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Reviews and commentary by Tony Isabella
"America's Most Beloved Comic-Book Writer & Columnist"
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TONY'S ONLINE TIPS
for Wednesday, August 20, 2008
I watched Batman Gotham Knight [Warner Home Video; $19.98] recently. I viewed the single-disc edition - a rental from Netflix - but other versions are also available.
This is an anthology of six cartoons set between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. Some are stand-alone tales; others are connected to an overall story. The visual style of this anthology is much more "dark anime" than the traditional American animation...and there are some familiar names among the writers and the actors.
Josh Olsen's "Have I Got a Story For You" is admittedly inspired by "The Batman Nobody Knows," a 1973 comic-book story by Frank Robbins which had also inspired an episode of Batman: The Animated Series. The concept of vastly-different impressions of the Batman as experienced by three youngsters is clever, but this version of the tale doesn't measure up to either the original comic book story or the earlier cartoon. It was good hearing Kevin Conroy voicing Batman once again. He does him right.
Greg Rucka's "Crossfire" shows us Arkham Asylum post-Batman Begins, gives us a Batman-related conflict between partners Crispus Allen and Anna Ramirez, and brings Bats and the detectives smack into a war between gangsters Sal Maroni and the Russian. The gunplay and the pyrotechnics are hard to swallow; I would've gladly traded some of the explosive eye-candy for the gangsters showing a lick of sense between them. CSI's Gary Dourdan voices Allen, but I didn't find his performance very compelling. Thankfully, Rucka's writing for the character was good enough to overcome that.
In Jordan Goldberg's "Field Test," Batman tests new technology as he pursues Maroni and the Russian. The episode has two terrific moments: one involving Batman realizing that he can't take down the gangsters yet and the other involving his decision on using the new technology. It's one of the best stories on the DVD.
"In Darkness Dwells" is a honestly scary tale wherein Batman enters the underground realm of Killer Croc and the Scarecrow to rescue a kidnapped Cardinal. It's written by David S. Goyer.
"Working Through Pain" is written by Brian Azzarello, whose comic-book work rarely appeals to me. Continuing from the previous tale, it has a grievously-wounded Batman struggling to reach the surface while recalling his training with Cassandra, an outcast from a Far Eastern religious sect. It's a grim episode, but it's exceedingly well-done with a perfect closing line.
Alan Burnett's "Deadshot" has the assassin of that name going after a high-profile target in Gotham. It's my favorite episode of the anthology, revealing both the grimness and the hope of Batman's world and concluding with a welcome moment of self-realization from the Dark Knight. Jim Meskimen shows off his chops by voicing both Jim Gordon and Deadshot while David McCallum is wonderful as Alfred in this and other episodes.
This single-disc edition had audio commentary of the film, which I didn't watch, and a sneak peak of the upcoming Wonder Woman direct-to-DVD animated film, which I did. The latter doesn't look like an award-winner, but it should be a fun effort.
This single-disc edition of Batman Gotham Knight earns a perfectly respectable three out of five Tonys.
Other versions?
Target's special edition of the single disc includes the first four episodes of Batman Beyond.
According to Wikipedia:
"The two-disc and Blu-Ray editions of the film contain the above mentioned special features as well as a documentary titled "Batman and Me: The Bob Kane Story", a featurette exploring Batman and the Gotham villains he faces titled "A Mirror for the Bat" and four episodes of Batman: The Animated Series, presented by Bruce Timm. WalMart and Target released special exclusives with different box covers. WalMart's is a holographic cover and Target's is a holographic cover that can be hidden or shown. Certain Best Buy stores released a special edition for the 2-disc edition which came in a Steelbook case and with a mini-encyclopedia to the characters in the movie as well as Batman's weapons and vehicles, and a coupon for $3.00 off concessions when the buyer sees The Dark Knight." In addition to the above, there's a novelization of the anthology by Louise Simonson and a soundtrack CD.
I haven't seen The Dark Knight yet, but it has gotten good reviews from my kids and my readers. That bodes well.
Thanks for spending a part of your day with me. I'll be back tomorrow with more stuff.
Tony Isabella
<< 08/19/2008 | 08/20/2008 | 08/21/2008 >>
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THE "TONY" SCALE
ZERO: Burn your money before buying any comic receiving this rating. It doesn't *necessarily* mean there's absolutely nothing of value here - though it *could* - but whatever value it might possess shrinks into insignificance before its overall awfulness.
ONE: Buy something else. Maybe I found something which wasn't completely dreadful in the item, but not enough for me to recommend it when there are better comics available. I only want what's best for you, my children.
TWO: Basic judgment call. I found some value, but not enough to recommend it. My review should give you enough info to decide if you want to take a chance on it. Are you feeling lucky today, punk? Well, are you?
THREE: This denotes something I find perfectly respectable. There are better books out there, but I wouldn't regret buying this item. Based on my review, you should be able to determine if it's of interest to you. Let the Force guide you.
FOUR: I recommend anything earning this rating. Unless you don't like the genre, subject matter, or past work of the creators, I believe you'll enjoy this item. Isn't it uncanny how I can look right into your soul that way?
FIVE: Anything getting this rating is among the best comicdom has to offer. You should buy/read this, even if the genre/subject matter doesn't appeal to you. It's for your own good. Me, I live for comics and books this good...but not in a pathetic "Comic-Book Guy" sort of way.
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