Prime Video's "Batman: Caped Crusader" brings the nostalgia from the first animated series

August 2, 2024

Courtesy: Prime Video

(Spoilers ahead)

Batman: Caped Crusader is Prime Video's highly acclaimed newest animated series. It stars the infamous character Batman in the titular role from the DC Comics, voiced by Hamish Linklater (Midnight Mass, The Crazy Ones). The series premiered on the streaming platform on August 1.

Batman: Caped Crusader was initially slated for HBO-MAX, but Prime Video acquired the series. The first season, which consists of 10 serialized episodes, was directed by Matt Reeves and J.J. Abrams, with development by Bruce Timm (the creator of the original Batman: The Animated Series that aired on Fox Kids from 1992 -1995 with 85 episodes). It was produced by Bad Robot Productions, 6th & Idaho Motion Picture Company, Warner Brothers Animation, and DC Studios.

The series also stars Jason Watkins as Alfred Pennyworth, Eric Morgan Stuart as James "Jim" Gordon, and Krystal Joy Brown as Barbara Gordon.

In "Caped Crusader", Batman continues the good fight against corruption in Gotham City in the era of the 1940s, and the opening credits sets the tone immediately. With its noir setting, the series is highly praised for its diversity, distinctive artistic style and animation with dark, adult themes reminiscent of Christoper Nolan's "The Dark Night" trilogy, which starred Christian Bale as Batman.

We get the familiar origin story of Bruce Wayne transforming into Batman after the death of his parents in episode 3, "Kiss the Catwoman," while also touching upon his deep psychological issues related to their murders. The series showcases classic villains but with a refreshing twist as progressively, the first episode, "Treacherous Waters," introduces a female Penguin, Oswald Cobblepot (Minnie Driver), a fresh iteration of the character. This imaginative reinvention sets this series apart from the rest of its predecessors.

Courtesy: Prime Video

It's worth noting that while some fans may take issue with the fact that Penguin is now a woman, Minnie Driver, who voices the female Penguin, spoke at a roundtable event for the series at San Diego Comic-Con 2024, hailing the character as organic and believable stating, "She's a very new character that fits into the Batman oeuvre - it's a great reimagining. It's amazing as a lot of times today we are trying to redress the balance of representation, and you sometimes feel that things have been shoehorned in - it's more performative than organic."

Other notable characters and dynamics forged throughout the series are his relationships with Harvey Dent / Two-Face (Diedrich Bader), Catwoman (Christina Ricci), his therapist/ Harley Quinn (Jamie Chung), and Renee Montoya (Michelle C. Bonilla).

Rounding out the supporting cast are Mckenna Grace, Michelle C. Bonilla, John DiMaggio, Paul Scheer, Reid Scott, Tom Kenny, Jason Watkins, Gary Anthony Williams, Dan Donohue, David Krumholtz, Haley Joel Osment and Toby Stephens.

Courtesy: Prime Video

Episode List are as follows:

• 1 - In Treacherous Waters

• 2 - …And Be A Villain

• 3 - Kiss of the Catwoman

• 4 - The Night of the Hunters

• 5 - The Stress of Her Regard

• 6 - Night Ride

• 7 - Moving Target

• 8 - Nocturne

• 9 - The Killer Inside Me

• 10 - Savage Night

While the story of Batman may be familiar, the show takes creative liberties with its characters while maintaining the core essence of Batman through interconnected stories. The detailed action sequences help to amplify the adult setting as Batman fights his foes with grit and determination without the use of computerized gadgets that were integral with the more modern iterations of the character but are now more aligned with Batman: The Animated Series.

Batman: Caped Crusader makes this Batman more relatable than previous animated and film adaptations. It ends season 1 on a high note with plenty of material for season 2.

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Watch the trailer below:

Batman: Caped Crusader is currently streaming on Prime Video.