Batman: Caped Crusader

Amazing. Absolutely amazing. Sometimes I wonder if those people that always complain actually watch it...

Bruce Timm has still got it!

I loved this show.

Being able to see Batman in his classic look without overusing technology brings a new breath to the character (especially in the current state of his comic books), the new reinterpretation of his gallery of villains was also very welcome among being able to see what Bruce Timm's original idea for Harley Quinn would be like.
The focus on Gotham: GCPD was a differentiator for this show and I really liked it, but I missed a few more episodes focused solely on Batman like the episodes "Kiss of the Catwoman" and "Night Ride".

The animation is inconsistent, in some moments it is beautiful and has a good use of CGI and in others it is extremely limited and still.
The soundtrack and intro are great and overall it was a great show and I hope it can continue.

I really like that they did something new with these characters that (some of them at least) have been around for almost 100 years. It’s hard to do, but they pulled it off. I do wish that we could have spend more time with some of the characters though,
[spoiler] particularly Harley Quinn, who’s a favorite of mine. I thought they were going somewhere really interesting with her relationship with Montoya, and then she was gone at the end of the episode. [/spoiler]

And that’s really my biggest problem with the show, it just didn’t spend enough time with some of the characters or ideas to really have the impact that I wanted. I overall had a great time watching it, but I think that I could have had a better time.

Thank god this show isn’t on max or netflix, they would have cancelled it for sure by now. This show def has potential but you gotta let them cook for a few seasons.

May be not the best animation show ever, it still has some good things going for it, first of all the lighting, all greys, muted browns, dark greens reflects quite well the dark nature of the story, the score too accompanies the show somber tones quite well, the choice to have set it in the 40s (from what i can tell from the architecture and fashions) is may be arguable, since there is open homosexuality pictures, and that would have been a no no in those days. [spoiler]The choice of making Penguin a woman in the first episode was a daring one.[/spoiler] All in all, as a revisiting of the original comics, it's not bad at all, good enough I binged it all in one setting.

As usual the "woke is bad" crowd will find ways to criticize, because that's what haters do. I find that a little tiring to see the same rehashed hate all the time ("it's woke", "women should be in the kitchen", "black men should be shining shoes or better yet picking cotton in plantations", "white men rule" and all those moronic opinions), but as loud as they are, you probably should watch the show yourself and make your own opinion (unless you're a MAGA clown, in that case stay away, it's not for you, you'll hate it, you'll only hurt yourself, and then come here proudly yelling how much you hated it, therefore annoying the hell out of the normal people.)

Oh and to those who whimper about the "forced political propaganda" in this show :

- https://www.polygon.com/22981669/batman-movie-1943-serial-war-propaganda
- https://imgur.com/ive-been-reading-1940s-batman-get-tickled-whenever-war-propaganda-comes-up-batman-12-G16QWiy
- https://www.thoughtco.com/thmb/JzDLVq3dVUG9a4uWs0-jtjbTEmo=/768x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/ww1-56a06de75f9b58eba4b07792.jpg
- https://static1.cbrimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/batman-30.jpg

I could go on and on, super heroes have _always_ been a vehicle for the political agendas of the time, deal with it.

‘Batman: Caped Crusader’ carries the spirit of ‘Batman The Animated Series’, but doesn’t quite capture its heart.


I was really looking forward to this show, and after finishing watching all 10 episodes of the first season, it has ended up being a bit of an interesting mixed bag for me. I really wish the promos and the marketing had done a better job at communicating that ‘Caped Crusader’ is a complete reimagining of most characters, apart from Batman, instead of focusing on the character of Penguin alone, because that would certainly help someone knowing what to expect going in. The show is not so much the spiritual successor of ‘Batman TAS’ but more of a completely new thing, taking place in a 1940s noir Gotham city, with most characters being given completely different backgrounds, origins, and motivations. And honestly, ‘Caped Crusader’ works better if you approach it not expecting to see the same characters as you know them from most of their comic book iterations.

The show definitely has more than a few positive elements: more diversity, characters being openly queer, Barbara and Jim Gordon being Black. Plus, it's a pleasant surprise to see diverse body shapes, especially among female characters in a Bruce Timm production. It was also nice seeing Renee Montoya and Barbara Gordon take so much center stage, even if Barbara isn’t Batgirl (yet?) in this version, and she is now a lawyer, she is still given a lot to do. Giving these two characters the spotlight is certainly one of the highlights of the show.

