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Batman: Year One Blu-ray Review

post #1 of 13
10/27/11 at 8:14pm
Thread Starter 

Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli's critically acclaimed four-issue comic book arc chronicling Batman's first year of crime fighting debuts in animated form, with mixed results. The Blu-ray presentation is solid however, with a fine complement of extras related to the production and other popular DC Comics properties.

 

Batman: Year One

Batman: Year One
Release Date: Available now
Studio: Warner Home Video
Packaging/Materials: Two-disc Blu-ray "Eco-case"
Year: 2011
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 1:04:08
MSRP: $24.98

  THE FEATURE SPECIAL FEATURES
Video 1080p high definition 1.78:1 High and standard definition
Audio DTS-HD Master Audio: English 5.1 / Dolby Digital: French 5.1, German 5.1, Spanish 2.0 Various
Subtitles English SDH, French, German SDH, Spanish SDH Various

The Feature: 3.5/5
Based on the critically acclaimed four-issue comic book arc written by Frank Miller and illustrated by David Mazzucchelli, "Batman: Year One" chronicles the first year of millionaire Bruce Wayne's transformation into the masked vigilante who would be come to be known as the Dark Knight. Year One is also the formative period for one of Batman's most trusted allies, Gotham Police Lt. James Gordon. Though the Caped Crusader's origin story is familiar ground after 70 years in circulation - and especially with the recent success of Christopher Nolan's live action feature films - Miller's treatment gives it a freshness by making the story as much about Gordon and his parallel struggles against Gotham's crime epidemic. By exploring the development of and eventual alliance between these two men, Miller gives us new insights into the Batman mythos, showing that as solitary as the Batman is, he can't be who he is without his allies.

In animated form, "Batman: Year One" is a bit on the mediocre side, fitting in stylistically with Warner's other Batman animated productions, but - unlike its story - offering little new or fresh. The voice actors are well cast however, featuring the likes of Eliza Dushku (Catwoman) to appeal to fanboys, but also including veteran performers like Bryan Cranston (Lt. Gordon), who would also be my vote for the live action version if Gary Oldman ever decides to back out. Ben McKenzie as Wayne / Batman is a somewhat unusual choice, but the sometimes noticeable youthfulness to his voice is suitable for the character's fledgling vigilantism. Though ultimately the "Batman: Year One" animated film lacks much of the dark style and rawness of the original comic books, it does prove to be an effective tale and one that should appeal to most fans of the character. Devoted fans of the source material, however, may just prefer to stick with what they already know is a sure thing.

Video Quality: 4/5
Artwork in the 1.78:1 1080p high definition presentation is generally well rendered, though at times subject to slight shimmering and aliasing. Backgrounds and gradients don't exhibit any signs of color banding, however, and overall detail is solid, seen mostly in the digitally animated cityscapes and backgrounds. Black levels and contrast are strong and well rendered, as is the nicely saturated color palette.

Audio Quality: 4/5
Dialogue in the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 presentation is clear, detailed and intelligible. Support for the score and sound effects are placed well, establishing a nicely balanced and enveloping sound field. Bass activity is clean and robust, with strong doses of LFE used for things like explosions and atmospheric elements in the soundtrack.

Special Features: 4/5
Only a few of the extras are related to the production itself, but fans of other DC characters and properties will enjoy the grab bag of animation sneak peeks, Batman animated series episodes and trailers.

Commentary with Alan Burnett, Sam Liu, Mike Carlin, and Andrea Romano: The producers, director and voice director talk about the challenges of adapting the book, working with the voice actors, and the animation process. The track can be on the observational side, but the group offers some good behind-the-scenes for anyone interested in what goes into an animated production.

DC Showcase - Catwoman (14:50, HD): Catwoman discovers a misplaced item and traces it back to a diamond smuggler named Rough Cut. Mayhem (and a provocative striptease) ensues.

Justice League: Doom Sneak Peek (10:17, HD): Electronic press kit promotes the Justice League animated production, available Spring 2012, with interviews with the production crew, voice cast, and glimpses of the animation.

All Star Superman Sneak Peek (10:47, HD): Electronic press kit promotes the Superman animated production, available now, with interviews with the production crew, voice cast, and glimpses of the animation.

Green Lantern: Emerald Knights Sneak Peek (11:38, HD): Electronic press kit promotes the Green Lantern animated production, available now, with interviews with the production crew, voice cast, and glimpses of the animation.

Heart of Vengeance: Returning Batman to His Roots (23:25, HD): Provides a look at the development of the Batman character over the decades, and the effort to bring him back to the dark and gritty side beginning in the 1970s with writer Denny O'Neil and illustrator Neal Adams. The work of Frank Miller in the 1980s is of course also included, specifically "Batman: Year One" and "The Dark Knight Returns." The group also discusses the challenges of keeping the character fresh and the future of the franchise.

