Set to premiere at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con before being released on DVD and Blu-ray on August 2nd (making that a good week for fans of the Clown Prince of Crime what with Suicide Squad coming on the 5th), Batman: The Killing Joke already has a lot of positive buzz surrounding it.
As well as that now confirmed release date, thanks to Entertainment Weekly, we also know what special features to look out for on the disc:
“In addition to two 22-minute episodes from The New Batman Adventures and Batman: The Animated Series, the deluxe edition and combo pack versions will include two featurettes: Madness Set to Music, a documentary which chronicles the creation of the film’s storyboards and original score, and Many Shades of the Joker: The Tale of the Killing Joke, a making-of short that explores the distinct style of the graphic novel. Fans who purchase the combo pack Blu-ray edition will also receive a limited edition figurine of the Joker.”
The R-Rated movie – it may be a cartoon, but yes, Warner Bros. has actually committed to having this very adult story aimed at a grown up audience – reunites Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy with Mark Hamill as The Joker, and the cover art below – a larger version of the iconic cover art by Brian Bolland – features the villain in all his grinning glory and is much better than what these direct to DVD animated movies normally get.
Conroy and Hamill worked together in the cult favourite Batman: The Animated Series and the critically acclaimed Arkham video games, so the fact that the dynamic duo are once again reprising the roles of these iconic characters is a very big deal indeed. The cast will also include Tara Strong as Barbara Gordon/Batgirl and Ray Wise as Commissioner Jim Gordon, which gives Batman: The Killing Joke an undeniably impressive lineup of voice talent.
