‘Batman: Caped Crusader’ Review: Golden Age Gotham On Full Display

Prime Video’s Batman: Caped Crusader has been released on the streaming service, displaying a strong voice cast and interesting takes on characters. 

Originally ordered for Cartoon Network and Max, Batman: Caped Crusader has come a long way. The series, created by Ed Brubaker, was picked up by Prime Video and follows a 1940s-era Batman (Hamish Linklater) as he grapples with crime in Gotham City. 

The 1940s era change offers a gripping premise that allows for a lot of creative wiggle room, including some more grounded takes on characters, removing all technology from the series and innovating conceptually. Some of these changes have drastically altered some of Batman’s rogues, whilst still staying true to the vibes of the comics. 

Perhaps my favourite of these changes is that of Harley Quinn, who still serves as a psychiatrist but is changed into a twisted Robin Hood-esque vigilante using hypnosis to victimise the rich. It’s a far cry from her comic counterpart, but in my opinion, it still keeps the spirit of the character and her utter insanity. 

The series gave rise to a new Batman voice actor in the form of Hamish Linklater, best known for his work on Midnight Mass and Fantastic Four, who really brings something new to the voice of the Dark Knight. His voice retains the stoicism that many have come to love, but brings a sense of mystery and longing for a better Gotham with it; it works and has grown on me a lot since the initial casting announcement. 

Animation in the series does somewhat mimic that of the 90’s Batman: The Animated Series and although it’s not a perfect recreation, or nearly on the same level of quality, it works well enough for the series and hopefully will be improved in future seasons. 

The series does lag behind in the first few episodes and last few, bookending some of the better ones. I think this is largely due to the villain choices, which often are more tame in regards to the premise and not outlandish at all. Characters like Onomatopoeia stick to the premise in a really boring way, but characters like Nocturna really broke the mould with its inventiveness. 

The anthological structure of the first eight episodes really helps with the villain of the week vibe, and is an easy and pleasurable watch. When the story becomes more connected towards the end of the season, it loses some of that charm and in my opinion isn’t a good conclusion to the season. 

Batman: Caped Crusader serves as an interesting take on the character, and while its premise has a lot of potential, the inventiveness of the writers is bipolar. 

Batman: Caped Crusader stars Hamish Linklater, Jason Watkins, Eric Morgan Stuart, Krystal Joy Brown, Jamie Chung, Christina Ricci, Diedrich Bader, Michelle C. Bonilla and Mckenna Grace. All ten episodes of the show’s first season are now streaming on Prime Video. 

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