BATMAN: THE ANIMATED
SERIES
TALES OF THE DARK KNIGHT
BATMAN:
THE ANIMATED SERIES- TALES OF THE DARK KNIGHT ($20) marks Warner’s
second release of episodes from this classic television show, and while I
am certainly happy that more episodes are coming to DVD, I personally
would prefer a box set containing the entire series. With my DVD release
preference out of the way, let me express the opinion that BATMAN: THE
ANIMATED SERIES was the turning point in American animated television.
This was an animated show that was intelligent, mature and respectful of
the characters, as well as the whole superhero mythology that inspired it.
Another outstanding characteristic of BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES
was the dark, noir-ish retro styling of the animation that placed the
Batman character in a something of a timeless era that combined vintage
designs with modern technology.
The
four episodes included on BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES- TALES OF THE
DARK KNIGHT are The Underdwellers, POV, The
Forgotten and Be A Clown. These four episodes
continue the show's chronological DVD release, which began with BATMAN:
THE ANIMATED SERIES- THE LEGEND BEGINS. While I am certainly a fan of
the series, these four offerings are amongst the earliest episodes
produced and are not always indicative of the heights the show would
achieve later in its run. As producer/director points out in his
introductions the show was still searching for its voice and a turning
point
One
will find shades of Charles Dickens looming over Gotham City in The
Underdwellers, a tale in which the Caped Crusader finds more than
rats living beneath the streets of the city. POV is one of
the more interesting episodes, in which several of the supporting
characters are highlighted- each of which describes different aspects of a
particular encounter with The Dark Knight. The Forgotten
finds Batman shifted to the background, while millionaire Bruce Wayne
demonstrates the heroics- going undercover to find out what has happened
to the homeless individuals that have disappeared from the streets of
Gotham City. Be A Clown features an appearance from The
Joker, who decides to teach Gotham City’s Mayor the deadly differences
between himself and Batman.
Warner
Home Video has made BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES- TALES OF THE DARK
KNIGHT available on DVD in the same full screen format of the original
television broadcasts. I should point out that while BATMAN: THE
ANIMATED SERIES was indeed stylish, there is a decidedly low budget
look to the animation, which was most evident in the earliest episodes.
For the most part, the image on the DVD is reasonably clean and free from
serious defects, although there are some blemishes here and there. The
presentation looks better than that of a typical syndicated rerun, but the
picture isn’t as crisp as a newly produced animated program. Colors tend
to be a bit subdued; however, this appears to be a stylistic choice and
not a problem with the transfer. Blacks appear accurate and contrast is
pretty good. Digital compression artifacts do not make their presence
known in any significant way.
The
Dolby Digital 2.0 channel stereo soundtrack decodes fairly well to
standard surround. Directionality is somewhat limited, although there are
a few moments when there are some noticeable pans in the forward
soundstage. The surround channels are limited to a bit of ambient and
musical fill, which is what one normally gets from the majority of
television productions. Fidelity is good, but not outstanding; however,
the show’s moody music is pretty terrific and is well worth amplifying.
The low end of the track is fairly respectable, but never enters
ground-shaking territory. Dialogue is crisp and always fully intelligible.
French and Spanish stereo tracks and a Portuguese monaural track are also
encoded onto the DVD, as are English, French, Spanish and Portuguese
subtitles.
Music
underscores the basic interactive menus, which allow one access to the
standard episode selection and set up features, as well as a few extras.
Each of the four episodes includes an optional introduction by
producer/director Bruce Timm, who discusses various aspects of the
particular episode. Voices Of Gotham City is a five-minute
program that looks at the voices behind the characters, featuring vocal
director Andrea Romano and the voice of The Dark Knight himself Kevin
Conroy. Closing out the extras is a rather limited interactive game called
Line Up, which will hold a kids attention for all of ten
seconds.
BATMAN:
THE ANIMATED SERIES was an outstanding show that will appeal to fans
of the Caped Crusader and animation fans in general. While I’d prefer
the entire series in some sort of boxed set collection, the individual
release of BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES- TALES OF THE DARK KNIGHT is
a worthwhile acquisition. Perhaps strong sales will convince Warner to
issue a full collection of episodes.
