The much ballyhooed, long-awaited show debuts Aug. 1…
By CHRIS FRANKLIN
It’s been a long time coming, but the Batman: Caped Crusader animated series is almost upon us. Rumblings began years ago with talk of a revived Batman: The Animated Series coming to HBO Max (now just MAX). BTAS co-creator Bruce Timm was said to be involved, and The Batman writer/director Matt Reeves and Hollywood mogul, director/producer J.J. Abrams were said to be executive producers. A single image was released, showing a VERY Bob Kane-like, early Golden Age Batman, hinting at a promising standalone series set in the late 1930s/early 1940s, just like Batman’s initial comics tales.
Then… the series was canceled by the newly minted Warner/Discovery conglomerate, among several controversial moves that left many long-standing and profitable Warner Bros. IP projects homeless, and or outright destroyed before ever seeing the light of day (cough…BATGIRL!). Thankfully Amazon Prime stepped in and bought the series, so now all of us can enjoy this equally fresh and nostalgic take on the Dark Knight, with both Timm and his frequent collaborator, veteran producer James Tucker (Batman: The Brave and the Bold, among many others) behind the wheel of this particular Batmobile.
The early trailers and images show us a world both familiar, and new and intriguing. A very classic Batman (voiced by Hamish Linklater) and Catwoman (Christina Ricci), a strange and deadly serious Harley Quinn (Jamie Chung), and a truly disturbing Two-Face (Diedrich Bader, the voice of Batman on several other series) are just some of the tantalizing glimpses we’ve gotten.
Much like BTAS and all of the Timm-produced DC Animated Universe series that followed, the casting is both impressive and inspired. And as I said in an earlier article at 13th Dimension about action figures based on Batman’s original look, there’s just something about that primal, pre-Robin Batman design that is visually captivating.
So with the show launching Aug. 1, let’s take a look at 13 THINGS WE (or really I) WANT TO SEE IN BATMAN: CAPED CRUSADER — RANKED:
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13. The Dirigible of Doom. Running in Detective Comics #33 (Nov. 1939), Gardner Fox and Bob Kane’s “The Batman Wars Against the Dirigible of Doom” is more memorable for the first few pages, which reveal Batman’s origin in a sequence written by the Caped Crusader’s co-creator Bill Finger. Aside from a reinterpretation in the early ’80s by Gerry Conway, the Dirigible, despite its death ray weapon, has been relegated to the past, much like the inflatable airship that inspired it. But the era of Caped Crusader is the perfect place to give this concept another go. Plus, Timm and company made zeppelins a part of the BTAS world, so it will be a nice callback to their earlier efforts.

Splash from Detective Comics #33 (1939). Story by Bill Finger (origin segment) and Gardner Fox, art by Bob Kane.
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12. Doctor Death/Professor Radium. Hailing from Detective Comics #29-30, Doctor Death is one of Batman’s earliest foes, but rarely receives any modern recognition. This is no doubt due to the role of “mad scientist” from this era belonging primarily to Hugo Strange. But Doctor Death has potential to evolve into something far more compelling. Combine his “dust of death” with the MO of another Golden Age villain, Professor Radium (from Batman #8 and the daily comic strip), and you could explore the period-appropriate worries of atomic energy, and its effects on humans.

Cover to Detective Comics #29 (1939) by Bob Kane
Radium raised the dead with radioactivity, but became a pariah, killing anyone he touched. This is not unlike the later Bronze Age Batman foe, Dr. Phosphorus. Timm and Tucker did a great job with Phosphorus analogue Blight on Batman Beyond. His horrific image would fit right into the show’s shadowy horror mood. Maybe some version of a character like this is the skull-faced creature we see in the trailer?

Panels from Batman #8 (1941). Story by Finger, art by Kane and Jerry Robinson.
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11. Fleischer Clark Kent and Lois Lane. How fun would it be to see Clark Kent and Lois Lane among reporters at a press conference held by Bruce Wayne, or maybe Harvey Dent, stepping straight out of the landmark 1940s Fleischer Superman animated shorts? Caped Crusader is set in the same time period with a similar look, so it seems like the perfect chance to have a sly nod and a wink, without having to say there’s a “Superman” leaping tall buildings in Metropolis!

Screen cap from Fleischer Studios Superman short The Mechanical Monsters (1941)
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10. The Sandman. Due to him having his own title by the time the team debuted in All-Star Comics #3, the Golden Age Batman was only considered an honorary member of the Justice Society of America. Yes, as hard as it is to believe now, National/DC didn’t WANT to overexpose Batman in the 1940s! Either way, none of Batman’s JSA teammates fit into the noirish world of Caped Crusader better than Wesley Dodds, aka the original Sandman. The show creators could pull from both the published Golden Age stories in Adventure Comics, or the ’90s Vertigo Sandman Mystery Theatre series for their take on the character. Just imagine Batman coming across the gas-masked crimefighter, and having a bit of a rivalry?

Cover to Adventure Comics #44 (1939) by Creig Flessel
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9. The Bat-Gyro. Introduced along with the Batarang in Detective #31, the Bat-Gyro was Batman’s first “themed” vehicle. Like Hugo Strange and his Monster Men, it was seen in the series’ pseudo-pilot, Bruce Timm’s short Batman: Strange Days, released to celebrate the Dark Knight’s 75th anniversary.

