Broken Saints: The Animated Comic Epic

A kind of graphic novel come to life, full of shadowy imagery and rebellious attitude, Broken Saints—which began as a series of Flash-animated stories distributed over the Internet—is presented here as a comic-meets-cinema experience, with dramatic voiceovers lending a newly immersive quality to a tale told through a sequential set of beautifully illustrated pictures (viewers can also choose to watch the narration-less version that garnered a devoted following online). Told in a rambling freeform style, this tale of four people from around the planet inadvertently caught up in an apocalyptic conspiracy is strikingly original, and it hums with a dark paranoia that fans of comic gods Neil Gaiman and Alan Moore will recognize...as well as the humanistic spirit their work celebrates as the weapon to fight that darkness. DVD extras include five hours of bonus material: audio commentary on the entire series with creator Brooke Burgess and others; panel discussions, lectures, and interviews with Burgess; multiple featurettes; fan art and films; and DVD-ROM bonuses (such as MP3 clips and wallpapers). Recommended. (M. Johanson)