It seems like DC just keeps setting the bar higher and higher with each animated movie’s release. The animation was very crisp, the colors although dark really popped on the screen. The voice acting was good, although John Dimaggio’s Joker was a little weak. I believe Kevin Conroy should always be the voice of Batman, but I have to admit that Bruce Greenwood was a good choice for the role.

This is definitely the darkest of the DC animated movies to date. I actually cringed when the Joker was beating Jason to death, which is how the film opens, before jumping ahead five years. I was really looking forward to Nightwing being in the film, but his role is pretty small, and wasn’t taken seriously at all. I think the only reason he shows up is to show the audience the stark difference between him and Jason.

Ghosts from the past show up here and there to fill in some of the blanks for those who are not familiar with the story, all of which are brought on by the places Red Hood chooses for his encounters with Batman.

I really enjoyed the movie and am happy to add it to my DC Animated collection, although I did have to try to explain all the different Robins to the Cameraman, which is really fun especially since Bruce isn’t back from the “dead” yet.

DC Showcase Jonah Hex: The short was written by Joe R. Lansdale, and was based on a story appearing in the comic written by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti. It features the voices of Thomas Jane (Every time Jonah spoke I found myself thinking about Hung), and Linda Hamilton. The short gave a good glimpse into the character.

The voice cast is: Bruce Greenwood as Batman, Jensen Ackles as Red Hood, Neil Patrick Harris as Nightwing,John DiMaggio as the Joker, and Jason Isaacs as Ra’s Al Ghul.

Dick Grayson is one of my favorite comic book characters & I love Neil Patrick Harris (remember when he played Spider-Man in the short lived computer animated MTV series?), so I am excited about the news that he will portray Nightwing