Batman: Gotham Knight attempts to bridge the gap between Batman Begins and this year's Dark Knight with a collection of short adventures taking place between the two stories.
Each episode in the anthology is 10-15 minutes long and is directed by a different anime director, giving each part a unique feel and flavour. The stories are linked in their goal to explain the character of the Batman and how his presence has been felt on Gotham since the events of the first movie.
The concept is solid enough but the execution varies wildly between each of the installments making it feel choppy and lacking in depth. The short running time of each segment gives little time for a plot to develop - these are all about character and style. Fortunately Gotham Knight doesn't do a bad job of either.
Some of the segments look stunning - of particular note for me was the filmic approach adopted in the Killer Croc story. Sprays of blood and movement capture the imagination and up until the point when we saw the "villain" I was thinking that Croc might actually work in the Nolanverse. On second thoughts though maybe not...
Each portion reveals something about Wayne/Batman - his attitudes, how he is seen, the way he handles pain. I liked this but wished that there had been fewer stories given more time.
Whilst far from perfect this is a great way to whet the appetite before you head to see The Dark Knight (though if you're considering this you've probably already been to see it more than once by now). I hope that Warner Bros release another Batman anime title at some point soon; the concept clearly has legs and based on this, the style suits the caped crusader well.