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A Video Peek Into Batman Gone Anime

io9.com — The animated Batman DVD will look amazing, judging from the clips you can see in this promo reel. Batman: Gotham Knight will come out when Batman: The Dark Knight hits the big screen. Click through for details.

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  • W00DR0W, on 02/16/2008, -22/+10I feel bad for all these kids today who have to live with their current Batman, Superman, X-men, cartoons all being made with poor cookie-cutter stories drawn by crappy Korean animators.
    • yourdumimnot, on 02/16/2008, -4/+11I think that's just nostalgia ... by and large most popular kids cartoons always seem like crap to anyone who isn't a kid. In the '70s you got the horrible horrible Hanna Barbara cartoons and in the '80s the crappy Transformers and GI Joe cartoons and then onto Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, etc. I have a soft spot in my heart for these as much as anyone, but I think the objective fact is that they pretty much always suck.
      • Melcorind, on 02/18/2008, -0/+1Yep, except for "The Mysterious Cities Of Gold" of course ;)
    • cabooglio2, on 02/16/2008, -1/+10As opposed to the horror visited upon us in the 70's by such travesties as The Superfriends? You're off your nut.
      • otero1, on 02/16/2008, -2/+2Don't hate on the Superfriends you *****.
      • DarkPhoen1x, on 02/16/2008, -0/+1Don't worry cabooglio2...i hate em too :P
    • Bulletbillx, on 02/16/2008, -3/+11Anime is Japanese, not korean. Also there are many varying styles of it. This dvd seems to be using the darker, more mature styles seen in things like Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, Hellsing, etc. Not all anime looks like Teen Titans or Naruto.
      • BESTenemy, on 02/17/2008, -0/+2North American animation puts emphasis on accurate lipsyncing and high frame rate (24 fps). Japanese animation emphasizes the action and the background design. They do 12 fps, but often achieve the same look, by alternating backgrounds and actors on odd and even frames, so that the combined picture has action on 24 frames. They get a lot more detail put into what they produce. I think they manage the budgets and the production schedules more efficiently. While North American animation is considered child entertainment, Japanese animation is more adult-oriented. There is greater variety of style and genre present in Japanese animation. There is something for everyone.
    • Mysk, on 02/16/2008, -7/+1Where do you get "Korean" from, or are you just a racist who doesn't know the difference between two totally different ethnic and cultural groups?

      At best you're ignorant, but either way you need to get your head out of your ass.
      • 77boy84, on 02/16/2008, -0/+8He's not the ignorant one here. You are.
        Most Anime shows actually are animated by studios in Korea.
    • W00DR0W, on 02/17/2008, -1/+1No, you don't actually think the 90s X-men and Batman cartoons that were actually done by the original comic writers and artists are the same stock as the current "The Batman" and that terrible Teen X-men ***** they've been showing do you? You guys are crazy.

      And I wasn't knocking the DVD, I was saying it's great we'll finally have an infusion of some good batman cartoons after so long.
  • TheWalkingDude, on 02/16/2008, -1/+18It reminds me of the cartoon episode, Legends of the Dark Knight, where it had three shorts, each with a different version of Batman. http://youtube.com/watch?v=-QrBvWdlRDc
    Also looking forward to Lego Batman: The Video Game (delayed to Fall 2008). http://youtube.com/watch?v=WywgtUdWtx8
  • Luigi5454, on 02/16/2008, -3/+4This looks really cool.
    • Elranzer, on 02/17/2008, -1/+3It's not quite Batman: The Animated Series, though. Nothing will ever be up to that standard.
  • toxicityj, on 02/16/2008, -7/+6if its done animatrix-style, this will be awesome. if it turns into the cliche kiddy cartoon where sweat beads cover the face and people randomly fall over, its going to be complete crap.
    • Bulletbillx, on 02/16/2008, -1/+9It looks to be more towards the mature anime style or animatrix style than the kiddy anime style. Some parts look like they're ripped straight from Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust.
      • DeathfireD, on 02/16/2008, -0/+1They should have had the same people that did Vampire Hunter D, from the looks of the footage of the new batman it doesn't look as realistic or as crisp as VHD.
    • Disneyisevil50, on 02/16/2008, -3/+2Reminds me of Ghost in the Shell
  • TobyDumb, on 02/16/2008, -11/+2Next thing you know, all old-school superhero's will be ruined.

