Cinematical

Batman: Gotham Knight
Like the Animatrix, Batman: Gotham Knight is a collection of filler stories. Created by the hands of different writers and animators, Gotham Knight was made to bridge the gap between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. But it's not just a collection of adventure stories -- these blips into Gotham take the story from all sides -- the villains that wreak havoc, the police whose work is interfered with, the kids who spot him in action, and even Bruce Wayne working with Lucius Fox on gadgetry. Be prepared for the look to be different -- this isn't your ordinary looking Batman -- but there are also nods to the past. Kevin Conroy voices Batman in this collection, just like he has for many years now on the animated series.

Of course, no true special release can be free of features, and Gotham Knight is no exception for this 2-disc release. On the first, you get a disc-wide commentary with Kevin Conroy, Dennis O'Neil, and Gregory Noveck (it pours through each episode) and a good preview of the upcoming animated Wonder Woman. On the second, you also get a long documentary called "A Mirror for the Bat" that discusses the character and the villains he fights, another called "Batman and Me, a Devotion to Destiny: The Bob Kane Story," and some final extras that focus on Batman: The Animated Series.

Further information on this release can be found, in-depth, at DVDTalk.

Buy the DVD

Batman Begins
I usually don't use this space to showcase fairly new releases that are now being re-released in fancy, fan-filled packaging, but we're talking Batman, and the countdown to The Dark Knight -- one of the most anticipated films of the summer (and if you ask me, THE most anticipated).

Just in time for the sequel (which finally hits screens next week), there's a huge, limited edition Blu-ray gift set for fans. It's the Blu-ray debut of the 2-disc deluxe edition DVD, and it adds a 2-minute sneak peak of The Dark Knight, plus a bunch of collectibles and perks: a 128MB flash drive that has pictures from the upcoming film, a movie cash ticket good for up to $7.50 for the new film, postcards from Begins, and a Batman Begins Key Art Lenticular.

There's no better way to ring in The Dark Knight next week than to go back and watch Batman Begins as crisp as possible.

Buy the Blu-ray DVD or get all the goodies with the regular DVD Gift Set

Other New DVD Releases (July 8)

The X-Files Revelations
The Future is Unwritten
Superhero Movie
The Ruins

Also out today: Flakes and Stop Loss, which you can check my DVD reviews of, and be sure to visit Peter's Indies on DVD for some of the other great new releases this week.