DC Horror Presents…

While Marvel gets more credit for integrating traditional monsters like Dracula and Frankenstein into its 1970s superhero universe, DC always had its own horror chops. After all, they had the Creature Commandos and the long-running House of Mystery was “hosted” by Cain, who sort of has a place in the DC universe. Periodically, the major heroes battle the supernatural, but they never like it, not one little bit. Unfortunately, many of them must face the dark side in the anthology DC Horror Presents…(the ellipsis makes it scarier), which goes on-sale today.

Frankly, it kinds of seems like cheating to contribute a story focusing on super-villains, like Dollhouse and Dollmaker. Nevertheless, David Dastmalchian & Leah Kilpatrick do exactly that in “Love You to Pieces.” However, they certainly capture the spirit of vintage horror comics while artist Cat Staggs cranks up the gore well above what EC Comics could ever hope to get away with.

The next story is even darker, while fully embracing the challenge of placing iconic characters in a new horror context. The Boulet Brothers rise to the challenge, forcing venerable Wonder Woman to confront a supernatural force that hits very close to home. This encounter will leave a permanent mark on Diana’s psyche, in which ever universe and timeline it might take place. Butch Mapa’s art and Kristian Rossi’s colors also really pop off the page.

LaToya Morgan’s “Living Doll” takes an approach similar to “Love You to Pieces,” this time focusing on Scarface. However, his presumed victims’ Batman and Wonder Woman Halloween costumes lend it further DC-ness. In this case, artists Tom Derenick and Walt Barna really lean into the gore, in a fan friendly way, of course.

Yet, Aarons Sagers’ “Superstitious Lot,” stands out as the clear highlight of what was originally issue #2. It might seem like another super-villain spotlight, but hopefully this story serves as a backdoor pilot for Tennyson Stacks, a.k.a. Dr. Spooky, the Carl Kolchak-looking paranormal investigator summoned by Oswald Cobblepot, loved and feared as The Penguin, who has been haunted past reason. It seems that all those henchmen he betrayed have come back for vengeance. In addition to the fresh new character and the clever concept, Sagers also delivers a sly cameo for you-know-who.

Francesco Francavilla finally fully embraces the bat in “The Chthonian Dawn,” also delivering the most striking art of the four-issue run. It starts as one kind of horror, but suddenly turns into a more Twilight Zone-worthy “oh the horror, oh the horror” tale. Plus, the guest-starring role for Abby Arcane aptly fits the story’s themes.

Frustratingly, Patrick Horvath’s “The Brooding Public” starts with a truly horrifying concept, but it is poorly served by patchy storytelling. To compound the problems, the cartoony art conflicts with the grim apocalyptic themes. However, it is nice to see an underutilized character like Adam Strange get a feature spot. If this story could be smoothed out and tightened up, it could make a worthy companion to the short film, DC Showcase: Adam Strange.

Arguably, Catwoman counts as both superhero and super-villain. Regardless, she finds herself the victim of a sinister O. Henry-from-Hell curse in Patton Oswalt & Jordan Blum’s “The Diamond Steals Back.” At times, the story is surprisingly poignant, but it ends with a deliciously macabre punchline, which probably represents Oswalt’s funniest work in years.

Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League, on HBO

In Batman Ninja, the time-traveling Dark Knight had to channel Toshiro Mifune in a Chanbara adventure. This time, he must find his inner Takeshi Kitano or Ken Takakura. Batman and the extended “Bat family” are back in their proper Bat-time, but history has changed. Japan is now a land of Yakuza clans, much like the planet of Chicago gangsters in Star Trek’s “A Piece of the Action” episode. Unfortunately, the alternate Justice League has also gone full Yakuza in Junpei Mizusaki & Shinji Takagi ‘s animated Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League, which premieres today on HBO or Max, or whatever.

Batman and Robin (his son, Damien) returned to the right world, but Japan no longer exists. Instead, an alternate Japan was created in a sort of liminal zone that only the Bat family (also including the former Robins, Nightwing, Red Hood, and Red Robin) can see, because they traveled through the previous time vortex, or something like that. This Japan is entirely governed by Yakuza, with the Hagane Clan on top, thanks to their super-powered enforcers.

