batman death in the family movie review

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Batman: death in the family, common sense media reviewers.

Violence in interactive noir story and other animated shorts

Batman: Death in the Family Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Movie explores themes and conflicts such as vengea

In each of these animated shorts, there are no rea

Cartoon violence in each of these animated shorts.

Some talk of sex, sexual references.

"A--hole," "s--t," "damn," "goddamn," "crap," "ass

Animated shorts centered on characters from the DC

In the animated shorts included with the title fea

Positive Messages

Movie explores themes and conflicts such as vengeance, redemption, if evil is an inherent trait to humanity. Also: fate vs. free will.

Positive Role Models

In each of these animated shorts, there are no real positive role models. The "heroes" are conflicted as they walk the line between good and evil, free will versus fate.

Violence & Scariness

Cartoon violence in each of these animated shorts. Fighting with assorted weapons. While holding him prisoner, Joker beats Robin repeatedly with a cane. Decapitated bodies. People burned alive. Sniper killing. Dead bodies. Stabbing in the eye. Character cut in half; blood. In the short animated features included in the DVD: war and sci-fi violence. Sword fight. Attempted suicide by gun.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

"A--hole," "s--t," "damn," "goddamn," "crap," "ass," "piss."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Animated shorts centered on characters from the DC Comics universe.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

In the animated shorts included with the title feature: marijuana smoking, cigarette smoking, binge drinking in a bar, wine drinking at a party.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Batman: Death in the Family is a 2020 animated feature in which a vengeance-obsessed Robin goes rogue and tries to stop Joker and Batman must try to save the young protegé. On DVD and Blu-Ray, this is an interactive movie in which the viewer gets to decide the fates of Batman and Robin, and each decision leads to a further exploration of the themes of fate versus free will, redemption, vengeance, and the nature of evil. Expect lots of cartoon violence, including decapitations, people burned alive, building explosions, battles with assorted weaponry, a beating with a cane, and a stabbing in the eye. In addition to the title feature, this includes four short animated features starring other characters from the DC Universe, including Sgt. Rock, Adam Strange, The Phantom Stranger, and Death. In these features, expect more cartoon violence, including an attempted suicide by gun, similar themes to the title program, as well as binge drinking, marijuana and cigarette smoking, Profanity throughout, including "a--hole," "s--t," "damn," "goddamn," "crap," "ass," and "piss." To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

Parents say (2)
Kids say (1)

Based on 2 parent reviews

Great movie, saw when I was 10

Very violent for kids., what's the story.

In BATMAN: DEATH IN THE FAMILY , Jason Todd ( Vincent Martella ) is being trained to be the next Robin, but his thirst for justice and revenge get the better of him. Todd goes rogue and tries to track down Joker to Bosnia, where he's soon captured by Joker ( John DiMaggio ) and held prisoner in a warehouse. As Joker beats Robin with a cane and leaves him for dead as the warehouse is set to be detonated with bombs, Batman ( Bruce Greenwood ) must risk his life to save Todd. On DVD and Blu-Ray, this is an interactive movie in which you get to choose the fates of Batman and Robin. Each of the three outcomes leads to very different results, but each are connected by mediations on fate, justice, and the nature of evil. This also includes four bonus animated short features starring other characters in the DC Universe. Sgt. Rock, with the help of an unusual platoon, must stop the Nazis from reanimating corpses for the war effort. In an Arctic mining town, Adam Strange teeters on the brink of sanity as he obsessively works on inventing a Zeta Beam. The Phantom Stranger must save a seemingly impressionable teen girl from a Manson-esque death cult in 1960s California. Death pays a visit to a down-and-out artist struggling with the demons of his past.

Is It Any Good?

Aside from the interactive features, Batman: Death in the Family is standard noir fare for our modern-day Caped Crusader and Boy Wonder. The themes are familiar and should be easily recognized by anyone who hangs out in the DC Universe: the nature of good and evil, the blurred lines between the two, vengeance, redemption, how vigilante justice is no justice at all, fate versus free will, and so on. These are the recurring themes, and the interactive aspects to this movie simply amplify them, but don't really bring anything new to the table. It's enjoyable enough, but feels padded.

Speaking of padded, this also includes four short animated features from other characters in the DC Universe: Sgt. Rock, Adam Strange, The Phantom Stranger, and Death. These explore similar themes as the title story, only with more zombies, aliens, Manson-esque death cults, and tortured artist angst. These are not interactive, and vary in quality in terms of storytelling originality. But if anything connects them all, it's the blurred lines between good and evil that coexist within each of these heroes and antiheroes. After decades of a Batman franchise rebooted to convey just that, to say nothing of all the line-blurring we've witnessed in The Sopranos , The Wire , and Breaking Bad , etc., one can't be faulted for shouting, "OK, I get it!" after yet another exploration of this theme on the streets of Gotham. Still, fans will find lots to take in and talk about.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about violence in animated features. Was the violence necessary for the stories, or did it seem gratuitous?

What are some of the common themes connecting each of these short animated features? How do the stories communicate these deeper ideas?

Did you like the interactive nature of the movie? Why or why not?

Movie Details

On DVD or streaming : October 14, 2020
Cast : Bruce Greenwood , Vincent Martella , John DiMaggio
Director : Brandon Vietti
Studio : DC Entertainment
Genre : Action/Adventure
Topics : Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
Run time : 96 minutes
MPAA rating : R
MPAA explanation : strong bloody violence, and some drug material
Last updated : October 14, 2022

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'Batman: Death in the Family' Review: The Interactive Film Is WB Animation's Most Ambitious in Years

Witness the interactive adaptation of the classic '88 comic 'Batman: A Death in the Family' with all new twists.

Batman: Death in the Family is one interesting Bat-beast from both storytelling and production points of view. It's an interactive animated feature, a first for Warner Bros. Animation / Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, that ambitiously adapts the 1988's four-issue â€œBatman: A Death in the Familyâ€ comic arc, written by Jim Starlin and illustrated by Jim Aparo , with iconic cover art by Mike Mignola . The landmark DC event allowed fans to vote by telephone to determine the storyâ€™s ending, a chance that modern audiences now get to repeat through the feature's interactive elements. Batman: Death in the Family goes a step further by also folding in existing and new, original content from writer Judd Winick 's comic / animated adaptation Batman: Under the Red Hood to revisit that story from an all-new perspective. And it's not the only DC Universe Animated Original movie it pulls from. But wait, it gets even more complicated!

The feature itself isn't technically part of the DC line of animated movies, which was given a soft reboot recently with Superman: Man of Tomorrow . Instead, it's part of the DC Showcase, a series of boundary-pushing short films that includes Sgt. Rock , The Phantom Stranger , Adam Strange , and Death (all of which are featured in this Blu-ray's bonus features). But Batman: Death in the Family is a feature-length collection of shorts, some of which are longer than others depending on how you, the viewer, choose to continue the story. And that's both the most ambitious part of this project and the most exciting aspect of this particular adaptation.

Batman: Death in the Family allows fans to choose where the story goes next thanks to an innovative navigation guide activated by the viewerâ€™s remote. These "Choose Your Path" points show up a few times while you watch, usually at pivotal life-or-death moments. The navigation is seamless and very easy to use, as is the menu options to go back to various checkpoints along the path in order to revisit them and choose another option. (Visually, these choices are also cleverly designed, especially the one that opts for a, shall we say, a flip of a coin motif rather than directional arrows.)

It's worth mentioning that Batman: Death in the Family leans harder on the interactive, choose-your-own-adventure aspect of the story rather than 100% faithfully adapting the source material. Like, way harder, to the point that the early issues of the comic that set up the big Bat-family character death (or life, in an alternate universe) are lightly summed up in the movie's 2D-styled intro credits animation:

If you're a fan of the comics, you should get the references here; if you're not, you can still understand the broad strokes. What Batman: Death in the Family concerns itself with, however, is cutting to the Joker's torture of a captured Jason Todd. That's where the branching story really begins and where Death in the Family separates itself from its source material.

Except that it doesn't do that entirely. There's the kernel of "A Death in the Family" in the beginning, which soon transitions into Winick's Batman: Under the Red Hood with a dash of Batman: Hush thrown in for good measure. This feels partially like a revisiting of existing stories from different perspectives or with different context, and partially like padding out the animation production pipeline with existing assets. It works though, for the most part: There's the occasional chronological inaccuracy. The differences in animation style between old and new content are noticeable but not jarring. Instead, it feels more like opening the pages of a classic comic book you haven't touched in decades; the characters are instantly recognizable and relatable, even if they look a little different.

So the fun part of Death in the Family (if you can call it "fun"; it's all rather depressing with some endings going to a grisly extreme...) is in re-watching segments after making different choices. Should Jason Todd live or die? If he lives, should he save himself or should Batman save him? And what of the Joker's fate? And Batman's? There are lots of questions and it's a blast to see how various answers play out, usually in ways you won't expect. (I'd imagine the writers had a lot of fun trolling / baiting viewers with most of these choices.)

For example, the Blu-ray features the main extended-length short (titled "Under the Red Hood: Reloaded" in the Digital version), along with the other versions of the story (entitled "Jason Toddâ€™s Rebellion," "Robinâ€™s Revenge" and "Red Hoodâ€™s Reckoning." The commentary track features former DC Daily hosts Amy Dallen and Hector Navarro providing context and backstory for the main short, if you'd like a little extra trivia.) That's right, you basically get to see what happens if Jason Todd dies, becomes the Red Hood, the Red Robin, or "Hush", or just continues fighting the good fight as Robin, more or less.

