‘Batman: Caped Crusader’ (Season 1) Review: Throwback to the 90s
A dark figure looms in the shadows at night. He hunts criminals, crooked law enforcement, and supernatural beings to keep Gotham City safe. He is determined to clean the city by removing the gangs. The vigilante at the centre of this story is, of course, The Batman! Prime Video’s Batman: Caped Crusader, executive produced by Bruce Timm, Matt Reeves and James Gunn, is a ten-episode series that follows Batman (voiced by Hamish Linklater)— the caped vigilante in his villain-of-the-week adventures.
Timm previously co-created Batman: The Animated Series, one of the most iconic animated series produced at the time. It set the bar extremely high for comic book adaptations, and his influence in Batman: Caped Crusader is obvious because of the familiar tone and visuals. What better way to show gratitude to the medium and Batman: The Animated Series than by creating a new series set in an alternative universe with minor tweaks that stay true to the canon?
Batman: Caped Crusader introduces — or brings back — familiar characters to the screen, like Harleen Quinzel (voiced by Jaime Chung), who is an Asian-American with a different twist; the Gordons, Jim Gordon (voiced by Eric Morgan Stuart), the police commissioner and his prosecutor daughter, Barbara Gordon (voiced by Krystal Joy Brown), are Black; and a gender-swapped Oswalda Cobblepot (voiced by Minnie Driver), a female interpretation of The Penguin. The series also includes Catwoman (voiced by Christina Ricci) and Harvey Dent (voiced by Diedrich Bader). It opens with Gotham City in the middle of a gang war. The residents feel uneasy about it, while Harvey is trying to make the city safer by running for Mayor.
It’s quite interesting to see Harleen Quinzel portrayed in a different light — not as The Joker’s sexualised sidekick. In Batman: Caped Crusader, Harleen has a new backstory. The series brings a new interpretation to her origin story. Harley Quinn has many secrets. During the day, she works as a psychologist and at night, she wears her jester costume to torture people. She’s openly queer, showing an interest in Renee Montoya (voiced by Michelle Bonilla). In the episode, Harleen Quinzel is the central focus, while the jester springs up to cause havoc and intimidate her victims. Her dual personality brings a new perspective that works really well in this series.
Everyone knows Batman’s origin story. His parents died; he was orphaned at a young age; and the experience left him traumatised. Perhaps it is post Matt Reeves’ The Batman but Bruce Wayne, the man behind the mask, tries therapy for the first time after he punches a man. Surprise, surprise. He’s not a huge fan of it. The episode sees him opening up about the incident and dealing with his tragic childhood trauma. Bruce/Batman’s obsession with saving Gotham City from criminals has consumed his entire life. He would rather deal with his emotions through violence than go to therapy. The series attempts to dive into Bruce/Batman’s psyche but doesn’t reach its full potential.
Regardless, Batman: Caped Crusader is a fun and adventurous series that doesn’t try to reinvent Batman’s legacy. It takes The Dark Knight back to his early detective days and brings a wave of nostalgia that doesn’t seem to pander to fan’s demands. Even if the series focuses on keeping the same aesthetics as Batman: The Animated Series, the new story takes favourite characters and brings remarkable stories to the screen.
Here are some reading materials to learn about the genocide, ethnic cleansing and illegal occupation in Palestine:
Books about Palestine on Verso Books
Books about Palestine on Haymarket Books
More reading materials on Palestine
Operation Olive Branch is another useful resource to help families evacuate to Egypt and buy medicine and food by donating directly to their GoFundMe links.
You can also join the BDS (Boycott, Divest, Sanction) movement, a Palestinian-led movement as a form of resistance to Israeli occupation:
Read about Readers for Accountability on their website.
