iReview | BATMAN NINJA

The DC Animated Movie is available on 4K Ultra HD.

The Dark Knight gets reinterpreted in a completely radical experience in this anime film, truly for the ages, when BATMAN NINJA emerges in an alternate world, and Gotham’s most notorious criminals are redesigned.

The Dark Knight goes anime in this epic adventure now available in 4K.

The Dark Knight has inspired creatives across the globe for as long as the hero has been in print. The product of writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane has been curiously working its way into the pop-culture lexicon for more than 8 decades. It remains one of the most — if not the most — popular characters in the DC Comics pantheon. It’s no surprise that artists across every continent have wanted to put their imprint on the Caped Crusader. The Japanese art of anime has rapidly become one of the most popular media stateside, so it was inevitable that the denizens of Gotham City would emerge redesigned in the art form.

In 2018, as part of the DC Animated Movie line, Batman Ninja was born, and now the feature-length film is available to add to your collection in stunning 4K Ultra HD. The higher definition captures all the glorious detail of the redesigned hero and his rogues gallery of deadly felons, as imagined by Takashi Okazaki, the creator of Afro Samurai. Directed by Junpei Mizusaki from a screenplay by Kazuki Nakashima, the film finds Batman and several of his allies displaced in time after a confrontation with the super-intellect of Gorilla Grodd. Batman emerges in feudal Japan, and immediately discovers that his arch-nemesis, The Joker, has wasted no time taking control!

It’s a decisively ornate adventure as the audience eagerly watches the transformation of iconic characters such as Batman, Nightwing, and Catwoman, remade in the style of anime. Admittedly, screenwriters Leo Chu and Eric S. Garcia found that much of the original story shifted once they adapted it from the Japanese interpretation to English. However, the authentic feel of a tale set in Japan’s past is still very much evident. The art is astounding! Cinematic in every way, the original film premiered in Japan in 2018, projected in theaters. The reception was so popular that a sequel, Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League was released in 2025.

Bat Family Tradition

The mass appeal of the original feature gave rise to its sequel. In Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League, it isn’t only the Bat-Family that gets an anime makeover. The entire Justice League, including Superman, Batman, and The Flash, is rewritten into an all-new caper that sends Batman Ninja back to an alternate timeline visited in the first film, with the stakes reaching near-crisis levels. If Batman isn’t able to set things right (again), all of Gotham City is likely to be destroyed once and for all. Along with the original installment, the way is paved for at least one more feature to flesh out an anime trilogy.

In Batman Ninja, the artwork is top-notch, the story beats ring true to anime fan expectations, and thrills are cinematic. It’s a great film in the grand tradition of the Japanese medium and should not be missed, especially now in its 4K Ultra HD reedition.

The 4K disc includes several Special Features with a particular spotlight on the original Japanese Audio for a more authentic experience. The filmmakers were also gathered at New York Comic Con to present Batman Ninja to the audience, and the entire panel is presented, revealing the inspirations for bringing an anime Batman into the medium. Additional features also include behind-the-scenes artwork and pre-visual designs illustrating the evolution of Batman Ninja and its cast. These exclusive looks into the making of the feature only make it far more inviting and exciting.

Get your #FanzEyeView of BATMAN NINJA, available now on 4K Ultra HD here:

BATMAN NINJA   | is available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD. The package costs $22.99 on Amazon.

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