Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham is the latest DC Animated Movie, which is an adaptation of the comic book mini-series written by Mike Mignola(Hellboy) and Richard Pace.
The Production: 3.5/5
“Not a hoax! Not a dream! Not an imaginary story!” So proclaimed many comic book covers from a certain publisher in the 1960s. The cover images would depict Superman, or Batman, or Wonder Woman in such a fantastic situation that you would be compelled to buy that issue to satisfy your curiosity.
The Elseworlds line is the modern line of stories for the last 20 or 30 years which places the DC heroes and villains in stories and situations far outside the regular continuity and mythology for these characters. 20 or so years ago, an Elseworlds miniseries entitled “Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham” was published. The series was written by Richard Pace and Mike Mignola(Hellboy), with artwork created by Troy Nixey and Dennis Janke.
This film, also entitled Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham, is the feature length adaptation of the original miniseries. This story places Batman firmly in the time of 100 years ago when automobiles were still a novelty and modern technology was still in its infancy.
Bruce Wayne is forced to deal with a mystical creature that was inadvertently awakened during an expedition to the polar ice cap. (Think H.P. Lovecraft meets The Thing from Another World.) This version of Batman is surrounded by a cast of characters, some of whom are very familiar and others less so. If names like Kylie and Hugo bring instant recognition to your mind, then this film is created just for you. On the other hand, if these names draw a blank, you may be better off checking out something like Batman: The Animated Series, which is filled with the mythology of the Dark Knight Detective without expecting you to name check as though you are keeping track of the characters in Game of Thrones. You can certainly follow the story if these names are not familiar to you, but there is an additional depth within the story if the names have meaning for you.
The film is filled with an excellent voice cast that includes David Giuntoli(Grimm), Christopher Gorham(Ugly Betty), John DiMaggio(Futurama), Patrick Fabian(Better Call Saul), and David Dastmalchian(Suicide Squad). Dastmalchian is particularly used well in the type of psychotic role at which he excels. The animation is very well done, and the score composed by Stefan L. Smith(The Source) really drives the tone in the best way. The screen adaptation by Jase Ricci(Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) is fairly consistent with the source material.
If you are exhausted by seeing Batman fight crime in a modern Gotham City, then this film may be just the thing for you to revive your passion in the mythology of the Dark Knight Detective. On the other hand, if you are a fan of Batman but have not yet seen every other DC Animated Universe movie, your mileage may vary. For me, it was an interesting ride but not necessarily one that I will look to repeat ahead of many of the other terrific animated Batman films that have been released in the last 10 or 15 years.
Video: 4.5/5
3D Rating: NA
Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham appears on 4K UHD in a 1.85:1 screen aspect ratio in the HEVC codec. The fine lines of animation are served well in 4K with some hues and colors that may not reproduce with the same fidelity on Blu-ray. The darker portions of the video presentation demonstrate excellent shadow detail with variations in tone among the various black backgrounds.
Audio: 4.5/5
Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham is presented in English by default in 5.1 DTS-HD audio. This is a fine sound mix with some very discreet use of directional audio in the presentation. The sound effects have a lot of punch, and blend well with the dialogue tracks and the musical score.
Special Features: 3.5/5
Special features are relegated to the Blu-ray disc only, and include all of the following:
Batman: Shadows of Gotham(13:12): The producers of Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham discuss this film against the backdrop of the original source material.
Feature length commentary: Producer/co-director Sam Liu, screenwriter Jase Ricci, DC Creative Director Mike Carlin, and producer Jim Krieg.
Preview of Batman: Gotham by Gaslight(8:29): Preview of the 2018 animated feature film.
Preview of Superman: Red Son(11:21): Preview of the 2020 animated feature film.
From the DC Vault: Batman The Animated Series “The Demon’s Quest, Part 1(22:18): This is the first of 2 parts of the episode that introduced Ra’s Al Ghul into the animated Batman continuity. Also included is From the DC Vault: Batman The Animated Series “The Demon’s Quest, Part 2(22:14).
Also included is a glossy paper insert with validation code for digital copy, and the whole package is enclosed in a fine glossy cardboard slipcover.
Overall: 3.5/5
Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham on 4K UHD is a serviceable adaptation of the original comic book mini-series. I like these DC animated movies because they are produced by people who are fans, for the fans. This is also the downside of this one, since the setting and story will not be to everyone’s tastes. The video and audio presentation are fine, and the special features are fun. I have to be honest, the special features on this one are more enjoyable than the feature. The inclusion of 2 complete episodes of Batman: The Animated Series on the blu-ray disc are really the highlight of this release. If you have never seen Batman: The Animated Series, you are in for a treat on the special features, and this may lead you to the complete series which is available on blu-ray. I give credit to the producers of Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham for attempting something ambitious and different, rather than simply being lazy and retelling the story of the first meeting of Batman and the Joker, or some other story. This release will certainly be of interest to the fans, but may be limited to a somewhat smaller audience than some of the other DC animated movie releases.
Timothy has worked background in theatrical features and television, just for the fun of it, in films directed by Peter Segal and Christopher Nolan. His favorite film star is Bugs Bunny, and Timothy has discovered that most of the problems in life can be solved successfully (strangely enough) by asking “What would Bugs Bunny do?” Timothy has been involved with the Home Theater Forum since 2007 and has reported from Comic Con, interviewed Bruce Campbell and Danny Trejo, and reviewed classic animation and new theatrical releases on disc.
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