Batman: Death in the Family is a 2020 American animated feature film based on the classic 1988 comic book story arc of the same name. The interactive movie is comprised of an anthology of shorts, plus new material that means that viewers can decide the fate of Robin and choose from multiple paths, with each decision leading to consequences and several different endings. Although Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010) provides a baseline, the story also branches in new directions and features several different characters.
Written, produced and directed by Brandon Vietti (Scooby-Doo! and WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon; Batman: Under the Red Hood; Batman: The Brave and the Bold series), the movie features the voices talents of Bruce Greenwood (Doctor Sleep; Batman: Gotham by Gaslight) as Batman, Vincent Martella as young Jason Todd, John DiMaggio (Scoob!; Justice League Dark: Apokolips War) as The Joker, Zehra Fazal as Talia al Ghul and Gary Cole as Two-Face and James Gordon.
Release:
Batman: Death in the Family was released on Blu-ray and Digital on October 13th 2020.
Reviews:
“With a fun interactive setup that sheds light on Jason Todd’s multi-faceted history in the Batman mythos and a stacked collection of great bonus features, DC Showcase – Batman: Death in the Family is an easy recommend for any comics fan and should tide us over nicely until The Batman flies into theatres in 2022.” Bad Feeling magazine
“With the remote control, the viewer makes decisions, leading to different outcomes and a different viewing experience. I had a lot of fun partaking in this experience and I’d like to see more of it. On top of this unique experience, there are several shorts that are all quality stories and present the DC characters in a very great way.” Brights Hub
“Batman has the benefit of being so awash in mythology as to lend itself to this format, with his multiple sidekicks and rogue’s gallery of villains. The superhero genre, moreover, regularly indulges in what-if and alternate-reality scenarios, which makes this a more natural fit than most recent forays into interactivity. That’s not to say Batman: Death in the Family isn’t a gimmick too, but at least it’s a fun, inventive one…” CNN
“With quite a bit of footage reused from Under the Red Hood, Death in the Family boasts the “classic” DCAU animation style, and not the overhauled take on this world we got in Superman: Man of Tomorrow. That’s not really a bad thing, though, and there’s enough new footage that this shouldn’t bother you too much. As a package, it’s hard to complain with what this movie offers…” ComicBookMovie.com
“While the interactive nature might not appeal to everyone, the solid execution of it here makes it well worth giving a chance. Batman: Death in the Family is ultimately a satisfying adventure that, despite a few shortcomings in the overall home media presentation, makes for a plenty enjoyable experience. Highly Recommended.” DCAnimated.com
“Batman: Death in the Family breaks new ground for DC animation with its interactive story options dictated by the viewer. Mostly a vehicle exploring the different possible paths open to Jason Todd after his death as the second Robin, the choose-your-adventure format has potential that is largely unmet here in this first attempt.” DoBlu.com
“The Blu-ray release makes it easy to go back to a previous prompt menu to try a different tact, which truly feels like turning back the pages of a comic book to start a new storyline. While the interactive feature is a novel way to navigate through Jason Todd’s fairly complex history in Batman lore, the extra added shorts really make this a must-have purchase for comic fans.” Entertaining Movies
“I applaud DC Showcase – Batman: Death In The Family (2020) for doing something different if not altogether satisfying with the choose-your-own-adventure device. The core story is dynamite, the expanded storylines are cool, and the animation style is outstanding.” McBastard’s Mausoleum
“It works for fans and newbies, which is always a good thing, and the animation is a delight. My favourite thing, however, about Batman: Death in the Family, is the ability to go and choose a different path and see something new. It has that re-watchability that you want in something like this, and in that way, it is a certain success. It’s definitely an ambitious move by Warner Bros. but I do feel like they pulled it off.” Nerdly
