One reason why the character of Batman has endured for 78 years is that he’s so malleable. Sure, there are intrinsic qualities that unite various interpretations such as his superior intellect, martial arts skills and care for his fellow man, but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been portrayals on opposite ends of the spectrum. For example, both Adam West and Ben Affleck have brought something very different to the table, but neither man’s efforts were no less valid than the other – and the same sentiment can be extended to comics and animation.
Having said that, the time has come to embrace what the near future will bring. As it turns out, the Caped Crusader will once again venture to the Japanese anime arena, this time with Batman Ninja. Directed by JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’s Jumpei Mizusaki, this bold story will see – get this – the Dark Knight being thrown back through time to medieval Japan. There, he’ll be joined by a host of supporting characters that we’ll get into shortly.
By now, there’s a very good chance that you already saw the first trailer for this picture, but unless you’re able to speak Japanese, it was hard to tell what was up. Still, this radically different take on some of DC’s most beloved characters has been met with a real excitement from the fanbase, this writer included.
Fortunately, not only do we now have a full English trailer to present (seen at the top), but the voice cast has also been disclosed. Reprising their roles from other Batman tales are the likes of Roger Craig Smith (Batman: Arkham Origins) as the Dark Knight himself, Grey Griffin (Batman: Arkham City) as Catwoman, Tara Strong (Batman: Arkham City) as Harley Quinn, and Tom Kenny (The Batman) as Penguin. Additionally, Will Friedle – who previously voiced Nightwing and Batman Beyond‘s Terry McGinnis – will continue checking off boxes, this time inhabiting the role of Red Robin.
Rounding it out will be Tony Hale (Veep, Arrested Development) as the Joker, Fred Tatasciore (Family Guy) as Gorilla Grodd, Yuri Lowenthal (Ben 10: Omniverse) as Robin, Adam Croasdell (Reign) as Nightwing and Alfred, and Eric Bauza (The Adventures of Puss in Boots) as Two-Face.
Batman Ninja will be released digitally on April 24, with a Blu-ray release following on May 8.
