The updated for modern times Batman that became the template for years to follow finally arrives in animated form.
What They Say:
Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli’s seminal comic book series, Batman: Year One, makes its way to the animated small screen with this Warner Premiere production. The story follows James Gordon (voiced by Bryan Cranston) during his early years on the force just as the vigilante Batman (Ben McKenzie) targets both the corrupt police officials and the crime-ridden streets for a clean-up. Eliza Dushku and Katee Sackhoff lead the supporting voice cast.
The Review:
Audio:
The audio presentation for this release is quite spot on when it comes to the core track here as the English language track is a DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix that conveys a great range here. It deals with the big action sequences very well while not being overpowering, fitting with the tighter and more realistic nature of the action here, but it also covers the dialogue and the quieter scenes just as intently. Dialogue is key here, especially with all the internal monologue material that goes through the characters minds, and it has a solid overlay feel to it. The music is another really engaging piece here as it blends into the film in a great way, never overpowering but still a key and integral piece here that reads the cues of past works while finding its own voice. The supplemental tracks aren’t all that much when it comes to presentation though as the French mix is a 5.1 Dolby Digital piece while the Spanish language track is an even simpler stereo mix.
The Catwoman feature in the DC Showcase doesn’t make out anywhere near as good. In fact, it’s a Dolby Digital stereo mix encoded at 192kbps. While it could have been a lot more engaging, it’s not a horrible track but it definitely pales compared to the main film and it is noticeable and a sad omission.
Video:
Debuting in 2011, the transfer for this hour long feature is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.78:1 in 1080p using the AVC codec. The feature is naturally a very darkly hued work and the colors here are all drab and depressing in its own way, even when it goes bright such as the red light district of Gotham. There are a lot of bright colors but they never really pop in a way that makes them stand out. With so many solid and distinct colors throughout, there’s a good chance for noise and other problems to crop up, but there’s really little to have any issue with here. It’s a very clean and pristine look here but it’s not in terms of the visuals which are appropriate for the show. The transfer is a clean one in that it brings out the great visuals that sticks the comic book origins of it all. Nothing is flawless but this is a beautiful and atmospheric work.
Packaging:
Warner Premiere does a solid job with this release again as we get a really nice embossed slipcover over a standard sized Blu-ray case which has the BD and DVD/Digital copy discs inside against the interior panels. The slipcover and keepcase covers are identical though there’s some stronger design elements to the slipcover with the embossing that makes the yellow/gold stand out all the more. The front cover goes with a solid classic looking image that has the logo against the background with the black and yellow while we get the grays mixed in as well, both with the background and in his outfit. There’s a small strip along the bottom that highlights the Catwoman short that’s included with a shot of her as well that definitely is appealing. The back cover splits things up well with the majority of it showcasing a sleek image of Batman against the black and gold with a summary of what’s in store with the feature. The discs extras and bonus material is clearly laid out in a way that showcases the content well. The rest is given over to the usual things like the digital copy instructions, production and technical information and required logos and the like. No show related inserts are included nor is there a reversible cover.
Menu:
The menu layout for this release is fairly straightforward as we get the artwork from the cover dominating the piece with no music associated with it, so it’s a quiet menu that doesn’t set the mood through a combination of elements. The background looks good to be sure and the navigation along the bottom uses standard strips in gray with a tear across it which builds upwards for submenu selection. The menus are laid out well enough and are easy to navigate and accessing things via the pop-up menu works well throughout.
Extras:
The extras for this release are what you’d consider standard but there’s plenty to like with what the DC Universe extras are like that are standard. The first is we get a trio of “sneak peek” segments that run about ten minutes each on average which shows us some of the other features they’ve produced with clips from it and lots of talking by the people behind the production. It’s a good look at things that should get people enthused for the upcoming Justice League: Doom as well as previous releases like All Star Superman and Green Lantern: Emerald Knights.
Though it’s not the easiest read on a TV screen, the first issue of Batman: Year One is included here that you can make progress through. There’s another really good nod towards the comics here with a trailer for the DCU Application, i.e. Comiixology, where they promote the various books you can get and various ways to access that content. Also included are a pair of Bruce Timm’s picks, with this batch including the Catwalk episode from Batman: TAS and Cult of the Cat from The New Batman Adventures. Both are, sadly but predictably, standard definition presentations.
The really solid extras here are the ones that captivated me. For the fans, there’s a graet commentary by Alan Burnett, Sam Liu, Mike Carlin and Andrea Romano that covers a ton of things about the show and comics as it progresses and makes for excellent listening even while not watching what’s on screen. There’s also an impressive 40 minute video piece that brings together several Batman creators, past and present. It involves Michael Uslan, the producer of The Dark Knight Rises, with Denny O’Neil, Dan Didio and Scott Snyder. They’re talking about all the things involved with the Year One story and Frank Miller, but also Batman in general and what they’re all involved with when it comes to the character and franchises. There’s some very, very fun things that long time fans can get out of this as they talk about so many different things with very personal angles applied to it all and that makes it a thoroughly engaging conversation to watch.