Sarcastically dubbed the “Yakuza League” by Robin, they consist of Bari, Ahsa, Zeshika, and Karaku, the evil Flash, Aquaman, Green Lantern, and Superman, as you might surmise from their Katakana-rendered names. However, Daiana Amazone is still good and just, thanks to the power of this Japan’s analog to Paradise Island.

Even allied with Daiana, Batman might look outmatched, considering the League’s powers remain the same. However, he believes he holds certain advantages. For one thing, this League has never fought anyone with remotely equivalent powers, so they aren’t used to slugging it out in a real fight. Batman has also had long-standing contingencies to take down his fellow JLA teammates, “just in case” the need arose. That revelation does not completely shock his son. Not at all, really.

The first act plays out somewhat hectically and rushed, but Mizusaki, Takagi, and screenwriter Kazuki Nakashima really settle down and deliver a darned good Batman story thereafter. Arguably, they show the value of guile and “family,” which turn out to be superior to superior to brute force. For genre fans, there are also a lot of knowingly hip Yakuza details.

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

When Batman criticizes you for being a violently unstable masked vigilante, maybe you should reconsider some of your life choices. Instead, the Phantasm keeps killing gangsters. Ordinarily, that would not break the Dark Knight’s dark heart, but he gets the blame thanks to their vague resemblance in Eric Radomski & Bruce Timm’s Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, which screens tonight at the Mahoning Drive-In.

According to the novelization, Robin was away at college during the events of Phantasm. Regardless, Batman is always comfortable operating as a lone wolf. That is the Phantasm’s style as well. After it kills two mob bosses in the first act (technically the Phantasm merely “drove” one of them to his death), the emphysemic Salvatore “The Wheezer” Valestra reluctantly to turns to an old colleague for protection. Of course, involving the Joker only further destabilizes the chaotic situation.

Unfortunately, sleazy city councilman Arthur Reeves capitalizes on the spurious accusations to turn the Gotham PD (except Commissioner Gordon) against Batman. It turns out Reeves is also his rival for the affections of Andrea Beaumont, Bruce Wayne’s college girlfriend, who recently returned from abroad.

Originally conceived as a special within the world of Batman: The Animated Series, Phantasm was scaled up for theatrical release. Despite sharing similar character designs with the series, it proved DC comics could draw an audience for feature-length animation, paving the way for the DC Animated Movie Universe (DCAMU), which is definitely a thing.

In fact, Phantasm is quite visually striking in a film noir kind of way. There are some incredibly cinematic backdrops like the Joker’s lair amid the abandoned installations of the Gotham World’s Fair, which were clearly modeled on the 1939 New York Exposition.

For many fans, Phantasm is the film that firmly established Kevin Conroy as their favorite Batman voice. Similarly, it also represents Mark Hamill’s peak Joker voice-over performance, arguably surpassing his work on the animated series. Regardless, the Joker arguably represents Hamill’s greatest legacy outside Star Wars.

Batman: Full Moon

He is a superhero with considerable affinity for the horror genre. He fought Dracula and a Lovecraftian evil that came from the Arctic. He is also known to have very “Long Halloweens.” This time around, he faces a werewolf, but you know it is going to get rough, because this limited series was originally published by DC’s more mature Black Label imprint. Regardless, you cannot argue with the bat vs. wolf concept of Rodney Barnes’ Batman: Full Moon, illustrated by Stevan Subic, which releases today in a hardcover bind-up edition.

It is hard dating Bruce Wayne, but Zatanna is unusually understanding, having apparently already had the secret identity talk. That is fortunate for him, because he will need her occult expertise when he tangles with a werewolf. Initially, he assumes it is just another superhuman beast, like Grodd, but it is savage in a mindless way, but also contagious.

Fittingly, the werewolf was once Christian Talbot, an obvious, affectionate reference to Lon Chaney, Jr.’s Larry Talbot. As a soldier, he generated the ill-karma that attracted the werewolf who bit him, while serving on a mission in Romania. He came to Gotham hoping Wayne Pharmaceuticals could devise a cure. The infectious disease specialist certainly empathizes with Talbot’s plight. Formerly a super-villain, Dr. Kirk Langstrom, a.k.a. Man-Bat, has been fully reformed, but he remains a recovering vampire. Slightly disappointed by the lack of results, Talbot trashed the Wayne labs in his lycanthropic form.

