Batman: Caped Crusader – Back To The Roots

Batman: Caped Crusader is the latest attempt at a DC Batman animated series, following the footsteps of the plethora of DC animated content over the years. Originally optioned as a Max show, Batman: Caped Crusader ended up being optioned around to various distributors, eventually landing in the hands of Amazon for their Prime Video service. While it was never truly made clear why Warner Brothers would turn down a streaming opportunity for one of its own intellectual properties, the cards have landed where they have, and Batman: Caped Crusader is finally here. One part detective drama and one part period piece, Batman: Caped Crusader takes the Batman franchise back to its roots, placing the titular character in a Gotham more akin to the classic Batman: The Animated Series than anything else.

The ties to Batman: The Animated Series are very clear from the get go, with a poster/promotional image harkening back to that show, all while Bruce Timm is the man in the chair, returning to tell a new Batman tale. Yes, Bruce Timm, one of the Batman: The Animated Series’ creators is back with a new Batman show. The similarities are very apparent, especially in the animation style and tone, something that will definitely ring with classic fans. That being said, this is definitely a different interpretation of Batman, one that is placed in an ambiguous 1940s-1950s setting. The first two episodes definitely show that this is a show about the mystery first and The Batman second, with Batman playing the role of the detective in this show more than he has at all in the last decade.

From a casting and characterization perspective, this show does a lot of subversion, with the immediate reveal that this version of The Penguin is a Woman, Oswalda Cobblepot. Additionally, Jim Gordon and Barbara Gordon are both African American in this continuity, a shift that mirrors Matt Reeves’ The Batman and the canned Batgirl film. These changes never hurt the plot or dramatically change the show, but they do add the needed diversity to Batman’s long standing mostly white male supporting characters. This show also introduces Hamish Linklater as the voice of Bruce Wayne and Batman, a topic that always seems to be at the top of fan’s minds. With the recent passing of Kevin Conroy, the man whose voice is now synonymous with the character, there was a lot of discourse regarding who could pick up this mantle. DC’s recent animation offerings have had their own approach; however, there is no doubt that Linklater takes the cake. He does an excellent job doing both voices, showing how Batman puts on that fake voice when he is not in costume. Overall, the characters and the voice acting work great in this show.

From a plot perspective, this is a gritty, noir style drama. For people expecting a more modern, Justice League type Batman, this is not that show. Batman: Caped Crusader puts the mystery and the detective work at the forefront. This allows the world of Gotham, the characters, and the drama all to seep to the front of everyone’s attention, without the show relying on cameos and references. Yes, the show does reuse some plots from the classic Batman comics, but this is a show meant to appeal to fans from all walks of life. At the end of the day, Batman: Caped Crusader succeeds at being the noir drama that it advertises itself as; however, there is something to be said about the loss of spectacle. Unfortunately, the appearance of Batman in this world never feels alarming or shocking, despite all the characters referring to Batman as a myth. It almost feels as though the showrunners expect fans to not be surprised by Batman which unfortunately extends to the characters in the show itself. This gritty, often fantastical world elicits reactions and drama that it unfortunately never does, mainly because of the way the writers and showrunners leave little to suspense.

The biggest downside of Batman: Caped Crusader is actually the animation. Single scenes and shots work well; however, there are some edited cuts that almost feel jarring. Batman: Caped Crusader definitely feels like a show that was chopped up in post production. This is unfortunate since the animation style looks so great and most of the show looks fantastic. Additionally, Batman: Caped Crusader is done a huge disservice by being shown on Amazon Prime Video. This is a show made for streaming; however, it does have logical breaks for commercials. Amazon does not seem to catch that concept and puts these commercials at the most random times. In both episodes, a commercial break popped up in the middle of a character speaking. Amazon needs to correct this if it plans on airing shows like this, especially since one of the commercial breaks was in the middle of a core piece of dialogue.