated programs or the comics. The disc is rounded out with “The Creative Flow: Incubating the Idea with Grant Morrison” featurette, “Virtual Comic: All-Star Superman #1“, a sneak peek at the next DC Comics animated masterpiece, Green Lantern: Emerald Knights, a couple of episodes of Superman: The Animated Series from the ’90s and a bunch of trailers for other DC and Warner discs.

Related posts

• Top 5 New Blu-ray releases for the Week of February 22 (1)
• All-Star Superman Blu-ray announced and detailed (1)
• Animated All-Star Superman Blu-ray teaser, Batman: Year One announced (2)
• Justice League: Season Two finally coming to Blu-ray (0)
• [VIDEO] Superman/Batman: Public Enemies Blu-ray Clip – Metallo Revealed! (0)

I probably could’ve finished this Top 5 list on time yesterday, but for some reason I had a hell of a time deciding which disc should end up in the number one slot this week! I know, that’s a ridiculous reason to hold an article but… well, you’re right. That wasn’t the only hold up. I also had a long day in the office that kept me from it. Never a dull moment in the world of journalism.

So, here it is now, this week’s Top 5 list, a day late but hopefully still useful to you in deciding which Blu-ray discs to pick up this week. As always, clicking the Blu-ray package art will zip you over to Amazon where every purchase make through our links helps this site stay on its feet. We appreciate every single click and thank you again for continuing to read The Blu-ray Blog.

1. GET LOW

“Academy Award winner Robert Duvall (1983, Best Actor, Tender Mercies) is Felix Bush, the “Hermit of Caleb County,” a man so haunted by his secrets that he has lived in quiet desolation in the Tennessee backwoods for over 40 years. Realizing that he is near his own mortality, Bush decides to have a “living funeral party,” inviting people to tell their stories about him. Enlisting the help of Frank Quinn (Golden Globe winner Bill Murray, 2004, Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Lost in Translation) and Buddy Robinson (Lucas Black, Legion), Bush goes through a process of self-discovery, allowing him to deal with his past secrets, including ones involving old flame (and new widow) Mattie (Academy Award® winner Sissy Spacek, 1980, Best Actress, Coal Miner’s Daughter). ”

Get Low really came out of nowhere for me. Until seeing a trailer for the film on an earlier Sony Blu-ray disc, I had no idea it existed. It’s the feature film debut of director Aaron Schneider, who previously won an Academy Award for his 2003 short film Two Soldiers, and it’s one hell of an effort. For starters, this thing looks gorgeous. And I guess it should, seeing as how Schneider comes from a background of cinematography. Add to that a brilliant, nuanced script (apparently based on a true story) and a cast that’s beyond reproach and you’ve got a real winner on your hands. One of the best films I’ve seen in ages. And a film that will probably float under the radar, eclipsed by more high-profile releases. What a shame.

Sony affords Get Low a damn-near perfect Blu-ray presentation with rich colours, deep blacks and tons of detail. I can’t get over how beautiful this Blu-ray is. And it sounds just as nice, with a clean, crisp DTS- HD Master Audio 5.1 track that won’t rattle the china but provide a pleasant, well-defined sound stage.

Highly recommended!

SPECIAL FEATURES:

• Commentary with Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, Director Aaron Schneider & Producer Dean Zanuck
• The Deep South: Buried Secrets
• Getting Low: Getting Into Character
• A Screenwriter’s Point of View
• Cast & Crew Q&A
• On the Red Carpet

AMAZON: $24.99

2. 3 from Criterion: FISH TANK, SENSO, SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS

Yeah. Three new Criterion Blu-ray discs in one day. What more is there to say? You’re about to break your bank account.

Fish Tank is a modern masterpiece by British director Andrea Arnold (contender for the number one slot this week) and one of the finer films to be released on Blu-ray so far this year. Senso is far from Visconti‘s best film but you’ll want to take in the luscious visuals via this lush Blu-ray transfer. And Sweet Smell of Success is awash in neon-noir city landscapes, painted with biting, smart dialogue from Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis, looking better than ever on Blu.

All three are highly recommended.