Frankly, Talbot is a foe Batman cannot beat-up. Instead, he relies on the aid of Langstrom, Zatanna, and her surly ex, John Constantine. The Hellblazer clearly isn’t over her yet, but that is why comic geeks are crazy for her. Of course, Alfred Pennyworth and his mordant wit are also as dependable as ever.

Barnes serves up an unusually angsty and moody take on werewolves, but that obviously suits the Dark Knight. He also cleverly incorporates the other familiar DC characters, especially Langstrom, into this Elseworlds storyline. Parents should note the 13+ age guideline is apt, mostly for language, but also for some mature references (albeit one that would hopefully be lost on younger readers, but these days, you never know).

Batman ’89, Softcover Edition

Based on reports in the media, Warners made the right choice cancelling the partially completed Batgirl movie. Bringing back Michael Keaton as many fans’ preferred Batman, only to immediately kill him off would have produced enormous ill will for the DC brand. It is pretty clear Keaton and Adam West remain sentimental favorites, considering DC Comics have given them both similar treatment to the Christopher Reeves-esque Superman ’78 limited series. The first story-arc set in the world of Tim Burton’s Batman movies, Sam Hamm’s Batman ’89, illustrated by Joe Quinones, releases again today in a new tradepaper edition.

In this Gothic-styled, vaguely late-1980s-feeling Gotham, District Attorney, Harvey Dent, looks a lot like Billy Dee Williams (who played the pre-Two Face DA in burton’s Film), rather than Tommy Lee Jones in Joel Schumacher’s Batman Forever monstrosity. He is still a handsome devil at the beginning of the story arc, but he is also a slippery one. He clearly wants to be governor, so he crusades against Batman’s vigilantism, the only thing keeping Gotham safe, to score points in the media. That means Commissioner Gordon is often in the line of his fire, which is awkward since Dent is engaged to Gordon’s daughter Barbara.

Bruce Wayne is most definitely not engaged to Selina Kyle, but he has been cat-sitting for her, during her mysterious disappearance, to Alfred Pennyworth’s sheer delight. Recently, various gangs have adopted both Batman masks and Joker makeup while committing mayhem, often under the guise of pursuing “street justice.” Consequently, they give Dent more fodder to attack Batman and Gordon.

However, the opportunistic politician seems to have a change of heart after visiting his old neighborhood—in terms of politics, not with regards to Batman. Tragically, his newfound idealism will be cut short by a serious accident that both disfigures and deranges Dent into the super-villain we all know and love: Two-Face.

It is very cool to essentially see a Billy Dee Williams version of Two-Face. In fact, the way Hamm and Quinones depict his split personality is the best thing about Batman ‘89. It is also warmly nostalgic to see a Michael Gough-like Pennyworth. However, Batman and Cat Woman do not resemble Keaton and Michelle Pfeiffer as closely as the characters in the Superman ’78 series looked like the cast of the Donner films.

Beyond outward appearances, Hamm’s storyline also clashes with the ostensive 1989 setting, in a bad way. Obsessed with themes of “two Gothams” and rich white liberal guilt, it feels like it written in 2021, which it was. As a result, it also feels embarrassingly dated in 2025.

Justice League Dark, Coming to Tubi

If there is an asteroid or a kaiju threatening Earth, the Justice League can handle it. Dark magic is a trickier business. Fortunately, Marvel’s Dr. Strange does not have a monopoly on magical superheroing. However, Batman must look outside to League to recruit several specialized “consultants,” including John Constantine, Zatanna, and Deadman, to stop an evil mystical force in Jay Oliva’s Justice League Dark, one of several animated DC films coming to Tubi this Saturday.

Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman have all encountered several otherwise law-abiding citizens committing heinous violent crimes, while claiming to be defending themselves from demonic monsters. Unfortunately, this epidemic is magical in origin, but Batman is skeptical, until Boston Brand, a.k.a. Deadman, sends him an unsubtle message, suggesting he seek out Constantine.

Of course, the comic and animated Constantine is considerably more British than Keanu Reeves. He might even be more difficult to deal with. Fortunately, he quickly enlists Zatanna, the magician with actual magical powers, who helps moderate the supernatural detective’s prickliness. Constantine also helps facilitate communication by casting a spell allowing Batman to see Deadman, the deceased acrobat granted the ability to possess bodies.

