"Batman: The Complete Animated Series" Blu-ray Release Talkback (Spoilers)

[James Harvey]

The ground-breaking animated series is now available on Blu-ray! Discuss the release right here!

Click here for more details!​

BATMAN: THE COMPLETE ANIMATED SERIES
Studio: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
Release Date: Deluxe Edition - October 30, 2018, Regular Edition - November 27, 2018

Synopsis: Now in High Definition, all 109 action-packed episodes, 35 hours of crime fighting! The critically acclaimed, Emmy-winning series, that redefined the complex super hero to the Dark Knight that fans love today is now available in a Deluxe Limited Edition Blu-ray set! Also includes collectible Batman, Joker and Harley Quinn Funko Pocket POPS, 7 Exclusive Lenticular Collector Cards of Original Animation Artwork, plus 2 Bonus Discs of Animated Films Batman: Mask of the Phantasm and Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero (Note: Please note the regular edition release does not include material exclusive to the Deluxe Edition)!

Batman: The Complete Animated Series Deluxe Limited Edition Enhanced Content includes 25 featurettes - led by an all-new, 60+ minute definitive Batman: The Animated Series making-of documentary, "The Heart of Batman" - as well as introductions to five episodes by producer Bruce Timm, and commentary on 12 episodes by various combinations of the production team: Bruce Timm, Eric Radomski, Paul Dini, Kevin Altieri, Michael Reaves, Boyd Kirkland, Shirley Walker, Glen Murakami, Dan Riba, and James Tucker.

Click here for a details rundown of the set's extensive bonus content!

Please note this talkback is specifically for the Blu-ray set - which includes discussing the physical set, the audio and video quality and bonus content. To discuss individual episodes, check out the Talkback Collection Thread!

Discuss this epic home video release right here at The DC Animation Forum!

Related Discussion:
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm Blu-ray Release Talkback (Spoilers)
Batman & Mr. Freeze: Sub-Zero Blu-ray Release Talkback (Spoilers)
Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman Blu-ray/DVD Talkback (Spoilers)
Batman: The Complete Animated Series DVD Talkback (Spoilers)
If you could have one more episode of “Batman: The Animated Series,” what would it be about?

 

[Classic Speedy]

I won't be able to get this until next week but I'm looking forward to rewatching the series again in better image quality. I just wish the Deluxe Edition packaging didn't use those blasted sleeves to hold the discs...

 

[JonnyModlin]

When will they start taking pre-orders for Batman: the complete animated series regular edition on Blu Ray since it's coming out on November 27, 2018?

 

[Yojimbo]

When will they start taking pre-orders for Batman: the complete animated series regular edition on Blu Ray since it's coming out on November 27, 2018?

That is still unknown.

 

[JonnyModlin]

Is the regular edition of Batman: The Complete Animated Series ever going to get released on Blu Ray for November 27, 2018?

How is Batman: The Complete Animated Series Deluxe Limited Edition selling? Once 70,000 copies for Batman: The Complete Animated Series Deluxe Limited Edition sells out, will there be more?

Mod Note: Double post merged. Please use Edit button instead of multi-posting.

 

[Yojimbo]

Is the regular edition of Batman: The Complete Animated Series ever going to get released on Blu Ray for November 27, 2018?

I'd advise you to stop worrying about the regular edition. Posting insistently will eventually get you reprimanded. When pre-orders start for the regular edition, someone will post the info, that's how it works at this forum for any news.

And it's literally the first day of sales for the deluxe edition, we won't have sales data immediately.

The word "Limited Edition" literally means limited stock. Uh, so eventually, they will stop making copies.

And don't post twice and more in a row. That's a rule here.

 

[James Harvey]

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has provided a video clip and three new images from the Batman: The Complete Animated Series – Deluxe Limited Edition Blu-ray. Click here to check out the material at The World's Finest.

 

[Yojimbo]

Looks like Best Buy has the Regular Edition for pre-order.

EDIT: So far I've noticed "World's Finest" and "Mystery of the Batwoman" (and the "Chase Me" short) are omitted from this set, you can't play the The New Batman/Superman Adventures title sequence like you could in the B:TAS Volume 4 DVD set, and I've heard that the digital edition is the episodes only - not the two movies.