The other completely excellent extra, and one that I adore that they do with all of the DC Universe releases, is the featurette entitled Heart of Vengeance: Returning Batman to His Roots. This twenty-three piece is the one that serves as an introduction of sorts to the comics, creators and others when it comes to the character. It takes us through the story of Batman with so many name creators, the people involved in the film and more. It’s one of those extras I love from all the other releases, and this one is no exception, because it treats it as something fun but also gives it the respect it deserves. It also focuses on the challenges of the character over the years with its various incarnations. While your well knowledged comic book fan will get the majority of this, it’s a great thing to show new people and a great way to revisit things older fans may not have thought about for years.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
With the origin of Batman being one that has been told again and again and again, doing a feature called Batman: Year One can be an eyeroll inducing idea just because you know it and you don’t want to keep repeating yourself. With this work based off of the four issue run in the Batman comics of the same name in the late 80’s, it’s far more appropriate than one might think because it’s not really a Batman origin story in a way. Back when this came out, I was still feeling my way through the post-Crisis on Infinite Earths DC Universe but hadn’t tackled the two Batman books because the character never really resonated with me. But with the hype for it, going through these books on a monthly basis was breathtaking to read. I’ve only read it again once in the last decade when I dabbled back into comics some ten years ago, but I still found just how well it resonated and why it made sense for it to be a strong foundation for Batman Begins as story material.
Batman: Year One is an origin story for four characters that are all intertwined together, but even though it’s titled as it is, the real story is the origin of Jim Gordon. The feature details the arrival of Jim Gordon in Gotham City after a problem where he was working as a cop before and has landed himself in a place where he knows he doesn’t belong, and doesn’t want to bring his wife to either, especially as she’s in the early stages of pregnancy. But he’s made his bed and has to lay in it, so to speak. He doesn’t fit in, he doesn’t play ball but he tries to keep to the sides as long as he can before the overwhelming corruption of the city starts to push him to doing the right thing more and more. And while it does get him good press and does help others, it pushes against those that run the darker side of the city, with the mob element and the corrupt cops that have their own things going on. The struggle he faces here is the core narrative of the film, with the crime and corruption but also the temptations that are put in front of him.
The obvious origin story is that of Batman himself, as we see Bruce Wayne return to Gotham after being away for twelve years. There’s little to Bruce here himself, but we see him struggle to figure out how to strike fear in the heart of criminals so he can bring justice to Gotham. His initial forays as Batman are done in clear fashion, where he struggles with the way he’s not completely on top of his game but knows what he has to do. He can be taken down, shot and outsmarted at times, but it’s all the things that he needs to have happen in order to grow, become stronger and to be as good as he becomes eventually. Having him with faults here is critical because it is the start, he’s not the mastermind that we know he becomes, the ultimate tactician and able to work multiple angles at a time. It can thrown you off at first, but it’s well done here, even as he does seem to get shot repeatedly.
A small storyline here, but just as important, is the introduction of Selina Kyle who does become Catwoman during it. She has a smaller role for the first half but she becomes more instrumental along the way and offers what becomes the first person to visibly take up in a similar way to Batman, costuming up and going after what she wants. She’s similar to Batman in a way in that she’s not viewed in black and white terms, there are grays to her, but she tends to err more on the darker side at times even though she has the things she cares about and does what she can to help, defend and bring happiness to. Catwoman gets an extended story in the DC Showcase here too, which runs about fifteen minutes, and that lets her take a far more sexual tone and shows her evolution, especially in costume and personality, so having that short after watching this feature is definitely a smart combination.
What Batman: Year One also does, which was recognized in the years to come after the comics came out, was that it really made Gotham City a character. Many attribute it to Tim Burton’s first Batman movie, which in turn drew on the comics, but it’s here that it really became more than just a New York “light” as a number of people had always viewed it. The city takes on a different tone here than what came before in the comics, with the crime families, the politicians, the corruption in police ranks. It all become more defined, more cohesive, and helped to create a personality for the city that has been enhanced and built upon ever since. And all these stories together with the characters through the city, as we see what his first year of working as Batman is like and how the lives of others influenced him and how he influenced them. It’s a fascinating piece that really does draw together well in a way that continually merits exploration and exposition.
In Summary:
I’ve long been a fan of Batman and it’s the comics that this based on, nearly twenty-five years old now, that made me the fan that I am. It’s not a story I can read often but every time I do there’s some little nuance, some little aspect that makes it resonate even more. This animated adaptation made me leery from the start because of the difficulty in adapting the style of artwork from the original, but they captured it really well while giving ti a life of its own. That it’s truly the origin story of Jim Gordon, the real heart of Gotham City who in turn helps to bring out the humanity in others, is what makes this a thoroughly engaging work. The voice acting is top notch throughout, the characters are fun, exciting and layered and the feature as a whole really rises to the top here. I initially wished they hadn’t spent time on an origin story when there are so many great stories to adapt, but they pulled this off beautifully.
Features:
English DTS-HD MA 5.1 Language, French Dolby Digital 5.1 Language, Spanish 2.0 Language
Content Grade: A
Audio Grade: A-
Video Grade: A
Packaging Grade: A-
Menu Grade: B
Extras Grade: A+
Released By: Warner Premiere
Release Date: October 17th, 2011
MSRP: $24.98
Running Time: 64 Minutes
Video Encoding: 1080p AVC
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Widescreen
Review Equipment:
Sony KDS-R70XBR2 70″ LCoS 1080P HDTV, Sony PlayStation3 Blu-ray player via HDMI set to 1080p, Onkyo TX-SR605 Receiver and Panasonic SB-TP20S Multi-Channel Speaker System With 100-Watt Subwoofer.