Together, they take a wild tour of DC’s occult underbelly, starting with Alec Holland, a.k.a. Swamp Thing, who would obviously be quite an informed source regarding happenings in Gotham and Metropolis. Frankly, it is not always clear how all the dots connect (or if they even do) in JLD, which is somewhat ironic, since it is an original story rather than an attempt to condense a multi-issue story-arc into less than 90 minutes.

However, it is highly entertaining to watch DC’s darker heroes “assemble.” Clearly, JLD must be fun, since it was the first animated DC film to carry an R-rating. Even if the causal relations are murky, it is very cool to watch them plum the occult depths, which Oliva and the animators render with surprising clarity. The fiercely materialistic Batman (voiced with utter dead seriousness by Jason O’Mara) makes a perfect skeptical foil, due to the darkness of his soul.

Indeed, Zatanna’s stock has risen considerably since its release (at least in the LCS world). Fans will also appreciate hearing Constantine’s English snarkiness, the way his creators intended, but those who really dig the film will be happy to hear Jeremy Davies reprising his role as Constantine’s creepy friend Ritchie Simpson.

Batman: Soul of the Dragon

Happy Batman Day. The original Batman Day was celebrated on July 23^rd, to commemorate his Detective Comics debut, but it was subsequently moved to September, for marketing reasons. There have been many Batmans—Adam Westverse, Frank Miller’s Dark Knight, Matt Reeves’ The Batman, etc., so maybe there can be multiple Batman Days too. This Batman Day, fans can celebrate with the 1970’s martial arts Batman, who fights evil with a Richard Dragon who now looks amazingly like Bruce Lee, in Sam Liu’s Batman: Soul of the Dragon.

Before he became the Caped Crusader, Bruce Wayne trained under the mystical O’Sensei in his hidden Himalayan sanctuary. He studied with five other disciples, Dragon, Ben Turner (a.k.a. Bronze Tiger), Lady Shiva, Jade Nguyen, and Rip Jagger (a.k.a. Judomaster). (If you are wondering, DC’s Karate Kid, who predated the 1980s movies, exists in a far-future timeline.)

Obviously, when Wayne returned, he donned the Batman costume to instill fear in criminals’ hearts, while Dragon became a globe-trotting secret agent. Some of their fellow disciples made disappointing choices, like Lady Shiva, who now controls the Gotham Chinatown crime syndicate. However, she still guards their old master’s sword, which also serves as a key to unlock the portal to the dimension of Naga, the apocalyptic snake god.

Ominously, the leader of the Kobra cult wants to do exactly that, so Batman, Dragon, Lady Shiva, and Turner must band together again to stop them. Although he is the last to join them, Turner is most familiar with Kobra, having targeted their criminal operations for years.

Soul of the Dragon lovingly recreates the look and vibe of vintage 1970s martial arts films, first and foremost, by deliberately designing Dragon and Turner to resemble Bruce Lee and his Enter the Dragon co-star, Jim Kelly. While not slavishly imitative, composer Joachim Horsley’s soundtrack also clearly evokes the vibe of Lalo Schifrin’s classic theme as well.

For further authenticity, genre fans will happily recognize experienced on-screen martial artists Mark Dacascos, Michael Jai White, and Kelly Hu (Sammo Hung’s Martial Law) supplying the voices of Dragon, Turner, and Lady Shiva. (You can hear White’s enthusiasm for the subject matter and the films that inspired Jeremy Adams’ screenplay in all his scenes. He was also familiar with the character, having played him on a recurring basis on CW’s Arrow.) Just as fittingly, James Hong (Rush Hour, Kung Fu Panda) adds the appropriate sage crustiness as O’Sensei.

Batman: Caped Crusader, on Prime

There have been a lot of different Batmans, ranging from the Adam Westverse Batman to the Dark Knights of Christopher Nolan and Frank Miller. This Batman of this 1930s looking cartoon-universe probably “knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men.” He is still very much the Dark Knight and Bruce Wayne fans know and love, but several regular supporting characters have been altered for dramatic and/or other purposes in creator Bruce Timm’s 10-part animated series Batman: Caped Crusader, which premieres tomorrow on Prime.

