When I examined the DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack of Bloodlines, it created a fine sense of action. The movie packed a fair amount of battles and involving material, and it used the five channels to impart that information in a lively manner.
Explosions and fights filled the channels to create a full spectrum, and quieter elements fleshed out the room as well.
Across the board, the material sounded good. Speech remained distinctive and concise, without edginess, and music seemed vivid and full.
Effects appeared accurate and tight, with clear highs and some powerful lows. All in all, the mix worked nicely.
Under DC Showcase: Death, we find a 19-minute, eight-second animated short that focuses on Neil Gaiman’s work. He recast the Grim Reaper as a Goth girl in this moderately engaging but somewhat superficial adaptation.
A Sneak Peek at Superman/Batman: Public Enemies fills seven minutes, 48 seconds and provides notes from DC Comics Senior VP/Creative Affairs Gregory Noveck, casting director Andrea Romano, executive producer Bruce Timm, script writer Stan Berkowitz, director Sam Liu, and actors Tim Daly, Kevin Conroy, Xander Berkeley, LeVar Burton, John C. McGinley and Clancy Brown.
They tell us a little about the production and performances, but mostly they just tell us about the story and how great it’ll be. This program remains nothing more than promotional material.
A Sneak Peek at Justice League vs. Teen Titans spans 11 minutes, 31 seconds and includes Liu, producer James Tucker, DC Entertainment Creative Director Mike Carlin, writer Bryan Q. Miller, and actors Jason O’Mara, Taissa Farmiga, Jerry O’Connell, Rosario Dawson, Shemar Moore, Jake T. Austin and Jon Bernthal.
Some notes about characters and story emerge. However, most of the piece just acts to sell the project to potential viewers.
A Sneak Peek at Superman: Red Sun occupies 11 minutes, 21 seconds with info from Timm, DC Entertainment VP Ames Kirshen, voice director Wes Gleason, producer Jim Krieg, and actors Jason Isaacs, Diedrich Bader, Amy Acker, Paul Williams and Sasha Roiz.
Like the other “Peeks”, we get basics about the movie’s content and arcs as well as cast/performances. It’s another entertaining promo.
A featurette called The Cheetah: Ferocious Archenemy runs 10 minutes, 50 seconds and provides remarks from Dawson, Kirshen,
DC Daily host Amy Dallen, and screenwriter Mairghread Scott.
As expected, “Archenemy” looks at aspects of the Cheetah role and her evolution over the decades. It becomes a decent overview but nothing special.
Finally, we get two animated episodes, both from Batman: The Brave and the Bold. We find “Triumvirate of Terror!” (22:46) and “Scorn of the Star Sapphire!” (22:46).
What connects these shows to Bloodlines? In “Triumvirate”, Wonder Woman and Cheetah play pretty sizable roles, while in “Scorn”, we get a quick cameo from Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor, though the story mainly focused on Batman and Green Lantern.
Three villains switch their targeted heroes in “Triumvirate”. That seems like a fun concept, but the episode proves surprisingly dull.
As for “Scorn”, Lantern and Batman team up to fight Star Sapphire. Like “Triumvirate”, this turns into a mediocre show.
The disc opens with ads for Batman: Hush and The Death and Return of Superman. Trailers adds promos for Joker, The Kitchen, genLock, Justice League vs. Fatal Five and Wonder Woman (2009).
Call me cynical, but I suspect Wonder Woman: Bloodlines exists primarily to prep viewers for the next Wonder Woman feature film. On its own, it comes with some decent action but the story and drama feel ineffectual. The Blu-ray offers excellent visuals as well as very good audio and a smattering of bonus materials. Bloodlines ends up as a forgettable superhero tale.
