BATMAN BEYOND:
THE COMPLETE SERIES (199-2001)
THE COMPLETE SERIES (199-2001)
LIMITED EDITION
Label: Warner Bros.
Region Code: A
Rating: Unrated (Series), PG-13 (Film)
Duration: 1095 Minutes (Series), 76 Minutes (Film)
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Fullscreen (1.33:1)
Cast: Kevin Conroy, Will Friedle, Adrienne Barbeau, Kate Jackson, Angie Harmon, Linda Hamilton, Clancy Brown, Gary Cole, Ed Begley Jr., Wendie Malick, Cary Elwes, Olivia Hussey, Kurtwood Smith, Robert Patrick, Ian Ziering, CCH Pounder, Frank Welker, Johnny Galecki, Pauley Perrette, Michael Rosenbaum and Diedrich Bader, Cree Sumner, Lauren Tom, Paul Winfield, Stockard Channing, William H. Macy, Teri Garr, Michael McKean, John Ritter, Wayne Brady, Seth Green, Tim Curry, David Warner and Patton Oswalt, Stacy Keach, Amanda Donohoe, Eikenberry, Ice-T, George Takei, Michael Ansara, Mark Hamill
Synopsis: The extraordinary Batman Beyond: The Complete Animated Series Limited Edition package features approximately 1,500 minutes of entertainment spread over four Blu-ray™ discs, plus the two bonus discs of enhanced content. In addition to a newly-remastered Blu-ray presentation of Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, there are 15 featurettes on the bonus discs, highlighted by two new inside looks at the beloved television series, led by Nostalgic Tomorrow, a gathering of Batman Beyond production talent and cast led by executive producer Bruce Timm and actors Kevin Conroy and Will Friedle, the voices of Batman and Terry McGinnis, respectively. The bonus discs also spotlight four episodes with audio commentary from Timm and select members of the production team.
I had just graduated high school when Batman: The Animated Series (1992) aired, I wasn't really watching animated series at that point, but through the eyes of my seven-year old brother Tommy I started watching it. Our daily routine involved him coming home from school and we'd sit and watch it on the TV religiously, and I was quickly enthralled by it. I was an avid comic reader from a young age but I was a Marvel kid who didn't really wander into the realm of DC outside of the theatrical films Superman and Batman, and watching the Super Friends as a kid. I think Batman: The Animated Series was really my first steady diet of DC and Batman, which fueled by exploration of DC in the 90's when I returned to comic collecting. I loved the writing of the show, the breadth of the rogues gallery, the dark animation style and the not-too-kid-friendly aesthetic of the series, I was hooked, and continued watching it through to the end in '95.
When Batman Beyond was announced just a few years later I cannot say I was thrilled about it, the idea of a teenage Batman seemed like such a bad idea to me. I wasn't sure if they were introducing a new character or rewriting the canon of the character we knew and loved, and I am glad this was not some awful re-imaging of the character as a brooding teen. When I realized more what the show was about and how it was incorporating Kevin Conroy as an older Bruce Wayne mentoring a teenage Batman for a new generation I was more on board with it. Also helping was that I now had a seven year-old stepson, so like Batman: The Animated Series I was able to watch it through the curious eyes of a youngster, which I think is always beneficial.
The show is set in a futuristic Gotham, it wasn't a full-on Blade Runner sort of vision but it expanded on the universe, and we had a new modern era gallery of rogues too, in addition to some cool homages to iconic villains from the past. Will Friedle was awesome as the new dark knight of future Gotham, Terry McGinnis, a not-too-brooding teen with his own set of troubles, having also lost his father to homicide, but also trying to balance a teen's social life with that of a cowled crime-fighter. I loved the styling a new sleek Batman outfit, it reminded me a bit of reading Spider-Man comics in the 80's when Spidey was sporting the black suit before realizing that it was a parasitic, brain-eating alien that he was wearing. The show gave us two Batmans, we got old-man Wayne and the younger McGinis, not always gelling all that well, but between the pair they forged a new dark knight that I think was pretty bad-ass.
I didn't love the animation style as much as I did the original Batman: The Animated Series, but I loved the heart and spunk of the show, the creative team behind it knew what they were doing, and where they took it was better than I could have anticipated coming into the show. It's great to see where characters from the original series ended up, to see the lasting effects of not just Batman and his cohorts, but also the long-lasting cult-ish effects of his arch-nemesis Joker, which was more darkly explored in Batman Beyond: The Return of the Joker (2000) featuring the return of Mark Hamill as the Clown Prince of Crime!
Audio/Video: Batman Beyond: The Complete Series arrives on six-disc Blu-ray from Warner Bros. remastered when possible from the original 35mm film source in 1080p HD framed in the original 1.33:1 fullscreen presentation. Below is information direct from Warner Bros. about certain limitations encountered during the remastering process, and I appreciate their transparency about it.