For a lot of fans, the absence of a Robin is maybe goods news. Regardless, the gist of Batman’s backstory remains the same, but he is not yet working cooperatively with Commissioner Gordon. He is still considered a vigilante, whom the conspicuously corrupt mayor wants behind bars. However, crooked cops like Dets. Flass and Bullock clearly are not up to the challenge.

Since those two are on the take, new crime lord (or rather lady) Oswalda Cobblepot, a.k.a. The Penguin, only has Batman to worry about. Rather colorfully, Timm and co-writer Jase Ricci reconceive the supervillain as ribald torch-singer in the Sophie Tucker tradition. Minnie Driver’s voice perfectly positions her as the psychotic Auntie Mame of super-villainy. It is the rare case of gender-swapping that comes across as clever rather than unnecessarily forced.

In fact, Timm and Ricci nicely balance the usual suspects with some fresher choices, like Oenomania and Clayface. The latter’s civilian alter-ego, horror movie actor Basil Karlo, is appropriately given features reminiscent of Boris Karloff and Peter Cushing.

However, Greg Rucka’s script for “And Be a Villain,” directed by Matt Peters, does not embrace the 1930’s Universal monster aesthetic to the extent Timm did in his 2014 short film, Batman: Strange Days, the unofficial, retroactive pilot for Caped Crusader. In a mere three minutes, Timm stylishly created a “Batman vs. Frankenstein,” using Hugo Strange and his “Monster Man” as surrogates for the infamous mad scientist and his creation.

Arguably, Strange Days, is more visually arresting than anything in the series, but the Film Noir, vintage Warner Brother gangster movie world-building hospitably suits this alternate Batman. Timm and company also deviate from standard lore in unexpected but not disrespectful ways when they introduce Selina Kyle in “Kiss of the Catwoman” and Harley Quinn in “The Stress of Her Regard.” Again, Christina Ricci and Jamie Chung are shrewdly cast as the respective super-femme fatales.

In between, the fourth episode, “Night of the Hunters,” boldly ends on an ironically pessimistic note. Even though Batman averts tragedy, some of the bad guys are empowered. “Night Ride” also takes a risk breaking format to allow for a supernatural storyline, without a Scooby-Doo explanation. Linton Midnite is a cool and intriguingly morally ambiguous addition to the “Caped Crusader” universe. Voice performer Cedric Yarbrough brings a lot to later episodes, both as Midnite and Rupert Thorne, the mob boss trying to corrupt DA Arthur Dent, who appropriately looks and sounds a lot like Norman Mailer.

Merry Little Batman, on Prime

Cops work on Christmas and so does the MTA, so superheroes should too. However, Batman doesn’t think he has to anymore, because he supposedly eradicated all crime from Gotham. It was all for the sake of his young son Damian, whom Bruce Wayne hopes will eventually succeed him as Batman. In the meantime, he is an over-protective parent, but somehow, he is still tricked into leaving Damian “home alone” in Mike Roth’s animated feature, Merry Little Batman, which premieres tomorrow on Prime Video.

Admittedly, Damian’s parentage and origins are a little complicated. Wayne is his father and super-villainess Talia al-Ghul is his mother, but screenwriters Morgan Evans, Etan Cohen, and Jase Ricci do not dwell on his demonic backstory. Instead, he is a bratty kid with superhero dreams. He cannot wait to start fighting crime alongside his father, especially when he receives his first utility belt as a Christmas present.

Unfortunately, Damian will be spending Christmas Eve alone when Dr. Freeze fakes a distress call from the Justice League luring Batman to the Arctic. For a while, Damian (a.k.a. “Little Batman”) gets to act like Macaulay Culkin, giving a pair of burglars holy heck. Nevertheless, they manage to get away with one treasured item, Damian’s new utility belt, so the young wannabe superhero tracks them back to their hideout. Initially, their boss, the Joker, is rather disappointed in his thieves’ performance, but when he realizes who Damian really is, he improvises a fiendish scheme to exploit the lad’s naïve enthusiasm. Just like the Grinch, the Joker is going to steal Christmas.

