Now that 2018 has come to a close I thought it would be a good time to share my favorite physical releases of the year. I am a big supporter of physical media and will continue to support it. I like owning my movies that I can hold, not in some cloud somewhere. I love box art. This year was a great year for exclusive Steelbooks at Best Buy. Some of them will make my list. In deciding the number I fell on the most obvious one, 18.

Number 2 is another stellar release from Warner Archives, the long awaited Batman: The Complete Animated Series-Deluxe Limited Edition on blu-ray!

Most people that are comic book fans have a huge affection for Batman: The Animated Series. I remember being really young and loving Tim Burton’s Batman. I can still quote that movie almost verbatim, but as the years have gone by, 1989’s Batman has, to me lost its luster. Released in 1992, the Animated Series has only grown in appreciation with me. From timeless stories,  to the most definitive performance of Batman/Bruce Wayne, by Kevin Conroy and The Joker by Mark Hamill, The Animated Series is classic TV.

Animated in an awesome timeless 1930’s art-deco style, Batman looked like no other cartoon. The stories are accessible for children but deep enough for adults to enjoy. The cartoon is also somewhat violent. It doesn’t pull punches it delivers them like a solid right hook. Of course none of this matters if the characters are weak. The Animated Series has some of the strongest characterizations of Batman and his rogue’s gallery. Not to mention that it also created the most important and popular comic character in the last 25 years, Harley Quinn.

Warner Archives delivers Batman: The Animated series in a beautifully designed sturdy cardboard box. Inside the box you will find three mini Funko pops, Batman, Joker, and Harley Quinn. Inside the actual case is all 109 episodes on 12 discs from the five season run of The Animated Series. Also included are two full length movies, Mask of the Phantasm and Batman & Mr. Freeze: Sub-Zero. Also included are seven oversized cards with some art from the show. The discs are housed in nicely designed pages with episodes listed on the page.

Batman: The Animated Series arrives on blu-ray with an extremely pleasing debut in high definition. The picture is crisp and full of beautiful colors. The image looks sharp and the best it has ever looked. There are some dust flecks and some wobbly frames, but Batman has never looked better. I own all the episodes on DVD, and on some episodes, such as “Joker’s Favor” the reds are brighter and the greens lusher. On Batman’s costume the blue highlights look deeper and more pronounced. The show looks stunning.

Batman: The Animated series delivers bone crunching sound on blu-ray. The music thumps and the action is spot on. The dialogue can be heard with crystal clarity. Conroy’s subtle inflections between Bruce/Wayne and Batman are even more impressive.

Batman: The Animated Series is packed with extras. Warner Archives carried over all the features that appeared on the DVD releases of Batman. From audio commentaries on select episodes to 8 vintage featurettes, even if that is all Warner Archives put on the discs, that would be nice, but they produced an amazing new 3 part documentary called Heart of Batman. Clocking in at over an hour and a half this in depth documentary is truly great, well produced with some great interviews with the talent involved.

One of the best TV shows ever gets one spectacular blu-ray release. This is how to properly release a classic show on blu-ray. New transfer of all the episodes and tons of bonus features this is a must own.

Film: A+

Video: A

Audio: A+

Extras: A+

Overall: A+