Warner Bros., out now on 4K, Bluray and digital download

Someone is using the holidays to kill the killers…

I remember reading the original Jeph Loeb/Tim Sale story soon after it came out in graphic novel form, charting a pivotal point in the Batman’s career, as he came to realise that he needed to be a detective (indeed, The World’s Greatest Detective) if he was to be as effective as he wished to be in Gotham. Watching the Matt Reeves Batman movie earlier this year, it was clear that elements of this story had informed the scripting and characterisation in that, notably of Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle, and it’s no surprise to discover that this highly enjoyable Batman animated film got back burnered for a time while the live action movie took centre stage. It’s a properly adult rendition of the serial killer story.

As with all these animated adaptations, it’s not a beat for beat repeat of everything that came in the original, and I’ll leave it to those who are more well versed in the Batman mythos to say whether the changes have improved things or not. Giving the story the time to breathe – it was originally released in two parts – means that the viewer is drawn into the tale in a far more immersive way than would have been the case had it been cut back to a simple 120, or worse 90, minutes, and we get to see Bruce Wayne and the Batman’s development. One stylistic point that I suspect was carried over from the original comics is the revelation as to the date of the murders, which sometimes means we’re not always entirely sure exactly when in the calendar a scene is set until we get to its end.

Jensen Ackles makes a good Bruce/Batman against whom the late Naya Rivera’s Selina is a good foil. Among the other cast, Titus Welliver stands out as Carmine Falcone as does Alastair Duncan’s Alfred – although there’s virtually no weak spots in any of the voice casting. Chris Palmer’s direction feels assured, and there’s various nice stylistic points that echo the original art without slavishly following it.

The Deluxe Edition also includes a detailed documentary on the making of the movie, which is well worth your time, and there’s four episodes of the animated series. If you bought the original release in two parts hang on to those discs as the other extras didn’t port across…

Verdict: One of the best Batman movies I’ve seen in a very long time, that looks stunning on Blu-ray upgraded to 4K, let alone native 4K. 9/10

Paul Simpson

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