For example, here's a clip that finds Jason Todd ( Vincent Martella ) as Red Robin coming face to face (to face) with Two-Face ( Gary Cole ) in one of the branches of this interactive animated short:

While you can opt to let the Blu-ray take its own hands-off path and tell a default story, you'll be missing out on a lot of Easter eggs if you don't go back and make all the available choices. Some of which range from the sly nods and references (like Judd's Arcade, a nod to Winick, I'd imagine), to comic book lore drops (like Winick's other comics featuring Todd ).

Want to see Batman monologuing about the death of Jason Todd to a surprising Superfriend? You can do it. Want to see the extremes to which a surviving Jason Todd will go to after surviving his ordeal? Oh boy will you see that. Want to see some bizarro Batman Easter eggs like Zur-En-Arrh ? You'll get that, too, along with surprising twists and appearances from other Bat-family members and even tongue-in-cheek namedrops like Batkid and Jailbird. It's also loaded with philosophical thematic material for the dedicated Bat-fan to chew on, the better to occupy your mind while you watch the scenes play out again and again.

Batman: Death in the Family is easily Warner Bros. Animation's most ambitious animated Bat-film in years and it's absolutely worth your time and attention. Just be sure to keep an open mind when diving into the branching story and you'll have a grand time watching the drama unfold.

Batman: Death in the Family is now available everywhere from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on Blu-ray Combo Pack and Digital. There's more fun coming soon, like Batman: Soul of the Dragon , and a robust 2021 DC Universe Movies slate. Stay tuned!

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Batman: Death in the Family Reviews

Allowing new fans to experience, in some way, the same decision [comic] fans in the 80s had about whether Jason lives or dies through this popular film was, I think, a genius move and a great, creative way to take advantage of current technology.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jan 23, 2023

It does a great job of dragging you into the story, making you feel culpable for certain outcomes and experiencing "monkey's paw" regret.

Full Review | Original Score: 8/10 | Feb 24, 2021

Violence in interactive noir story and other animated shorts

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Nov 18, 2020

There are some visually stunning action scenes in the alternate scenes... The problem is the half-baked execution, where an interactive story amounts to little more than a half-hour short film comprised of mostly recycled footage.

Full Review | Nov 11, 2020

Reach out for the physical Blu-ray copy if you must, but avoid the digital format at all costs.

Full Review | Nov 5, 2020

There's plenty of fun to be had with this interactive movie, and while reused footage and familiar shorts make it feel like there's been some corner cutting, Batman: Death in the Family delivers plenty of bang for your buck.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Oct 21, 2020

Anyone who has collected DC animated movies thus far absolutely does not need these warmed over rehashes with scant new extras.

Full Review | Oct 15, 2020

It's a novel approach that gives Death in the Family more rewatch value than most. But ultimately, the movie is let down by its small scope and the fact that so many of the possible storylines wind up leading Jason down similar paths

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | Oct 14, 2020

A more natural fit than most recent forays into interactivity. That's not to say Batman: Death in the Family isn't a gimmick too, but at least it's a fun, inventive one -- and a pretty clever way to kill time on a long, dark night.

Full Review | Oct 13, 2020

Batman: Death in the Family - Review

What if jason todd's tragic story took a different turn.

DC's direct-to-video animated movie line has been in need of a creative shake-up for a while now, and 2020 has been the year that finally delivered on that need. The decision to wrap up the mediocre DC Animated Movie Universe with Justice League Dark: Apokolips War and start fresh with a new continuity and new art style in Superman: Man of Tomorrow has been just the jolt these movies needed. And now DC goes for a hat trick with Batman: Death in the Family, the first of these projects to dabble with interactive, choice-based storytelling. It’s not an entirely successful experiment, but it’s still worth experiencing this interactive movie for yourself.

Death in the Family is ostensibly a prequel to 2010's Batman: Under the Red Hood , easily among the most critically acclaimed additions to the DC Universe Animated Original Movies line. But rather than settle for simply adapting the infamous 1988 comic and revealing more about that fateful day Joker killed Jason Todd, Death in the Family is trying something a little different. The film is built around a "choose your own adventure" element. At several key points during the course of the story, viewers will be prompted to make a choice with their remote control and alter the flow of the plot. So while one version of the story will follow established continuity and show a resurrected Jason returning to Gotham City to claim vengeance against the Joker, other versions might play out differently.

It's certainly a novel approach, and one that makes sense given that the original comic's ending was dictated by a 1-900 dial-in voting campaign (spoiler - apparently DC readers weren't very fond of Jason Todd at the time). It's certainly preferable to a feature-length, in-canon Under the Red Hood prequel. The original movie already showed us all the back-story necessary to appreciate the present-day Batman/Red Hood/Joker dynamic. Instead, this is a chance for writer/director Brandon Vietti to think creatively and explore the different paths Jason's story might have taken. What if Batman arrived in time to save him? What if Jason managed to save himself, but only after suffering severe physical and psychological damage? Suffice it to say, this story could have gone down even darker paths.

The novelty of the interactive element aside (and not all versions of the movie include that option ), it's genuinely fun seeing these different takes on an iconic Batman story. While pretty much every branching path results in Jason becoming some violent vigilante or another, there are some fun surprises and left turns along the way. The movie includes plenty of clever visual homages to the comic and even draws inspiration from a completely unexpected yet weirdly fitting Batman comic.

It also helps having the main voice cast from Under the Red Hood - Bruce Greenwood as Batman, Vincent Martella as Jason Todd and John DiMaggio as Joker - back in their old roles and reinforcing that connection to the original movie. Greenwood may well be the most underrated Batman voice actor around, though the lack of distinction between his solemn, gravelly Batman and his equally solemn, gravelly Bruce Wayne is a minor sticking point. Happily, though, Martella does a great job of distinguishing between the younger, more idealistic Jason and the various incarnations of his post-Joker self.

Death in the Family is technically a short film, with each individual storyline spanning 10-20 minutes, hence the "DC Showcase" branding. Still, the branching story paths ensure that viewers will probably spend as much time actively watching it as they do DC's full-length animated movies. The disc makes that rewatching process easy enough. Whenever the credits start rolling, it pulls up icons for all previously viewed chapters and allows you to instantly jump back and try out alternate choices.

That being said, there is a repetitive quality that grows with each new run-through of the movie. Many of the storylines wind up culminating in similar scenarios. There's a fair amount of footage that's recycled for different stories or repurposed from Under the Red Hood. In fact, one of the main storylines becomes little more than a retelling of that movie's events, with Greenwood's Bruce recounting his ordeal fighting his ex-sidekick. Maybe that's handy as a reminder for casual fans who haven't watched Under the Red Hood since its release, but it is disappointing to see so much screen time devoted to a glorified clip show (though at least it ends on a fun note).

Enjoyable though it is, Death in the Family is hindered by its small scope. Though it subverts a familiar Batman tale in new and frequently clever ways, no one story thread is given much room to expand and unfold. Some storylines end far too soon, and there are moments practically begging for interactive choices that the movie glosses right over. The movie is a unique and worthwhile experiment for DC, but in some ways the company might have been better off simply choosing one of these alternate universe ideas and building a full-length movie around it.

The Verdict

Batman: Death in the Family definitely wins points for originality. Rather than simply rehash a familiar story and deliver the Under the Red Hood prequel no one asked for, this DC Showcase movie honors the spirit of the source material by giving viewers a chance to dictate the course of Jason Todd's story for themselves. It's a novel approach that gives Death in the Family more rewatch value than most. But ultimately, the movie is let down by its small scope and the fact that so many of the possible storylines wind up leading Jason down similar paths.

Batman: Death in the Family

Batman: death in the family review.

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Batman: Death in the Family (2020) Review

Holy bat-ersnatch, jason.

Batman: Death in the Family

Batman: A Death in the Family stands out as the comic that rocked Bat fans with its slaughtering of Jason Todd at the hands of Joker. But it wasn’t only Todd’s jarring death that made the book memorable, but the break between issues where fans were given a difficult choice to make: should Robin live or die? Fans phoned in and voted for the death of Bats’ sidekick, a decision that still stuns fans and makes them wonder what could have been. Batman: Death in the Family , DC animation’s new interactive Blu-ray, attempts to give us some answers.

In what appears to take place in animation canon with two other DC animated features, after Batman: The Killing Joke and before Batman: Under the Redhood , Batman: Death in the Family starts by sending Batman and Jason Todd, the current Robin, off to Bosnia to hunt down Joker and Ra’s Al Ghul. Batman had previously expressed concerns about Todd in the field, worried that he’s too bent on revenge and wishing for the death of the Clown Prince. The pair head for Bosnia and soon after, Todd is captured by Joker and beaten almost to death with that famous crowbar and left to die, locked in a warehouse with a time bomb.

That’s when viewers are given their first choice; kill Robin, let Robin survive on his own, or send Batman to save him. Each choice will set off varying versions of events that take Batman and Todd through numerous paths. Each path answers the darkest “what if?” questions before then being split by successive decision-making. It’s a disaster of a blast.