BATMAN:
THE ANIMATED SERIES- TALES OF THE DARK KNIGHT ($20) marks Warner’s
second release of episodes from this classic television show, and while I
am certainly happy that more episodes are coming to DVD, I personally
would prefer a box set containing the entire series. With my DVD release
preference out of the way, let me express the opinion that BATMAN: THE
ANIMATED SERIES was the turning point in American animated television.
This was an animated show that was intelligent, mature and respectful of
the characters, as well as the whole superhero mythology that inspired it.
Another outstanding characteristic of BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES
was the dark, noir-ish retro styling of the animation that placed the
Batman character in a something of a timeless era that combined vintage
designs with modern technology.
The
four episodes included on BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES- TALES OF THE
DARK KNIGHT are The Underdwellers, POV, The
Forgotten and Be A Clown. These four episodes
continue the show's chronological DVD release, which began with BATMAN:
THE ANIMATED SERIES- THE LEGEND BEGINS. While I am certainly a fan of
the series, these four offerings are amongst the earliest episodes
produced and are not always indicative of the heights the show would
achieve later in its run. As producer/director points out in his
introductions the show was still searching for its voice and a turning
point
One
will find shades of Charles Dickens looming over Gotham City in The
Underdwellers, a tale in which the Caped Crusader finds more than
rats living beneath the streets of the city. POV is one of
the more interesting episodes, in which several of the supporting
characters are highlighted- each of which describes different aspects of a
particular encounter with The Dark Knight. The Forgotten
finds Batman shifted to the background, while millionaire Bruce Wayne
demonstrates the heroics- going undercover to find out what has happened
to the homeless individuals that have disappeared from the streets of
Gotham City. Be A Clown features an appearance from The
Joker, who decides to teach Gotham City’s Mayor the deadly differences
between himself and Batman.
Warner
Home Video has made BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES- TALES OF THE DARK
KNIGHT available on DVD in the same full screen format of the original
television broadcasts. I should point out that while BATMAN: THE
ANIMATED SERIES was indeed stylish, there is a decidedly low budget
look to the animation, which was most evident in the earliest episodes.
For the most part, the image on the DVD is reasonably clean and free from
serious defects, although there are some blemishes here and there. The
presentation looks better than that of a typical syndicated rerun, but the
picture isn’t as crisp as a newly produced animated program. Colors tend
to be a bit subdued; however, this appears to be a stylistic choice and
not a problem with the transfer. Blacks appear accurate and contrast is
pretty good. Digital compression artifacts do not make their presence
known in any significant way.
The
Dolby Digital 2.0 channel stereo soundtrack decodes fairly well to
standard surround. Directionality is somewhat limited, although there are
a few moments when there are some noticeable pans in the forward
soundstage. The surround channels are limited to a bit of ambient and
musical fill, which is what one normally gets from the majority of
television productions. Fidelity is good, but not outstanding; however,
the show’s moody music is pretty terrific and is well worth amplifying.
The low end of the track is fairly respectable, but never enters
ground-shaking territory. Dialogue is crisp and always fully intelligible.
French and Spanish stereo tracks and a Portuguese monaural track are also
encoded onto the DVD, as are English, French, Spanish and Portuguese
subtitles.
Music
underscores the basic interactive menus, which allow one access to the
standard episode selection and set up features, as well as a few extras.
Each of the four episodes includes an optional introduction by
producer/director Bruce Timm, who discusses various aspects of the
particular episode. Voices Of Gotham City is a five-minute
program that looks at the voices behind the characters, featuring vocal
director Andrea Romano and the voice of The Dark Knight himself Kevin
Conroy. Closing out the extras is a rather limited interactive game called
Line Up, which will hold a kids attention for all of ten
seconds.
BATMAN:
THE ANIMATED SERIES was an outstanding show that will appeal to fans
of the Caped Crusader and animation fans in general. While I’d prefer
the entire series in some sort of boxed set collection, the individual
release of BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES- TALES OF THE DARK KNIGHT is
a worthwhile acquisition. Perhaps strong sales will convince Warner to
issue a full collection of episodes.