Batman: The Mystery of the Batwoman
Fans of the stylizedBatman: The Animated Series,Batman Beyond, and their subsequent feature-length releases (Batman: Mask of the Phantasm) will be pleased to note that the same creative team responsible for those efforts have reunited for this action-filled adventure, which pits the Dark Knight against a fetching vigilante in Bat-gear. Kyra Sedgwick voices Batwoman, whose struggle to bring down the Penguin's illegal arms trade gets her in hot water with his hired muscle, Bane (Hector Elizondo), and prompts Batman (Kevin Conroy) to swing into action. Curt Geda's fast-paced, noir-influenced direction, a solid script by Michael Reaves that stays true to the comic book mythos, and a talented voice cast (which includes Kelly Ripa and David Ogden Stiers) help makeBatwomana welcome addition to the Batman DVD library. The Warner DVD's 45 minutes of extras include an original short ("Chase Me"), nine character bios, behind-the-scenes footage, an interview with Geda, and other audience-pleasing supplements.--Paul Gaita