Batman--Back to Basics!

 Ever since I was a small child, I've been a fan of the Caped Crusader, from the Adam West series of the 1960s to Tim Burton's cinematic adaptations from 1989 and 1992, to Bruce Timm's Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1996), and animated successors, even Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, and the prequel series Gotham.

Given that history, I was very excited to hear that a new animated series, Batman: Caped Crusader, was on the way. The series dropped a few days ago on Amazon's Prime Video service, and having watched all ten episodes of the first season, I was not at all disappointed.

At first glance, this series appears as if it is a thematic continuation of the brilliant Batman: The Animated Series, but it is more of a reboot, sharing little in the way of direct continuity with the 1990s series, but nonetheless thematically closer than some others. Set sometime in the 1940s, most likely in the postwar period, Caped Crusader pays homage not only to BTAS, but also to the to movie serials, released in 1943 and 1949 with opening titles in black and white. The series uses a more muted color palette, and artwork that appears heavily inspired by the Fleischer Studios Superman cartoons from 1940-43. If you've ever wondered what a Fleischer Batman cartoon might have looked like, Caped Crusader could hold your answers.

In addition to being visually darker than its predecessor, Caped Crusader also takes a decidedly darker tone with coarser language, more adult themes, and characters actually getting killed, earning it a TV-14 rating, compared to its predecessors' TV-7 . But despite its nostalgic milieu, the show also caters to contemporary sensibilities with ethnically diverse characters, and in one episode, the beginnings of a queer romance. And speaking of gender, one of the core bat villains has undergone an extreme makeover in Batman: Caped Crusader; The Penguin is now a woman, renamed Oswalda Cobblepot. Voiced by Minnie Driver, the character works well and is perhaps even more menacing than her male predecessors. Also re-imagined is Harley Quinn, who originated in Batman: The Animated Series as a sidekick to the Joker. To provide further details would create spoilers for those who haven't watched season one yet, so I shall refrain, except to say she isn't Joker's sidekick, girlfriend, or anything else. It's not that they had a falling out, it's just that Joker doesn't figure into season one at all, except for a teaser scene, embedded in the closing moments of the season finale. Also missing from the Gotham rogues' gallery in season one were the Riddler and Mister Freeze. While Barbara Gordon figures prominently as a public defender, she does not defend the public in the guise of Batgirl, nor does Robin, the Boy Wonder make an appearance at all.

I have to say that I went into this new animated iteration of Batman with a little trepidation, knowing that the late Kevin Conroy would not be voicing the Caped Crusader or his counterpart, millionaire Bruce Wayne. Fortunately, Hamish Linklater ably fills the cape and cowl, doing honor to his predecessor without imitating him.

My only real complaint about season one of Batman: Caped Crusader is there were only ten episodes, which was hardly enough for an immersive experience. It is more akin to an appetizer plate, enough to whet one's appetite but not quite sufficient to fully satisfy on its own. Fortunately, a second season is already in the works, and one can only hope that it will be even bigger and better than the first one.

Keurig Adventures

 I've been using Keurig coffee brewers for almost a decade, but I was initially put off by their steep price. I finally became a convert after picking one up on the cheap second-hand at a thrift shop. I've now gotten several for between $9 and $20. Some have needed a little cleaning before use, and I routinely run a white vinegar solution through them to disinfect them before use, but they have all served me well. Below is a rundown of the models I've owned and my impressions of them.

B40--This was the first Keurig I owned. It's the most basic version of the classic Keurig. There is no temperature adjustment, and only two serving size choices, four and ten ounces. The water tank holds 48 ounces, which had me refilling it every other day when it was in daily use. The coffee was a little watery, but still palatable. This is the only Keurig I've had that has stopped working. All the others are still fully functional. This one was $20, back when Keurigs were still a rare sight at thrift shops. Today, they are a common fixture.

K45--A slightly updated version of the B40 with three size choices: four, six, and ten ounces. All other features and specifications are the same as above. Mine is the red variant, and everyone who sees it wants it. It was $9 well spent.

B60--An upgraded version of the B40, it has all of the features of the machines above; in fact, the water tanks and drip trays are interchangeable. Its claim to fame is an LCD display and a metal cover for the drip tray. I got this one to replace the B40 after it died. This one was a spendy $20 at the time.

