A new animated Batman show is approaching, and it has been a while since we had one to look forward to. I believe we haven’t had an animated Batman since Beware the Batman, and that came and went, not making much of an impact. Batman: Caped Crusader looks like it is going to hit, and the recent trailer looks great. Naturally, a new trailer means one thing: a new TBU Five Things list!
Fans can feel the classic, Noir-inspired animation style. Image credit: DC Comics & Amazon Prime Studios
#1: Animation Style
The animation in Batman: Caped Crusader looks to be in the classic Bruce Timm style from Batman: The Animated Series fame, and it puts us viewers in a very comfortable space. The animation looks a little sleeker and more refined, which is funny because this show takes place in the 1940s. Credit to 2024 technology over 1992. The animation looks fantastic, so that is a great head start for any new show.
#2: Low-Tech
LIke I said, we got a 1940s Batman here and there, but not a lot of high-tech gadgets seen in the trailer. The bad guys have Tommy guns, there’s no computer in the Batcave, and I think we only see a grapple gun once in the trailer. It looks like the greatest technology in this world is the Batmobile. It’s so fantastical that one of the characters calls it a “hot rod.” It’s going to be fun to see Batman outwit people with his mind and his fists with less futuristic tech.
Batman looks closer to his classic, iconic roots. Image credit: DC Comics & Amazon Prime Studios
#3: Old-School Looks
I am loving the old-school aesthetic here, and three characters personify that with looks right from the 1940s comic books. Batman has the big ears on the cowl, short gloves, and the old-school belt. Catwoman has the purple costume with the green cape, but there is one look that tops them. Fat Alfred. Yes, dear reader, our favorite butler was not always in the best of shape. In his earliest appearances, Al was a portly fellow, and that is what we get here. Personality wise, he looks like the same Alfred Pennyworth, at Batman’s side, helping his war on crime but now with a little more weight.
#4: “They’ll know I’m coming for them”
The money shot of the trailer is this line from Batman. It’s a variation of a line we’ve heard many times, but it always gets me fired up to hear it. A character is telling Batman that there will be more monsters coming no matter how many he takes down. Batman says that he knows, and they’ll know he’s coming too. We only see a shadow of Batman saying it, and I wonder if that is for the trailer. However, the line is delivered perfectly by Hamish Linklater, who is our new Batman. He sounds great by the way. I don’t want to put him in the Kevin Conroy / Bruce Greenwood territory yet, but if he gets a full go as the Dark Knight, he has a chance to hang with the best of them.
A haunting, new Harley Quinn design. Image credit: DC Comics & Amazon Prime Studios
#5: The Voice Cast
In addition to Linklater as Batman, we have a STACKED voice cast for this new show. It is not surprising considering we have Bruce Timm, Matt Reeves, and JJ Abrams as producers. The voice cast includes Christina Ricci as Catwoman, Jamie Chung as Harley Quinn, and Brave and Bold Batman Diedrich Bader as Harvey Dent. We also have Minnie Driver and Mckenna Grace in unknown roles. Stacked cast.
I am super excited for this show. I hope this becomes Batman’s version of My Adventures with Superman. I love that show and love that it has taken the classic characters that we love but has given them unique twists that keep them fresh.