Conversations with DC Comics: Featuring the 2011 Batman Creative Team (39:27, HD): Executive Producer of "The Dark Knight Rises" Michael Uslan moderates a roundtable discussion that includes Writer Denny O'Neil, DC Comics Co-Publisher Dan DiDio, and Writer Scott Snyder. Uslan asks the men questions like what first drew them to the Batman character, how they view the various incarnations of Batman since his creation, and the influence of Frank Miller.

Bruce Timm's Top Picks: The longtime producer/director of the animated Batman works offers a few of his favorite episodes from past series.
  • Catwalk (21:16, SD): Selena Kyle, no longer operating as Catwoman, gets pulled into a museum heist by the criminal Ventriloquist. From "Batman: The Animated Series."
  • Cult of the Cat (21:21, SD): Catwoman steals a precious statue from a group of cat-worshipers and gets more than she bargained for. From "The New Batman Adventures."

Batman: Year One Digital Comic Book, Chapter One: Fourteen images from the pages of the first issue, Batman #404.

Trailers
  • DCU Application (:48, HD)
  • Thundercats (:55, HD)
  • Mad (:33, SD)
  • Young Justice (:53, SD)

Pre-Menu Trailers
  • Smallville: The Complete Series (1:46, SD)
  • Green Lantern: The Animated Series (:39, SD)
  • Aim High (1:19, HD)

DVD: The feature is presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic video and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. The extras are limited to only the promotional pieces and trailers found on the Blu-ray disc.

Digital Copy: Compatible with Windows and Mac platforms. Offer expires October 18, 2012.


Recap
The Feature: 3.5/5
Video Quality: 4/5
Audio Quality: 4/5
Special Features: 4/5
Overall Score (not an average): 4/5

Warner Home Video turns in a fine presentation for the animated adaptation of Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli's critically acclaimed four-issue "Batman" comic book arc. Though the cartoon version may not appeal to the most ardent fans of the source material, the more casual Batman fan should find it entertaining. The release also includes a decent complement of extras, making it worth a purchase given the right price point.

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Gear mentioned in this thread:

Batman: Year One (Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy)
post #2 of 13
10/27/11 at 9:10pm

Thanks for the review, Cameron. Although the use of 'graphic novel' is still wrong to me, as it was when used around here for WATCHMEN. 

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post #3 of 13
10/28/11 at 5:38am

I thought the feature was pretty good, if a little too faithful to the source. For such a well-known story, there needed to be something new to keep the viewer engaged. But overall, I thought it was quite good, and better than the recent animated movies.

 

But, the Catwoman featurette was awful, just awful. Nothing but gratuitous violence  and sex that said "Because we can - it's a PG-13 film." Cliched and degrading to the characters. Terrible, terrible, terrible.

 

 

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post #4 of 13
10/28/11 at 8:46am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pete York View Post

Thanks for the review, Cameron. Although the use of 'graphic novel' is still wrong to me, as it was when used around here for WATCHMEN. 

What do you mean, exactly? Do you not like the term "graphic novel"? Or do you not think it applies to Batman & Watchmen?
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post #5 of 13
10/28/11 at 9:32am
I know the term 'graphic novel' is used by people who are trying to differentiate the quality work from the garbage but I hate it. They're comic books and there should be no shame in calling them that. If someone hears the word 'comic book' applied to Sandman or Preacher or Watchmen, etc and thinks that those books are like the Adam West Batman TV series, that's their loss.
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post #6 of 13
10/28/11 at 12:44pm

^^Yes. Graphic novel, to me, refers to a very specific type of format. It's an original work, longer form, thick binding, but ultimately one single book. The term sort of entered the consciousness in the 70's applied to stories by guys like Will Eisner and Jim Steranko and eventually brought into the super-hero universe with stuff like The Death of Captain Marvel and the X-Men story God Loves, Man Kills. Watchmen was a 12-issue limited series. Year One appeared in four monthly issues of the Batman comic. When these stories were compiled and appeared in single books, they were simply reprints. Wikipedia aggregated a couple of good quotes that I'll add here:

 

 

 

Quote:

Writer Neil Gaiman, responding to a claim that he does not write comic books but graphic novels, said the commenter "meant it as a compliment, I suppose. But all of a sudden I felt like someone who'd been informed that she wasn't actually a hooker; that in fact she was a lady of the evening."

 

Bone creator Jeff Smith said, "'[G]raphic novel'... I don't like that name. It's trying too hard. It is a comic book. But there is a difference. And the difference is, a graphic novel is a novel in the sense that there is a beginning, a middle and an end."

