The Animated Batman Movie You Loved As A Kid Is Finally Coming Back

Everyone has their definitive version of Batman while growing up. For some it was Adam West, for others it was Michael Keaton. Some people even like Batman & Robin for reasons that none of us can understand.

For kids in the 90s, few versions came close to matching Batman: The Animated Series. Spearheaded by Tiny Toon Adventures director Bruce Timm and written by Paul Dini, the series is still remembered today as one of the absolute best kids shows of all time.

It's hard not to see why. Between its hyper-stylized visuals and sharp writing, this was a series that treated kids like adults and didn't shy away from stories that were tragic, haunting, or sometimes even flat out terrifying.

Kevin Conroy's Batman and Mark Hamill's The Joker remain fan favorites to this day. They've each reprised their roles countless times throughout the years, including in the critically-acclaimed Arkham video game series.

The series even gave us the first appearance of someone who's gone on to become one of Batman's most popular foes: Harley Quinn! That's right, the Joker's on-again off-again love interest was invented for this show.

The show was a massive hit from the get-go, and so in 1994 they released the first official movie of the series - Batman: Mask of the Phantasm.

While its initial theatrical run wasn't a massive success, Mask of the Phantasm has remained a classic to everyone who saw it on home video as a kid. Many even consider it to be the best Batman movie ever released.

The movie's been long overdue for a blu-ray release, but Warner Bros. have finally announced that things are about to change.

Click to the next page for details on the blu-ray release and on why this movie is amazing.

The official Facebook page of the Warner Archive Collection announced today that Batman: Mask of the Phantasm will be getting a blu-ray release in July! Detailing out the blu-ray, the company confirmed that it'll feature full 1080p restorations of both the theatrical and home video aspect ratios, meaning you can experience it however you remember it best.

This is extremely exciting for fans (like us) who've been waiting for a blu-ray release of this film for a long time. If you've never seen it, here's what you're missing out on.

Mask of the Phantasm starts off with the revelation that a new costumed vigilante has appeared in Gotham City. Often mistaken for Batman, the Phantasm is actively hunting down members of Gotham's underworld and ruthlessly killing them, disappearing without a trace immediately afterwards.

Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne has been reminiscing about a time when he almost gave up on being Batman. That's right; turns out the Caped Crusader once had a love so strong that it nearly ended his pursuit of vengeance against the criminal world that killed his parents.

These thoughts come to a head when Andrea Beaumont, his ex-fiancé who returned her engagement ring and disappeared without a word, returns to Gotham. Does she have something to do with the Phantasm? And what ties does she have to Batman's greatest nemesis; The Joker?

Are you interested in checking this out?