Hero Inc.

On Tuesday July 8th, Batman: Gotham Knight was released on DVD as a tie-in between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight.  You can think think of it as another anime Matrix concept, but better.

Gotham Knight tells six different stories of Batman’s journey into becoming the Dark Knight.  It is directed and drawn by some of the best anime directors and artists.  I’ve never been a big fan of anime art, but some of these stories look really good and work well for the stories being told.

The first story is probably the weakest of the 6, but the thought behind it works quite well as four kids describe Batman as everything from a shadow to a human bat.  After the first story, the remaining 5 pick up with great storytelling.  It reminds me of the Batman Animated Series (probably due to some of the same writers).  My only complaint would be that the DVD is short and each story leaves you wanting more.

The DVD is not a necessity before watching the Dark Knight (this Friday), but it is nice to see some of the moments that will not be described fully in the Dark Knight.  If you have the chance to check it out before you see TDK, it’s worth it.

[Rating: 4/5]