 |
|
| Home · Reviews · Interviews · Contests · Blog · Forums · Follow Us On Twitter |
|
by R.J. Carter Published: June 30, 2008
"Batman - Gotham Knight" serves as a bridge from the events of "Batman Begins" to "The Dark Knight" -- which is to say, the events of it happen between those two films more than they serve to connect them. The film is told in six chapters, with screenwriters like David Goyer, Brian Azzarello, and Alan Burnett. On the surface, it's the story of Batman fighting off a gangwar between two gang bosses -- Sal Moroni and "The Russian." Along the way, the Dark Knight encounters a flying thief, Killer Croc, the Scarecrow, and Deadshot. But it's not the story that serves as the main draw for this film, but rather the animation teams and directors, because each chapter was parceled out for reinterpretation by some of the finest anime artists in the industry. The result is an episodic, patchwork tapestry that shows the various visions of Gotham's protector. The opening sequence, "Have I Got a Story For You," is almost an exact retelling of the animated Batman episode, "Legends of the Dark Knight." Three skateboarders meet up, each after having witnessed Batman in battle against a technologically enhanced crook. The tales they tell portray Batman as either a shadow, a giant bat -- even a mecha. And when Batman and the thief's battle takes them right to where the skaters are congregated, the fourth kid ends up with a tale of his own to tell. From here we move on to "Crossfire," featuring the first animated appearance of Detective Crispus Allen, and his partner Anna Ramirez (not Renee Montoya). They've been assembled by Lt. Gordon because they're honest cops. But Allen has a real problem with Gordon relying on Batman. Here, we get an interesting, almost futuristic view of Arkham Asylum, reinterpreted here as being nearly a city of its own. As Allen and Ramirez debate the good and the bad of Batman, they get caught in the crossfire of a gang war (southwest of O'Neil and Morrison -- apparently Grant is already getting homage naming). The advanced technology that allows Batman to do his job gets an added feature when Lucius Fox shows Bruce Wayne the latest in electromagnetics. However, when Batman's new bulletproof armor has some unexpected consequences during his "Field Test," he abandons the project. At this point, we almost seem to move on to a separate plot, as Batman is put on the hunt for Killer Croc after a church congregation describes a lizard man as having attacked and abducted their minister. Their hysteria leads Batman to believe that Jonathan Crane, aka the Scarecrow, is also involved. There's a good amount of blood and death from here on out, earning "Batman - Gotham Knight" every inch of its PG-13 rating. "In Darkness Dwells" sees Batman get injured and infected with the fear toxin, and leads into the stylistically breathtaking "Working Through Pain." Here, Batman -- wounded and bleeding -- makes his way through the sewers as we flash back on some of Bruce Wayne's training, specifically that involving how to be unaffected by pain. This is also the first time we see Alfred make his appearance, as Batman calls for help. "I've lost a lot of blood," he radios his butler. "I'll bring some along," is the dry reply -- because naturally the Batcave would be well-stocked for this event.
Unfortunately, the draw to this Batman release is not so much the story as it is the novelty of seeing the hero done up in Japanese animation style. The stories don't mesh well together to form the cohesive unit they're meant to, and the varying art styles include renditions of the Dark Knight that are either ugly ("Have I Got a Story For You") or effeminate ("Field Test"). However, if you want to just pick a vignette and enjoy it as a standalone, then "Deadshot" and "Working Through Pain" are definite must-sees.
The second disc contains a triple-threat of features, the third being a set of episodes from Batman: The Animated Series -- "Legends of the Dark Knight," "Heart of Ice," "Over the Edge," and "I Am the Night," presented by Bruce Timm. The first two featurettes are documentaries in excess of a half-hour each. "A Mirror for the Bat: The Evil Denizens of Gotham City" finds Noveck, Azzarello, Greg Rucka, Paul Levitz, Dan Didio, Paul Dini, Andy Mangels, and others discussing the philosophy and psychology of the Batman villains and how they are drawn to reflect aspects of Batman. Each of the major villains is given his (or her) due, supported with stills from the comics or clips from episodes, ending with the ultimate of the Batman villains, the Joker. The better of the documentaries, however, is "Batman and Me, Devotion to Destiny: The Bob Kane Story." Here, Tom Andrae (author of Batman and Me), Mark Hamill, Stan Lee, Jerry Robinson, and Bob Kane's widow, Elizabeth Kane, among others, discuss the life and times of Batman's creator. This documentary includes several interview clips with Kane, some early sketch designs of Batman, as well as some of the work Kane did for Fleischer Studios on Betty Boop. In fact, I would recommend this 2-disc set for this featurette alone. Previews on this disc include "10,000 BC," "Appleseed: Ex Machina," and "Wonder Woman." |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Copyright © 1997-2010 Burlee LLC. All rights reserved. | Reprints | Privacy Policy | Disclosure | About Us/Contact Us | RSS Feed |