Batman: Knightfall – Part 1 is a great first chapter to one of the most legendary comic storylines, my one gripe is I wish it were a bit longer however once it’s combined with a complete trilogy (as Warner has done in the past), it is going to be stellar.
Batman: Knightfall – Part 1: Knightfall
(2026)
Genre(s): Animation, Action, Adventure
Warner Bros. | R – 78 min. – $31.99 | September 8, 2026
Date Published: September 29, 2026 | Author: The Movieman
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Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this Blog Post.
The opinions I share are my own.
THE MOVIE — 4/5 |
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Plot synopsis: All its inmates have been unleashed upon Gotham City. As Batman races to round up some of his greatest enemies, he is pushed to his physical and mental limits and into a final confrontation with a new threat: the man called Bane! Quick Hit Review: As someone who collected comics back in the 1990s, particularly DC Comics, and to be more precise, Batman titles, the “Knightfall” series was such a changing point in comics and my dad would buy every issue of the Knightfall, KnightsQuest and KnightsEnd saga. While my comic book collection is mostly gone (sold some as I was moving, and what I wanted to keep was stolen), the Knightfall ones is something I would revisit. And now 30 years later, we get an expansive animated trilogy that has beautifully adapted with great animation bringing in those long ears on Batman’s cowl that was pretty symbolic of the 1990s Batman design. We also get here Bane’s backstory culled from “Batman: Vengeance of Bane” as well as a glimpse into Azrael that was inspired by “Sword of Azrael”, though his story seemed the least compelling and honestly could’ve used his own movie or at the very least vignette as of course the character is vitally important to this trilogy. The voice talents are well done with Anson Mount voicing The Dark Knight showcasing the character’s weariness as he battles the criminal element that escaped Arkham while Michael Mando was a wonderfully monstrous voice for Bane. I know the majority know Bane from 2008’s The Dark Knight Rises or worse anyone a bit older from 1997’s abomination in Batman & Robin, but I like the design and voice, albeit the venom-injected version seemed to have the size of The Hulk to be honest. |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 2¼/5 |
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This release comes with a redemption code for the Digital HD copy. It doesn’t appear there’s a slip cover. Batman Needs a Robin (7:01) is a featurette on the character and his involvement with the story. Breaking the Bat: Adapting Knightfall (10:17) delves into the original storyline and trying to adapt as faithfully as possible. |
VIDEO – 4½/5 |
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Batman: Knightfall – Part 1 breaks onto 4K Ultra HD and is presented with a 2160p high-definition transfer and a 1.78 widescreen aspect ratio. As most of these animated movies go, at least the direct-to-video variety, it looks perfectly fine in 4K with perhaps richer color aided by the HDR. Detail is good and black levels are well balanced. |
AUDIO – 3½/5 |
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The disc comes with a standard DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, so no Atmos, which does provide clear dialogue throughout however the action sequences didn’t provide all that much of a punch. Still it is a serviceable enough track. |
OVERALL — 3¾/5 |
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Batman: Knightfall – Part 1 is a great first chapter to one of the most legendary comic storylines, my one gripe is I wish it were a bit longer however once it’s combined with a complete trilogy (as Warner has done in the past), it is going to be stellar. |