‘Batman: Mask of the Phantasm’ Gets 4K Blu-ray Release For 30th Anniversary

There are few things in the realm of comic book or pop culture as beloved as Batman: The Animated Series. The iconic animated series celebrated its 30th anniversary last year, but this year the series only theatrically released film, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, is celebrating its own 30th Anniversary. Now, to mark the occasion, Warner Brothers is releasing the cult classic film on 4K for the first time.

The Legacy of Mask of the Phantasm

There are so many things that make Mask of the Phantasm a classic, but it all starts with a brilliant story. This Batman adventure saw The Dark Knight be framed for the murders of various crime bosses throughout the city. The trail of bodies leads Batman to the mysterious new villain The Phantasm who also has a tragic connection to the hero’s own past. That’s all you should know about the plot because this is a crime epic the likes of animation hadn’t seen before and hasn’t seen since. Over a decade before Batman Begins crushed it at the box office, Phantasm told Batman’s definitive origin story. From the breathtaking animation to Shirley Walker’s emotionally stunning musical score to the romantic undertones, this is one of the best Batman stories ever told in any medium. The heartbreaking twist at the center of this gothic tale of revenge and old wounds is also one of the most underrated narrative turns in cinematic history. While this film has incredible action set pieces, its effortless ability to make you cry with every rewatch is something many stories, animated or not, simply don’t have.

The Best Batman to Ever Save Gotham

This brings us to Phantasm‘s most rewatchable and best element, Kevin Conroy’s Batman. While Michael Keaton, Christian Bale, and Ben Affleck are all great Caped Crusaders, no one has come close to matching the complex emotional range that Conroy brought to this famous DC hero. 30 years later, Phantasm continues to prove why with Conroy’s best performance as the character. There’s one graveyard scene in particular that’s simply one of the best Batman scenes of all time thanks to the way Conroy’s voice teeters the line between emotional duress and brooding sorrow. Conroy sadly passed away in late 2022, but his incredible love for Batman and his fans lives on through films like Phantasm.

RELATED: Why Kevin Conroy’s Batman Matters to Gay Fans

When’s Mask of the Phantasm Coming to 4K?

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is hitting 4K Blu-ray in a two-disc set on September 12, 2023. The cover for the release hasn’t been revealed yet, but the 4K will most likely feature the film’s iconic poster artwork of a shadowy Batman floating against a bright blue sky bat-symbol and The Phantasm hovering over Gotham City behind him. Phantasm was a box office bomb thanks to a very poor marketing campaign, but it’s great to see three decades later the love this animated classic continues to get. It’s honestly one of the best films WB and DC ever released which makes it more than deserving of this exciting 4K release. Mask of the Phantasm’s streaming on Max now and the trailer can be viewed down below.