’Batman: Caped Crusader’ Review: A Worthy Addition to the Dark Knight’s Legacy

Batman lurks in the shadows of Gotham once more in Batman: Caped Crusader, a series that respects the Bat’s expansive history while also being able to stand on its own two legs. The show brings the Bat back to his roots in the streets of Gotham during his early days of taking up the cowl, a time when corruption is eating away at the city and people live in fear. While the series shares much of the same DNA as the original Batman: The Animated Series, the creative decisions and inspired lineup of Batman’s rogues gallery make Batman: Caped Crusader a worthy addition to the Dark Knight’s mythos.

‘Batman: Caped Crusader’ Brings the Dark Knight Back to Basics

Batman: Caped Crusader finds us in the early days of Batman’s career as the protector of Gotham, a time when most still think he is just a myth, whispered among criminals in the dark corners of the city. Gone are the high-tech gadgets and military tanks; this version takes Batman back to his roots as a detective and his early conceptions from Bill Finger and Bob Kane. His car, while suped up, is still a car. There are no supercomputers, surveillance tech, or fancy gizmos that we have come to expect from the Caped Crusader, which is part of what makes this show great.

In Batman’s 80+ year history, the Dark Knight of Gotham has been everywhere, from battling aliens and god-like beings such as Superman and Darkseid to numerous universe-shattering Crisis Events. Having the series take place in the past and bringing Batman back to the basics of a guy trying to fight crime in his city almost feels like a breath of fresh air, even though it’s familiar. There’s no question that the original Batman: The Animated Series heavily inspires this series, but it also pulls from many different eras of the Bat to craft something familiar and new.

There are elements of many different iterations of Batman including Matt Reeves’ recent Batman with Robert Pattinson, as well as Adam West’s famous Batman series from the ’60s and even comic iterations, most notably his early days in the 40’s with many nods to the classic Detective Comics. This blending of tones and influences was a fantastic way to give us a Batman that feels familiar and authentic while also bringing something new to the table.

Much of this is due to the stacked line of producers on this project who are more than familiar with Batman and his history, including Bruce Timm, the producer of the original Batman: The Animated Series, Hollywood producer J.J. Abrams, director of the current live-action The Batman franchise Matt Reeves‘, and legendary comic writer Ed Brubaker. These influences can be felt in every corner of the show while never crossing over into imitation.

The Prime Video Series Debuts a New Batman

While the series’ influences and tone are great, the performances from its voice actors bring it all together and make it shine. It must be addressed that from its conception, this show was fighting an uphill battle with who would voice the Dark Knight. Many actors have lent their voices to the Caped Crusader, but none have been more iconic and influential than Kevin Conroy, who voiced Batman in the original animated series and unfortunately passed away in 2022. With Caped Crusader sharing so much of the tone and style of the original series, it was going to be hard not having Conroy voice the character but still making him feel like a Batman who fits into this world.

To achieve this, Batman: Caped Crusader recruited Hamish Linklater. Linklater, recently off of a run as Abraham Lincoln on AppleTV+‘s Manhunt, is an incredible actor who was able to pull off the near impossible, delivering a Batman that is subtle and familiar, yet entirely his own. While his voice lives in the timbre of Conroy’s, it never comes across as a caricature. There are also hints of Pattinson’s version of Batman in its subtleties and calmness. Linklater was able to take these influences and marry them with his own talents to create a voice for Batman that works for the character and the world he is in.

This is taken even further in the transition of his voice from Batman to Bruce Wayne. Bruce Wayne and Batman feel like entirely different people and Linklater can switch on a dime making for some truly wonderful performances as not just the Bat but as the billionaire playboy as well. Linklater’s performance is only accentuated by the rest of its excellent voice cast, including Diedrich Bader, Eric Morgan Stuart, Jason Watkins, and Krystal Joy Brown, as well as some guest appearances from names such as Christina Ricci and even SpongeBob himself, Tom Kenny.

‘Batman: Caped Crusader’ Shines New Light on Batman’s Rogues Gallery

The main thing that makes Batman: Caped Crusader more than just a reboot of the original series is its creative and inspired choices of villains, with new takes on classic characters and introducing some of Batman’s lesser-known villains only seen in the pages of Batman comics. While some of these iterations work better than others, the show’s willingness to step outside the box and take risks makes this series stand out. 

Classic Bat villains such as Penguin and Harley Quinn are featured in an all-new light, while others will make hardcore nerds hit Google to find out who they are. There are even some deep cuts from previous iterations of Batman such as Adam West’s series in the ’60s. These inspired choices only further add to the blending of tones and influences that make this show what it is: a true celebration of Batman and his history.

Along with not being afraid to step out of the box with characters, Batman: Caped Crusader also isn’t afraid to step things up tonally. There are multiple moments in the series that test the boundaries of more mature waters but never lose focus of its core themes.

‘Batman: Caped Crusader’ Exceeds Imitation and Expectation

Batman: Caped Crusader is a love letter to Batman fans and the original animated series. A project that leverages its character’s rich history while also bringing new elements to the table. While some creative decisions work better than others, the series as a whole succeeds at delivering a Batman that feels authentic and worthy of being included among the long pantheon of those who came before.

The series feels like a comic book come to life and uses its nostalgic elements to introduce something both familiar and unique. The phenomenal voice performances paired with a mix of new and classic elements push Batman: Caped Crusader past just a mere imitation into a worthy successor of the original.

Batman: Caped Crusader premieres on Prime Video on August 1. Follow the Agents of Fandom socials for all the latest entertainment news and reviews.