Summary
While many fans are yet to seeBatman: Caped Crusaderfor themselves, the reviews are in and while they’re green across the board, there’s one unfortunate reservation noted that might make the experience less enjoyable for fans of what came before it.
Batmanhas been the headliner for the most successful comic book company since its inception, with the initials of the character’sDetective Comicstitle becoming the brand identity ever since. As such, the Dark Knight has been the focus of several adaptations in all forms of media, including live-action films & shows, manga & anime titles, video games and more. The most notable of these isBatman: The Animated Series,easily the most iconic of its kind andthe best of DC’s notoriously stellar animated offerings, a title it’s held since its inception in 1992. Much to fan appreciation, a spiritual successor to the show was announced inBatman: Caped Crusader,a new animated series that takes on the style, tone and setting of the iconic animated series and updates it for modern viewers.
That’s why it’s unfortunate thatdespite boasting a higher Rotten Tomatoes rating thanThe Dark Knight(sitting at a perfect 100% critics rating on the eve of its premiere),the project has seemingly fallen short in one important aspect: the animation. At the tail end of what was actually a generally positive advance review of the show byThe Wrap,Caped Crusaderreceives a singular yet significant criticism: while the stills that fans have already seen are almost too beautifully similar to the originalBatman: The Animated Series, the review reveals that the show’s actualanimationdoesn’t live up to what came before, as made evident during close up scenes and slower parts of the narrative.
It’s too bad there isn’t more to look at while we’re waiting to find out. Timm’s art-deco design sensibility remains intact and visible, and plenty of still frames from “Caped Crusader” are of a piece with the earlier series. It’s the motion that doesn’t measure up. The animation frequently looks choppy and, in some scenes, downright minimal, with characters sometimes frozen in place as their mouths exchange dialogue without the subtle facial shifts, body language, and line work that made “Batman: The Animated Series” so special. This would be fine for a droll, verbally-based comedy series like “Archer”; here, despite some striking images, the presumed cost-saving measures can make “Caped Crusader” look like it’s digitally tracing over better animation. The show’s stylish black-and-white opening credits make some of its in-episode action look like noir lite.
This is likely going to be a major issue for fans of the original show, which was innovative in its use of subtle animation and body language to pass across more than any dialogue could on its own. The animation was used to the full extent of the medium’s capabilities and served as a goalpost for the genre going forward. There are other minor issues that have been noted in other reviews, though none quite as poignant as this critique, such as the significantly lower episode count leading to characters that feel less substantial and so on. None of it is particularly terrible condemnation that doesn’t highlight the show as a triumph, especially considering the competition in 2024. However, the idea thatthe newBatmanshow could be a true successor to the original animated seriesmight be firmly set aside.
Not living up to the literal best thing ever isn’t ordinarily the worst condemnation, but sinceBatman: The Animated Seriesis the only non-comic iteration that got the character rightit does mean that the new show might have already failed as a faithful adaptation. This by no means precludes it from being fun, but there are other concerns. While critics might be far more understanding of artistic license and unique interpretations, the myriad changes that the show makes to the established canon of the original series could go a long way to exacerbate the issues with the visuals. How much this affects publicperception on the parts of the show that do work will be apparent when fans get to grips with the series.
Batman: Caped Crusaderis available to stream on Amazon’s Prime Video.
Batman
Batman is one of the most popular and well-known superheroes of all time. Created in 1939 by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, Batman has evolved over the decades into a cultural icon.As a child, Bruce Wayne’s parents were murdered in front of him. Since that day, Bruce made it his mission to fight back against the criminal element in Gotham City. Taking on the appearance of what scares him most, Batman faces off against powerful villains like the Joker, Two-Face, Bane, and the Penguin.
