Warner Bros., out now

1928: Bruce Wayne and his wards discover a lost expedition – and bring something back with them…

This new DC movie, based on the Mike Mignola/Richard Pace/Troy Nixey three part Elseworlds miniseries from two decades ago, is an enjoyable treat – although I would have anticipated that it would have been saved for a Halloween release, given the high level of horror that’s at its core.

The key beats of the original have been maintained (including its setting, which is not, contrary to the comments of co-director Sam Liu in the otherwise entertaining short behind the scenes feature, in Victorian times!) although there are a few changes – if you know the graphic novel well, you’ll notice the threats made to Gotham are subtly different (although oddly play out much the same), and the ghost who makes a visit to Bruce makes far more sense in the animated version. The increasing mental peril that Wayne faces is evoked well, and it doesn’t really matter if you get all of the references to “contemporary” heroes and villains in their Lovecraftian counterpoints – they make sense in context. We do get some alterations to the youngsters who are assisting Bruce, creating a more diverse cast than would otherwise have been the case on multiple scores, although the 2023 versions fulfil similar plot functions.

David Giuntoli makes for a good Batman, particularly in this very different environment, and he’s backed up by a strong voice cast – Emily O’Brien’s Talia notably striking at pertinent points. The original artwork is referenced heavily – and it is the Nixey version rather than the proposed Pace rendition of the story that dominates. Co-directors Liu and Christopher Berkeley maintain the sense of pace and overwhelming doom, both in the earthly sections and the more unearthly.

Verdict: Unfortunately UK fans don’t get the option of the 4K disc available elsewhere, but this is well worth the investment of time. 8/10

Paul Simpson

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