Batman: Death In The Family (2020) Review

The first trip I took through the story was a gut wrenching and fresh story for Todd that had me shrieking and crying in good measure. Replaying my way through was simple, as the Blu-ray has an easy-to-use interface that allows you to skip back to decisions with relative ease versus needing to sit through certain segments multiple times. While each pathway was enjoyable enough to make going back through them all worth it, not all pathways are created equally. Some came with new storylines and killer animation, but some were replays of Batman: Under the Redhood sequences or were carried by narrated exposition as opposed to new dialogue. The best parts of them all are the easter eggs both from canon and other Batman story lines, referencing various Robin successors, Joker’s ‘last joke,’ and even Zur En Arrh. Keen Bat fans will have fun peeking into the background for stills from other stories on screens, and casual conversations referencing older moments.

As a gimmick, the “choose your own adventure” style of the Blu-ray is well done and a lot of fun. It does a great job of dragging you into the story, making you feel culpable for certain outcomes and experiencing “monkey’s paw” regret. Though the Blu-ray comes with the varying choices, the matching digital version includes the more aptly named pre-made version, Under the Red Hood: Reloaded and additional predetermined stories, Jason Todd’s Rebellion , Robin’s Revenge and Red Hood’s Reckoning .

Though named more similarly to the comic book, this animated feature follows much more closely to the story of Batman: Under the Redhood (from Judd Winick), which is a bit of a strange choice for a new feature to be a rehashing of an old. Animated features often borrow story beats from slightly differently named comic books (for instance Batman and Son versus Son of Batman ) and this one follows that same tradition but rehashes old animated scenes. The comic book, (written by Jim Starlin and illustrated by Jim Aparo) like this feature, starts with Batman sidelining Todd over concerns of his impulse control. Todd, having learned he was adopted, sets off to track his birth mother in the Middle East. He stumbles across Batman who is also there to hunt down Joker. Todd’s story turns tragic before his eventual death, when his mother sells him out to Joker who takes his life. The story then explores Batman after the death of Todd. It’s unfair to demand the movie do everything the book does, or to expect the film to be identical to its source material, but the slick removal of these larger story elements takes a lot of the weight out of Todd’s various outcomes. The betrayal by his father figure, Batman, and his biological mother before his death support his rise to villainy. Batman struggling with the death of his Robin is a compelling addition to him taking the death of his charge (differently) than that of his parents. For Batman aficionados, it’s easy to read these things into the story which allows the heavy moments to hit incredibly well, but for a casual viewer, a lot of the emotional weight might not be there. To replace that, the film jams in Batman: The Killing Joke continuity, centering the emotional weight around avenging Barbara Gordon.

The animation and voice acting are as exceptional as you expect from DC’ animated features. Bruce Greenwood and John DiMaagio return as Batman and Joker respectively, which is fitting with the Batman: Under the Redhood overlap. Vincent Martella takes over as Jason Todd and brings an emotional flare that takes you into his head.

Though Brandon Vietti’s take on the narrative borrows a bit too much from another animated feature, and not enough from its matching comic book, he has created a compelling story that utilizes the interactive elements well enough to make the whole adventure worth the run time.

Also included with the Blu-ray are four animated shorts from the DC Showcase . Sgt. Rock, directed by Batman: TAS ’ Bruce Timm, takes Rock on a mission alongside universal monsters to hunt Nazi experiment generated super soldiers. The Phantom Stranger , also by Bruce Timm, sets the titular character up against a version of the devil who is compelling lost young people in the 1970s. Adam Strange , by Butch Lukic, brings a non-chronological story of Strange being lost on a mining colony hoping to find his way home. Death , by Sam Liu, borrows from Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman for a short about an artist taking on his inner demons with the help of a mysterious woman who has hints of Eyptian patron of lost souls, Anubis. This was the strongest of the four. The shorts are fine, and are created by many DC heavyweights, but they’re forgettable enough that I can’t imagine firing up a Blu-ray to re-watch them. They’re most certainly a bonus, and not the main event.

This interactive Blu-ray in an incredibly entertaining way to burn through an afternoon. It never lets you zone out of the film, forcing your attention onto a story that’s worth your interest. Though it often feels like a replay of dusty old assets, there is enough new material to take with you to other stories of characters like Red Hood, Red Robin and Hush, finally allowing you to see what would happen if Jason Todd had been spared.

Final Thoughts

After submitting her Bachelor's thesis, “The Metaphysics of Schwarzenegger Movies,” Lindsay decided to focus on writing about her passions; sci-fi, horror, sports, and comic books. She covers movies and games for CGMagazine and you can follow her work on Twitter @smashtraves.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something, CGMagazine may earn a commission. However, please know this does not impact our reviews or opinions in any way. See our ethics statement.

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DC Showcase - Batman: Death in the Family Review

What if jason todd's tragic story took a different turn.

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Movie Review – Batman: Death in the Family (2020)

November 5, 2020 by admin

Batman: Death in the Family , 2020.

Directed by Brandon Vietti. Featuring the voice talents of Bruce Greenwood, Vincent Martella, John DiMaggio, Zehra Fazal, Nolan North, Gary Cole, and Nick Carson.

Based on the critically acclaimed storyline, Batman: Death in the Family is an interactive narrative which allows fans to take control of their favorite comic book characters, thereby controlling their very destinies.

Since the very beginning DC has always been ahead of their Marvel counterparts when it came to their animated efforts. From Batman: Mask of the Phantasm to the more recent Justice League Dark: Apokolips War , DC has consistently churned out expertly crafted comic book movies that possess heart and offer thrills to both the general audiences and fans alike. One of the best received DC Universe Animated Universe (DCAU) flicks to debut in the last decade was Batman: Under the Red Hood . Based on Judd Winick’s comic book story arc of the same name, Batman: Under the Red Hood neatly tied up the loose end left by Jason Todd’s unresolved fate in Jim Starlin’s controversial 1988 storyline Batman: A Death in the Family . Praised highly for its top-notch animation, emotionally resonating narrative and exceptional voice acting performances, Batman: Under the Red Hood also went on to become a solid hit in terms of domestic home video sales as well.

Batman: Death in the Family is Warner Bros. first foray into interactive storytelling, allowing fans to call the shots and decide where the story goes, through an innovative navigation process via the viewer’s remote control. It is also the centerpiece of an anthology of five animated shorts inspired by character and stories from DC’s ever-expanding repertoire of materials. However, while the shorts offer something new and exciting in terms of story- incorporating lesser known DC properties like The Phantom Stranger and Adam Strange- the same compliments cannot be extended to the eponymous short which is the supposed pièce de résistance of this animated collection. Being nothing more than a truncated rehash of Under the Red Hood , unfolding in a series of flashbacks as narrated by Bruce Wayne to Clark Kent, the short offers absolutely nothing new to the viewer. Adding insult to injury, the digital-distribution is a pre-fabricated version offering no interactive option as well. In order to access the other alternative ‘paths’ you’ll have to visit the bonus features but the downside is, not all digital retailers offer bonus features with their purchase. In addition to the aforementioned woes of procuring the digital format, there’s still some content exclusive to Blu-ray which aren’t present in any of the digital versions. Ouch.

There’s no point in trying to assess Death in the Family extensively since, like I pointed out before, it’s merely a shorter variation of the infinitely superior Under the Red Hood animated film. Both Bruce Greenwood and Nolan North do a commendable job embodying their respective superhero characters but the new animated high-definition segments stick out like a sore thumb and mesh horribly with the footage taken from the older film. Out of the other remaining four DC showcase segments, Death and The Phantom Stranger were the real standouts. The latter was a light-hearted, Hellboy -esque adventure featuring Peter Serafinowicz as the eponymous paranormal superhero while the former was a more sombre affair centred on Neil Gaiman’s character Death from The Sandman graphic novel.

In summary, there’s very little to like here as this project appears to be nothing more than a desperate cash grab attempt by Warner Bros. due to a general lack of Batman related content. Reach out for the physical Blu-ray copy if you must, but avoid the digital format at all costs.

Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★

Hasitha Fernando is a part-time medical practitioner and full-time cinephile. Follow him on Twitter via @DoctorCinephile for regular updates on the world of entertainment.

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The World’s Finest Reviews “Batman: Death in the Family,” New Images Released

James Harvey Animated Movies , Animated Shorts , Batman (General Brand) , Batman: Under the Red Hood , Blu-ray/DVD/Digital , DC Comics , DC Showcase Animated Short , DC Showcase: Batman - Death in the Family , DC Universe Animated Original Movie , Review , Site News , Site Update , Warner Bros. Animation , Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Animated Shorts , Batman (General Brand) , batman: death in the family , batman: under the red hood , blu-ray/dvd/digital , dc showcase , dc universe animated original movie , dc universe movie , review , site news , site update , warner bros. animation , warner bros. home entertainment 0

The World’s Finest has published its review of the DC Showcase Batman: Death in the Family animated short, which is available on Blu-ray and Digital HD starting October 13, 2020. In short, Batman: Death in the Family is an engaging and addictive adaptation of the classic 1980s Batman storyline, and while the interactive nature might not appeal to everyone, the solid execution of it here makes it well worth giving a chance.