B71--This was Keurig's top-of-the-line single-serve brewer when it came out, featuring a 70-ounce water tank, five serving size settings, ranging from four to twelve ounces in two-ounce increments, temperature adjustment, and an LCD display with a clock and auto-on option. This model also has a couple of annoying features. It is almost impossible to install the water tank when full without splashing water out of it; also, the power switch is inconveniently located on the right hand back side, instead of on the top. It now lives in my main office. Despite its flaws, it was an excellent $12 investment and has served me well.

K-475 (Keurig 2.0)--Keurig's attempt at a more high-tech approach, it gets a lot of stuff right, but misses the mark on some other things. Its most striking feature is a color LCD touch screen display. It also comes with an optional carafe that will keep coffee warm for a few hours. It requires super expensive, and hard to find, large K-cups. I opt instead for the reusable coffee ground holder, but that makes very weak tasting coffee. To compensate, I add a quarter teaspoon of instant. It's just enough to boost the flavor without giving it the bitter instant coffee edge. The Keurig 2.0 series incorporates the an ill-conceived, and ultimately unpopular, DRM (digital rights management) scheme to detect "genuine" K-cups and reject those it does not recognize. The only issue I've had with this is it rejects all but one of my single serving reusable K-cups. Thankfully, this feature/annoyance died when the Keurig 2.0 series was retired. Nonetheless, this is the Keurig I use daily in my kitchen. It will continue to have a place there, thanks to the carafe, because I do occasionally like to brew a pot of coffee, instead of just a cup. The Keurig 2.0 series also introduced the 'strong' setting, which slows down the brewing process a bit to create a more robust brew. For better or worse, this feature is only available when using single serving K-cups. I picked this one up for $10 and found the carafe on different shelf, priced at $4. 

UPDATE--Since writing this, I have found a better way to get good flavor with loose coffee grounds. I acquired an electric coffee grinder, which I use to more finely grind the coffee, allowing for a richer brew. I also had to get some new single serve reusable pods that have a purple stripe on the top in order to be recognized by the notorious Keurig 2.0 DRM system.

K-1500--Part of Keurig's commercial lineup, this brewer is built for durability, offering a somewhat spartan feature set, reminiscent of the Classic series. All the essential basic features are there, but no extras. It sports a 96-ounce water tank, four serving size settings from six to twelve ounces, and a 'strong' button. Although it is not included, the filter assembly for a Keurig 2.0 brewer will fit it. I have this one in my satellite office, a location where refilling the tank is sufficiently inconvenient that having the extra large water capacity is a definite plus. This one was $15.

K-Elite--Although designed for household use, this brewer seems to share a considerable amount of DNA with the K-1500 above. I haven't been able to try it, but I would not be surprised if the 75-ounce water tank is are interchangeable with that of the K-1500. In addition, it has dedicated buttons for five cup sizes, ranging from four to twelve ounces, a 'strong' button, high altitude setting, adjustable brewing temperature, and LED clock display. One design feature is a bit of a throwback to the classic line, in that there is no dedicated "brew" button. Instead, selecting the serving size initiates brewing. Like the K-1500, it does not include a filter kit but will accept the Keurig 2.0 style. One minor design flaw is the water level in the tank is not visible from the front of the brewer, only from the side. This is a recent $11 impulse purchase. I am very pleased with it and it has now found a home in my main office, replacing the B71.

Shopping for Keurigs at thrift stores can be an adventure, as prices are random at best, and are seldom based on anything resembling logic, with base models sometimes commanding higher prices than more deluxe ones. When I bought my K-475 for $10, there was another one next to it for $12 that was in visibly worse condition. When I bought my K-Elite, it was the newest and cheapest of three Keurigs on the shelf. The middle machine, in terms of both age and price, was a K-475 for $12, and the oldest one, a B40, was priced at $15. Prices sometimes soar into the stratosphere, as high as $40 or $50, regardless of model. Needless to say, those sit on the store shelf for a long time. They seem to sell most readily in the $10-$25 range. The most annoying thing about thrift store Keurigs is when parts like tank lids and drip trays get scattered across the shelves, and eventually end up in the trash unless someone reunites them. Some thrift shops have begun to wise up to this phenomenon and now tape these loose parts into place.