Batman: The Animated Series: Revisited continues today, but not with a look at the episodes, but instead a look at the special features on the Blu-ray boxset.
I’ve previously given an overview of what is included on the Blu-ray boxset, but here is a list of all the special features (in a little more detail), disc by disc.
Disc One:
- Bruce Timm episode introductions on the following stories: On Leather Wings, Christmas with the Joker, Nothing to Fear, The Last Laugh and Pretty Poison.
- Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski commentary on: On Leather Wings.
- The Dark Knight’s First Night Pilot Promo hosted by Bruce Timm – Witness the 1991 Batman promo reel as producers Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski discuss the origins of Batman: The Animated Series.
Disc Two:
- Paul Dini, Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski commentary on: Heart of Ice.
- Batman: The Legacy Continues Retrospective – DC luminaries join Batman: The Animated Series creators as they explore the combination of exquisite design and in-depth storytelling that helped create a once-in-a-generation show.
- Tour of the Batcave, covering Batman, Bat-vehicles, Utility Belt and Alfred.
Disc Three:
- Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski commentary on: Robin’s Reckoning – Part One.
- Bruce Timm, Eric Radomski and Kevin Altieri commentary on: Heart of Steel – Part Two.
- Robin Rising: How the Boy Wonder’s Character Evolved – The evolution of Dick Grayson from young ward to crime-fighter.
- Gotham’s Guardians: The Stalwart Supporting Characters – Batman is not the only hero safeguarding Gotham City. This documentary focuses on the importance of the Dark Knight’s allies in the Batman mythology.
Disc Four:
- Bruce Timm, Eric Radomski and Paul Dini commentary on: Almost Got ‘Im.
- Voices of the Knight – Actors Mark Hamill, Kevin Conroy, Adrienne Barbeau, Efrem Zimbalist Jr. and Andrea Romano discuss the process of bringing these iconic characters to life.
Disc Five:
- Bruce Timm, Eric Radomski and Boyd Kirkland commentary on: Harley and Ivy.
- Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, Boyd Kirkland, Michael Reaves and Shirley Walker commentary on: Read My Lips.
- Gotham’s New Knight – Barbara Gordon swings into focus in this exciting look at Batman’s trusted ally and equal, Batgirl.
Disc Six:
- Bruce Timm, Boyd Kirkland and Paul Dini video commentary on: House & Garden.
- Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, Shirley Walker and Eric Radomski commentary on: Harlequinade.
Disc Eight:
- Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, Glen Murakami and James Tucker commentary on: Over the Edge.
- Arkham Asylum files on: Clayface, Harley Quinn, The Joker, Mr. Freeze, The Penguin, Poison Ivy, Ra’s al Ghul, The Riddler, Scarecrow, Two-Face and The Ventriloquist & Scarface.
Disc Nine:
- Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, Dan Riba, Glen Murakami and James Tucker commentary on: Critters and Legends of the Dark Knight.
Disc Ten:
- The Heart of Batman – A rare gathering of talent defined Batman for a generation. Twenty-five years later, Batman: The Animated Series continues to inspire fans and myth makers all over the world. This is an in-depth look at the storytellers behind the scenes.
- Concepting Harley Quinn – Paul Dini discusses how he incorporated one of his favourite characters into the series.
Disc Twelve – Batman: Subzero:
- The Mr. Freeze Saga – Heart of Ice, Deep Freeze, Cold Comfort & Meltdown.
- Art of Batman: Music Montage.
- Get the Picture: How to Draw Batman.
Additional extra: A digital download code to redeem all 109 episodes of Batman: The Animated Series.
A pretty big list, right?
Yep, as well as 109 episodes in HD, the Batman: The Animated Series Blu-ray is loaded with extras. These special features provide additional hours of content, on top of the 36+ hours of episodes!
The majority of these special features have been transferred from previous DVD boxsets, so if you’ve picked up the show before then you’ll be familiar with them. However, for the most part they’re all really good, especially the commentaries which are certainly worth a listen.
The real meat here though (i.e. the new stuff) centres upon the documentary, The Heart of Batman. Running around 1hr 38mins, The Heart of Batman takes a look back at Batman: The Animated Series, from its initial inception through to its development and production.
Key figures from Batman: The Animated Series appear in the documentary (Bruce Timm, Jean MacCurdy, Eric Radomski etc), all explaining how the series changed the landscape for children’s animated shows. And if you’re unsure of how the show did that, then check out the documentary for details.
The Heart of Batman can be viewed in one long chunk or it can be broken down into individual compartments. My advice is to click the ‘play all’ option on your Blu-ray remote and enjoy the entire journey, complete with musical interlude.
This documentary and all the other special features are a great addition to what is a fantastic boxset. If you’re planning on buying the set just for the episodes alone, then you should be very pleased with all the bonus material which really adds to the set, ensuring this is a stand out release.
Right, enough about the special features – Batman: The Animated Series: Revisited returns tomorrow with yet more episodes from The Adventures of Batman & Robin. Woo-hoo!
Read: Batman: The Animated Series: Revisited – Part 14
Read more:
- A 4K Batman Anthology marathon – It was stunning
- Review: The Legend of Batman Collection (Eaglemoss)
- Batman Beyond is coming to Blu-ray
It's A Stampede! 
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