DC Universe’s direct to video releases have been stellar of late and with Tuesday, January 29th’s release of “Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2,” expect more awesome animated super-fare. This two part installment depicts the retirement and return of Batman a decade later.
Gone are the days of family friendly—these ongoing projects, under the umbrella of DC Universe Animated Original Movies, take a grittier, far less cartoonish look at what these heroes’ lives are like. It should come as no surprise given that these “Dark Knight” flicks in particular are based off of Frank Miller graphic novels of the same title.
Frankly, I wouldn’t want children watching the last couple. Here’s a for instance: I clearly remember the first time I watched 2010’s “Batman: Under the Red Hood.” This is mostly because of the opening sequences which depict the Joker beating Robin to the brink of death with a crowbar before blowing him up in a warehouse. They aren’t Saturday morning, eat a bowl of cereal cartoons.
To top it off, the Man of Steel plays a role in “Part 2,” fighting Batman onscreen for the first time in a DC film. If that’s not enough, Conan O’Brien makes a voice appearance as a late night talk show host. If you can’t get enough of Bats and Superman and the rest of the DC crew, look no further than this line of features.