One has to respect that ‘Caped Crusader’ is very much doing its own thing, and taking a bold approach in reimagining some of the core elements of the Batman mythos. The show exists in its own 40s noir continuity, and makes a clear effort to reinvent most villains in a way that fits that narrative, with some legitimately interesting takes on the characters. Clayface and Harley Quinn specifically have some significant changes to them and their backgrounds. For Harley in particular, it’s interesting seeing her existing in this universe independently of the Joker, being motivated by something else completely. At the same time, not all changes work so well. This version of Selina Kyle, for example, which goes for the spoiled rich girl angle, is probably the most unlikeable depiction of the character I have ever seen. She mistreats her maid (and keeps her unpaid while she spoils herself and her cats), she lacks any sort of sympathetic personality traits, and she steals someone’s cat for no reason then abandons it on a rooftop to run from Batman. Generally, even her fondness of cats overall seems shallow and weird, rather than genuinely affectionate.

The show also pretty much goes for a version of the Batman who is in his early crime-fighting stages, and goes out of its way to highlight that he still has a lot of anger issues and he has not found his heart and his empathy just yet. Which is not a new approach, but the more human and vulnerable version of Bruce/Batman that Kevin Conroy so excellently portrayed is undeniably a more layered and intriguing depiction of the character. There’s only so much a story can do with a monotone, brooding Batman. Hamish Linklater and the rest of the cast all deliver some great performances as their respective characters, but not every character feels as deep and nuanced as the ones in the original Batman TAS. It’s the reason why both Barbara Gordon and Renee Montoya shine in the show, because they are the characters acting as the heart of the story against a one-sided, often unempathetic Bruce.

Perhaps my biggest gripe with the show is the way it changes Bruce’s relationship with Alfred, in order to highlight his coldness and how closed up he still is. I just cannot get behind a Bruce Wayne who calls Alfred “Pennyworth” instead of using his first name, in the same way a superior officer would address a subordinate, and is mostly impersonal and even abrasive towards him, no matter what plot point this eventually serves. It just taints the very specific fatherly bond between the two characters, removing something that should have been there from the start. The relationship between Bruce and Alfred works better when Alfred is established as the catalyst who has helped Bruce keep hold of his human, kind side because he was the one being there for him during the worst events of his life. Any other dynamic just doesn't have the same impact.

Decent. The changes surprised me and I'll even admit was a bit unsettling at first but they weren't bad and made more sense as the season progressed. Note, the first few eps are bit rough, not because of stuff like changing Penguin to be a woman but because it feels a bit disjointed and doesn't tie into the season well. It also isn't the faithful adaptation of the old classics some of the others seem to have wanted but it was done with updated modern sensibilities and for the most part, it worked without detracting from the core of the story. Showing a different take on Batman and the supporting characters is perfectly fine and might even appeal to a new generation of people, breathing in some fresh air for an otherwise aging franchise. I did find some of the conveniences a bit eye-rolling and some deviation in the classic relationships a bit of a dour point even though I can see what they're trying to setup for the later seasons. Still, it's par for the course in most animated shows like this so I won't begrudge it too much. Overall, I found myself enjoying this debut season, though I do have to add that I had low expectations and hadn't expected it to rival BTAS so if you are looking for more along the same vein, then you're likely to be very disappointed. If you like Batman and don't mind them trying out new things that don't change what makes Batman good then this show could be pleasant enough for you.

Also for those on the fence about whether this is woke garbage or something, the changes they made to the show don't detract from the characters...like on any subtantial level at all. You can easily imagine this being a close parallel universe with some minor changes to the characters. This is early Batman so things can easily develop closer to what we know and love; even if it takes a different turn, I'm honestly fine with exploring where the show takes us for now. If your biggest problem is them changing a few character's skin color, one's gender and them expanding upon a character's sexual identity which isn't set in stone in the comics anyways, then save yourself the trouble and just don't watch this show. Blaming it for being "woke" and not raising various legitimate pacing issues and a few pointless plotlines instead clearly shows where your priorities lie and there's really no way the show will be enjoyable for you. For everybody else who is less narrow-minded, does the inclusivity feel a bit heavy-handed at times? Yes. Is it pandering and does it make it unwatchable? No.

Lastly, just to end on a more positive note, I find Catwoman's look both hilarious and interesting. I know Golden Age Catwoman has one but it just looks so off when it's flapping around. Batman needs it to complete his look (and to glide and stuff) but Edna would tsk and tell her off for sure.

Good concept, bad execution. Not worth your time.

This show is endowed with, “THE MESSAGE!”