Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale’s crime masterpiece is one of my favourite Batman arcs. Ever. Story & Art.
The Tomorrowverse’s ambitious two-part adaptation of one of Batman’s greatest comic stories delivers stellar voice work and gorgeous animation while squandering the immense potential. They could have just done a “manga to anime” adaptation with 13 episodes of 20 min each and we would have got a 9/10 gem.
What Works:
Jensen Ackles channels Supernatural’s intense brooding into a compelling Batman, while Josh Duhamel brings Las Vegas charisma to Harvey Dent’s tragic transformation. Naya Rivera’s final performance as Catwoman balances sultry confidence with emotional depth.
The animation somewhat captures Tim Sale’s distinctive gothic artwork with moody cinematography that occasionally matches the comic’s noir brilliance.
What Struggles:
The script consistently underwhelms, transforming Loeb’s razor-sharp dialogue into stilted conversations. Part One drags with sluggish pacing, while Part Two improves tempo but maintains the same hollow characterization. Key emotional beats feel underwritten, stripping away the psychological complexity that made the source material legendary.
The holiday mystery structure becomes meandering rather than tight, and Batman himself sometimes feels “lifeless” despite Ackles’ strong performance.
The Tragedy:
This represents a massive missed opportunity. Loeb and Sale created comic perfection-a noir thriller that redefined Batman storytelling. The adaptation captures the visual style but loses the emotional core, reducing a 9/10 masterpiece to competent mediocrity.
Bottom Line:
Exceptional voice casting and beautiful animation can’t overcome weak writing that fails its legendary source material. Worth watching for completionists, frustrating for anyone who knows what this could have been.
Great potential, wasted execution.
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