"Of the 52 original Batman Beyond episodes, 41 have been fully-remastered from either their original 35mm film source or the uncommon format “OCND,” the original camera negative digital (a digital scan of original negative). Lines and resolution have been enhanced, and dust and dirt have been removed – however, cell dirt remains to not disturb the original picture. Included in the remastering was the removal of grain, resulting in enhanced colors. The remastering process does cause a slight aspect ratio change (approximately 3% loss of screen image)."
"Due to time-worn irreparable damage, the remaining 11 episodes were “Smart Rezzed” from standard definition Digibeta video. The process provides for significant enhanced resolution and improvement of the original source material in converting from standard to high definition, though it does sacrifice horizontal lines for clearer image and color representation. While still a marked improvement over the original video, viewers will notice a slight difference between the Remastered and the Up-Rezzed final footage. The 11 affected episodes are: “Eyewitness,” “Final Cut,” “The Last Resort,” “Armory,” “Sneak Peek,” “The Eggbaby,” “Zeta,” “Plague,” “April Moon,” “Sentries of the Lost Cosmos” and “Speak No Evil.”
Watching the 52-episode run I can testify to just how phenomenal this looks compared to the older DVD release, the colors are more vibrant, the blacks are deeper, and the animation lines are cleaner and smoother on the remastered episodes. Atop of that good news there has been some additional clean-up that also improves the overall experience while retaining the integrity of the animation. On the 11-episodes that have been up-rezzed from a non-HD source you can absolutely tell the difference, the animation lines are a bit more jagged and the colors are softer, but still looking superior to the DVD versions. The Batman Beyond: The Return of the Joker is presented in the original open matte framing of 1.33:1 and looks good, looking to be the same exact disc as the previous stand-alone Blu-ray release, this is not a new restoration. Notably this is the original uncut version of the film, which is quite a bit different than the the TV broadcast version of the film, so that's really cool, check out the video comparison below. The 52-episodes are spread across four discs, with The Return of the Joker getting it's own disc, and there's a sixth disc of just extras.
All the episodes gets a English DTS-HD MA 2.0 stereo audio track with optional English subtitles. This show was made for TVs in the late-90's early 00's so it's not gonna knock your socks off, but it's a crisp and clean sounding track, the voice acting sounds terrific, especially the voice of Kevin Conroy (Bruce Wayne, Batman). Sound effects and the industrial/guitar score get nice life in the mix as well.
The Batman Beyond: The Complete Collection Series arrives on six-disc Blu-ray from Warner Bros in a Limited Edition Gift Set that arrives in a very attractive package, limited to only 50,000 numbered copies. The main outer box measures a whopping 5"x5.5" and 5"x7" with a window box revealing the exclusive chrome Batman Beyond Funko POP inside, the Funko Pop also comes in it's own box measuring 4.5"x3.5" and 4.5"x6.25", and it's a cool-looking item with attractive packaging itself advertising Batman 80 Years. Also inside are four lenticular art cards made exclusively for this Batman Beyond: The Complete Animated Series Limited Edition set, and in my opinion this is way cooler than the mini-Funkos that came with the Batman: The Animated Series LE set. . This ultimate collectors Blu-ray box set will be individually numbered for a Limited Edition release of 50,000.
Last but not least is the very attractive and sturdy rigid slipcase with a glossy finish and embossed lettering and features. The discs themselves are kept in gate-fold style packaging, which I am not a huge fan of, I definitely prefer the more deluxe way that packaged The Batman: The Complete Animated Series Deluxe Edition, but that's a small gripe.
Also inside you will find a digital code for the series plus The Return of the Joker film, and a tri-fold booklet listing the episodes and extras found on the six-disc set.
Episodes and Special Features Listing:
Disc 1 Episodes: Season One
1. Rebirth, Pt. 1
2. Rebirth, Pt. 2
3. Black Out
4. Golem
5. Meltdown
6. Heroes
7. Shriek
8. Dead Man's Hand
9. The Winning Edge
10. Spellbound
11. Disappearing Inque
12. A Touch of Curare
13. Ascension
Disc One Special Features:
- Commentary on the episode “Rebirth, Part 1” by producers Bruce Timm, Alan Burnett, Paul Dini & Glenn Murakami and director Curt Geda.
- Audio Commentary on episode “Shriek” by producers Bruce Timm, Alan Burnett, Paul Dini & Glen Murakami, director Curt Geda and writer Stan Berkowitz
- “Music of the Knight” – producer Bruce Timm introduces a feature allowing access to key scenes from Batman Beyond, accompanied by the compelling score created for the series.
“Inside Batman Beyond – Meet the Creators” – producers Alan Burnett, Bruce Timm, Glen Murakami and Paul Dini discuss the creative process behindBatman Beyond and its inaugural season. Jason Hillhouse moderates.
