Review of Batman: Gotham Knight (2008) by Lewis E — 01 May 2010

"It was just like that night in the alley, Alfred... the closeness of the walls, the gunfire. It seems I've been trying to stop those two bullets all my life." - Bruce Wayne.

An Animatrix-styled tale of the legendary character that feels like a live-motion comic book story.

Batman: Gotham Knight features six interlocking stories shat showcase Batman's beginnings as the caped crusader. Along the way, he battles the mobs of Gotham city, Jonathon Crane aka The Scarecrow - psychiatrist turned psychopath, the monster Killer Croc, and the nefarious and titular assassin, Deadshot. Batman learns what it takes to overcome these challenges, and this marks the transition from noble crime fighter, to the Dark Knight of Gotham City.

This animated film has been advertised as being the story that takes place between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. Well, you should ignore what WB and company have been touting it as so, because Batman: Gotham Knight hardly fits into the "Nolanverse" of Batman chronology because of its take on the character. Instead, this animated release feels like a graphic novel in motion as it features six great tales of the legendary hero, each emphasizing an aspect of Batman.

The first segment of Batman: Gotham Knight features the short story called Have I Got a Story for You, which describes how each citizen of Gotham can have a different perception of Batman. The second segment, Crossfire, describes how Batman is perceived by officers of Commissioner Jim Gordon's police force. The third segment, Field Test, describes the fact that Batman is willing to put his life on the line to stop crime, but not at the sake of other people's lives. The fourth segment, In Darkness Dwells, describes the fact that the deeper Batman goes into Gotham to fight crime, the more sinister the forces of evil he will have to face. The fifth segment, Working Through Pain, describes how Batman learns to deal with pain, night in and night out. Finally, the sixth segment, Deadshot, describes what Batman is to firearms, and how even though he detests them, he can still understand the temptation to use a weapon that can enable one to control life and death; the power of God.

The voice acting, lead by Kevin Conroy who reprises his role once again as Batman, is solid. The artwork is different in each story, and is done well and far better than the artwork seen in most animated television shows these days such as Transformers Animated and The Spectacular Spider-Man.

The Bottom Line:

Batman: Gotham Knight is a worthy entry from the DC Animated Universe and should be checked out if you are a Batman fan who loves to read comics and watch animated works of the genre.

"You have to know your enemy, Alfred. I'd never use one, but even I can appreciate the attraction of a gun. The heft. The sleekness. The cool steel. The precision. And the power. The power to change lives, history. The power of God." - Bruce Wayne.