While the iconic crime fighter's name is featured in the title of the film, we don't actually get to see much Batman in the film itself. Batman: Bad Blood starts out introducing the audiences to Batwoman (Yvonne Strahovski, Chuck) while battling a set of villains. When all hope for Batwoman is almost gone, enter Batman to help save the day. The battle comes to a ferocious end with a huge explosion, and while Batman manages to get Batwoman to safety, Batman is feared dead as the building explodes.
With all of Gotham in panic mode trying find out the whereabouts of the Dark Night, Alfred calls upon Nightwing to take over the mantle of the Bat while he tries to locate him. In the meantime, Damian, Batman's son, learns of his father's disappearance and returns to Gotham to help set things right while trying to find his father. Now it is up to the trio of Nightwing, Robin (Damian), and Batwoman to figure out exactly what happened to Batman and help save the city.
The film itself is extremely entertaining. Beautiful animation coupled with a good story and even better action sequences. The PG-13 action and storyline helps to keep things more adult-oriented, as well as keep adults interested throughout. There are a lot of characters to keep track of through the film, however, and that can be tricky if you haven't seen the other animated films. Voice actors Jason O'Mara, Stuart Allan, Sean Maher, Ernie Hudson, John DiMaggio, Yvonne Strahovski and Gaius Charles all add to the overall satisfaction of the film as well, giving strong performances to their respective animated roles.
Batman: Bad Blood is presented in 1080p AVC at a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. The color pallet (muted by choice) has clearly defined color separation, and the black lines around the animation are strong. The action itself is extremely "hyper-kinetic" and plays out very detailed on the screen with very little motion blurs. The audio presented in 5.1 DTS-HD is quite a treat. The dialog comes through loud and clear on the center channel, while the rest of the speakers are dedicated to the special effects which pack a nice punch.
As with most Warner Bros. DC Animated films, the supplements and extras are top notch. Aside from the now normally included Ultraviolet copy of the film, Batman: Bad Blood also includes Putting the fight in Gotham (26 min.), Expanding the Batman Family (14 min.), Preview for Justice League vs Teen Titans (11 min.), From The Vaults including two The Brave and the Bold Episodes, The Knights of Tomorrow and The Criss Cross Conspiracy (46 min.), and lastly, theatrical trailers for the upcoming live action Warner Bros/ DC Comics films, Batman V. Superman and the Suicide Squad.
Batman: Bad Blood is a nice solid entry into the Batman universe, getting audiences familiar with the characters and some nice expanded story arcs. New viewers can flesh out the world of Batman that they were missing. Here is hoping Warner Bros, and DC Animation continue the trend in this medium.
Batman: Bad Blood is available for purchase from Amazon.com as well as the iTunes digital store.
