Batman: Bad Blood

Batman: Bad Blood

Blu-ray cover art
Directed by Jay Oliva
Produced by James Tucker
Screenplay by J.M. DeMatteis
Starring
Music by Frederik Wiedmann
Edited by Christopher D. Lozinski
Production
company
Distributed by Warner Home Video
Release dates
    • January 20, 2016 (2016-01-20)
  • (digitial)
    • February 2, 2016 (2016-02-02)
  • (physical)
Running time
 72 minutes
Country United States
Language English

Batman: Bad Blood is a 2016 direct-to-video animated superhero film which is part of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies. It serves as a sequel to the 2015 film Batman vs. Robin.[1] The film was released on January 20, 2016 for iTunes and the Google Play Store, and on DVD and Blu-ray on February 2, 2016.

Jason O'Mara, Sean Maher and Stuart Allan reprise their roles from the previous films with Morena Baccarin returning from Son of Batman as Talia al Ghul.[2]

Plot

Batwoman intercepts a group of criminals in Gotham City that includes Electrocutioner, Tusk, Firefly, Killer Moth, and others. When a fight ensues, Batman soon arrives. They are confronted by the apparent leader of the criminals, a man called the Heretic, who reminds Batman of his vision of Damian Wayne as Batman. Heretic detonates explosives planted within the facility. Batman flings Batwoman to safety and apparently perishes in the explosion.

Weeks pass but both Batman and Bruce Wayne's disappearances have not gone unnoticed. Alfred Pennyworth takes up the guise of Wayne in electronic communications using gadgets in the Batcave to maintain appearances, while sending out a distress signal to Dick Grayson. Meanwhile, Damian Wayne watches a news report of Batman's disappearance and sets out to return to Gotham. Katherine Kane meets with her father Colonel Jacob Kane revealing she feels responsible for Batman's apparent death and asks his help to track down Heretic. It is revealed that she was traumatized when she, her sister Elizabeth and her mother Gabrielle were abducted and held for ransom, although she was the only one not killed by her captors before her father rescued her. After her time in the military, she became a drunkard who was saved by Batman from street thugs, which motivated her to never need to be saved again, resulting in her becoming Batwoman.

At the same time, Batman, wearing a different emblem on his chest, apparently resurfaces and is quickly noticed by Robin and Katherine Kane. Both of them intercept Batman and quickly deduce that it is Grayson wearing an old version of the Batsuit. They begin their own investigations into the Heretic, unconvinced that Bruce is truly dead. Soon the Heretic and his henchmen attack Wayne Enterprises, forcing Lucius Fox to open the way into the vault by threatening his son Luke Fox, a soldier recently returned from Afghanistan. Though Grayson and Damian quickly arrive, they are unable to prevent the Heretic from escaping with Wayne technology, and Lucius Fox is non-fatally stabbed. Before they leave, Heretic kills Electrocutioner when he is about to kill Robin.

Heretic returns to his headquarters where it is revealed that he is working for Talia al Ghul. They have Bruce Wayne captured and Mad Hatter is slowly brainwashing him with a machine projecting laser like beams into his eyes and brain causing him to experience nightmarish visions of his parents and friends as well as several bats attacking him and drowning him. Mad Hatter claims Bruce's memories and experience, as well as his mental and emotional trauma, is causing the mind-controlling process to take longer on him than normal. The Heretic, apparently obsessed with Damian Wayne, then breaks into the Batcave and kidnaps Damian. Heretic explains that he is a clone of Damian, created by a genetics program created by Ra's al Ghul and the League of Assassins, using Damian's DNA to genetically engineer a perfect soldier with accelerated growth and development, but he was the only subject of the program to survive with Mad Hatter giving him an actual mind and consciousness. Due to his feeling of not being a real person, he wishes to have Damian's memories and personality implanted within his own brain with the mind programming machine being used on Bruce, but Talia arrives and then shoots Heretic dead for his disobeying her orders to leave Damian out of the conflict. Grayson and Batwoman then arrive, having located Damian through a tracker in his costume. They are quickly joined by Luke Fox, clad in an advanced combat exosuit and styling himself as Batwing. The three rescue Bruce and Damian, but Talia and her henchmen escape.

Weeks pass and Bruce seems to have recovered from the ordeal, though he remains adamant that Katherine and Luke not be involved, insisting that their heroics remain within their "family". Meanwhile, Katherine is suddenly attacked by her father. After disabling him, she discovers he had been brainwashed. She brings this to the attention of Grayson, Damian, and Luke. Dick immediately concludes that Bruce is still under the effects of Mad Hatter's mind control, though Damian is unconvinced. Luke reveals that the League of Assassins are planning to brainwash a number of world leaders at a tech summit held by Bruce Wayne with the use of advanced earpieces being distributed to the attendees.

As the brainwashing is taking place, Nightwing, Robin, Batwoman, Alfred, and Batwing arrive and fight Talia and her henchmen. During the fight, Mad Hatter is killed, thus stopping the mind control from undergoing to completion. Bruce, still under the effects of the brainwashing, is made to fight Nightwing and defeats him. Talia then orders him to shoot Grayson and Damian dead, but Bruce, with the help of Grayson's pleas, resists the effects of the mind control and disobeys her. Incensed, Talia escapes into her auto pilot vessel only to be met by Onyx, a member of Heretic's team who attempts to murder her in revenge for the ruthless death of Heretic, causing the vessel to crash and explode, resulting in both her and the latter's death. The "Bat family" then returns to the Batcave to plan their next move. Nightwing explains that none of the Mad Hatter's programming can function without him being around to activate it.

The Bat-Signal shines in Gotham City where Batwoman, Nightwing, and Batwing assemble to meet Batman and Robin on top of the police station where they see Penguin escaping cops by car. Batwoman and Batwing fly down, as Batman, Robin and Nightwing fire their grappling guns. On a nearby building, Batgirl observes the group launch their chase and fires her own grappling gun to join the pursuit.

Cast

Reception

Batman: Bad Blood received mixed to positive reviews.

References

  1. ↑ Manning, Shaun. "NYCC: CAST OF "BATMAN: BAD BLOOD" REVEAL FIRST FOOTAGE". CBR. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Manning, Shaun (9 October 2015). "NYCC: Cast of "Batman: Bad Blood" Reveal First Footage". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  3. ↑ Gerding, Stephen (January 13, 2016). "Exclusive: Nightwing's Romantic Life Takes a Hit in "Batman: Bad Blood" Clip". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
  4. ↑ Miereanu, Gary (November 20, 2015). "An ominous #BatmanBadBlood teaser for the weekend:". Retrieved January 14, 2016.

External links

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