“Batman: Caped Crusader is a masterpiece setting the new gold standard for Batman. It’s a mature noir series that tells a captivating crime story with each episode. This series is a 1940s-set period piece with impressive visuals and Frederik Wiedmann has crafted the next outstanding Batman theme!”
DC Comics fans have long been waiting for another Batman animated series, and it’s finally here. Batman: Caped Crusader is executive produced by J.J. Abrams (Star Wars: The Force Awakens and The Rise of Skywalker), Matt Reeves (The Batman) and Bruce Timm (Batman: The Animated Series). The first season is composed of ten episodes and premieres globally August 1st on Prime Video.
A TALENTED CREATIVE TEAM
Undoubtedly, DC Comics has been a hit-and-miss in recent years but they never failed with their animated series. Indeed, Harley Quinn and My Adventures with Superman have been fantastic series. And as a Batman fan, I was obviously looking forward to this new iteration of the Dark Knight, especially with a creative team like this one. Matt Reeves has crafted the best Batman film. J.J. Abrams is a talented director and producer. Finally, Bruce Timm is behind the best DC series – Batman: The Animated Series. Obviously, this also brings a lot of expectations for this series. It’s never easy to do a new take on a character after a series that is so revered and universally loved. But let me reassure you, Batman: Caped Crusader doesn’t disappoint. In fact, it even exceeds my expectations.
Bruce Timm knew exactly what he was doing when he teamed up with Abrams and Reeves. When he created Batman: The Animated Series, he was censored and couldn’t do everything he wanted. This new series rectifies that. This time, Timm has no limits and does what he always wanted to do. That reason alone justifies why we needed a new Batman animated series.
A NOIR STORY
This series is a proper Batman detective story with a noir style. It’s dark, cynical but also more mature than BTAS. Each episode features Batman solving a different crime. Even though each episode tells a self-contained story, everything is connected and there is an overall narrative arc that becomes clearer in the final episodes. So, it’s an episodic series that is elevated by its serial storytelling.
A new series also means different takes on the characters. Batman: Caped Crusader cleverly reinvents some of the characters we know while still being faithful to what they’re supposed to be. It keeps things fresh and entertaining. In addition, it doesn’t shy away from the supernatural elements of the story that some Batman adaptations did. The supernatural is an intricate part of Batman mythology. With Harley Quinn and Renee Montoya, the series also has an LGBT storyline, which makes me incredibly happy. These two are LGBT characters, thus it makes sense that it is part of their story in the series.
All of that gives us captivating episodes, there is not a single miss. This series has set the new gold standard for Batman, a masterpiece from start to finish.
VOICE CAST
It’s well-known that Batman castings are always unexpected choices. At the time, people weren’t sure that Michael Keaton was the right man to play the Caped Crusader, yet when his film was released people loved him. It was the same with Christian Bale, Ben Affleck and more recently Robert Pattinson. And I would say it’s the same for Hamish Linklater. When he was announced as the voice of Batman/Bruce Wayne, I didn’t know what to think of it. However, watching the series, I have to say he’s the right choice for this role. His speech pattern and tone for both Bruce Wayne and Batman are impeccable. Linklater’s performance truly reminds me of Kevin Conroy. This should tell you how good he is.
Furthermore, Linklater is accompanied by an amazing ensemble voice cast. Diedrich Bader is an excellent Harvey Dent, you can feel the arrogance in his voice. Christina Ricci is just as great as Selina Kyle. And Jamie Chung handles masterfully the duality of her character – Harleen Quinzel the psychologist and Harley Quinn the anti-hero.
VISUALS
Moreover, Batman: Caped Crusader takes place during the 1940s. It’s actually the decade following the real-world debut of Batman in Detective Comics #27 in 1939. It’s also the decade considered as the classic period for film noir. Because of that, there’s no high tech gadgets, it’s a grounded world. Batman: The Animated Series famously took elements from several decades creating its own style. But this one really goes full 40s. It’s a more refined visual aesthetic that uses a pure noir style. These are impressive visuals.
Until now, the Gotham from Tim Burton’s Batman films was my favourite because its gothic aesthetic felt perfect for this universe. But this series has found the perfect recipe for Gotham. It takes inspiration from the Gotham of BTAS and New York from the 40s while adding a noir aesthetic. At the same time, it feels like a magnificent place and a dangerous one. This gives us the ultimate Gotham City.
Because of the time period, Batman has a costume that is quite similar to his very first costume from the comics. It blends seamlessly with its world. What’s more, the series gets to revisit the designs of several characters that includes Catwoman, Harley Quinn and Clayface. All of the designs feel like they fit right within the 40s. Clayface is my favourite one. He is genuinely scary and looks like a proper gangster. The animation itself is similar to Timm’s previous animated series but only better because in 30 years, there’s been progress in what animators can do and how they can do it.
SOUNDTRACK & CREDITS
On top of that, Frederik Wiedmann has composed a dark and ominous score, one that is at the same time an outstanding noir and Batman score. His Batman theme is fresh and new while still feeling like a proper Batman theme. It’s a slow and dark theme. Much like Danny Eflman’s, Michael Giacchino’s and Hans Zimmer’s themes, you will remember this one!
Finally, you can’t have a Batman animated series without an opening credits. It’s part of its DNA. And this one has a memorable opening. It’s one that you won’t want to skip. As a matter of fact, it’s an opening credits that perfectly captures the dark and mysterious atmosphere of the series using film noir aesthetic. On top of that, it’s in black and white, which makes it even better. Between its visual and the music theme, this opening credits is instantly iconic.
The series also features a black and white end credits, using its Batman theme and a different background for each episode. Clearly, everyone will be watching each episode until the very end of the credits.
VERDICT
Batman: Caped Crusader is a masterpiece setting the new gold standard for Batman. It’s a mature noir series that tells a captivating crime story with each episode. This series is a 1940s-set period piece with impressive visuals and Frederik Wiedmann has crafted the next outstanding Batman theme! It is undeniably the best DC series since Batman: The Animated Series and also one of the best series of the year. Undoubtedly, this one deserves to run for many seasons. It has the right format to do so.
Batman: Caped Crusader premieres August 1st on Prime Video.
Collectables and Anime Editor for Future Of The Force.
Star Wars expert and Japan connoisseur.
