Batman: The Old Age 

Batman: Caped Crusader is an animated action-adventure show starring Batman and all of the notable inhabitants of Gotham City. It takes heavy inspiration from Batman’s early comic book days, especially in the art department. The show was produced by Bruce Timm, who notably worked on both Batman: The Animated Series and Batman: Beyond, as well as created by Bad Robot Productions and DC Studios. It is currently available on Amazon Prime Video and consists of one season with 10 episodes.  

Out With the New and in with the Old:

Instead of a more traditional contemporary setting for Gotham, Batman: Caped Crusader puts the Dark Knight sometime during the 1940s, around the time the first Batman comic was released. In doing so, it goes back to the character’s roots and pays homage to the original version of his story. This is a refreshing take on Batman, as there are very few Batman series and movies that don’t take place during the present day. Some of the most notable are Batman: Gotham by Gaslight, which takes place during the Victorian era, and Batman: Ninja, which spends most of the run time in feudal Japan. But other than that, everything else, including the core traits of the characters and most of the story, is the same. This is still the same Batman, Gotham, and cast of characters that we all know and love.

Deja Vu but with a twist: 

As with any Batman story, the show comes with an extensive lineup of iconic allies and a rogues gallery of the caped crusader, all of them supporting variations or exact replicas of their classic looks. On the topic of characters, I like how this show added some lesser-known or not-very-popular figures from the Batman mythos including, but not limited to Carrie Kelley, Dr, Thompkins, and Nocturna to name a few.  So the character designs and archetypes have been left virtually untouched. That isn’t the case for everything specifically certain characters’ backstrokes. As some of the characters’ origins have been slightly altered which is a nice refresh of sorts after seeing these iconic characters for decades. One that comes to mind is Harley Quinn’s origins in this series. Another part of the show that has been used before but slightly altered for the better is the animation and art style. This show heavily echoes the style of the Batman: The Animated Series. With its combination of film noir and use of art deco, the show exudes a traditional comic book feel. But with updates and changes to the visuals, enhanced cinematography, and improved effects. It is truly an evolution and homage to an all-time classic.

The Road Ahead: 

Batman: Caped Crusader thrusts viewers into a familiar and foreign era for Batman. It uses aspects from the Dark Knight’s early comics while adding a slight twist to them to add something new and fresh after being with these characters for so many years and seeing them in the same stories and the same backgrounds for so long. While keeping true to the source material, the show attempts to become the Batman: The Animated Series for a new generation. Much like how Matt Reeves’ The Batman (2022) is the start of a new era not just for Batman, but for live-action movies in general. The show is solid and barely has flaws with its great art style, solid animation, and fantastic voice acting. However, it’s nothing that we haven’t seen before nor is it an improvement from the likes of Batman: The Animated Series. But with season 2 expected to come out in late 2025, hopefully, we will get to see more interesting stories expanded upon in this great foundation starring the world’s greatest detective. Season 1 score: 8/10