    Oh wait, that's already happened....
    • cabooglio2, on 02/16/2008, -1/+11Toby's dumb.
    • Acqua206, on 02/16/2008, -1/+1But its okay for Batman to appear in stupid cartoons like Static Shock.
      • BakaDrgn, on 02/16/2008, -1/+2I actually did like Static Shock. I miss that cartoon...
  • gypsi, on 02/16/2008, -7/+1i'm kind of ready for a change of pace from the bruce timm stuff we've been seeing since the early 90s (the series from 2005 isn't bad)
  • sobo310, on 02/16/2008, -1/+19I really miss kevin Conroy's batman and the whole DCAU
  • Koush, on 02/16/2008, -7/+3 I'm staying optimistic.
  • bdette, on 02/16/2008, -2/+10That's awesome. There's nothing wrong with other animators' interpretation of a character. I miss Batman Begins.
  • vofuse, on 02/16/2008, -3/+11It's annoying to have to keep skipping through the interviews to see the movie clips.
  • DemiRonin, on 02/16/2008, -4/+9Whao... that looks awesome, they're gonna fit 3 bad guys in one movie!!... hope they don't mess it up like they did Spiderman 3
    • markperia, on 02/16/2008, -0/+4Its gonna be multiple storylines each with different animation styles.
  • AdvancedSoul, on 02/16/2008, -5/+13I will be downloading that when its available. They kept comparing batman to a samurai, i always thought he was more of a ninja.
  • Kikkoman, on 02/16/2008, -3/+7but can he turn SSJ3?
  • Beatmiser, on 02/16/2008, -1/+10Looks like WB/DC is trying to do the same thing they did with 'The Animatrix'. Releasing a series of 6-7 stories by different directors from the 'Animated World' onto one disk to drum up support for the live-action movie coming out. Fine by me!
  • shortymcshrimp, on 02/16/2008, -1/+4Reminds me of the animation styles of Afro Samurai, so I'm down.
    • KMartSheriff, on 02/16/2008, -2/+2You mean anime? Way to pay attention.
  • blzbulb, on 02/16/2008, -2/+3I have always been a BIG fan of the Warner Brothers animated Batman series, and this looks very promising. Can't wait.
  • LastSight, on 02/16/2008, -2/+3alright lets settle this any haters?
    cause everytime sometime cool happens with anime theres alway a few haters
  • Cyberdactyl, on 02/16/2008, -9/+3Never could get into Anime.

    The frame rate is always so insanely low I just can't get immersed in it.
    • Malachai, on 02/16/2008, -2/+6Who the heck notices about frame rate?
      Who the heck allows frame rate to be the determining factor for if something is good or not?
  • Asberry, on 02/16/2008, -1/+7I hope they get Kevin Conroy to voice Batman in at least one of these stories.
  • punisher18, on 02/16/2008, -3/+1so everyone does know the batman animated series has been anime? up until the batman and robin crap , look at the artists names.
    • Elranzer, on 02/17/2008, -1/+2American animation is not anime.
      • cquinnd, on 02/17/2008, -0/+1It is when it comes specifically from a Japanese studio that was partnered with for the purpose of creating the animation.
      • punisher18, on 02/17/2008, -0/+1it comes from sunrise.inc moron .
    • punisher18, on 02/17/2008, -0/+2last time i checked sunrise.inc was an anime production company...
  • depro9, on 02/16/2008, -3/+4This should have happened years ago, ANIME all the way!
    • Elranzer, on 02/17/2008, -2/+2Years ago we had Batman: The Animated Series. Better than anime.
      • cquinnd, on 02/17/2008, -0/+1Same studios as most popular anime. Can't be better when its made by the same people.
        • punisher18, on 02/17/2008, -0/+1finally someone who knows it lol.
  • wrathofg0d, on 02/16/2008, -1/+0Some of the shorts look like they will be awesome, while a few seem either too anime-ish or just downright crappy (the Killer Croc one for starters).
  • diggB, on 02/16/2008, -1/+3For me, Frank Miller's interpretation of the Batman legend as the Dark Knight has always been my favorite. But wow, this new anime version looks pretty imaginative and dark. I'm willing to give it a shot.
  • Rizzen, on 02/16/2008, -0/+3http://youtube.com/watch?v=ocITLlWOySY Yubtub version, just in case.
  • joshuagor44, on 02/16/2008, -8/+0I hate anime. DBZ was the only one I ever watched. But being Batman, I'll give it a chance.
    • markperia, on 02/16/2008, -0/+4Well then thats the first thing you did wrong. You're looking at DBZ as the epitomy of anime.
    • Sabretou, on 02/17/2008, -0/+1Really, Dragon Ball Z falls near the bottom when it comes to Anime quality.
  • rubenz, on 02/16/2008, -5/+3Batmanime.
  • mwmccullough, on 02/16/2008, -0/+3I just wish for once, that when someone tells a Batman story it isn't mandatory to have the "parents shot in an alley" part put in. I think people know this by now. I'm just saying.
  • radda, on 02/16/2008, -0/+6Production I.G.? Studio 4°C? Madhouse?