To mark the release of Batman: Death in the Family , Warner Bros. Home Entertainment released a selection of official movie stills, all available below:

In addition to detailed coverage, the above review link also leads to additional content, including videos, imagery and much more. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment describes Batman: Death in the Family as follows:

Produced, directed and written by Brandon Vietti, DC Showcase: Batman – Death in the Family offers an inventive take on the long-demanded story. In the new animated presentation, the infamous murder of Batman protégé Jason Todd will be undone, and the destinies of Batman, Robin and The Joker will play out in shocking new ways as viewers make multiple choices to control the story. And while Batman: Under the Red Hood provides a baseline, the story also branches in new directions and features several characters previously unseen in the original film.

Please check out The World’s Finest Batman: Death in the Family subsite for additional and exclusive content, and stay tuned right here for further updates and coverage. The latest installment of the DC Showcase Animated Shorts line, Batman: Death in the Family arrives on Blu-ray and Digital HD starting October 13, 2020. Click on the link below to discuss this news.

Discuss this news at The DC Animation Forum!

Share your thoughts on social media via The World’s Finest Twitter and Facebook pages! Check out more video content at The World’s Finest’s YouTube channel !

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The first choose-your-own-adventure Batman movie made the wrong decisions

Death in the Family pays its respects to Jason Todd

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In 1988, DC Comics’ A Death in the Family allowed people to decide the fate of the second Robin, Jason Todd, with a telephone poll . It was a gimmick that became wildly successful, and the result drastically changed Batman as a character.

This is to say that, when DC and Warner Bros. decided to jump on the recent interactive storytelling bandwagon by making a Death in the Family interactive movie , it made total sense. Why not update the story and gimmick to modern times, all while providing a sort of follow-up or alternate version of the popular Under the Red Hood film from 2010? If only that was what we got. Sadly, the final product is just a half-baked experience you can’t even fully experience unless you purchase the right version of the film.

The first thing you should know is that Death in the Family is little more than a re-telling of Under the Red Hood . We start with an added prologue and credits sequence that summarize the events of the A Death in the Family comic , and then it’s mostly reused footage from the 2010 Under the Red Hood , where Joker kills Jason, who is resurrected with the Lazarus Pit and vows to clean up Gotham by killing criminals, and then finally get revenge on Joker himself. Or is that what really happened? See, when Batman realizes that Joker’s captured Jason and is about to kill him, the film stops and you’re asked to decide whether Jason Todd lives, or if he’s doomed to die over again.

It is here that your experience with Death in the Family is vastly dependent on how you acquire the film. If you buy the Blu-Ray or DVD, you get the usual interactive film treatment, with the viewer getting to choose certain things at key moments, and about 7 different paths to choose from. The actual interactive aspect is one of the better ones in recent times, with seamless navigation and cleverly designed choices that are more than a simple pause button while the movie waits for you to pick a lane.

The alternate paths range wildly, ranging between 10 and 30 minutes. In terms of quality, many are inconsequential (there is a path that is literally just a shorter version of Under the Red Hood , but with added voice over narration). Worse yet, there are many moments in the new segments that are nothing but still images. But when it comes to the small amount of added footage, there are a couple of alternate endings that are powerful additions to the Jason Todd story, particularly the one involving a bleak and shocking twist on the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh . Seeing Jason actually survive the explosion in Bosnia, only to still succumb to a life of violence is heartbreaking and poignant.

The film is interested in showing that, no matter what you do, Joker’s brutal attack took too big a physical and emotional toll on Jason. There are plenty of references and easter eggs for eagle-eyed fans, including some scenarios and characters we’ve never seen adapted before that may make fans of Grant Morrison’s Batman run happy. And despite the 10 years difference between the old and new footage, there are some visually stunning action scenes in the alternate scenes. Though this re-cut version cuts many of the side characters from the original Under the Red Hood , including Neil Patrick Harris as Dick Grayson and Jason Isaacs as Ra’s al Ghul — and Vincent Martella replaces Jensen Ackles as Jason Todd — the voice acting is still solid.

Buyer beware

A resurrected Jason Todd as the villain Hush in the Death in the Family animated film.

Watching the film offer a touching homage to Bat Kid is great, even if some of the other choices aren’t very substantial — but you won’t see any of that if you buy or rent the film digitally, or watch it through a streaming service like DC Unlimited . The digital version of Death in the Family offers no interactivity whatsoever.

The film is branded “DC Showcase,” because it is technically a short film that gets expanded by the different choices, but the digital release removes all that. What you get is only the re-telling of Under the Red Hood , which is an hour shorter than the 2010 version, as well as three other unrelated short films. To see the actual new content, you need to access the bonus features, which is not included with the purchase on all digital retailers. So even if you buy this film, there’s a big chance you’re simply paying for a heavily reduced version of Under the Red Hood . Even if you do find a retailer that includes the bonus footage with the alternate storylines, there are still about five minutes of content exclusive to the Blu-Ray.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with making Death in a Family a gimmick film, especially when it began as a gimmick story — and the film does a good enough job of providing alternate versions of the Under the Red Hood storyline that expand the Batman mythos and enrich Jason Todd’s character.

The problem is the half-baked execution, where an interactive story amounts to little more than a half-hour short film comprised of mostly recycled footage. Footage that many people won’t even be able to access, even after buying it. Ultimately, and ironically, Death in the Family film makes an argument against resurrecting dead DC characters and stories, not for it.

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Review: Batman: Death in the Family

The choice is yours as you decide the outcome of this feature.

The film takes us back to the events of Jason Todd’s death, which unfolded in the comic books during 1988. A monumental story in Batman mythos that saw the second Joker brutally murdered at the hands of the Joker as voted by the fans. Now, these tragic events are completely left in the hands of the viewer as you get to see how things could have played out with the click of a button.

One choice may end the movie abruptly while another will give you a complete recap of how things unfolded during 2010’s Batman: Under the Red Hood . Or you may be taken down a rabbit hole that sees how things would have been had Jason Todd survived that fateful night in Bosnia.

DC Animated decided to take a wild turn with their latest release. Batman: Death in the Family is something that has never been attempted in the comic book genre. Of course, interactive media has been making its way on the scene through Black Mirror: Bandersnatch , and even a Minecraft story mode. However, this endeavour is a completely different take on the classic Elseworlds stories that have been featured in DC Comics for decades.

I am certain there were plenty of comic book fans in 1988 that were curious as to the other possible outcomes to Jason Todd’s death. Back then, a phone-in vote finalized the young Robin’s fate. But that also left the glaring question regarding things turning the other way.

Over 30 years later, we now get to explore a couple of different outcomes. Making it all that more exciting is giving fans the power to choose the path along the way.

However, some of these paths are much more exciting than others. Opting to follow the traditional sequence of events will result in a boring 25-minute recap of everything that went down in 2010’s Batman: Under the Red Hood .

As a warning to those looking to view this film digitally, there are no interactive options. Instead, fans will only be able to watch this retelling of Batman: Under the Red Hood , without many additional scenes. And what is added is not worth the cost. This film is only worth purchasing on Blu-Ray.

Though as a special bonus on the digital and physical copies is the inclusion of four DC Animated shorts that have been released throughout the last two years. Again though, if you have already seen these brilliant shorts, the cost is not worth a re-watch.

Purchasing the Blu-ray version of Batman: Death in the Family is the only way to experience this feature the way it is intended. And those who do will be rewarded with the flash and bangs, twists and turns, that one would come to expect from a DC Animated film. Though do not be surprised if the choice you make will abruptly end the story in unexpected ways.

One path is not enough to get your money worth out of the film though. Almost all of the paths will end the movie in under half an hour. Additionally, the amount of recycled footage from Batman: Under the Red Hood is disappointing. It is best to take your time and explore the many options and unique paths that lead to the many shock endings.

The best part about this film is the return performances of the cast. John DiMaggio makes for a Joker as formidable as any we have seen. Plus, it is funny to imagine Bender acting as the Joker. And Bruce Greenwood is solid as Batman/Bruce Wayne, especially when he needs to deliver a 20-minute monologue.

For DC’s first foray into interactive media, it is safe to call this a success. However, there are a lot of things that could be fine-tuned to make it more worth the effort and cost. Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, which follows the same interactive storytelling, was exciting for the multiple strange turns you could make that lead down to a similar inevitable conclusion, all of which resulted in a full-length movie.

Unfortunately, for every exciting choice in Batman: Death in the Family , there is an equally mundane and disappointing option. Sitting through 25-minutes of Bruce Wayne retell a movie we have already seen is not entertaining. If I wanted to watch Batman: Under the Red Hood , I could watch Batman: Under the Red Hood .

There simply is not enough here to justify the full cost of a Blu-ray. Especially at this point where the majority of viewers have moved to downloading new films digitally. The addition of the four animated shorts helps by offering more content. Though again, they could have added at least one new short for fans to get some original content.

Batman: Death in the Family is a lot of fun, giving you the chance to explore your way through each new path. Though it will be much more fun when it is available on a streaming platform that you already pay for. Hopefully, should DC continue with interactive media they can extend the amount of original content and deliver a full-length movie.

