Batman: Caped Crusader Revives The Golden Age Of Noir Superhero Animation In New Trailer
It's a good time to be a Batman fan. The past couple of years has seen the Dark Knight reinvented in unique ways. There was "The Batman" live-action movie, which gave us arguably the funniest and weirdest live-action Bruce Wayne to date, while the "Merry Little Batman" animated movie introduced us to a hilarious and heartwarming Bat-Dad who literally stopped all crime in Gotham in a single day because he wanted his son to grow up safe.
However, it's the return of Bruce Timm to the DC animated universe that is possibly the most exciting news for fans of the character in years. After all, Timm already gave us the single best portrayal of the Dark Knight in "Batman: The Animated Series." Now, he's back with a new animated series, and he's teaming up with J.J. Abrams and Matt Reeves to do it.
"Batman: Caped Crusader" has gone through a few setbacks on its way to the screen, with Warner Discovery CEO David Zaslav adding this show to the long list of casualties of his Reign of Terror against animation, but thankfully Prime Video (apparently the new home of non-DCU DC animation after also saving "Merry Little Batman") came to the rescue. Now, we're finally about to see the release of not only a new Batman animated show — which is always cause for celebration — but also an adult animated show that is supposed to be everything Timm wasn't allowed to do with "Batman: The Animated Series" because it was on a kids' network.
Before we gear up for a brand new Bruce Wayne on the big screen in Andy Muschietti's "Batman: Brave and the Bold," take a stroll down memory lane as we meet Golden Age Batman in the first trailer for "Batman: Caped Crusader."
The Dark Knight returns (to the past)
What makes "Batman: Caped Crusader" unique is that it is firmly set in the 1940s, the Golden Age of the Dark Knight. Given how much of "Batman: The Animated Series" was already an amalgamation of various time periods — with Timm and his team combining Art Deco with computers and police blimps — seeing this show go all out with the specific aesthetic of the '40s is very exciting and makes for a unique Batman story we haven't seen before.
With this new time period also come changes to the characters that populate Gotham. The creative team took inspiration from 1940s "Batman" comics and storylines, particularly when it comes to the look of characters like Catwoman and Clayface. Likewise, Two-Face will now be an adversary of Batman even before becoming a supervillain, rather than them starting as friends before Harvey Dent succumbs to his inner darkness. Given how "Batman: The Animated Series" radically reimagined much of Batman's rogues' gallery for the better, giving us the definitive origin for many of these villains, the idea of another opportunity for Timm and his team to reinvent these iconic characters is exciting.
Will this prove to be the defining Batman for a new generation or a forgettable release like "Justice League: Gods and Monsters" (which Bruce Timm co-wrote)? We'll find out when "Batman: Caped Crusader" debuts on Prime Video on August 1, 2023.