    Count me in.
  • davidwasman, on 02/16/2008, -1/+5This story is now proof that Gawker Media IS spamming Digg and doing so with their own employees.

    I payed attention to all the upcoming stories for the past 2 hours. Not one Gakwer Media site (which includes (but is not limted to) gizmodo, jalopnik, gawker, i09, valleywag, kotaku, etc...) was upcoming.

    This story was shoved past all 15 other upcoming stories not becuase it was good, but because of a group of Gawker Spammers.

    Digg orignal content. Stop supporting blogspam
  • giena, on 02/16/2008, -1/+2
    I'm staying optimistic.
  • Articmonkeys, on 02/16/2008, -3/+2I see lot of time wasted by the characters staring at each other.
  • SFX112, on 02/16/2008, -1/+4Am I the only one who thinks that this isn't really "anime"?
    • Scynet, on 02/16/2008, -0/+2I'd like to know what exactly you consider as "anime", then. Looks like you have some stereotypes.
    • Sabretou, on 02/17/2008, -0/+1This uses the Anime art form, not the Anime medium.
  • Tyrghast, on 02/16/2008, -2/+4The great thing about Batman is, opposed to 90% of anime books and movies, is the story of Batman is and always has been really really good.
    • markperia, on 02/16/2008, -0/+3That's because most of the anime and manga that gets imported here are mainly aimed for kids and tweens. Go read/watch Monster by Naoki Urasawa and tell me if you still think that the writing isn't up to par with "western" writers.
    • engrishGamer, on 02/17/2008, -1/+1So much ignorance in this comment...come back when you've seen more than the typical children/teen aimed broadcast TV anime, because there are a LOT of anime with stories just as good, if not better than Batman
    • cquinnd, on 02/17/2008, -0/+1You obviously also haven't read or watched 90% of Batman comics and movies that have been produced since the character was created.
  • LupeFiasco, on 02/16/2008, -0/+5Don't judge anime by the crap that gets imported on our tv sets. Almost all of them are made to push a line of toys or follow this storyline: Guy is living a normal life, finds out he has a hidden ability/is a natural at whatever the theme of the show is and trains to be come stronger to defeat a strong enemy. He then defeats said enemy only to have another even stronger one appear and now has to learn some new forbidden finishing move to beat him, rinse repeat.

    There are some really good anime shows out there that tell some amazing stories, you just have to ask around and dig.
    Whats great about animation in Japan is that it isn't necessarily tied to children, unlike in the west.
    • Sabretou, on 02/17/2008, -0/+1Great places to start would be Cowboy Bebop, Ergo Proxy, Ghost in the Shell: Stand-Alone Complex, Trinity Blood, Jigoku Shoujo and Wolf's Rain.
  • TwwIX, on 02/16/2008, -0/+6The 90's series was by far one of the best animated cartoon's of my generation.
    Nothing beats that cinematic intro with Danny Elfman's theme.
  • elmuerte17, on 02/16/2008, -1/+2Batman? Didja see those side profile shots? Looks more like "Beakman" to me.
  • slyzxx, on 02/17/2008, -2/+1when is this supposed to be out ?..
  • larrychimpman, on 02/17/2008, -0/+3Why they showed 10 minutes of amazing footage is beyond me. All I needed was a 10 second clip of Christian Bale voicing animated Batman and I'd be hooked.
  • ElTorrente, on 02/17/2008, -0/+0They would've done away with the backstory interviews yada yada yada on Batman's pulp fiction origins...but this new interpretation on The Dark Knight looks cool.

    The "Animatrix" comps seem a bit too unwarranted, though.....
  • bookworm13, on 02/17/2008, -0/+0The only thing I have to say on this is: *I WANT!*
  • paulperson, on 02/17/2008, -0/+1No matter what, its gonna be better than that crappy "The Batman" cartoon (the one that has that Cartoon Jackie Chan style)
  • Muramasa007, on 02/17/2008, -0/+0Did anyone notice a Bruce Timm styled Batman profile shot?
  •  

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