Batman:Tales of the Dark Knigh

This is to many (myself included) the very best interpretetion of this iconic character in any film form. In fact, this series is the best animated treatment given to any superhero property since the Fleisher Superman shorts of the 1940's. Surely the Dark Knight's finest incarnation can be handled with a little respect.

Now, they've cut back from five episodes per disc to four? Unbelievable. Some episodes are better than others, and though I prefer to get them all in order, since the releases are so meager and infrequent, do we really need "The Underdwellers" (perhaps the worst episode in the run) instead of "Heart of Ice" (perhaps the best)?

Also, once again, here's that typical WB overly airbrushed box art which makes the characters look like parade balloons instead of representing the way they appear on the show. Would it be so hard for them to get Bruce Timm (or one of his able artists) to do decent covers instead....

Would it be so hard for WB to dump the UNIVERSALLY DETESTED cardboard box DVD covers already? If anything demonstrates WB's contempt of the average consumer so one or two executives can scam a few bucks off the top, look no further than these flimsy and awkward cases. I defy you to find a single consumer who doesn't grind their teeth about them.

Would it be so hard for WB to give us BOX SETS of Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, Looney Toons, Superman, Batman Beyond, Justice League, Taz, Tiny Toons, Freakazoid, etc.

Well, until, the right people at WB home video get justly demoted to a position where they can do no more damage and replaced by people who do DVD the way Fox and Disney do, we're ... stuck with this. I'm still debating if I want to replace my home taped versions. Probably not.

Anyway, I imagine the suits at Warner Brothers figured that the low price would encourage lots of casual purchasing by the parents-throwing-it-in-their-carts-for-the-kids demographic, while rabid fans would STILL pick these DVDs up, even though they're not the juicy, packed-to-the-gills-with-extras multi-disc collections they're climbing the walls for. And I guess that strategy is working, 'cause I'm a serious fan and I'M buying these DVDs. But maybe there's a better solution that can please everyone: namely, do both types of products. Sell inexpensive single-disc offerings like this one AND season-long boxed sets with premium extras. Put 'em both in the marketplace and let people buy what they want.

But until that day comes, these DVDs could be worse. At least the episodes are being released in chronological order, instead of being packaged in those horrible "best of" compilations that jump all over the map in time and leave huge gaps in your collection.

Anyway, I imagine the suits at Warner Brothers figured that the low price would encourage lots of casual purchasing by the parents-throwing-it-in-their-cart-for-the-kids demographic, while rabid fans would STILL pick these DVDs up even though they're not the juicy, packed-to-the-gills-with-extras multi-disc collections they're climbing the walls for. And I guess that strategy is working, 'cause I'M a serious fan and I'm buying these DVDs. But maybe there's a better solution that can please everyone: namely, do both types of products. Sell inexpensive single-disc offerings like this one AND season-long boxed sets with premium extras. Put 'em both in the marketplace and let people buy what they want.

But until that day comes, these DVDs could be worse. At least the episodes are being released in chronological order, instead of being packaged in those horrible "best of" compilations that jump all over the map in time and leave huge gaps in your collection.