by: Mia Francis

Physical Media is not dead. The Batman is one of the quintessential reference 4K Blu-Ray’s of 2022.

I was not prepared for the audible experience that The Batman on 4K Blu-Ray would prove itself to be. To say I was absolutely blown away would be an understatement. From the moment the title card appeared I knew this would be astounding.

At about 5:03 we begin Batman’s first monologue, we are transported into his world, into Gotham. The visuals are gritty, dark shades of gray and black create a bleak tone of despair. The sound of the chaos of the city envelopes you and so does Batman’s voice. The vocal clarity of the vocal mix is evidently clear in comparison to the theater and HBO Max. As we follow criminals throughout Gotham, we experience the sights and sounds of the element, the criminal underground, and we see and feel the shadows. Every drop of rain and every echo is perfectly captured, and the sound mix starts to showcase its presence in these early moments. We come to a scene where Batman confronts a group of gang members assaulting a citizen at a subway stop. Batman is the shadows and the disc quality creates an amazing ambiance in both visuals and sounds. We hear the sounds of his boots echoing in the water as we await his ominous appearance. Finally, he appears and the texture and color tone details do not disappoint. His Batsuit is perfectly captured in all of its various shades of dark gray and black, every dent and scratch clearly detailed. We’re treated with the sound detail of the first punch Batman throws and it’s a full-on assault on the criminals and our ears but in the best way. The foley work on this sequence is ultra-realistic and adds to the phenomenal work of the mixing engineers.

Moving on from this sequence to the beginning of Chapter 2, we see Batman walking into an active crime scene with Lieutenant Gordon and the tension in the air is visually and audibly nuanced. I heard details in that hallway sequence that I hadn’t experienced in the theater or on HBO Max. You feel drawn into the rift between the people that should be upholding the law and the one who is.

Chapter 7 delights us with one of the first bombastic explosions of the film at the mayor’s funeral, as more tragedy or justice befalls the city with the explosion of the DA. The right HiFi equipment will make this a standout scene revealing the pure force of the bass and the sound of shrapnel coming at you through every channel of the Dolby Atmos mix.

Chapter 9 treats us to the sound of the Batmobile starting up for the first time. The scene commands the attention of everyone, as it should. All elements are ever-present here with the shriek of the engine and flare of the nitrous fueled turbine imposing the fear that the Batman himself commands. The ensuing car chase involving the Penguin is nothing short of an adrenaline junkie’s wet dream. This sequence is a necessary demo scene to showcase your HiFi systems prowess, it will detail every bit of frequency response you should and could ever want.

Chapter 14 gives us a showcase of the talent of the sound design team for vocals, capturing the switches between the audio of the Riddler talking to Batman from behind and inside the interrogation cell at Arkham is simple but something I was in awe of the accuracy of. You see the beautiful symbolism of Batman questioning his own sanity, being an agent of change both in the light and shadows as the Riddler describes how Batman was an integral part of his grand design. The realization sends Batman into a rage-filled punching match with the glass separating them that shakes the room, providing you have a quality subwoofer(s).

Chapter 15 sends us into the last major standoff of the film as the Riddler’s plans are set into motion, the city’s sea walls are blasted open, flooding Gotham and washing away the corrupt, ushering in real change. In the midst of the chaos, the Riddler’s disciples descend upon the celebration of the new mayor-elect to terrorize the citizens and stop what they believe to be the continuation of the lies of renewal. We see Batman go through his most difficult fight, both mentally and physically. The sound mix here highlights the battle Batman must overcome to transcend. The foley work here once again stands out with the visceral sound of the punches and gunshots ringing throughout the stadium. We see him emerge victoriously, while the criminal element still lurks and is waiting to strike anew. The beauty of The Volume, an LED Technology used as an enhancement for the background of scenes is apparent as he stands in the light of dawn atop Gotham Square Garden, bringing hope to the city instead of just vengeance.

This movie is an ode to why physical media still transcends streaming in video and audio quality. The use of groundbreaking technologies like The Volume and the astounding work in cinematography, editing, and sound design should all be commended. The Batman is available today on 4K Blu-Ray from Best Buy, Amazon, and all other major retailers and is more than worth the cost, I implore anyone reading this to make it a part of your media collection.