READ MORE: Criterion announces February Blu-ray titles: Senso, Sweet Smell of Success, Fish Tank, Still Walking, Amarcord, The Double Life of Véronique

AMAZON: $24.99 each

3. ALL -TAR SUPERMAN

“Fueled by hatred and jealousy, Lex Luthor masterminds an elaborate plot to kill the Man of Steel – and it works. Poisoned by solar radiation, Superman is dying. With weeks to live, he fulfills his life’s dreams – especially revealing his true identity to Lois Lane – until Luthor proclaims his ultimate plan to control the world with no alien hero to stop him. Powers fading, Superman engages in a spectacular deadly battle with Luthor that could truly trigger the end of Earth’s Greatest Protector. This startling and gripping DC Universe Animated Original Movie stars the voice talents of James Denton, Anthony LaPaglia, Christina Hendricks and Ed Asner.”

I’ll have a full review of this disc up shortly. In short, if you’re a fan of Superman or DC Comics superheroes or animation in general you owe it to yourself to pick up a copy of All-Star Superman. Not only is it a brilliant story that gets to the heart of the character but the disc is packed with some of the best features WHV and DC have conjured up for their line of straight-to-video animated specials thus far.

AMAZON: $17.49

4. MEGAMIND

““A smart, funny and original treat,” Michael O’Sullivan, The Washington Post, Megamind puts a whole new hilarious twist on the superhero movie. Packed with high-flying action and non-stop laughs, the smash hit starring Will Ferrell, Brad Pitt, David Cross and Tina Fey will debut in DreamWorks Animation’s Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack which includes the all-new comedy-adventure MEGAMIND: THE BUTTON OF DOOM, plus hours of bonus features and exclusive interactive Blu-ray features including picture-in-picture storyboards, behind the scenes footage, interviews, music videos, the lost scene, a comic book creator, an insider tour of Megamind’s Lair, interactive games, and so much more. ”

Megamind actually doesn’t hit the shops until this Friday, February 25th. We’ll be giving away a copy of the Blu-ray disc in the next couple of days so keep your eyes open!!

AMAZON: $19.99

5. BIRDEMIC: SHOCK AND TERROR

“It is a tender love story. A graphic horror shocker. An urgent ecological warning. And around the world, it became the must-see midnight movie sensation of the year: From writer/producer/director/visionary James Nguyen The Master Of The Romantic ThrillerTM comes the story of a sexy lingerie model (Whitney Moore) and a successful software salesman (Alan Bagh) on a weekend getaway to a quaint Northern California town. But when the entire region is attacked by millions of homicidal birds, their picturesque paradise becomes a winged hell on earth. Can mankind now survive the avian onslaught of BIRDEMIC? Hollywood legend Tippi Hedren of Hitchcock’s THE BIRDS co-stars in the global cult movie phenomenon that Videogum says might end up being the greatest film of all time! ”

I haven’t seen Birdemic for myself but it looks like a barrel of fun. The perfect modern late-night film to share, intoxicated with your best pals. I can’t wait to check this one out!

AMAZON: $16.49

ANIME OF THE WEEK: FLCL: COMPLETE COLLECTION

“When the three powerhouse creators of Eden of the East, Gurren Lagann and Neon Genesis Evangelion bumped heads, they spawned the series that broke all the rules – then broke the mold. Naota is a detached sixth-grader afflicted by the pangs of puberty. He’s fooling around with his brother’s ex-girlfriend when a crazed girl on a motor scooter runs him over, brains him with a bass guitar, and moves into his house. This pink-haired girl, Haruko – who claims she’s an alien – hurls Naota into the middle of a mega-corporation’s secret agenda. Oh, and now giant battling robots shoot from his skull. Mix in mind-bending animation and tunes that echo through your cerebellum to top off the trip that will have you falling hard for FLCL. ”

Outside of Macross and the animation of Studio Ghibli, FLCL is the absolute best that Japanese animation has to offer. It’s wild, imaginative and always stunning to look at. There’s more heart and more creativity in each frame of this short 6-episode series than any other I’ve seen in my last twenty-five years of anime viewing. Sadly, I understand this Blu-ray presentation is another up-conversion from FUNimation and far from the most impressive high-def image we’ve seen on Blu. I’d like to see the results for myself before making on the call on the discs but I’ll stand behind the series itself as one of the best ever.