The truth is the best recent superhero movies have been produced by DC Animated, because they have not been afraid to venture outside the recognized “canon.” The alternate history Superman: Red Son, the Lovecraftian Batman: The Doom that Came to Gotham, and the Chanbara-inspired Batman Ninja were way more interesting and quite a bit more fun than any of the recent live-action movies from either Marvel or DC. Seeing familiar characters in radically different contexts really keeps the superhero genre fresh.

Merry Little Batman somewhat follows in this tradition, but it was clearly conceived for an even younger audience. Most adults will consider Damian the Hellion his name might suggest. Nevertheless, when he finally faces the consequences of his actions, it is pretty dramatic. This is also a more comedic Batman, voiced by Luke Wilson, than many fans are used to. Yet, the father-son dynamic is endearing.

Wilson’s Batman might be contentious within the DC fanbase, but they all should dig how gleefully evil David Hornsby (of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) sounds as the Joker. He definitely enjoys his super-villainy, so viewers will too. James Cromwell also brings a lot of warmth and dignity as Alfred Pennyworth.

Batman: The Doom that Came to Gotham

This is another example of how DC films have been much more rewarding than Marvel films. Most Marvel films build to an incomprehensible third act of whirling, swirling CGI, after foisting off meaningless character cameos, to establish films that won’t be released for months, if not years. In contrast, DC had The Batman, which is more like Se7en than a traditional superhero movie and Joker, which wore its Scorsese influences on its sleeve. DC animated films have been especially willing to break established molds and formats. Following in the tradition of Batman Ninja and Superman: Red Sun, Batman gets a Lovecraftian twist in Christopher Berkeley & Sam Liu’s Batman: The Doom that Came to Gotham, adapted from Mike Mignola & Richard Pace’s limited comic series, which releases Tuesday on BluRay.

Prof. Oswald Cobblepot is not the Penguin in this universe, but his Wayne Foundation-funded arctic exploration turned out rather badly. By the time Bruce Wayne and his adopted orphans arrive to investigate, only Cobblepot and another crew member still survive, but they under the control of an ancient, cosmic demon. Wayne tries to bury the evil in the Arctic, but it remains hidden in the soul and body of his deranged prisoner.

Back in Gotham, Wayne receives a warning from Etrigan, the not-entirely evil demon, about the scope of the supernatural threat facing Gotham. It seems Ra’s al Ghul (the traditional occult supervillain of the Batman franchise) is trying to usher one of the elder gods into our world, via Gotham, of course. To stop him, Batman enlists the help of Oliver Queen, who is not the Green Arrow this time around, but he is a bow-hunter. He also shares a fateful connection to Bruce Wayne.

The way a lot of these alternate-world DC films reconceive their characters to fit a radically different context is often quite clever. In this case, it does not take much shoehorning to fit in Ra’s al Ghul, Jason Blood/Etrigan, and Kirk Langstrom/Man-Bat. Probably, nobody is more greatly reinvented than Queen, but it is hard to imagine many hardcore Green Arrow fans objecting, because he is the film’s best character.

Batman Ninja: Holy Warring States, Batman

When word got out Scott Adkins was in the running to be the new Batman, we briefly thought we might see a Dark Knight with legit martial arts chops. Alas, our hopes were soon dashed with the announcement Ben Affleck had been cast. How did that work out for you, DC? We can maybe get a hint of the martial arts Batman that could have been when the Caped Crusader and just about all of Gotham super-villains are sent back in time to Sengoku Era Japan in Jumpei Mizusaki’s Batman Ninja (trailer here), which releases today on DVD and BluRay.

Blame the gorilla. Gorilla Grodd’s time machine was supposed to whisk away Batman and all the costumed villains he has assembled for a phony summit meeting, leaving Gotham ripe for his picking. Instead, everyone was swept off to feudal Japan, including himself, Cat Woman, Robin, Nightwing, Red Robin, Red Hood, and even Alfred Pennyworth, who happened to be in the Bat Mobile at the time, even though that really doesn’t make any sense. Frankly, only Commissioner Gordon is left out, but at least he should have some peace and quiet for a change.

The time warp works differently for everyone, so by the time Batman arrives, the villains have already set themselves up as Daimyos jockeying for power. Of course, the Joker is the one most likely to successful unify his hold over the entire nation. Batman will lose a lot of his gadgetry trying to stop him, but he will find a surprising ally in the Bat Ninja Clan, whose prophecies have foretold his arrival.