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DC Showcase – Batman: Death in the Family review

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Batman: Death in the Family is now available everywhere from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment — on Blu-ray Combo Pack and Digital. Batman: Death in the Family , WBHE’s first-ever venture into interactive storytelling, allows fans to choose where the story goes through an innovative navigation guided by the viewer’s remote control. Batman: A Death in the Family is the centerpiece of this anthology of five animated shorts inspired by characters and stories from DC’s robust portfolio. The 2019-2020 series of shorts – which have been individually included on DC Universe Movies releases since Summer 2019 – include:

Adam Strange
The Phantom Stranger

Blu-ray Review

I’m going to do my best to make it through this whole review without calling the film Death OF the Family , but I’m not making any promises. I’ve written too much about Scott Snyder’s 2012 story arc to shake it, I’m cursed to forever flub the title of whichever tale I’m talking about, and I’m sorry. Now, let me pitch this movie to you:

Do you love the film Under the Red Hood ? Of course, you do. Who doesn’t? It’s one of the best DC Animated films. What if I told you that you could watch it with a worse ending? Does that entice you? What if its runtime was cut down to like 30 minutes and you had the ability to choose what the worse ending could be? Still nothing? Okay, I guess this is going to be a hard sell.

Look, when I first heard about Warner’s idea for the first interactive DC Animated picture being based on A Death in the Family , I found the concept terribly clever. After all, the original story arc concluded with fans getting to vote on Jason Todd’s fate. Making an interactive feature out of that is *chef’s kiss*. So what went wrong? You’ve probably even heard that the folks at WB even brought back the cast from Under the Red Hood and the animation style is the same as well. What gives?

The problem is that Batman: Death in the Family is a half-baked execution of an objectively neat idea. See, there’s precious little that’s new to be found here. The film is mostly comprised of repurposed footage from Under the Red Hood and there are many moments in new segments in which we see no animation at all, but instead a still image with voice-over narration. I wondered if my Blu-ray player was messing up or something, but no, it was simply that lazy of a scene. And when we do get animation, it’s often not all that polished, and you’ll find it rather to easy to distinguish the original Under the Red Hood footage from the new simply at a glance. Also, Jensen Ackles didn’t come back to voice Jason Todd, which is a pity.

But perhaps the worst offense of Batman: Death in the Family is that the few alternate paths we’re provided are not all that imaginative. The fun of different endings is the emphasis on them being different . Showing me scenes from Under the Red Hood but now Jason is dressed like Hush for no good reason… sucks. It sucks! Sure, yes, we all remember the misdirect from Loeb & Lee’s HUSH where we were first teased by a possible resurrection of Jason Todd, but wasting a viewer’s entire choice on what amounts to nothing more than a reference to that shocking splash page isn’t enough to make the decision feel worth it. At all. And no other branching narratives are provided by this option. Still… It’s not as exhausting as that over-narrated recap of Under the Red Hood that choosing “Robin Dies” will get you.

Yes, one of the “7 different endings” (you’ll need to select “Batman Saves Robin” if you want to get these extra endings) is simply a recap of Under the Red Hood but with downright incessant voice-over narration by Bruce Greenwood’s Batman. And while I like Greenwood’s Batman, he shouldn’t be this verbose. It all plays out like a Cliffsnotes version of a film that’s already quite brief. I guess if you have a hankering to hear Greenwood read the Wikipedia plot synopsis of Under the Red Hood , this might appeal to you, but it ain’t for me. And, no, there are no other branching narratives by choosing “Robin Dies” — you’re just listening to Greenwood drone on and on. For the experience we were advertised to get from this project, the film offers only one choice that delivers. One selection that feels like genuine effort went into it, and that’s “Batman Saves Robin.”

If you choose “Batman Saves Robin” you’ll actually be confronted with additional decisions and an honest-to-goodness branching narrative! And there is some good stuff that salvages an experience that, up until this point, I would only describe as “insulting.” All of the creativity and passion is hidden behind this choice. The other two don’t matter. I won’t spoil what you get. I’ve already said that there’s so little new material in this movie that whatever is new is precious . Do we still get scenes that are just stills with voiceover narration? Unfortunately, yes. But there are also some fully animated and skillfully acted bits that are truly excellent. Whether you’re looking for action with real stakes or dialogue with an emotional punch, you’ll find something in these branching narratives that will stick with you, be it a haunting image or a particularly heavy speech. I can honestly say that I had a good time watching the “Batman Saves Robin” portion of the film.

I’m not going to go into much detail about the entire voice cast, because as I said, this is mostly clips from Under the Red Hood , and you already know those performances are all special. Especially DiMaggio’s Joker who, thankfully, does get some new and terrific scenes to work with here. And while it’s a shame to lose Ackles, Vincent Martella does a decent job portraying both the downfall and redemption of Jason Todd (whichever you choose). And the score by Christopher Drake is quite foreboding and consistent with the great work he’s composed for far, far more Batman movies and games than anyone else. Go look him up. His Dark Knight Returns score is fan-freaking-tastic.

Digital Review

Do not buy the digital version of this film. Don’t. While the Blu-ray is fully interactive, the digital distribution is a non-interactive format, pre-assembled version of the story, entitled “Under the Red Hood: Reloaded.” So you’ll see a rehash of Under the Red Hood that’s about 30 minutes long and then you’ll get the four Showcase Shorts. To see the other three alternative “paths” you’ll need to visit the bonus features but here’s the catch: not all digital retailers offer bonus features with your purchase. And no matter where you buy the digital version, there will be approximately five minutes of additional content that remains Blu-ray exclusive. So DO NOT BUY THE DIGITAL VERSION OF THIS MOVIE.

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“DC Showcase – Batman: Death in the Family” Lets You Choose Jason Todd’s Fate – Blu-ray Review

DC Showcase – Batman: Death in the Family has been made available on Blu-ray and Digital by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE). This release includes the first interactive film presentation in WBHE history.

I was provided with a free copy of the DC Showcase – Batman: Death in the Family Blu-ray for review by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. The opinions I have shared are my own.

Batman: Death in The Family is one of the most iconic and tragic tales ever done in the Batman mythos. It tells the story of Batman’s complex relationship with his second adopted son, Jason Todd, as well as the heartbreaking ending and in some ways, establishing their new beginnings.

Before we delve into the story, it’s important to understand how this film pays homage to its original comic, all the way back to 1988 in Batman issue #428. But before this, you have to understand that Jason Todd was not liked by fans at the time of his creation. I mean, Dick Grayson, (Batman’s first boy wonder) was everything a hero could want in a sidekick. Dick was loyal, smart, eager to please, passionate, and honestly showed all the makings of a born hero. He was Batman’s first, and Dick always holds a place in the hearts of fans.

Now, imagine, at the time, a new Robin comes along. He’s brash, arrogant, hot-headed, and rebellious. He muddy’s the good name of what the previous Robin stood for. You can easily see how fans would be furious! Well, now imagine you can have the power to kill a character you so readily despise, or at least “get rid” of said character. Wouldn’t you be just the tiniest bit eager to do it?

That’s what happened in 1988 when Dennis O’Neil , the Batman editor at the time, decided to leave it up to the fans by using a phone-in poll to decide the fate of Jason Todd (an already unpopular character). The votes were pretty much neck and neck, but ultimately the majority voted in favor of offing Jason. And so, it was done in the original comic title Batman: A Death in the Family ( in 1988 ).

DC Showcase – Batman: Death in the Family offers the same freedom to you. You get to decide Robin’s fate.

If you’re unaware of what happens to our poor little bird, I will tell you. Jason is hunting the Joker and his top priority is to kill him. He wonders why Batman hasn’t done the same. Why is Batman’s philosophy of “no killing” being applied to a criminal who is beyond all forgiveness and who rightfully deserves death? Shouldn’t the world be free of such a sick and demented murderous psychopathic clown?

Batman, on the other hand, is investigating the suspicious dealings of Ra’s Al Ghul (the leader of the League of Assassins). Both their pursuits bring them to Bosnia.

Batman pleads with Jason to stay out of sight and wait to hunt down Joker until after he’s done investigating Ra’s so they can go together. Jason promises to wait. However, when Batman departs, he grows tired of waiting and heads to an abandoned warehouse where he knows Joker is hiding.

Robin will unfortunately regret this decision. He gets captured by the Joker, is strapped to a chair, and then brutally beaten with a crowbar within inches of his life with the Clown Prince explaining that Jason really is a pale imitation of the original Robin and how he’s not even worth Batman’s time to save.

With this, he leaves Jason clinging to dear life, and ultimately rigging the warehouse with a timed bomb, which goes off leaving Jason to his demise.

And this is where YOU can decide his fate. Will Robin cheat death? Will Batman save him? Will Robin die?

I’ll tell you about my choice. I chose Robin to cheat death. So, Jason recovers, growing bitter toward the Bat-family, and disappearing from their sight. He then comes back years later as the mysterious Red Hood. He’s killing criminals of Gotham and is hellbent on destroying the family that Bruce’s created.

Talia Al Ghul visits him, asking him to raise Bruce’s son, Damian, under his watchful eye, making him an elite assassin and a tool to exact his revenge on anyone associated with Batman. Strangely though, this is how it ends due to my choices impacting Jason’s life.

Now, I’ve got to say, I was disappointed. It felt like a tease, and a rehash of a previous movie, Under The Red Hood , which tells the exact same story.

