Welcome to the Summer of the Bat. This summer didn't just see one new outing of the Bat but two epic new tellings of the Batman story. The movie of course rocks like nothing else, if you haven't seen it yet get your butt to a theater now and see it. However, I'm here to talk about the other new outing of Batman. The Direct to DVD release of Batman Gotham Knight.
Much like the Animatrix Batman Gotham Knight is a collaboration between several Japanese and American production studios to bring us a collection of six interconnected stories fleshing out many of Batman's many talents. Here are the stories...
1. Have I Got A Story For You: By Studio 4°C. If you enjoyed Tekkon Kinkreet then you will enjoy the animation of this story as it is done by the same people. It is a story where a handful of young childhood friends are hanging out describing their own sightings of the Bat and how he looks and acts while fighting a villain. It is a good start to the rest of the stories.
2. Crossfire: By Production I.G. One of my favorite anime studios doesn't disappoint in this story of two detectives who while arguing the merits of the Bat end up square in the middle of a mob war shoot out between the Russians and Sal Maroni. Lucky for them Batman shows up in time to save their butts.
3. Field Test: By Bee Train. I liked this story a bit more than the rest because I'm a big fan of Batman Tech and Lucius Fox and the two featured heavily in this story. Lucius Fox pretty much by accident develops a kind of Force field for Batman that can deflect small arms fire. Batman tests out this new gadget when he breaks up a meeting between mobsters. A mob thug gets shot due to the force field deflecting the bullet back at the thug leaving Batman with a slight problem.
4. In Darkness Dwells: By Madhouse. This story includes two of Batman's arch foes the Scarecrow and Killer Kroc. Scarecrow is off releasing his crazy mind altering poison even infecting Killer Kroc who kidnaps a priest for the Scarecrow. Batman shows up to rescue the priest and apprehend who ever it was that kidnapped the priest. Shortly there after Batman does battle with Killer Kroc ending up wounded and infected with the Scarecrow poison. Even though infected by the poison and badly injured Batman is able to soldier on and is able to find and save the priest from the clutches of the Scarecrow.
5. Working Through Pain: By Studio 4°C. Following directly after the last story we see Batman as he makes his way to meeting up with his trusted butler Alfred to be picked up. Along the way we are treated to the story of how Batman is able to sustain so much pain and injury in his fights with thugs and villains. While that is a big part of this story the end is probably more to the overall statement of Batman for while he is waiting in the garbage filled sewer to be picked up by Alfred he starts to find discarded firearms. When Alfred does show up to give Batman a hand up out of the gutter Batman is reluctant to let go of the firearms that he has collected. This I think is one of the better scenes of the entire DVD because it shows you just how much Batman hates guns.
6. Deadshot: By Madhouse. In the last of the stories we have a battle between a crack shot assassin and Batman. Hired by the Russians, the assassin targets Gorden in a ruse to actually go after Batman. Batman falling for the ruse, saving Gordan in the process, and confronts the assassin on a moving train. Yet again Batman is injured but is able to take out the assassin who is too busy gloating to notice Batman behind him. Easily Batman is able to take out the assassin from that point on destroying the assassin's weapon in the process.
I have to say that I really enjoyed this DVD and while I got this from Netflix I might just go out and buy myself a copy but I think I'll get the two disk version. This single disk version included a preview for the upcoming Wonder Woman animated movie that is coming out soon. It looks pretty good as well. Batman Gotham Knight is definitely a knock out DVD and one that I think both Batman fans and everyone else a like will highly enjoy and get a lot out of. I watched this after seeing the movie because it took me a while to get the DVD from Netflix but it doesn't matter if you watch the movie first or this first as they don't have anything to do with each other.
Much like the Animatrix Batman Gotham Knight is a collaboration between several Japanese and American production studios to bring us a collection of six interconnected stories fleshing out many of Batman's many talents. Here are the stories...
1. Have I Got A Story For You: By Studio 4°C. If you enjoyed Tekkon Kinkreet then you will enjoy the animation of this story as it is done by the same people. It is a story where a handful of young childhood friends are hanging out describing their own sightings of the Bat and how he looks and acts while fighting a villain. It is a good start to the rest of the stories.
2. Crossfire: By Production I.G. One of my favorite anime studios doesn't disappoint in this story of two detectives who while arguing the merits of the Bat end up square in the middle of a mob war shoot out between the Russians and Sal Maroni. Lucky for them Batman shows up in time to save their butts.
3. Field Test: By Bee Train. I liked this story a bit more than the rest because I'm a big fan of Batman Tech and Lucius Fox and the two featured heavily in this story. Lucius Fox pretty much by accident develops a kind of Force field for Batman that can deflect small arms fire. Batman tests out this new gadget when he breaks up a meeting between mobsters. A mob thug gets shot due to the force field deflecting the bullet back at the thug leaving Batman with a slight problem.
4. In Darkness Dwells: By Madhouse. This story includes two of Batman's arch foes the Scarecrow and Killer Kroc. Scarecrow is off releasing his crazy mind altering poison even infecting Killer Kroc who kidnaps a priest for the Scarecrow. Batman shows up to rescue the priest and apprehend who ever it was that kidnapped the priest. Shortly there after Batman does battle with Killer Kroc ending up wounded and infected with the Scarecrow poison. Even though infected by the poison and badly injured Batman is able to soldier on and is able to find and save the priest from the clutches of the Scarecrow.
5. Working Through Pain: By Studio 4°C. Following directly after the last story we see Batman as he makes his way to meeting up with his trusted butler Alfred to be picked up. Along the way we are treated to the story of how Batman is able to sustain so much pain and injury in his fights with thugs and villains. While that is a big part of this story the end is probably more to the overall statement of Batman for while he is waiting in the garbage filled sewer to be picked up by Alfred he starts to find discarded firearms. When Alfred does show up to give Batman a hand up out of the gutter Batman is reluctant to let go of the firearms that he has collected. This I think is one of the better scenes of the entire DVD because it shows you just how much Batman hates guns.
6. Deadshot: By Madhouse. In the last of the stories we have a battle between a crack shot assassin and Batman. Hired by the Russians, the assassin targets Gorden in a ruse to actually go after Batman. Batman falling for the ruse, saving Gordan in the process, and confronts the assassin on a moving train. Yet again Batman is injured but is able to take out the assassin who is too busy gloating to notice Batman behind him. Easily Batman is able to take out the assassin from that point on destroying the assassin's weapon in the process.
I have to say that I really enjoyed this DVD and while I got this from Netflix I might just go out and buy myself a copy but I think I'll get the two disk version. This single disk version included a preview for the upcoming Wonder Woman animated movie that is coming out soon. It looks pretty good as well. Batman Gotham Knight is definitely a knock out DVD and one that I think both Batman fans and everyone else a like will highly enjoy and get a lot out of. I watched this after seeing the movie because it took me a while to get the DVD from Netflix but it doesn't matter if you watch the movie first or this first as they don't have anything to do with each other.
