The film is the 12th entry in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies line and is a direct adaptation of the 1987 four-issue comic story arc of the same name.

Producer Bruce Timm noted that adapting the story was relatively straightforward because the original comic arc already had a cinematic quality.

Bryan Cranston initially turned down the role of James Gordon because he was unfamiliar with animation and classic comic book storytelling, saying he wasn't aware of that level of storytelling in animation.

Despite closely following the comic book, some scenes involving cigarette smoking and cocaine use were altered to meet the demands of the film's rating.

The film received a positive score of 88% on Rotten Tomatoes based on reviews from eight critics, with an average rating of 6.6/10.

The A.V. Club gave the film an A−, praising it for copying Frank Miller's dialogue and David Mazzucchelli's artwork almost verbatim at times.

The film was a commercial success, earning $6.1 million on a budget of $3.5 million, with sales coming largely from domestic home media.

The DVD and Blu-ray release included a bonus short animated film titled Catwoman, in which Catwoman confronts crime boss Rough Cut, voiced by John DiMaggio.