Remember The Animatrix? 2003's animated foray into the world of The Matrix was a wonderful showcase of what can happen with a collaborative effort. Seeking the creative minds of some of anime's best and brightest the project gave the Matrix universe a breath of fresh air and stirred up interest in anime in general. As a raging otaku and all around comic book geek imagine my enthusiasm when I had heard that a similar project was underway for DC Comic's Batman. Designed to obviously stir up interest among fans with the release of Dark Knight, Batman: Gotham Knight is every bit as successful as The Animatrix was.

Actually, while we're talking about The Animatrix it's worth mentioning how that particular release was polarizing for viewers. Some people just didn't know what they were getting themselves in for and because of that they left disappointed. Gotham Knight has the potential to fall victim to that fate as well. If you think this is a theatrical Batman movie or something like the animated American TV shows then you're probably going to be bored, confused, and disappointed. The content is a little slower than we're accustomed to and though some fantastic action is here it's definitely not a nonstop thrill ride. I suppose the biggest such factor about this release is that it feels different than the Batman we know and love. It has a distinct Eastern feel to it and homegrown fans who like Batman the way he is probably won't enjoy this. However, if you love anime, appreciate change, and you love Batman in any form then boy, are you in for a treat.

To give you a little more background into exactly what this release is, Gotham Knight is a collection of six short (painfully short) stories that are supposed to bridge the gap between Batman Begins and Dark Knight. Each of these tales, or mini-episodes if you will, has something unique to offer as they all came from different writers, directors, and animation houses. The end result is one of the most diverse offerings Batman fans have ever seen and dare I say that some of these interpretations are truly visionary.

There is an undeniable Japanese touch to just about everything here and there are some truly innovative takes on the character. It's safe to say that in most of these episodes you're going to see a spin on Batman that you simply haven't seen before. This is both a good and a bad thing when you get right down to it. The character has such an established history that seeing him presented in such a fashion will undoubtedly be jarring to many fans. Traditionalists will scoff at many moments here while those with an open mind about interpretations of the character will be amazed. While there are some new elements here these episodes also include some conventional ones as well.