Hey gang, Valkor here. AniView hasn’t been getting much love as of late, but that’s all about beginning with the folks at Warner Home and DC Entertainment as I’ve gotten my hands on their latest installment in the DC Animated Universe – Batman: Bad Blood; and it continues bringing in all the awesome that franchise is known for. Some spoilers! I warned ya!
In Batman: Bad Blood, Batman has gone missing in a fiery explosion and is presumed dead. Now it’s up to Nightwing, who takes over the mantle of the Bat, along with Damian returning as Robin, to keep order in Gotham. The Bat family also adds two new additions to the fold; first up is Batwoman, who is also investigating Batman’s disappearance. And then there’s Batwing, son of Lucius Fox, who shies away from taking a place at his father's side, but is forced into the role when new baddie in town Heretic and his techno cronies, make a move on Wayne Enterprises, seriously injuring Fox and taking something most important from “The Vault”. What was it, how is it all connected, who is Heretic and how it he is so familiar with Batman and his crew? There are so many questions and plenty of answers once you tune into the latest film in the DC Animated Universe. Also Barbara Gordon makes a surprise cameo at the end, donning her Batgirl outfit, which I hope connects with the next film of the series. Either way, Bad Blood has a lot going for it and whether it’s a good or bad thing… you certainly don't want to miss it.
While Bad Blood was an entertaining experience, the film I’m most looking forward to, of all the upcoming animated films, would have to be “The Killing Joke”; most of the DC comic to animated film adaptations worked out better than expected with Year One and The Dark Knight Returns as two of my personal favorites. So until it’s release, it’s good that we have Bad Blood to hold us over… as well as the upcoming, live-action Batman vs. Superman, which I hope is good but the trailers seem to give so much away.
The Good:
If you’ve been following the DCAU films, especially the ones dealing with the DC52 line, but specifically the Batfilms (Batman vs. Robin), then you’ll feel right at home with Batman: Bad Blood. But even if you’re a newcomer with this film, you don’t need to know all that much going in and there’s still enough here for you to enjoy. Bad Blood isn’t the best of the bunch, but it’s still highly entertaining and a whole lot of fun from beginning to end; the film has the right amount of everything – action, maturity (Bruce has something of a three-way… in his dreams), a decent story that carries over well from the previous film, and an excellent cast of characters, that when they’re all combined, makes for one heck a viewing experience. The animation and voice acting are carryovers from previous films, which makes for excellent continuity. And the new additions of Batwoman and Batwing were voiced well and fit right into the mix. In the end, if you’re a fan of the DCAU films, then you’ll not be disappointed with Batman: Bad Blood, which shows that WB/DC rocks the small screen.
The Bad:
There’s a lot crammed within the space of 70 minutes of this film and it’s really unnecessary; if needed be, the film could have been stretched out an extra ten minutes because the overall film feels a bit rushed. Prime example is when Heretic and his crew break into the Wayne Enterprise vault and from that point on, up until his demise (which isn't how the film ends), it all feels like it has some place to be and it wants to get there fast. And then there's Heretic who isn't even the major baddy I would have liked him to be - the dude is just a throwaway towards a bigger plot… that wasn’t really all that big. I mean how many times have we seen Batman/Bruce Wayne captured and the bad guys attempt to mentally control him? Waaaaay too many! Yea so, the film feels rushed and the bad guy plot is been there, done that.
The Ugly:
N/A
Batman: Bad Blood gets a release on all formats – digital and physical, on February 2nd and it’s not only a solid entry into the DCAU but a worthwhile pickup that I highly recommend… even with my negatives, I still had a fun time with the film. And out of TOV 5 stars, I’m giving Bad Blood a 3.5.
