Batman: The Animated Series is gearing up for several DVD releases

During a recent chat with Warner Brother Home Entertainment representatives, much information was brought to the surface concerning Warner’s plans for one of the studio’s current licenses; Batman: The Animated Series. The show, which has gone under numerous incarnations on television, in theaters and on direct-to-video releases, has been good to the studio over the years and Warner is no getting plans underway for several DVD releases of the franchise during 2002.

First and foremost, the series itself, which ran under various titles from 1992-1999, is set to be released in the coming year. Warner is currently unsure whether the episodes will be released chronologically in box sets, or in “Best of Collections” which have become common among Warner releases. Warner claims it will undergo research to determine which will be most well received by consumers.

Several of the Batman Animated Movies will also make their debut next year. Of these, the most interesting to Batman fans will undoubtedly be the previously unreleased, unedited version of Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. The original movie, produced for DVD release last year, was originally deemed to violent by WB and was severely edited for its eventual DVD release. The original cut of the film, which began showing up on the bootleg market, quickly came into high demand among fans. Warner will make an effort for the upcoming release to distinguish the unedited version from the edited version so different audiences can still appreciate the film. Other titles listed include the 1998 direct-to-video feature Batman & Mr. Freeze: Subzero, and the made for television movie Batman & Superman: World’s Finest.

As for the television show’s animated spin-offs, Warner claimed to be open to the idea for the future, but currently has no direct plans for either Superman: The Animated Series or Batman Beyond. Warner reps did say however, that as always, consumer input was welcome, but the strongest form of input will always be sales. As more information becomes available on Batman, and other Warner series. It will be posted here.

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