AMAZON: $24.99

ALSO AVAILABLE ON BLU-RAY THIS WEEK
Clicking an image will take you to Amazon.com where you can learn more about and purchase the Blu-ray disc:

Related posts

• All-Star Superman Blu-ray Disc Review (2)
• All-Star Superman Blu-ray announced and detailed (1)
• Criterion announces February Blu-ray titles: Senso, Sweet Smell of Success, Fish Tank, Still Walking, Amarcord, The Double Life of Véronique (1)
• [VIDEO] Three Reasons: Fish Tank – The Criterion Collection (0)
• [VIDEO] Sweet Smell of Success Blu-ray Trailer (0)

There are about five-million reason to be excited about this next animated release from Warner and DC, chief among them is that it’s an adaptation of one of the all-time best Superman stories ever told! Aside from the story itself, the aspect of the the upcoming All-Star Superman Blu-ray disc that has got me crapping my pants with excitement is the fact that it includes a commentary track. And it’s not just any old commentary track, oh no. THIS IS A GODDAMN GRANT MORRISON COMMENTARY TRACK!!! You heard me correctly. Morrison, the crazy/brilliant/visionary/under-the-influence Scottish writer responsible for the original graphic novel on which the film is based, is going to talk you all the way through the plot, along with producer Bruce Timm. Now, if only DC could convince him to record a commentary that would clear up what in the hell happened in his Final Crisis and Return of Bruce Wayne books, we’d have something there.

ALL STAR SUPERMAN
(February 22, 2011 – MSRP $24.98)
Video: 1080p
Audio: TBA

SPECIAL FEATURES:

• Sneak Peak at Green Lantern: Emerald Knights, the next DC Universe Animated Original Movie
• Featurette: “Superman Now” – In a moment of inspiration, Grant Morrison was provided an opportunity to revamp the Man of Steel into something modern, something more relevant for today’s audience. This is the story of All-Star Superman – where it all started, and what it came to be
• Two bonus episodes from animated television series handpicked by Bruce Timm
• Featurette: “Incubating the Idea” – A conversation with Grant Morrison
• Audio Commentary: Bruce Timm and Grant Morrison
• All-Star Superman Digital Comic Book
• Standard and high definition versions of the feature film
• Digital copy on disc of the feature film

Related posts

• Top 5 New Blu-ray releases for the Week of February 22 (1)
• All-Star Superman Blu-ray Disc Review (2)
• Animated All-Star Superman Blu-ray teaser, Batman: Year One announced (2)
• Justice League: Season Two finally coming to Blu-ray (0)
• [VIDEO] Superman/Batman: Public Enemies Blu-ray Clip – Metallo Revealed! (0)

I’m thrilled that DC and Warner‘s animation division are taking on Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely‘s All Star Superman! I actually just read the 12-issue series and was blown away by both the story and the art. To see even a hint of it translated into animation is like a dream come true.

The trailer above comes courtesy of MTV, who got the exclusive today. It’s tough to tell with all the compression artifacts marring the image but I think this thing is going to look pretty great, with character designs that carry over some of Quitely’s style, perhaps pushing it slightly into Peter Chung (Aeon Flux) territory. All Star Superman stars James Denton (Desperate Housewives) as the voice of the Man of Steel, Christina Hendricks (Mad Men) as Lois Lane, and Anthony LaPaglia as Lex Luthor (Without a Trace) and should appear on store shelves in January or February 2011.

Following the release of All Star Superman on Blu-ray (and DVD, of course), Bruce Timm and his team will deliver an animated Green Lantern anthology (to compliment next summers film starring Ryan Reynolds, much as they released the Gotham Knights film alongside The Dark Knight in 2008) followed by an adaptation of Frank Miller and David Mazzuchelli‘s brilliant Batman: Year One in the fall. Few details are available yet but in the video interview below, Timm states that the story will be faithful to the classic tale, with art reminiscent of Mazzuchelli’s. I can’t wait!

Related posts

• Top 5 New Blu-ray releases for the Week of February 22 (1)
• All-Star Superman Blu-ray Disc Review (2)
• All-Star Superman Blu-ray announced and detailed (1)
• Justice League: Season Two finally coming to Blu-ray (0)
• [VIDEO] Superman/Batman: Public Enemies Blu-ray Clip – Metallo Revealed! (0)

Man, I love these DC Comics animated films! As much as I’m dying to see Warner and DC branch out and tackle more obscure characters and story-lines from their vast universe of super-hero properties, Batman: Under the Red Hood is a welcome addition to a growing library of wonderful animated adventures based on the dark, gritty world of the caped crusader. And a perfect compliment to the live-action Christopher Nolan films of the last number of years!