 

[Spider-Man]

My copy came in today and it was just pretty damaged. It came from Amazon and I heard some horror stories this week but thought they were maybe exaggerated. Turns out it wasn't. I'm going to get a replacement copy which is nice but I still started checking out the set and the HD video took me by surprise. The pictures and clips don't do it justice because I think the HD picture isn't perfect but it's amazing.

 

[Classic Speedy]

My copy came in today and it was just pretty damaged. It came from Amazon and I heard some horror stories this week but thought they were maybe exaggerated. Turns out it wasn't. I'm going to get a replacement copy which is nice but I still started checking out the set and the HD video took me by surprise. The pictures and clips don't do it justice because I think the HD picture isn't perfect but it's amazing.

I checked Amazon to see what you were talking about and many people posted pics of how their packaging arrived, most of them with bent corners. The problem seems to be that Amazon is, for whatever reason, using bubble mailers instead of boxes. Were your discs undamaged, at least?

 

[Red Arrow]

I ordered 3x from London and it was all okay, but the route was absurd. Instead of 250 miles. it took them at least 300 miles.

I wonder if Warner Bros will now consider to release the entire series here. We only got the first 56 episodes plus Mystery of Batwoman on DVD.

 

[Palin Dromos]

Been a while since I posted, but this thread is surprisingly quiet.

I’ve watched through about a dozen of the remastered episodes and they look great for the most part. The colors are crisp and pop. They’ve left a decent amount of the original dust, snow, and scratches so it’s not too cleaned up or “George Lucas-ed”; the inverted bat-symbols are still there in “Heart of Ice” for instance. They’ve kept the shadows pretty dark too, check out the Arkham exteriors in “Fear of Victory” for instance.
The audios mixes sound great too. Sound effects stand out and aren’t buried. Also there seems to be an engine roar added to the classic opening sequence when the Batmobile leaves the cave that I don’t think was that prominent in previous releases (unless it’s just the way my sound system re-mixes the DTS-HD down to stereo).
As for the bonus elements, the lenticular cards look amazing; that tech has come a loooonng way over the years.
The black and red disk box and book covers are quite nice.

Now for a few minuses.
This isn’t on WB, but Amazon really messed up sending these out in bubble mailers instead of boxes. My copy’s box was pretty dinged up, but the actual disk box, book, and all the stuff inside are fine.
Speaking of the disk book, the interior art feels a bit uninspired. Check out the page art for Season 1 disk 3 where they use the redesigned Joker model with classic BTAS coloring, just weird.
Also the disk art is the same across all the disks (except the 2 movies), the Gotham City skyline, with the season and disk numbers. I personally would have preferred unique disk art, but for a “set” I understand making it consistent.
While the episodes all look pretty good on the disks, there are a couple content choices I find curious. The disc menu music they chose is the exact same menu music as used on the 4th volume of the DVD release, which is weird because that music track has SFX baked in which sync up with the animation in those menus. Specifically there’s a “computer beep” SFX that lined up with the rotating villain pictures on the DVD release. It feels like a kind of silly oversight to just grab that music track and slap it in there and not even give a thought to trying to find a music only version of that track.
I have yet to find if they’ve put the “New Batman/Superman Adventures” show open anywhere on these disks. I always really liked that opening sequence and appreciated it’s inclusion on the BTAS Volume 4 DVD release. “The Adventures of Batman & Robin” opening is included on select episodes. Maybe the “NB/SA” can be included on a possible Superman Blu-ray, if they determine there’s a demand for that release.
Lastly the included Digital Copy seems to be only SD. I’ll be bummed if that doesn’t get upgraded to HD when they decide to release the HD versions for digital ownership.

I know for a fact that the restoration team invested a lot of time and attention to get the episodes to look and sound great, so any complaints are really about ancillary things.
I love the show and was happy to upgrade to Blu-ray.

 

[Spider-Man]

I checked Amazon to see what you were talking about and many people posted pics of how their packaging arrived, most of them with bent corners. The problem seems to be that Amazon is, for whatever reason, using bubble mailers instead of boxes. Were your discs undamaged, at least?

The discs weren't damaged but the cardboard box which housed the book and disc was banged up. If it was just the outer box I wouldn't mind too much but with the inner box damaged I'm not happy. A replacement copy is going to be dispatched and they told me it was being sent in a box so I hope it gets here safely.

