‘Batman: Caped Crusader’ Sees The Dark Knight in a Night Without End

It’s been 85 years since Batman first appeared on the scene, lurking around the dark alleys of Gotham city. Naturally, being around for more than eight decades, the Dark Knight has evolved along with the audience. There are so many versions of Batman and his universe. It is as hard to keep track of them as it is to keep Arkham’s inmates behind closed doors.

The broad term for most iterations of Batman including Steampunk Batman, Vampire Batman or even medieval knight Batman fall under the category of ‘elseworlds’. These are worlds where the characters are reimagined and put in worlds so far removed from their original. It simultaneously preserves continuity and makes way for a fun what-if? scenario. Batman: Caped Crusader is similarly an elseworlds story.

In 2021 it was announced that Bruce Timm, J. J. Abrams and Matt Reeves were going to develop a new Batman animated series titled Batman: Caped Crusader. This would be a more gritty, darker, noir take on the World’s Greatest Detective in his early years with inspiration drawn from the Batman comics in the 1940s to 1960s period.

This seemed promising and hopeful; there’s nothing more revitalizing than a return to the roots. Modern Age Batman has been to nearly every kind of universe but there’s so much from the Golden, Silver and Bronze ages that deserve to be brought to the spotlight. The show was to bring something entirely different to the table. It was supposed to peel back the layers of the characters, and take a deeper look into the dark psyche that Gotham’s citizens possess.

Which it did not.

The animation and atmosphere nail the Gotham Noir aesthetic. It is the perfect blend of the simplistic style of Batman: The Animated Series-meets-1940s-crime-drama. There are the shadowy corners of downtown Gotham, the Iceberg Lounge, Wayne Estate and Batman perched upon a gargoyle in the dead of the night, waiting to strike on an unsuspecting criminal, to a flash of lighting illuminating him watching from the distance.

The audio also plays a huge role in setting the tone for the series, transporting you back in time. The cast does a good job in bringing the characters to life. Hamish Linklater’s portrayal of Batman may seem a lot more stoic than the norm, but it is a Batman still finding his feet in Gotham. It is the transitioning between the distinct personas of Bruce Wayne and Batman that stands out, especially in the scene where he’s conversing with Harvey Dent as Bruce, but momentarily slips on the mask of Batman.

It has been a long time since we’ve seen the long pointy-eared Batman so it’s nice to see that aspect make a comeback. This is no longer a Batman who relies on his gadgetry to get the job done. This is a Batman in a time when technology is limited. A Batman who busts the criminals the good old-fashioned way. This is a Batman who is less of the Dark Knight and more of the World’s Greatest Detective. It’s impossible for one to not to try and piece together the cases, playing detective along with him.

That said, the show doesn’t exactly shy away from the supernatural as is with the case of Gentleman Ghost and Natalia Knight. It takes away from the more realistic and grounded approach that the series started off with. But this of course pales in comparison with the liberties taken with the world itself.

For a show that has a period setting, Caped Crusader might have worked better in a more modern timeframe. This is probably because it caters to an audience of the present day rather than the ones who have grown up reading the comics the show is based on.

A show airing in 2024 cannot be without the stipulated diversity changes. Not that there is anything wrong with changing the races or genders of characters, but at least it should be done in a plausible way befitting the era it’s set in. Or better yet, create entirely new characters to fill in the blanks or bring characters from the source material who check the boxes of what exactly they were going for. The token representative changes neither brings anything new to the table nor does it have any consequence whatsoever to the plot. So, what exactly was the point?

One could suppose that the story does not take place in our world and instead, a fictionalized utopia where discrimination and prejudice do not occur. That sort of begs the question that in such a world, what need is there for criminals?

Neither Gotham nor its police department seem to care about whatever crime is being committed in the city. Commissioner Gordon is sidelined to make way for his DA daughter Barbara. Barbara seems to be sole champion of justice (other than Batman) functioning as a one-woman army. Batman himself is sidelined in his own story. There’s a very ‘Forget it, Jack It’s Chinatown.’ feel to it all.

Take Penguin in the show, for example. We now have a matronly lady known as Oswalda Cobblepot who runs the Iceberg Lounge. Part-time mob boss, part-time lounge singer, this iteration has her playing the role of mama Penguin to her two sons. Supposedly smart, it took a third party to point out that one of her sons was a rat in her organization. And despite this, she manages to kill the wrong son. In the end, she is apprehended by Batman. What was her backstory, her motivation? Versions of Penguin in the comics have pasts that shape the characters in the present. Why waste a character that could have been a major player in a one-off episode demonstrating how insignificant she is? If there was a mob boss plot needed, why use a big name like the Penguin?

Harley Quinn takes a more subtle approach this time and her arc felt the weakest of all the villains seen so far in the show. The fact that Harley’s girlfriend Detective Montoya didn’t even realize that the former was a villain does not bode well for Gotham’s police department. Here Harleen Quinzel is the whimsical therapist and Harley Quinn is the cold-hearted, sinister jester. More in line with her current anti-hero persona, Harley Quinn tortures her clients to reform. It’s always refreshing to see Harley hold her own without the Joker. In Caped Crusader, it definitely feels less like Harley and more like Hugo Strange. Strange was introduced as Batman’s adversary all the way back in 1940, so why not use him? Why use a character who has been done to death in the current era?

Nocturna’s arc also was a bit of a letdown. She was just an energy-drinking vampire Wednesday Addams instead of a crime boss astronomer, her original iteration. Her character arc wasn’t explored at all, which was disappointing as Nocturna hasn’t really appeared as Batman’s direct adversary in a long while.

In fact, there was no deep psychological exploration of the characters. Their arcs were resolved in a single episode and their depth was shallower than a dried-up kiddie pool. It was nice to see minor callbacks to obscure foes like King Tut. It might have been nicer to completely switch out the rogue’s gallery of overdone villains, though. With a clear hint of the Joker making an appearance in season two, it feels like the series is falling back into familiar waters.

Perhaps the most heartbreaking part about the show would be Bruce’s treatment of Alfred. It’s a first that Bruce refers to Alfred solely by his surname, Pennyworth. He’s constantly belittling Alfred, having no faith in his abilities to treat wounds or his deduction skills. Even Lucius Fox comments on Bruce’s mistreatment of Alfred. It took Alfred nearly dying to get a modicum of respect from Bruce. And it was only in the final episode that Batman hesitantly refers to him as ‘Alfred’. That’s character growth, one could say.

Even if Batman is still green, finding his way as a vigilante it’s surprising how he treats his surrogate father, especially when this Batman treats his adversaries kinder. Strange are these times.

At the end of the day, it all depends on perspective. Batman: Caped Crusader‘s contribution to the Batman mythos isn’t anything special. Batman: The Animated Series (1992) still reigns supreme on that front. It isn’t like the show is completely unwatchable. There’s just nothing that stands out here, there isn’t much to captivate you. Reading the comics from the 1940s still feels like a better option for a fresh look at the Dark Knight’s original universe. Especially with how much of it has been changed today.

Of course, staying true to the characters defeats the purpose of exploring them in a different light, which is what the Caped Crusader wants to do.  

On the other hand, a new animated Batman show is welcome if one doesn’t have too many expectations. There are moments when it does shine, cutting through Gotham’s impenetrable darkness.

DC fans are going to be divided no matter what. It’s a difficult job making comic book enthusiasts happy. Going into it as a casual watcher who just wants to enjoy a piece of Batman-related media, chances are that the show just might be what you’re looking for.