Batman: The Killing Joke animated film gets summer release date

Batman: The Killing Joke, the latest animated movie out of Warner Bros.' animation division, will be available to purchase digitally on July 23 with a physical, deluxe Blu-ray edition coming out in August.

According to Entertainment Weekly, while digital versions of the the film will be available through online retailers July 23, those who want all of the extra bonuses will have to wait until Aug. 2. The deluxe edition of the film includes an episode from the upcoming The New Batman Adventures and an episode from Batman: The Animated Series. Fans will also get two featurette documentaries that focus on the music of the film and the iconic look of the Joker in Alan Moore's comic book. Warner Bros. has not said how much either edition of the film will cost.

The animated film, which finds Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy reprising their roles as the Joker and Batman, respectively, is an adaptation of Moore's controversial comic. Regarded by many as the definitive Joker origin story, the comic remains to this day a highly controversial piece of work.

Warner Bros. executives are aware that the comic has been heavily debated over the years since its initial release in 1988, but said they wanted to stay as true to Moore's work as they could. In order to ensure they could get away with a much as possible, the film will be rated-R, making it the second Batman movie to ever receive the rating. There will be additional scenes added, however, to ensure that there's enough narrative to fill an entire movie.

Batman: The Killing Joke will have its world premiere at San Diego Comic-Con for those in attendance.