Frankly, Batman Ninja would have been better if it were more grounded and martial arts focused. Instead, the film misleadingly promises to go back to basics, but doubles down on the mecha. This film should have been all about Batman kicking butt with the Bat Clan, but instead, it spends a great deal of time watching the super-villains bash each other’s mechanized fortresses.

Still, there is no denying Mizusaki’s impressive eye for visuals. In fact, the striking high point of the film (a provocative scene in which Red Hood menaces a couple of serfs who may or may not be Joker and Harley Quinn in disguise) is rendered in a style that deliberately evokes Japanese landscape watercolors. Plus, the character design work of Afro-Samurai’s Takashi Okazaki is pretty cool, except for maybe Sumo Bane.

In the English dub, it is also easy to hear why Roger Craig Smith’s commanding voice has become a fan favorite for both Batman and Captain America. As the Joker, Tony Hale is nearly as manic as Robin Williams in Aladdin, which is good for the energy level but bad for the film’s long-term wear-and-tear.

Of course, the Social Justice Warrior Thought Police will object to Batman Ninja on principle, because they have decided racially segregating books and film is the progressive thing to do. If we consider Batman a “white savior,” it should also be noted all the villains are white too (seriously, who’s whiter than the Joker?). Yet, the fact remains this is almost entirely a Japanese production. In fact, there is a long tradition of placing Batman in different historical settings (in Paul Pope’s story “Berlin Batman,” the Weimar Dark Knight saves the library of Ludwig von Mises from the National Socialists), so to place Warring States era Japan off limits would be discriminatory, by definition.

Batman Ninja should have been better, by more fully embracing the hack-and-slash and hand-to-hand action promised by the “Ninja” title. Nevertheless, it is a richly rendered work of animation that often pays homage to Japanese artistic traditions, even including a hat-tip to Hokusai’s Great Wave Off Kanagawa. Generally entertaining, but not the transcendent cross-over we were hoping for, Batman Ninja is recommended for established fans of the animated features, now that it is available on DVD And BluRay.

MIX NYC ’15: Batguano

Consider this the Batman equivalent of Billy Wilder’s The Private Life of Sherlock, except Dark Knight fans will be totally flummoxed by its severe, avant-garde aesthetic. There is no ambiguity about Batman and Robin’s sexuality here, but there is hardly anyone left to worry about it after an apocalyptic virus swept across the world. However, they still manage to do a spot of cruising in Tavinho Teixeira’s Batguano (trailer here), which screens as part of MIX NYC: the 28^th Queer Experimental Film Festival.

Batman is not getting any younger. In fact, he is already considerably dependent on the younger Robin after losing an arm. The caped crusaders are still famous thanks to the Adam West TV show, but they are living in a trailer somewhere in the Brazilian provinces instead of stately Wayne Manor. Still, they are lucky to be alive, after a mysterious disease carried in bat guano wiped out a good portion of the population. Yet, somehow the communications infrastructure has apparently held up pretty well and there are still anonymous hook-ups to be found.

It is hard to believe Warners and DC sanctioned Batguano, but it is equally tough to imagine they will even notice the grungy upstart. Presumably, it must count as protected parody if the same applies to X-rated knock-offs. Speaking of which, sheltered Batman fans should be warn there are a number of full monties in Batguano.

There is some genre playfulness in Batguano, particularly the rear screen projections deliberately visible during driving scenes. Cinematographer Marcelo Lordello also gives it an evocative noir look. However, the overriding vibe of the film is one of listlessness. There is just not a lot that happens, which is downright perverse for a film that plunks down an iconic superhero in a post-apocalyptic setting. To put things in perspective, Batman spends way more time reading Schopenhauer than fighting bad guys.

Batguano is not intended as an actors’ showcase and Teixeira gives himself even less to work with as Robin. At least Everaldo Pontes has one substantial scene as the Dark Knight. Frankly, the film is more lulling than titillating, but anyone curious should probably see it now, because boutique distributors are not likely to pick up a film that could potentially inspire major studio wrath. On some level, it is just interesting to know Teixeira’s film exists. It even screens this Sunday (11/15) during MIX NYC.