I don’t want to spoil all of the choices for you, but many of the paths you take are callbacks to other stories from the Batman comics. A young Damian makes an appearance. There’s also Tim Drake. Even different costumes that Jason Todd might’ve worn come up. Harvey Dent’s Two-Face gives an ultimatum of life and death. Dick Grayson as Batman appears. There’s even a cameo of pre-Joker.

The callbacks were fun to point out and remember different moments in the Batman lore. Due to that, I think a fan of the Caped Crusader will enjoy going through such an interactive release. But, narrative-wise, it’s a lot of rehashing.

The “interactive” gimmick was nice. But I felt frustrated trying to find all the possible path options and endings because it does get a bit convoluted the further down a path you venture and with multiple choices at each stopping point.

Each playthrough is basically a mini-movie. So, you should be able to go finish them all fairly quickly (if you’re into such content).

If you love Batman and love Jason Todd and want to try the “interactive” aspect from WBHE, I think this Blu-ray will be a good addition to your collection. However, if you want a more detailed retelling of the story, watching Under the Red Hood would be the better choice to go for.

Along with Batman: Death in the Family , this release also features the 2019-2020 series of shorts (which have been individually included on DC Universe Movies releases since Summer 2019).

The shorts are:

Adam Strange
The Phantom Stranger

Here are the details:

Sgt. Rock – Originally attached to Batman: Hush , Sgt. Rock is executive produced and directed by Bruce Timm ( Batman: The Animated Series ) from a script by award-winning comics writers Louise Simonson & Walter Simonson and Tim Sheridan ( Superman: Man of Tomorrow , Reign of the Supermen ). The original tale finds battle-weary Sgt. Rock thinking he has seen everything that World War II can dish out. But he is in for the surprise of his life when he is assigned to lead a company consisting of legendary monsters into battle against an unstoppable platoon of Nazi zombies. Karl Urban ( Star Trek & Lord of the Rings film franchises) provides the voice of Sgt. Rock. Also voicing characters in Sgt. Rock are Keith Ferguson, William Salyers, and Audrey Wasilewski.
Death – Inspired by Neil Gaiman’s “The Sandman,” Death is produced & directed by Sam Liu ( Superman: Red Son , The Death of Superman ) and written by J.M. DeMatteis ( Batman: Bad Blood ). In the story, Vincent, an artist with unresolved inner demons, meets a mysterious girl who helps him come to terms with his creative legacy … and eventual death. Leonard Nam ( Westworld ) provides the voice of Vincent, and Jamie Chung ( The Gifted , Big Hero 6 ) is the voice of Death. The cast includes Darin De Paul, Keith Szarabajka, and Kari Wahlgren. Death was originally included with Wonder Woman: Bloodlines .
The Phantom Stranger – Attached as a bonus feature on the release of Superman: Red Son , The Phantom Stranger has Bruce Timm ( Batman: The Killing Joke ) at the helm as executive producer & director, and the short is written by Ernie Altbacker ( Justice League Dark: Apokolips War , Batman: Hush ). Set in the 1970s, the short find the enigmatic DC mystery man simultaneously playing both omniscient narrator and active character in a story of supernatural comeuppance for evildoers. Peter Serafinowicz ( The Tick ) gives voice to The Phantom Stranger, and Michael Rosenbaum ( Smallville , Impastor ) provides the voice of Seth. The Phantom Stranger also features the voices of Natalie Lander, Grey Griffin, and Roger Craig Smith.
Adam Strange – It was produced and directed by Butch Lukic ( Superman: Man of Tomorrow ), who also conceived the original story – which is written by J.M. DeMatteis ( Deathstroke: Knights & Dragons , Constantine: City of Demons ). The short was initially attached to Justice League Dark: Apokolips War . On a rugged asteroid mining colony, few of the toiling workers are aware that their town drunk was ever anything but an interplanetary derelict. But when the miners open a fissure into the home of a horde of deadly alien insects, his true identity is exposed. He is space adventurer Adam Strange, whose heroic backstory is played out in flashbacks as he struggles to save the very people who have scorned him for so long. Charlie Weber ( How To Get Away with Murder ) provides the voice of Adam Strange, alongside Roger R. Cross, Kimberly Brooks, Ray Chase, and Fred Tatasciore.

The extra content includes:

Audio Commentaries – Commentary tracks on Sgt. Rock , Adam Strange , Death and The Phantom Stranger , plus one of the linear “Death in the Family” shorts ( Under the Red Hood: Reloaded ), by DC Daily hosts Amy Dallen and Hector Navarro.
Three non-interactive versions of the Batman: Death in the Family – entitled Jason Todd’s Rebellion, Robin’s Revenge, and Red Hood’s Reckoning. (Note: not all Digital retailers offer bonus features with purchase).

As for the Blu-ray presentation, as usual with WBHE releases, the visuals and audio are clear. Also, I would like to remind everyone that the Digital release of Batman: Death in the Family isn’t interactive.

According to the press release:

The Blu-ray features a Blu-ray disc with all of the shorts in hi-definition, including the fully-interactive, extended-length Batman: Death in the Family, plus a digital version of the four other 2019-2020 DC Showcase shorts. The Digital distribution features the Batman: Death in the Family extended-length short in a non-interactive format (a pre-assembled version of the story, entitled Under the Red Hood: Reloaded), along with the other four 2019-2020 DC Showcase shorts, and three other non-interactive versions of the Batman: Death in the Family (entitled Jason Todd’s Rebellion, Robin’s Revenge and Red Hood’s Reckoning) as bonus features (Note: not all Digital retailers offer bonus features with purchase). The Blu-ray also offers approximately five minutes of additional content within the Batman: Death in the Family story that is not included in the Digital version.

DC Showcase – Batman: Death in the Family was released today (October 13, 2020). It’s available on Blu-ray (USA $24.98 SRP) and Digital (19.99 SRP).

Feel free to share your thoughts with us.

Author: Micah Carrillo

Micah is studying English and Digital Design. His love of geek culture spans across diverse mediums and genres. Comics, anime, films, you name it! He enjoys video games on the Nintendo Switch and Xbox.

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Everyone Who Has Killed Batman’s Parents (& Why They Did It)

Joe Chill is the most common figure behind Wayne murders, sparking Batman's crusade in comics.
Jack Napier, later Joker, is responsible for Wayne murders in Tim Burton's Batman 1989.
Matches Malone, not just a mobster alias, is revealed as the Wayne murderer in Gotham series.

The driving force behind Bruce Wayne's crusade as Batman was the tragic murder of his parents, Thomas and Martha, leading to a range of adaptations of the iconic moment in Batman movies and TV.

While the name Joe Chill is more often than not assigned to the Wayne murders, there have been different shooters over the years. While some were nameless and had no motivation worth mentioning, others were key players in what Bruce would later become. Whether future foes or guns for hire, the history of the Wayne murders is just as interesting as Batman himself.

Joe Chill Is The Most Common Figure Behind Thomas & Martha Wayne's Deaths

General canon.

The most common name attached to the Wayne murders is Joe Chill. Joe Chill is usually depicted as a common criminal down on his luck. He sees the Wayne family leaving a theatre and decides to strike. Sometimes Chill knows exactly who they are, while other times it is nothing more than being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The random nature of the crime found in the general canon was enough to drive Bruce Wayne to later don the cape and cowl, as that fateful night showed him how ruthless the city is. Joe Chill and his murder of the Waynes is one of the most brutal moments in the Batman comics , and also one of the most iconic.

A Dastardly Criminal Created Adam West's Batman

The 1960s Batman series leaned more into a campier tone. Because of this, the stakes were low and lives were rarely in danger. However, Batman can't really exist without his parents dying, and this series is no exception. The Wayne's aren't shown in a flashback which is a staple in most other forms of Batman media, and the killer isn't even properly identified.

When discussing his past, Bruce simply states that his parents were taken out by a "dastardly criminal" and leaves it at that. While a motive was never given, it can be assumed the Wayne's were victims of a random mugging. The series had many good episodes and some bad, and this speech in the first episode is one of the few instances of dark subject matter.

Jack Napier's Murders Made Michael Keaton's Batman

Batman 1989.

Tim Burton's first Batman film released in 1989 contained the shocking revelation that a young Jack Napier killed the Waynes . Fans of the film know that Jack Napier would later become The Joker, adding a whole new layer to the infamous Batman/Joker rivalry.

Napier was a deadly criminal who would even kill a police officer in front of Commissioner Gordon for wronging him, so the random killing of members of Gotham's high society was child's play to him. This version of the killing is also responsible for a hidden detail, which the Burton-Schumacher films are full of . When Batman faces the Joker in the climax of the film, it is a personal battle for the Caped Crusader, adding a rare time when Bruce faces his parents' killer in live-action.

Robin Accidentally Made Bruce Wayne Batman

Teen titans go to the movies.

While not the one to pull the trigger, Teen Titans Go! To The Movies shows that the Boy Wonder is directly responsible for the death of Thomas and Martha Wayne . The plot of the film revolves around the Titans traveling through time to stop the creation of the world's best superheroes.

When they realize they have to reverse this decision, they end up in Crime Alley. Robin takes it upon himself to push the Waynes into the alley, where they are instantly killed off-screen while Bruce watches in horror. This is one of the only times the family's death was played for laughs, yet it is somewhat of a dark scene for a kid's film.