 

Writer Alan Moore believes, "It's a marketing term... that I never had any sympathy with. The term 'comic' does just as well for me... The problem is that 'graphic novel' just came to mean 'expensive comic book' and so what you'd get is people like DC Comics or Marvel Comics—because 'graphic novels' were getting some attention, they'd stick six issues of whatever worthless piece of crap they happened to be publishing lately under a glossy cover and call it The She-Hulk Graphic Novel...."

 

Author Daniel Raeburn wrote, "I snicker at the neologism first for its insecure pretension — the literary equivalent of calling a garbage man a 'sanitation engineer' — and second because a 'graphic novel' is in fact the very thing it is ashamed to admit: a comic book, rather than a comic pamphlet or comic magazine."

 

 

 

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post #7 of 13
10/28/11 at 12:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sam Favate View Post

 

 

But, the Catwoman featurette was awful, just awful. Nothing but gratuitous violence  and sex that said "Because we can - it's a PG-13 film." Cliched and degrading to the characters. Terrible, terrible, terrible.

 

 



 

You might want to avoid Catwoman 1&2  from the New 52 DC launch that's been happening the past couple of months then... :P

 

Graphic Novel has been miss-used and snooted up. I agree with Travis on that. A comic is a comic, regardless of it's a stapled pamphlet or a bound book. Graphic Novel used to mean an original comic published as a book. "A Contract With God" by Will Eisner was one of the first graphic novels (Thought Kurtzman and others did them in the 60's and before...) since it was never serialized, it came out in that format like a prose novel. Technically Year One and Watchmen are "Trade Paperbacks" or "trades", books collecting previously published serialized comics into one book.

 

Put a nice hard cover on them though and they are now amazing Graphic Novels with no routes in the childish garbage known as comics ha ha.

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post #8 of 13
10/28/11 at 1:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Russell G View Post

You might want to avoid Catwoman 1&2  from the New 52 DC launch that's been happening the past couple of months then... :P

 


Now there's something for people in the hobby to be legitimately embarrassed about. 

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post #9 of 13
10/28/11 at 2:09pm
Thread Starter 

Thanks everyone for the info. I admit I've been fairly casual in my use of the "graphic novel" term, and have tended to use it as a catchall for comic books and trades. I've revised my use of the term in this review, mostly for the sake of accuracy given the origins of the story.

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post #10 of 13
10/28/11 at 2:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cameron Yee View Post

Thanks everyone for the info. I admit I've been fairly casual in my use of the "graphic novel" term, and have tended to use it as a catchall for comic books and trades. I've revised my use of the term in this review, mostly for the sake of accuracy given the origins of the story.



 

I wouldn't worry about it too much, I'm sure it claims to be from the award winning graphic novel somewhere on the case ha ha.

 

 

Quote:
Now there's something for people in the hobby to be legitimately embarrassed about.

While I wont defend Catwoman on the relaunch, there's much worse to be embarrassed about in the hobby. Just as there are in films ha ha

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post #11 of 13
10/28/11 at 6:16pm

I don't get too worked up over the terms "comic book" and "graphic novel" when applied with good intentions. For example, if you use the definition applied by Jeff Smith in the quote above:

 

"And the difference is, a graphic novel is a novel in the sense that there is a beginning, a middle and an end."

 

Then "Batman: Year One" is a graphic novel, even though it was originally presented as a limited series comic, just as much as Dickens published novels even though they first appeared in serialized form in magazines. But, by definition, "Batman: Year One" is also a comic book. I think they can co-exist quite nicely.

 

 

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post #12 of 13
10/28/11 at 6:16pm

Cameron, I hope you didn't take my comments as badgering for a correction or something. I was basically answering Carl and you certainly didn't need to address anything. I have nothing but respect and gratitude for the HTF reviewers who, on their own time, take obvious great care in their reviews for the benefit of all the members here. In any case, I'm sorry that when you checked back in on the thread there was a gripe waiting for you in the first comment. 
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Russell G View Post

...

While I wont defend Catwoman on the relaunch, there's much worse to be embarrassed about in the hobby....


Well, I agree with that. Like the RED HOOD #1 for example, lol, ugh.

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post #13 of 13
10/28/11 at 6:48pm
Thread Starter 

Pete, no offense taken at all and thanks for those words about the HTF reviewers. You basically brought up a lingering question I've had for some time about the "graphic novel" term; I just never bothered to look into it too deeply. So I appreciate you and the others raising my awareness about it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pete York View Post

Cameron, I hope you didn't take my comments as badgering for a correction or something. I was basically answering Carl and you certainly didn't need to address anything. I have nothing but respect and gratitude for the HTF reviewers who, on their own time, take obvious great care in their reviews for the benefit of all the members here. In any case, I'm sorry that when you checked back in on the thread there was a gripe waiting for you in the first comment. 
 


Well, I agree with that. Like the RED HOOD #1 for example, lol, ugh.



 

 

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Gear mentioned in this thread:

Batman: Year One (Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy)