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.
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