Batman: Death in the Family (2020)

DC Showcase Animated Shorts:

Batman: Death in the Family (2020)

Dir. Brandon Vietti

NOTE: image used is the DVD cover art. The Blu-ray art is much better, but is spoilerific.

It isn't the worst animation that DC has ever put out – because Batman and Harley Quinn (2017) exists – but it's a strong contender for the most perplexing. But before you even get to determine if you feel the same way, it's advisable to watch Under the Red Hood (2010) because DitF uses the same storyline and some of the same footage, but is tweaked to allow the viewer to see alternate paths for some of UtRH's primary characters.

To clarify, you're presented with a choice at certain points in the scenario, such as who will live or who will die, with subsequent footage branching to reflect that choice. Some of what you get is new animation, often giving backstory or referencing something from UtRH. Sometimes it's an entirely new sequence, but at others it's new intercut with existing animation from UtRH, meaning you'll have to sit through some of it yet again.

When you get to the end of your chosen path(s), which is somewhere around 20-30 minutes later, you can replay the disc and make different choices, towards a different outcome - if you could be bothered. The internet tells me there are at least nine alternate story paths (two of which lead to the same or similar conclusions), with seven alternate endings. I'm going to take it on faith that's accurate; I tired of the format and didn't replay it enough times to see them all.

One other thing to note, for whatever reason, Jensen Ackles as Red Hood was replaced by Vincent Martella, that's in both the new and reused UtRH animation.