Now streaming on Amazon Prime Video is the first season of new animated series, Batman: Caped Crusader. Developed by DC animation legend, Bruce Timm, with Timm, J.J. Abrams, Matt Reeves, James Tucker, and Ed Brubaker on board as executive producers, Batman: Caped Crusader is a high-profile ten-episode series set during the early days of Batman’s career.
In the show, Batman has taken to the streets of Gotham to tackle thugs and organised crime, but he has caught the attention of the Gotham City Police Department in the process. So, while he does his best to defeat gangsters, hoodlums, and costumed criminals, he also has to contend with GCPD being permanently on his tail.
Featuring the voice talent of Hamish Linklater as Batman/Bruce Wayne, Batman: Caped Crusaderfeatures a cast which includes Jason Watkins, Eric Morgan Stuart, Krystal Joy Brown, John DiMaggio, Gary Anthony Williams, and Michelle C. Bonilla. Meanwhile, the roster of villains includes Clayface, Catwoman, Gentleman Ghost, Harley Quinn, and Nocturna, as well as Firebug, Penguin, and Two-Face.
Taking inspiration from film noir, and utilising a 1940s aesthetic, Batman: Caped Crusader is a spiritual successor to Batman: The Animated Series. At times it looks and feels very much like its ‘90s predecessor, and if you adore that show then chances are you’ll like this one too.
But don’t for one moment think this is a direct continuation of Batman: The Animated Series, because it is not. While Batman: Caped Crusader may share many of the same ideas as Batman: The Animated Series, this show plays in a completely different sandbox and does its own thing entirely.
Batman: Caped Crusader is a new iteration with an all-new take on classic characters, as well as new stories built around a serialised season-long story arc. This show also does something which previous Batman cartoons haven’t done before: It puts more emphasis on the supporting players and less focus on Batman/Bruce Wayne.
An odd choice? Yes, but there’s still plenty of Bat-action, so don’t worry.
So, with various Batman cartoons in existence, including an exhaustive array of animated Batman movies, is the show worth your time? Well, for the most part yes, but it may not win over everyone.
The animation and the general tone is a hit; Hamish Linklater is strong as Batman/Bruce Wayne; and it’s clear a great deal of care and attention has been put into this series; but at times it is a bumpy ride. Despite plenty of positives, some of the writing is a bit hit-and-miss and I’m not entirely convinced the serialised nature of the show works.
The series also suffers from an underwhelming opening episode, which is largely quite dull. This could put audiences off before the show really gets underway, which in itself is a shame.
The season opener, ‘In Treacherous Waters’ features the Penguin, and other than a gender swapped villain (which has riled up the crazies online) there’s nothing remarkable about the episode. It is a bizarrely flat offering, and is simply not strong enough to launch the show.
Thankfully things improve considerably with the second episode, ‘…And Be a Villain’. This instalment is a Hollywood horror romp, featuring the original Clayface, and offers a decent mix of action, mystery, and the macabre.
Moving forward, episode five, ‘The Stress of her Regard’ has enjoyable elements, as does episode seven, ‘Moving Target’. Meanwhile, episode six, ‘Night Ride’ is a Scooby-Doo-style offering, and episode eight, ‘Nocturne’ serves up some dark sci-fi at the circus.
The final two episodes ‘The Killer Inside Me’ and ‘Savage Night’ revolve around Harvey Dent/Two-Face. Dent’s story has already been told quite extensively on film and TV, yet what’s served up here isn’t bad at all.
On the whole, Batman: Caped Crusader is decent stuff and if this is your introduction to animated Batman I’m sure you’ll enjoy it very much. The 1940s backdrop works well for the show; the focus on some of the lesser-utilised villains is a good choice; and there’s certainly more likeable episodes than there are not-so likeable ones.
This isn’t Bat-animation at its best – it’s not up there with Batman: The Animated Series or Batman: The Brave and the Bold – but it’s enjoyable nonetheless. If the writing can be improved for season two, then it has the potential to reach the same benchmark as its predecessors.
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