Matches Malone Has Also Been Responsible For Bruce Wayne's Origin Story

When Batman fans hear Matches Malone, they think of a deceased mobster who Bruce Wayne uses as an alias to get information from Gotham's underworld. In the prequel series Gotham however, he played a much more serious role. As the show progresses, it is revealed that Matches Malone is actually the man who killed Thomas and Martha Wayne . The show treats Matches less as a mobster and more as a gun for hire as it is revealed the Wayne murders were simply a job to him.

Malone was hired by The Lady acting under the instructions of Hugo Strange to do the deed and even pleaded with Bruce to kill him when he faced him. Bruce backs down, showing the seeds of the no-kill rule he would later adopt as Batman. As much of an impact as he had on Bruce, Matches doesn't compare to the other major villains featured on Gotham

A Clown Rioter Was Responsible For The Newest Version Of The Wayne Murders

Burton's Batman wasn't the last time filmmakers attempted to tie The Joker with Batman's dark night. In 2019's Joker , the titular Clown Prince of Crime kills a respected Gotham citizen on live television, sparking a series of riots across the city. One rioter happens to see the Wayne family sneak down an alley to escape the chaos. Inspired by Arthur Fleck's act of violence, the man shoots the elder Waynes in front of their young son. He didn't rob them, or even give any demands. He simply quoted Joker and killed them where they stood.

This is debatably the most tragic version of the killings, as they are shown on screen in full, and they were killed just because the man wanted to make a statement. This was as random of a killing as it gets, and one can be sure this version of Bruce will grow into a brutal Batman because of it.

Batman 1960s

Starring Adam West as Bruce Wayne and Burt Ward as Dick Grayson a.k.a. Robin, ABC's 1960s Batman series sees DC's Dynamic Duo confront many of their famous villains across three seasons and 120 episodes, released from 1966 to 1968. With now iconic portrayals of comic book villains like Cesar Romero's Joker, Burgess Meredith's Penguin, Julie Newmar's Catwoman, and Frank Gorshin's Riddler, the series helped cement the Dark Knight in pop culture two decades before Tim Burton reimagined the character for the big screen.

Batman (1989)

Batman is a 1989 superhero movie directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne. The film features Jack Nicholson's chilling portrayal as Jack Napier, who turns into the Joker and reigns terror on Gotham. Kim Basinger also stars in the film as Vicki Vale, along with Michael Gough as Bruce's trusty butler named Alfred.

Teen Titans Go To The Movies

Teen Titans Go! To the Movies is the 2018 big-screen continuation of the popular animated series "Teen Titans Go!". The movie follows Robin, Starfire, Raven, Cyborg, and Beast Boy as they embark on a quest to become movie stars, fight their arch-nemesis Slade, and meet their mentors Batman and Superman.

As a new recruit in Captain Sarah Essen's Gotham City Police Department, Detective James Gordon is paired with Harvey Bullock to solve one of Gotham's most high-profile cases ever: the murder of Thomas and Martha Wayne. During his investigation, Gordon meets the Waynes' son, Bruce, now in the care of his butler Alfred, which further compels Gordon to catch the killer.

Joker (2019)

Directed by Todd Phillips, Joker is an origin story for Batman’s most iconic villain. Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is a down-on-his-luck clown who is trying to become a successful stand-up comedian. When things don’t go according to plan, and Arthur feels Gotham is oppressing him and others with mental illness, Arthur sparks a violent revolution within the city.

Everyone Who Has Killed Batman’s Parents (& Why They Did It)

Batman Has a Large Family, so Why Is It Always Absent in the Movies?

Batman has a large family of sidekicks, allies, and biological children in the comics. So why are these characters are rarely used in the movies?

The Batfamily is rarely seen in movies due to Batman's early career focus and mainstream perceptions of the Batfamily concept.
Batman movies thrive when sticking to the Caped Crusader's noir roots for more grounded storytelling and a prestige feel.
Adapting the extensive Batfamily in movies would require more time and space than a trilogy allows and may be better suited for a television series.

Batman is one of the biggest characters in comic books, and he also has one of the most extensive groups of allies and sidekicks. Known as the "Batfamily," this group includes different versions of Robin, Batgirl and even foes such as Catwoman. Despite how extensive this list of allies is, the Batfamily is almost never seen in the Caped Crusader's movies.

That's set to finally change in James Gunn's DC Universe in the movie The Brave and the Bold . This film will feature Bruce Wayne's son Damian as Robin, and it may even feature a developed and robust Batfamily. At the same time, there may be some major changes to the Batfamily on the big screen, and given how bloated it's become in the comics, it's for the best. Still, it begs the question of why the Batfamily is rarely featured at all, especially since it includes iconic heroes like Robin and Batgirl.

Many Batman Movies Focus on Bruce Wayne's Early Years as Batman

Every live-action batman actor, ranked.

One reason for the lack of an extensive Batfamily in most Batman movies is the scope of those films. These movies focus on a Batman who's still early in his career as the Dark Knight of Gotham City. This is obvious in the movie Batman Begins , which acts as a reboot and origin story for the cinematic take on the character. In fact, he doesn't become Batman until about halfway into that movie. Matt Reeves' The Batman is somewhat similar, with Robert Pattinson's take on Batman having been in operation for only about one year at that point. Even Tim Burton's first Batman movie had a version of the character who wasn't that far along into his career, as both crooks and the Gotham Gazette were still shocked by his existence.

In the comics, Batman is a lone soldier against crime for a good bit before he finally takes on Dick Grayson as his partner, Robin. Likewise, the same goes for other Batman allies such as Batgirl, other versions of Robin, and the Huntress, who in some continuities, is his biological daughter with Catwoman. Given how early on these cinematic takes are in Batman's life, it makes sense that he wouldn't have a Robin, let alone a developed Batfamily. Even in the Burton/Schumacher Batman movies , Batman only took on a sidekick in the third of the four films. Ironically, the much-maligned Batman and Robin was the one live-action movie to have the most developed Batfamily, as the film ended with Batman having both Robin and Batgirl at his side.

Batman Movies Thrive Best When Bruce Wayne Sticks to His Noir Roots

Robert pattinson's the batman wins plagiarism legal battle.

As much as more hardcore Batman comic book fans may not want to admit it, Batman works best when he's a fairly grounded, noir detective character. This can especially be seen in the hero's modern movies, which largely eschew his more "comic booky" villains and concepts. Doing so was definitely necessary after the controversy of the campy Batman and Robin , and it's also the easiest way to sell the character to moviegoers . In fact, this more grounded yet cinematic scope has given the hero a sort of "prestige" aura, and doing away with that could be harmful at the box office.

Some of Batman's best comic book storylines are also similar to this tone and scope, be they Batman: Year One , Batman: The Killing Joke or the various stories from the anthology series Legends of the Dark Knight . Those stories have Batman on his own, so emulating them means doing away with a large Batfamily. Any sense of grit or noir mystery might be hurt by a teenage sidekick in a colorful costume, which speaks to the main reason why Batman's superheroic supporting cast hasn't been featured in most of his movies.

Mainstream Audiences Associate Robin and Batgirl With Campiness in Live-Action

Joel schumacher's third batman film would have changed hollywood's future.

Whether fans want to admit it or not, there are still certain attitudes surrounding both Robin and Batgirl as concepts. To mainstream audiences outside of the comic book fanbase (or even those who grew up with Batman: The Animated Series ), Robin can be easily dismissed as an unnecessary character who doesn't add much to the Batman mythos, especially with how similar Dick Grayson's origin is to Batman's. Similarly, both Batgirl and Batwoman could be seen as extensions of Batman, especially if they're not given their own character goals and storylines that differ from Bruce Wayne's. This aura is especially felt due to a few projects in particular.

For older audiences, Robin is still defined by Burt Ward's take on the character in the 1960s Batman TV series . Not only did the show thrive on lighthearted fun, but Robin in particular was always depicted saying variations of the same one-liner that started with "Holy..." and ended with "Batman!" Batgirl aka Barbara Gordon was also a late addition to that series. But like most 1960s television programs, she wasn't given the type of nuanced writing and characterization she would later get in other TV adaptations like the DCAU and even the 2002 Birds of Prey series. Though Barbara functioned as the information broker, Oracle, in the latter series, it sadly didn't make a strong enough impression on mainstream audiences to shed the image of the 1960s Batman show.

The final nail in the coffin that may have solidified the idea of the Batfamily as a campy concept for mainstream audiences is 1997's Batman and Robin . The movie can even be argued to have surpassed the 1960s TV series on that front, especially since the latter was a product of its time. Since then, however, modern uses of Robin have been much darker, be it the Titans TV series or the modern Damian Wayne Robin in the comics. Even the 2003 Teen Titans animated series -- which was much more lighthearted than the source material -- had Dick Grayson as fairly serious. Thus, the character has an uphill battle making it back onto the big screen, as does the rest of the Batfamily.

Properly Adapting the Batfamily Will Require More than a Trilogy to Develop

'that was a ballsy move': michael keaton reflects on controversial batman casting.

Perhaps the biggest issue with putting the Batfamily in movies is how extensive and overgrown it's become in the comics. There are five Robins (Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown and Damian Wayne), three Batgirls (Barbara Gordon, Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown) and other allies such as Batwoman, Huntress (Helena Bertinelli), The Signal, Azrael, Orpheus and others. That's not even counting sidekicks and allies from other continuities, namely the Earth-Two Huntress (Helena Wayne, the daughter of Batman and Catwoman) or Carrie Kelley's Robin. Many fans have complained about the abundance of Batman Family members, and translating it perfectly to the big screen requires more time than even an extensive shared universe might allow.

