BATMAN BEYOND RETURN OF THE JOKER BLU RAY RELEASED this month

you should definitley check it out there some major improvements!Return of the Joker looks the part as well. Granted, Warner's 1080p/AVC-encoded presentation has drawn some fire of late, but almost all of it is unwarranted and based on misinformation and misunderstanding. The confusion stems from the Blu-ray edition's aspect ratio: while the previously released DVD is presented in 4:3 letterboxed to 1.78:1 widescreen, the BD is presented in 16:9 1.33:1 open-matte via a pillar-boxed image. Did Warner crop the picture? Is ROTJ's high definition debut a window-boxed fiasco? Are we dealing with a non-anamorphic disgrace? Thankfully, the answer to each question is a resounding "no." Though Timm and his fellow filmmakers' original intent was for Return of the Joker to be presented in widescreen, Warner's encode is an open matte beaut; one that showcases every inch of the animators' work. That being said, the studio could have avoided alienating any fan by including both the film's 1.78:1 widescreen and open matte 1.33:1 presentations. Options are always appreciated, and tossing in both versions would have been ideal. But should such wishful thinking affect an evaluation of an otherwise commendable encode's raw quality? Not in my estimation.

The first thing Batman Beyond junkies are bound to notice is the high definition image's color, contrast and clarity. Arresting splashes of intense primaries fill the screen, stark comicbook inkiness lends every neo-noir shadow and pitch black silhouette a welcome richness, and the animators' lineart is crisp, refined and only subject to almost negligible intermittent aliasing. (The bridge of the Joker's nose is affected more than anything else, but it rarely amounts to a distraction). The technical presentation is notably proficient as well. Minor artifacting and banding haunt a number of backgrounds -- enough to draw the eye on more than one occasion -- but I suspect most instances trace back to the film's source, not an encoding deficiency. Moreover, significant compression anomalies, noise and other issues aren't a factor. To cut to the chase, Return of the Joker has never looked better and DVD owners will be more than satisfied with the upgrade.