Right out of the gate, you know that Under the Red Hood means business. The film opens with Batman rocketing toward an abandoned warehouse to save his young partner who is being savagely beaten by the dark knight’s arch nemesis, crazed madman the Joker. Savagely beaten. On screen. With a crowbar. This is a violent, more realistic portrayal of these characters than we’re used to seeing animated and as such is not meant for innocent eyes. This cartoon is for the more mature fans of the comics and films.

The story is typically dark, and deeply psychological, examining Batman’s relationships with his partners in crime-fighting through the years, and his failure to live up to the role of their guardian and father figure. Neil Patrick Harris is perfectly cast as Nightwing, the first hero to go by the name of Robin and former partner to a Batman wonderfully portrayed by Bruce Greenwood. They’re trying to track down and stop the Red Hood (Jensen Ackles), a new figure in Gotham’s underworld who’s taking over the city in a reign of violence and murder. But the Red Hood is connected to Batman’s past. To bring him down, the dark knight will be forced to face his mistakes and his demons, not to mention the Joker (John DiMaggio), head on.

Under the Red Hood is another visual triumph for the Warner animation department, resulting in a high-def tour-de-force on Blu-ray. The 75-minute film is created on a tight budget that is only sometimes apartment in the movement of characters or their occasional slip off-model. The transfer onto Blu looks great here, exhibiting vibrant colours and deep blacks. Occasional compression hiccups – banding, aliasing, noise – keep this from being amongst the best looking of the DC animated Blu-ray discs. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, on the other hand, is an explosive picture of dynamic perfection that will give your LFE channel that workout it’s been clamouring for.

This Blu-ray disc features a killer selection of extras including a short Jonah Hex film written by Joe R. Lansdale and Justin Gray that easily bests its live-action counterpart which bombed in cinemas only a couple of months ago. The dark, 12-minute western-horror stars Thomas Jane as our scarred, gun-slinging hero, with co-stars Michael Rooker, Michelle Trachtenberg and Linda Hamilton filling out the cast. The animation is moody and breathtaking punctuated by an amazing score by Jeremy Zuckerman and the Track Team. If not for the short run-time, Jonah Hex would be the best thing on the Blu-ray disc.

Other extras include a couple of half-hour featurettes, each focusing on one of the characters who went by the name of Robin, a 12-minute “First Look” at WHV’s upcoming Superman/Batman Apocalypse disc, four of the finest episodes of the Batman Animated Series from the 90′s (“Robin’s Reckoning, Parts 1 & 2,” “Mad Love,” and “The Laughing Fish“) and a handful of trailers.

Related posts

• Animated Batman: Under the Red Hood Blu-ray Details, Trailer (2)
• Top 5 New Blu-ray releases for the Week of February 22 (1)
• [VIDEO] Superman/Batman: Public Enemies Blu-ray Clip – Metallo Revealed! (0)
• Superman/Batman: Public Enemies Blu-ray Disc Review (1)
• Justice League: Season Two finally coming to Blu-ray (0)

Do you see that video up above? That’s a clip from a new Dark Knight featurette called “Truck Flip“, detailing one of the practical effect shots from the film, with director Christopher Nolan and special effects supervisor, Chris Corbould narrating. This featurette is not included on the Blu-ray edition of the film that you probably already own. And it’s only a part of a package of 31-minutes of brand new, never before seen bonus content, only just revealed. Could this mean that Warner is preparing one of their Ultimate Collector’s Edition box sets for the film?

Given how embarrassingly feature-light The Dark Knight Blu-ray turned out, it’s quite likely that we’ll eventually see a UCE boxed set. But there have yet to be any solid indications of a new disc release for the title. Certainly nothing official from Warner Home Video. This new 31-minute collection of extras is only currently available to those who download the film from iTunes. But I’m guessing that it’s a timed exclusive and that Apple will lose the right to be the only one to offer it by the holiday season. Now, we could, by all rights be allowed access to these new features over BD-Live but that wouldn’t figure into the usual studio cycle of double and triple-dipping hot titles like this. So I wouldn’t bet the bank on that happening. But I won’t be surprised to find a new Dark Knight Blu-ray boxed set on the shelves this December or next, complete with this collection of new featurettes and more. That sounds about right. And hey, if we’re lucky, perhaps we’ll even get a Nolan commentary track this time around!