For instance, Jason Todd, the second Robin, wasn't introduced until Dick Grayson was an adult and became Nightwing. Jason operated as Robin for a little while before being killed by The Joker, and he was thereafter replaced by Tim Drake. The latter was Robin for quite awhile, briefly replaced by Stephanie Brown before taking the mantle back and then being permanently replaced by Damian Wayne. There was a 16-year publication gap between Tim Drake and Damian Wayne's introduction, and there would need to be some sort of similar time gap to make this work in the movies. It's simply not feasible for a long-running movie series to last that long, which is why the Batfamily might have to be truncated even in the upcoming DC Universe.

James Gunn Shuts Down 'Fake' Casting Rumor for The Batman 2, Disappointing Fans

Given that Damian will be Robin in The Brave and the Bold , it's highly likely that Dick Grayson is already Nightwing. Likewise, it's also possible that Jason Todd was the second Robin and was killed by The Joker. Barbara Gordon may also be operating as Oracle, having given up the Batgirl identity after being paralyzed by The Joker. From there, however, the Batfamily gets tricky. Though he's a fan-favorite, Tim Drake may not have strong story potential if Damian is already fronting the Batman brand. Similarly, the other Batgirls may be harder to sell without the mainstream presence of Barbara Gordon. The other Batman allies, besides maybe Helena Bertinelli's Huntress, may likewise be harder to adapt without the right storyline.

At best, the only way to properly adapt the Batfamily in its entirety would be a television series, namely an animated show. This will allow a large time gap to take place without having to worry about actors' ages, and if it's successful enough, it can go long enough to make these gaps feel organic. It's all more than a movie trilogy or even a shared cinematic universe can accomplish. After all, even the DC Animated Universe skipped Jason Todd in favor of going straight to Tim Drake once Dick Grayson was Nightwing. Hopefully, a new DCAU equivalent could adapt the broader Batfamil. For now, it's likely something that will only exist at its biggest within the comics.

Get ready for a brand new DC experience! The DC Universe (DCU) is coming soon, bringing together familiar comic book heroes in a connected storyline across movies, TV shows, animation, and even video games. It is an upcoming American media franchise and shared universe based on characters from DC Comics publications.

COMMENTS

Batman: Death in the Family Movie Review
Parents need to know that Batman: Death in the Family is a 2020 animated feature in which a vengeance-obsessed Robin goes rogue and tries to stop Joker and Batman must try to save the young protegé. On DVD and Blu-Ray, this is an interactive movie in which the viewer gets to decide the fates of Batman and Robin, and each decision leads to a further exploration of the themes of fate versus ...
DC Showcase
Death in the Family is ostensibly a prequel to 2010's Batman: Under the Red Hood, easily among the most critically acclaimed additions to the DC Universe Animated Original Movies line. But rather ...
Batman: Death in the Family
Batman: Death in the Family. 2020, Action/Animation. 78%. Tomatometer 9 Reviews. 58%. Audience Score 100+ Ratings. Want to see.
Batman Death in the Family Movie Review: An Ambitious ...
Batman: Death in the Family goes a step further by also folding in existing and new, original content from writer Judd Winick's comic / animated adaptation Batman: Under the Red Hood to revisit ...
Batman: Death in the Family
Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jan 23, 2023. It does a great job of dragging you into the story, making you feel culpable for certain outcomes and experiencing "monkey's paw" regret. Full ...
Batman: Death in the Family
Death in the Family is technically a short film, with each individual storyline spanning 10-20 minutes, hence the "DC Showcase" branding. Still, the branching story paths ensure that viewers will probably spend as much time actively watching it as they do DC's full-length animated movies. The disc makes that rewatching process easy enough.
Batman: Death in the Family (2020) Review
Cast: Bruce Greenwood, Vincent Martella, John DiMaggio, Zehra Fazal. MPAA Rating: R. Review Score: 8. Batman: A Death in the Family stands out as the comic that rocked Bat fans with its ...
The World's Finest Reviews Batman: Death In The Family
A smart, novel take on the classic 1980s Batman storyline that inspired it, Batman: Death in the Family is a strong outing for Warner Bros. Home Entertainment's first interactive feature. While the presentation does limit how detailed and in-depth these story paths can go, what's here is still fascinating and intriguing.
DC Showcase
Death in the Family is technically a short film, with each individual storyline spanning 10-20 minutes, hence the "DC Showcase" branding. Still, the branching story paths ensure that viewers will probably spend as much time actively watching it as they do DC's full-length animated movies. The disc makes that rewatching process easy enough.
Movie Review
Batman: Death in the Family, 2020. Directed by Brandon Vietti. Featuring the voice talents of Bruce Greenwood, Vincent Martella, John DiMaggio, Zehra Fazal, Nolan North, Gary Cole, and Nick Carson ...
DC Showcase
DC's newest direct-to-video animated movie is also its first interactive project. Batman: Death in the Family is a retelling of the infamous 1988 comic that allows you the viewer to determine the ...
Batman: Death in the Family
Batman: Death in the Family is a 2020 American animated interactive short film that explores alternate outcomes of the 1988 comics storyline of the same name, in which Jason Todd, the second character to bear the mantle of Batman's sidekick Robin, was murdered by the Joker.It is a spiritual sequel to Batman: Under the Red Hood, and was released on Blu-ray on October 13, 2020.
'Batman: Death in the Family' review: An interactive Blu-ray lets
Still, such stunts are only as good as their execution, and the Warner Bros. Animation delivers with "Batman: Death in the Family," which, with the Robert Pattinson movie delayed, might be the ...
The World's Finest Reviews "Batman: Death in the Family," New Images
The World's Finest has published its review of the DC Showcase Batman: Death in the Family animated short, which is available on Blu-ray and Digital HD starting October 13, 2020. In short, Batman: Death in the Family is an engaging and addictive adaptation of the classic 1980s Batman storyline, and while the interactive nature might not appeal to everyone, the solid execution of it here ...
Batman: Death in the Family movie's digital version lacks key feature
The first choose-your-own-adventure Batman movie made the wrong decisions. In 1988, DC Comics' A Death in the Family allowed people to decide the fate of the second Robin, Jason Todd, with a ...
Batman: Death in the Family
DC fans have plenty of reason to be excited for Batman: Death in the Family, the company's latest direct-to-video animated project. Not only is this movie a direct tie-in to 2010's Batman: Under ...
Batman: Death in the Family Blu-ray Review
Batman: Death in the Family's Blu-ray gets a punchy DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track too, which is pretty damn engaging and brings the house down for the key action setpieces. Dialogue gets clear prioritisation, largely disseminated across the frontal array, but for perhaps the narration, whilst effects enjoy a hell of a lot more gunplay than you ...
Review: Batman: Death in the Family
Batman: Death in the Family is a lot of fun, giving you the chance to explore your way through each new path. Though it will be much more fun when it is available on a streaming platform that you already pay for. Hopefully, should DC continue with interactive media they can extend the amount of original content and deliver a full-length movie.
[Megathread] Batman: Death in the Family Discussion : r/batman
r/batman. • 4 yr. ago. [deleted] ADMIN MOD. [Megathread] Batman: Death in the Family Discussion. Batman: Death in the Family is releasing October 13, 2020, on Blu-Ray, DVD, and digitally. Keep all spoiler discussion contained to this Megathread. Some quick rules: Be civil. Respect other opinions.
DC Showcase
Batman: A Death in the Family is the centerpiece of this anthology of five animated shorts inspired by characters and stories from DC's robust portfolio. The 2019-2020 series of shorts - which ...
Batman: Death in the Family Review
Such as making short films from old material, but this new Batman film gave a mixed feeling about their direction, especially with animated shorts. Each choice will have an analysis after the synopsis. Then a final section will be added at the end to finalize my general thoughts and feelings on the movie.
Batman: Death in the Family: Exclusive Official Trailer
Posted: Jul 28, 2020 8:00 am. IGN is pleased to debut the exclusive trailer for DC Showcase - Batman: Death in the Family, the next animated DC Universe movie from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment ...
"DC Showcase
Along with Batman: Death in the Family, this release also features the 2019-2020 series of shorts (which have been individually included on DC Universe Movies releases since Summer 2019).. The shorts are: Sgt. Rock; Adam Strange; Death; The Phantom Stranger ; Here are the details: Sgt. Rock - Originally attached to Batman: Hush, Sgt. Rock is executive produced and directed by Bruce Timm ...
Everyone Who Has Killed Batman's Parents (& Why They Did It)
The movie follows Robin, Starfire, Raven, Cyborg, and Beast Boy as they embark on a quest to become movie stars, fight their arch-nemesis Slade, and meet their mentors Batman and Superman.
Why Batman Movies Never Feature the Batfamily
Batman is one of the biggest characters in comic books, and he also has one of the most extensive groups of allies and sidekicks. Known as the "Batfamily," this group includes different versions of Robin, Batgirl and even foes such as Catwoman. Despite how extensive this list of allies is, the Batfamily is almost never seen in the Caped Crusader's movies.

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