NYCC 2020: Batman: Death in the Family Panel Recap

 

 

Almost as if it were planned, the annual New York Comic-Con (NYCC) lands just days before the release of Batman: Death in the Family. The latest animated feature to be released by DC takes alternative ventures in the aftermath of 2010’s Batman: Under the Red Hood. And will be available on Blu-ray and digital on Tuesday, October 13.

NYCC looks a little different this year ala that pesky global pandemic. Following suit of other cons and events, NYCC has gone digital this year. Completely free of cost, there are plenty of outstanding panels and announcements coming out from one of the year’s most significant nerd events.

The Batman: Death in the Family panel featured insight on the unique format of the feature. The story will be completely interactive, as in the viewer makes the choices during integral moments of the plot. The film will have multiple directions of the story that have a catastrophic impact on each of the characters.  

This is the first time that DC Animated has attempted anything of this nature and is inspired by the caller vote-in events of 1988 that resulted in fans voting to kill off Jason Todd in the comic books.

Moderated by Tiffany Smith, the NYCC panel brought together a few of the stars that made this unique movie possible. Brandon Vietti, who is the mastermind behind the project, discusses from the point of view as writer, director, and producer. He is joined by an ensemble of the impressive voice cast including Bruce Greenwood (Batman), Vincent Martella (Jason Todd), and Zehra Fazai (Talia Al Ghul).

On topic was the release of the Blu-Ray this week. The physical copy boasts offering the complete DC Animated shorts collection of 2019-20, as well as an additional 5-minutes of content from the digital. 

Unfortunately, the digital version will not have an interactive option and will showcase four alternative shorts for the various directions of the story.

Brandon Vietti makes a case for procuring a Blu-Ray copy of Batman: Death in the Family. The interactive plot promises to be a “rewarding story experience” and will offer fans some “ownership” of the film as each individual viewing offers something different. The “unexpected directions” will be much more impactful if witnessed the way it was intended, with you making the choices.

That is not to say that the digital version will not be worth its value. The story, or stories, will be equally as unexpected. Some of the directions of the characters have never been explored in any format. At the heart of the film will be Batman’s constant longing for family and the curiosity of him as a father figure. Additionally, the feature will have a slew of Easter Eggs with call-backs to significant moments in Batman’s long history.

The performances of the voice-cast alone make this an exciting release. Majority of the cast returns 10-years after the release of fan favourite animated feature Batman: Under the Red Hood. Included will be the return of the memorable performance of the Joker from John DiMaggio, who is boasted by his castmates as offering a stand-out performance as the villain in this film.

Batman: Death in the Family will be available on Blu-ray and digital on October 13th 2020.

The Batman: Death in the Family panel is available to watch for free on the official NYCC YouTube channel.