I read that Vudu will be replacing those SD downloads with HD at some point. Hopefully it is soon because its kinda silly to make them SD when its an HD collection.

 

[Palin Dromos]

I read that Vudu will be replacing those SD downloads with HD at some point. Hopefully it is soon because its kinda silly to make them SD when its an HD collection.

Well that's nice to hear! Yeah SD digital copy on an HD release is def silly.

 

[Yojimbo]

I’ve watched through about a dozen of the remastered episodes and they look great for the most part. The colors are crisp and pop.

Agreed!

They’ve left a decent amount of the original dust, snow, and scratches so it’s not too cleaned up or “George Lucas-ed”

Yeah, the dust is still there in a couple like "Cat Scratch Fever" or "Heart of Steel" Part 1.

The black and red disk box and book covers are quite nice.

It reminded me Batman Beyond. Way back when, fans were trying to figure out an epic origin of the Beyond suit design and humorously, Bruce Timm eventually replied and said it just because he liked the Dracula black and blood red colors or something simple like that.

I have yet to find if they’ve put the “New Batman/Superman Adventures” show open anywhere on these disks. I always really liked that opening sequence and appreciated it’s inclusion on the BTAS Volume 4 DVD release. “The Adventures of Batman & Robin” opening is included on select episodes. Maybe the “NB/SA” can be included on a possible Superman Blu-ray, if they determine there’s a demand for that release.

Me, too! I've been looking for that show open in vain as well. I asked Gary Miereanu, the PR pointman, on Twitter and he's going to double check on that. But it appears to be omitted unfortunately. On a related note, I was a little miffed the set left out World's Finest.

 

[ichorskeeter]

I think World's Finest is technically part of S:TAS. And if I had to guess, the Batman/Superman Adventures title opening would need to be completely remade in HD. It looks digital.

Looks like Best Buy has the Regular Edition for pre-order.

EDIT: So far I've noticed "World's Finest" and "Mystery of the Batwoman" (and the "Chase Me" short) are omitted from this set, you can't play the The New Batman/Superman Adventures title sequence like you could in the B:TAS Volume 4 DVD set, and I've heard that the digital edition is the episodes only - not the two movies.

 

[Yojimbo]

I think World's Finest is technically part of S:TAS.

True, I was merely thinking along the lines of having it as a bonus on the Bonus Disc that has Heart of Batman. But since WB increased the total run of this limited edition from 30k to 70k, sales must be doing good and hopefully in the near future, we'll be seeing Blu-ray sets for STAS and Batman Beyond next. Presumably that was already in their plans but were waiting to see the sales figures for BTAS and thus why WF was not on this set.

And if I had to guess, the Batman/Superman Adventures title opening would need to be completely remade in HD. It looks digital.

Hmm, now that you mention it...

 

[jkoolpe]

Looks like Best Buy has the Regular Edition for pre-order.

EDIT: So far I've noticed "World's Finest" and "Mystery of the Batwoman" (and the "Chase Me" short) are omitted from this set, you can't play the The New Batman/Superman Adventures title sequence like you could in the B:TAS Volume 4 DVD set, and I've heard that the digital edition is the episodes only - not the two movies.

FYI to all, I just picked up the premiere set from Best Buy for $79.99. Ordered it online for pickup at my local BB outlet which I will do after work today .

Also FYI, they list the non-premiere set for pre-order for $89.99.

I was actually planning on getting the lesser set as I don't really care about the figures and the other bling, but for this price, I went for it .

Jon

 

[Revelator]

A very good review from DVD Active, with plenty of DVD/Blu-Ray comparison screenshots.
Perhaps the most important bit:

"The folks behind the restoration haven’t smoothed over textures with DNR, as seen in some of Disney’s worst archival releases (Sword in the Stone being the biggest offender), nor have they oversharpened and blown-out artefacts, as seen in bad animated SD-to-HD up-converts. There’s some grain and a few dirty spots – enough to prove that there was a 35mm source – but not so much that it gets in the way of the tidiness and punched-up colours."

 

[Wonderwall]

Still waiting for my set to come in from Amazon. A nice birthday gift to me