Batman 80th Anniversary Collection trailer
Disc 2 Episodes: Season Two
1. Splicers
2. Earth Mover
3. Joyride
4. Lost Soul
5. Hidden Agenda
6. Bloodsport
7. Once Burned
8. Hooked Up
9 Rats!
10. Mind Games
11. Revenant
12. Babel
13. Terry's Friend Dates a Robot
Disc Two Special Features:
- Commentary on the episode “Splicers” by producers Bruce Timm and Glen Murakami, storyboard artist James Tucker, casting/dialogue director Andrea Romano and Will Friedle, the voice of Terry McGinnis/Batman
Disc 3 Episodes: Season Two
1. Eyewitness*
2. Final Cut*
3. The Last Resort*
4. Armory*
5. Sneak Peek*
6. The Eggbaby*
7. Zeta*
8. Plague*
9. April Moon*
10. Sentries of the Last Cosmos*
11. Payback
12. Where's Terry?
13. Ace in the Hole
Disc 3 Special Feature:
- Commentary on the episode “The Eggbaby” by producers Bruce Timm & Glen Murakami, director James Tucker, Producer Glen Murakami, casting/dialogue director Andrea Romano and Will Friedle, the voice of Terry McGinnis/Batman
- “Inside Batman Beyond: The Panel” – An in-depth discussion with producers Bruce Timm, Alan Burnett, Glen Murakami and Paul Dini as season two of Batman Beyond is explored with moderator Jason Hillhouse.
Disc 4 Episodes: Season Three
1. King's Ransom
2. Untouchable
3. Inqueling
4. Big Time
5. Out of the Past
6. Speak No Evil*
7. The Call, Pt. 1
8. The Call, Pt. 2
9. Betrayal
10. Curse of the Kobra, Pt. 1
11. Curse of the Kobra, Pt. 2
12. Countdown
13. Unmasked
Disc 4 Special Features:
- “Inside Batman Beyond: Season 3” – A fascinating discussion on season three of Batman Beyond with producers Bruce Timm, Alan Burnett, Glen Murakami and Paul Dini.
- “Inside Batman Beyond Season 3: Close-Up On...” – producers Bruce Timm and Paul Dini, directors Butch Lukic and James Tucker, and voice actor Will Friedle discuss their favorite moments among final-season episodes.
- “Inside Batman Beyond Season 3: Out of the Past” – producers Bruce Timm & Paul Dini, director James Tucker and voice actor Will Friedle sit down together to talk about “The Legend of Batman” musical (which appears in this episode) and other memorable moments.
- “Inside Batman Beyond Season 3: The Call, Part 1” – producers Bruce Timm & Paul Dini, director Butch Lukic and voice actor Will Friedle gather to discuss the additional heroes and the exciting action showcased in this episode.
- “Inside Batman Beyond Season 3: The Call, Part 2” – producers Bruce Timm & Paul Dini, director Butch Lukic and voice actor Will Friedle talk about the appearance of Starro and Superman in this episode.
- “Inside Batman Beyond Season 3: Curse of the Kobra, Part 1” – producers Bruce Timm & Paul Dini, director James Tucker and voice actor Will Friedle reminisce about the personal relationships that highlight the story of this episode.
Disc 5: Extras
- “Nostalgic Tomorrow - A Batman Gathering” (All-New Featurette) – Nostalgia strikes like it’s 1999. Seated at the table are the Batman Beyond Team: producers Bruce Timm & Glen Murakami, actors Kevin Conroy & Will Friedle, director James Tucker, casting/dialogue director Andrea Romano, and writers Bob Goodman & Stan Berkowitz. Care to join us for a chat?
- “Knight Immortal” (All-New Featurette) – A visual and visceral celebration of the Dark Knight’s 80 years of crime fighting, narrated by storytellers of the past, present, and future.
- “Tomorrow Knight: The Batman Reborn” (All-New Featurette) – Storytellers explore the rise of Terry McGinnis as Batman and Bruce Wayne’s relationship with the young hero as he mentors a new Dark Knight for modern times.
- “Gotham: City of The Future” – A Close-Up Look at Gotham City Circa 2039, the modernization and the inspirations for its high-tech design and massive scale.
- “The High-Tech Hero” – Batman Beyondstorytellers discuss the evolution of the new Bat Suit and its futuristic design and capabilities.
- “Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics” (Documentary) – The Story of DC Comics and the rise of the Super Hero mythology as a zeitgeist in American pop culture.
Disc 6
"Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker" – Remastered for Blu-ray, the unrated Director's Cut!
The Batman Beyond: The Complete Series Limited Edition Gift set is a fantastic package, we get all 52-episodes of the series, most of them stunningly remastered, plus the director's cut of Batman Beyond: The Return of the Joker (2000), plus some cool packaging extras, including an exclusive Funko Pop vinyl figure, that make this set an excellent gift idea for that Batman fan on your shopping list this year! At some point there will also be a non-deluxe edition of the series, if you're not into the all packaging extras.
