by Jeffery Rahming, Contributing Writer
Bruce Timm is quietly one of the most influential creators of the past 30 years. Before the MCU was even an idea, he had his own universe of interconnected, animated TV shows that introduced DC’s iconic superheroes to a whole generation of kids. With the culture in a seemingly neverending nostalgia kick, it’s no surprise that he was asked to bring his signature style back in a new TV show, Batman: Caped Crusader. Initially set to be on Max, the show was canceled and picked up by Amazon. Most of the decisions by the higher-ups at Warner Bros. in the past couple of years have been baffling, but this one is a loss that should have been an easy win. Caped Crusader is a unique take on the classic story that has something for old and new fans alike.
Once again, we are introduced to Batman (Hamish Linklater) in his early days — still mostly an urban legend and frequently fighting criminals and cops alike. Confident but inexperienced, he finds himself embroiled in Gotham’s complex web of gangsters and proto-supervillains. The side characters feel just as important, if not more, than Batman. Of course, he’s the one who comes in to save the day, but most of the romances, interpersonal drama, and detective work are with Gotham’s cops and lawyers. This Gotham feels a lot more like a small city, compared to the sprawling urban hellscape of most adaptations. Everyone already knows and has lived with each other for a while before the show starts. It’s as if a whole season of a Gotham legal show existed before Batman even got here.
The voice cast really brings their A-game. If you closed your eyes in some of the scenes, you would believe they were live action, and it helps the characters feel alive even when the animation is flat. Linklater’s Batman sounds uncannily like late Batman actor Kevin Conroy, which only adds to the nostalgia factor. A standout of the talented cast, both because of the character and the vocal performance, is Jamie Chung as one of the more unsettling interpretations of Harley Quinn.
The art style is a mixture of DC Animation’s current house style and the ‘40s aesthetic Timm’s first Batman show was famous for. But the animation feels a bit cheap compared to shows like Invincibleor similar throwback shows like X-Men ‘97. More than a few scenes feel stilted or awkward because the animation suddenly drops in quality. This is usually not during important scenes, and the show looks great when it counts, but the flubs can sometimes be distracting. However, the voice acting and storytelling are quality enough to forgive some animation gaffes. Plus, fans of Timm projects will enjoy seeing something close to his signature style again.
I can’t imagine anyone curious about Caped Crusader wouldn’t have a fun time with it, but I also can’t imagine it winning over anybody who’s not already a fan of the character. Luckily for Timm and his crew, Batman isn’t going to stop being popular anytime soon. For fans, this is another worthy addition to an ever-growing library of great stories that feels like a new take and a throwback at the same time. I look forward to spending more time in this version of Gotham.
Rating: Liked It
Batman: Caped Crusader is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video
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