Related posts

• Top 5 New Blu-ray releases for the Week of December 7 (1)
• The 83rd Oscar Winners on Blu-ray (1)
• Inception Limited Edition Blu-ray detailed (1)
• Inception Blu-ray officially announced and detailed (3)
• 'Batman Begins (Limited Edition Gift Set)' Blu-ray on sale at Amazon for only $14.49! (0)

Because I’m a little short on time here (still haven’t had a chance to get the Top 5 list for the week written and posted!) I’m going to cut the commentary short and let this press release speak for itself.

UPDATE: Blu-ray package art!!

Batman: Under the Red Hood is scripted by award-winning comics writer Judd Winick and based on his popular 2005 comics storyline and subsequent comics graphic novel of the same name. Animation guru Bruce Timm returns as executive producer, as he has for all eight DC Universe animated original movies. Director is Brandon Vietti, who served as co-director of Superman Doomsday and was responsible for the first one-third of that film, including the fatal battle between the two title characters.

In Batman: Under the Red Hood, Batman faces his ultimate challenge as the mysterious Red Hood takes Gotham City by firestorm. One part vigilante, one part criminal kingpin, Red Hood begins cleaning up Gotham with the efficiency of Batman, but without following the same ethical code. Killing is an option. And when The Joker falls in the balance between the two, hard truths are revealed and old wounds are reopened.

Fans will be treated to an incredible package of DC Universe storytelling as the Special Edition Blu-Ray and 2-Disc Special Edition DVD include the second animated short in the all-new DC Showcase series – which features the popular DC Comics character, Jonah Hex.  The short is scripted by renowned author Joe Lansdale and stars the voices of Thomas Jane (Hung), Linda Hamilton (The Terminator), Michelle Trachtenberg (Mercy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Michael Rooker (Days of Thunder).

Batman: Under the Red Hood – 2 Disc Special Edition DVD will have more than two hours of fascinating bonus features, including:

• Featurette – Robin’s Story – It was decided it was time to add a fresh face into the story mix, which turned out to be Dick Grayson, aka Robin. This is the story of Dick Grayson and how he transformed into Robin, with Batman as his father-figure role model.
• Extended Sneak Peek at the next DC UNIVERSE Animated Original PG-13 Movie.
• Widescreen (1.78:1)
• Two title-themed episodes from of Warner Bros. Animation’s 20-year history of Batman television series, hand-picked by animation legend Bruce Timm.

Batman: Under the Red Hood Special Edition Blu-Ray will have more than three hours of bonus materials, including all the great extras from the 2-disc Special Edition DVD as well as:

• Featurette: Death in the House of Batman – The story of how DC Comics heard the fans’ cry that the new Robin was not going to fit the cape, and how the Boy Wonder was scheduled to die.
• Two additional bonus Batman-themed episodes personally selected by Bruce Timm
• Digital copy

“Batman: Under the Red Hood is another terrific entry in the groundbreaking series of DC Universe animated movies, a shining representation of the adult storytelling that comics-turned-to-film has to offer, and further evidence of the combined creative power within the collaboration of DC Entertainment, Warner Premiere, Warner Bros. Animation and Warner Home Video,” said Matt Bierman, Senior Vice President Production, Warner Premiere.
“Judd Winick’s and Doug Mahnke’s story of a Robin gone wrong introduced Batman’s most personal enemy to date.  It’s unbelievably cool to see it brought to life like this,” said Geoff Johns, Chief Creative Officer of DC Entertainment.

“With each exciting new chapter of the DC UNIVERSE films, fans have come to expect more – and Batman: Under the Red Hood delivers with an action-packed tale of mystery and emotional struggle brought to animated life by an outstanding filmmaking crew and voiced by the all-star talents of Bruce Greenwood, Jensen Ackles, Neil Patrick Harris and John Dimaggio,” said Amit Desai, WHV Vice President of Family, Animation & Partner Brand Marketing.

“In his feature length solo directorial debut, Brandon Vietti has brought this dark, psychological thriller to the screen with all the action and emotion of a great Batman story,” said Sam Register, Executive Vice President, Warner Bros. Animation. “

Related posts

• Batman: Under the Red Hood Blu-ray Disc Review (2)
• Top 5 New Blu-ray releases for the Week of February 22 (1)
• [VIDEO] Superman/Batman: Public Enemies Blu-ray Clip – Metallo Revealed! (0)
• Superman/Batman: Public Enemies Blu-ray Disc Review (1)
• Justice League: Season Two finally coming to Blu-ray (0)