7.8 | / 10 |
Users | 5.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.2 |
Another night falls in Gotham City and the ever-vigilant Dark Knight watches over his city and its citizens. With the help of his ex-secret agent butler, Alfred, and sword-wielding assassin Katana, the Batman wages a tireless war against Gotham’s twisted criminal underworld. Buckle up for 13 all-new adventures from the first season, and ride along as Batman battles the evil machinations of Professor Pyg, Magpie, Mister Toad and criminal mastermind Anarky. It’s a crime-fighting collection of hidden clues, cool tech and detective thrills as Batman prowls in the shadows, ready to deliver action-packed excitement and justice!
Starring: Anthony Ruivivar, JB Blanc, Kurtwood Smith, Sumalee Montano, Tara StrongComic book | 100% |
Animation | 82% |
Action | 32% |
Crime | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English SDH
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Cartoon Network is making a habit of burning though DCU animated series. (So long Young Justice and Green Lantern. We hardly knew ye.) Cancellation tends to come within two or three seasons, with Batman: The Brave and the Bold being the most recent incarnation of a Dark Knight actioner to receive the ax. It should come as little surprise, then, that the cumbersomely titled Beware the Batman: Shadows of Gotham is already strapped to the chopping block. No one is quite sure if the ax has officially fallen, but all signs -- chief among them the 13-episode half season's sudden, unexplained hiatus beginning in October 2013, and the fact that episodes 12 and 13 have yet to be broadcast -- point to cold, merciless execution. And, once again, it's a bit of a shame. Like The Brave and the Bold, Beware the Batman has, or had, a lot going for it. (Never mind that the two series are complete and total polar opposites.) Beware's villains represent an intriguing cross-section of obscure outcasts and lesser-knowns, its writing is far better than anyone expected, it has more than a few surprises up its sleeve, and it frequently strikes a nice balance between all the action, detective work and character-driven storytelling. Sadly, that's not to suggest everything works out for the best. Not every decision that finds its way out of the writer's room is a sound one, the show's dialogue isn't always the sharpest, its Batman and pseudo-Robin, Katana, are the flattest characters on screen, and its animation is a love-it-or-hate-it... scratch that... tolerate-it-or-hate-it affair, making this soon-to-be-canceled upstart more hit or miss than your typical DCU animated series.
Once more unto the breach, dear friends. Once more...
Beware the Batman's 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation struggles with banding and aliasing a bit more than other DCU animated productions (the worst of which haunts Gotham's stormy skies and the finest edges, respectively), but most every instance is firmly rooted in the series' CG animation and source. Otherwise, there isn't really much to complain about. Shadows of Gotham is heavy on shadow and darkness, yet detail is unhindered. Textures are resolved to satisfaction far more often than not, edge definition remains crisp throughout, and the show's near-impenetrable palette, though slathered in inky blacks, midnight blues and deep grays, still manage to exude life. Primaries pack punch, delineation is excellent (particularly when it comes to the subtle color variations in Batman's cape, cowl and costume), and contrast is consistently on point. It isn't the most striking Warner Animation presentation in recent memory, but it is awfully good, so long as you're able to separate your impressions of the series' aesthetic from the quality of Warner's high definition encode.
Season 1, Part 1 features a decidedly decent DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo track that, at best, delivers to the fullest of its capabilities and, at worst, won't warrant much praise for a somewhat unremarkable two-channel mix. Dialogue is clean and clear at all times, and punches, explosions and other action-oriented sound effects are smartly prioritized and given plenty of room to breathe. Frederik Wiedmann's score doesn't crowd the proceedings either, and the track does accomplishes everything its able to accomplish very well. Of course, the lack of LFE support and 5.1 surround is a detriment, especially when Batman leaps into what becomes an all too flat, all too front-weighted fight.
The Warner Archive Collection release of Beware the Batman doesn't include any special features.
Beware the Batman has potential -- plenty of it actually -- but it doesn't appear as if the powers than be at the Cartoon Network are prepared to give it a second season, much less the second half of its first season. The series' mediocre animation doesn't help matters, of course, nor does its focus on lesser known villains. (You and I might appreciate the change of scenery, but younger viewers and more casual DC fans will be left wondering why the Joker and other heavy hitters are MIA.) The Warner Archive Collection Blu-ray release of Season 1, Part 1 has its own share of potential. Unfortunately its relatively striking video presentation is somewhat spoiled by a decent but underwhelming DTS-HD Master Audio stereo mix and a complete absence of special features. With cancellation almost a certainty, is 13 episodes of Beware the Batman worth the cost of admission? That depends on how much cash you're willing to risk on the first half of the first season of a hit or miss, nearly dead series.
Warner Archive Collection
2011-2013
Warner Archive Collection
2011
Deluxe Edition | DC Universe Animated Original Movie #15 & 16 | Seamless Cut + Frank Miller Documentary
2012-2013
2022
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm / Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero
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2003
DC Universe Animated Original Movie #27
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2019
Season Two / Warner Archive Collection
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2022
DC Universe Animated Original Movie #24
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1998
10th Anniversary | Commemorative Edition
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DC Universe Animated Original Movie #19
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