You have to imagine that for a citizen of the always foreboding Gotham City, it would be comforting to look up in the sky and see the effervescent glow of the Bat-Signal against a pitch-black sky. The first season of Batman: Caped Crusader may not contain the Bat-Signal within the animated frames of its first ten episodes, but for its viewers, it exudes a similar, constant state of creative comfort. A part of this comfort stems from the creative team, a real-life Bat-Family of heavy-hitting executive producers and storytellers who have contributed to the character’s story throughout the years, from ink-dried panels to cinematic adventures, and bring their talents to this latest take on the Batman mythos.
Creator and showrunner Bruce Timm defined DC’s animated universe beginning with Batman: The Animated Series, which starred Kevin Conroy, with his now iconic voice work, as the titular hero. Timm notably introduced the character Harley Quinn to fans worldwide, who has since taken on a life of her own. Executive Producer Matt Reeves, director of neo-noir The Batman, is bringing a new vision for the character to life on the big screen for today’s generation. Another executive producer, Ed Brubaker, is an acclaimed comic book writer who has written Batman stories for DC Comics and also created The Winter Soldier storyline for Marvel. Throw in J.J. Abrams among the other executive producers and you can tell that the people working on this show love this character.
Another part of that comfort stems from the animation style. If you grew up watching Batman: The Animated Series or other DCAU shows, then you’ll feel right at home as Caped Crusader echoes that same style. The action is smooth and fluid and the show’s creators constantly find ways to channel it within its story. In one scene, Batman battles a villain on a movie set where there are props. When the villain emerges with a sharp sword, Batman picks up another one nearby, and the two briefly skirmish across a room and up some steps. Moments like this allow the series to show off its fluid animation and provide a fun way to see Batman in action beyond his trademark brutal blows or silent takedowns.
One major element of Batman: Caped Crusader is that it allows us to see Batman in a slightly different context. The series takes place in a 40s noir-inspired Gotham, which extends to everything from the fashion design to the technology. Batman is known to be the “World’s Greatest Detective” in the DC Universe and, without as many of his high-tech gadgets, this series hones in heavily on this aspect of his character and spends much more time with those in the Gotham Police Department. Here, the audience gets introduced to characters like detective Renee Montoya (Michelle C. Bonilla), and the show does a great job at working quickly across 25-minute episodes to get you invested in these characters. Several alterations are made to the Batman mythology we know and love, which keeps you on your toes as a viewer – exactly what you want when there are mysteries afoot.
Investing in these characters is easy when the voice work is fantastic, just like in past Bruce Timm projects. Hamish Linklater as Batman is fantastic; like Conroy before him, his Batman voice is stoic and brooding without ever being over-the-top. He also adds a great, subtle distinction when embodying the eternal bachelor nature of Bruce Wayne. Other highlights include Minnie Driver as a gender-bent Oswalda Cobblepot, Christina Ricci as Catwoman, and previous Batman voice actor Deidrich Bader as Harvey Dent. Top to bottom, the voice acting will keep you intrigued by both the heroes trying to keep Gotham safe to the villains in the dark corners of its underbelly.
Batman: Caped Crusader is a comforting and creative animated trip through Gotham City. With its superstar creative team and talented voice cast, you always feel like you’re being guided with an assured hand. Whether you’re an OG fan of Batman: The Animated Series or someone who’s only seen the recent movies, this new animated series has plenty of twists and turns that no fan of Batman will want to miss.
All ten episodes of Batman: Caped Crusader Season 1 premiere August 1 on Prime Video.