Panels from Detective Comics #31 (1939). Story by Fox, art by Kane.
Batman’s use of this early helicopter/plane hybrid was lifted from one of his primary inspirations, the Shadow, and it seems like a perfect vehicle to cement the time period of this series. I’m especially fond of the earliest version — with its more realistic bat-like head — that sends city dwellers into a panic at the very sight of it!
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8. Hugo Strange and the Monster Men. As mentioned above, Professor Hugo Strange and his Monster Men were the antagonists of the “pilot” short Bruce Timm created 10 years ago. Strange and his mutated giants would add another injection of Universal horror into the series, which is pitch-perfect for the setting. Battling both Strange’s twisted genius and the brute strength of his minions would give this still-green Batman quite a challenge!
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7. The Monk. The creeping villain on one of Batman’s most iconic covers (Detective Comics #31, by Bob Kane), the hooded Monk would make for a great visual presence on this series, perhaps bringing along the German Expressionist film stylings that influenced both the classic Universal Monster films, and his initial creation. Moreover, he’s a vampire… or is he a werewolf? The initial story seems to confuse the two legends. Either way, he’s a supernatural character, and could help expand Batman’s world beyond simple gangsters and thieves. Timm and company tried many times to get a vampire into BTAS, but broadcast standards forbade them. Now’s their chance, with Batman’s first supernatural foe!

Cover to Detective Comics #31 (1939) by Bob Kane
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6. The Gray Ghost. This may be double-dipping with the fan-casting of Sandman in an episode, but how great would it to see the Gray Ghost character appear in this series? Revealed in the classic BTAS episode “Beware the Gray Ghost” as a television hero Bruce Wayne idolized, the Gray Ghost was voiced by none other than Batman legend Adam West. Could the Gray Ghost be an actual vigilante who helped inspire Batman here? Or maybe he’s a character in a film that’s adapting Batman’s adventures, and attempting to circumvent any copyright infringement? This could bring him into conflict with Basil Karlo’s version of Clayface, a horror actor turned killer, rather easily.

Mondo’s “Beware the Gray Ghost” poster. Art by Phantom City Creative.
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5. Batman’s Got a Gun. Since Batman did indeed pack heat in some of his Golden Age stories, it would be fascinating to see that explored here. Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to see Batman killing people. But much like the often-forgotten 1987 Batman: Year Two storyline by Mike W. Barr, Alan Davis and Todd McFarlane, it would be a great way to explore Bruce Wayne’s character, and why he chose his no guns/no killing mantra. Perhaps even a 1930s version of that storyline’s villain, the Reaper, would make for a great motivator for these events?

Splash from Detective Comics #35 (1940). Story by Finger, art by Kane.
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4. The 1940s Batmobile. We see a very powerful Batmobile in the trailers for the series. It looks like a combination of Batman’s early, off-the-show floor roadster, mixed in with the original BTAS design, with its unique grill. That’s fine and dandy, but I would love to see Batman trade in this model for a more iconic look. Other than a very brief cameo in the BTAS episode “The Mechanic”, we’ve never gotten the first true Batmobile in other media. A proper “high-powered sedan” with the bat-head on the front grill and a large, scalloped fin on the back like the classic 1940s version. Besides the thrill of seeing this in animation, I would hope this would goose McFarlane Toys, Mezco or SOMEONE into finally giving us a scaled version we can fit our action figures into!

Panels from Batman and Robin daily newspaper strip, April 8, 1946. Story by Alvin Schwartz, art by Kane and Charles Paris.
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3. The Red Hood. Absent from any Caped Crusader footage or mention is Batman’s (and comics’) greatest villain, the Joker. This would be a great opportunity for the creators to play the long game and have the character debut as the elusive Red Hood first. Or maybe, as in Batman: The Killing Joke, he’s one of many Red Hoods, and Batman just happens to have a fateful encounter with him at a chemical factory, after running up against him and/or his gang over the course of the season? Setting up that conflict between the two before Joker takes his acid bath would deepen their legendary rivalry. Plus, the visual is tailor-made for this show.

Page from Detective Comics #168 (1951). Story by Finger, art by Lew Sayre Schwartz and George Roussos.
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2. Dick Grayson’s Long Road to Robin. Another great opportunity this show affords us is the potential to introduce Dick Grayson early in this season (or the next) and develop him and his relationship with Bruce and Batman before he ever dons the red, green and gold of Robin. Given the emotionally stilted bent the creators have said they are planning on giving their Bruce Wayne, it would make for some captivating character development to see how Dick helps pull Bruce out of his shell. Also, Robin’s origin would make for an excellent long-form story for this world, with its old school-circus settings, and the gangland protection racket that leaves Dick an orphan. Imagine Batman and the newly minted Robin finally nabbing Tony Zucco after a long season of tracking and training.

Page from Detective Comics #38 (1940). Story by Finger, art by Kane and Robinson.
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1. A Tribute to Kevin Conroy. When Batman: The Caped Crusader was announced, it was before Kevin Conroy’s untimely death, and many, including myself, assumed he would again be voicing the character he forever put his audible stamp on. But it wasn’t to be. Nothing against Hamish Linklater, who seems to be doing a wonderful job, but with producers Bruce Timm and James Tucker involved, it would be wonderful to see a little nod to the man who will forever be Batman for generations of fans. Maybe a familiar name on a recording studio, or an art gallery, or street sign. There should be some Conroy in this Gotham City.
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MORE
— 13 THINGS We Want to See in BATMAN AND ROBIN: YEAR ONE — RANKED. Click here.
— The TOP 13 FIRST APPEARANCE BATMAN Action Figures — RANKED. Click here.
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13th Dimension contributor Chris Franklin is a graphic designer, illustrator, writer, and podcaster, who co-hosts and produces several shows on the Fire and Water Podcast Network, including JLUCast.
August 5, 2024
Now that the show has debuted, and all 10 episdoes dropped at once, any reactions yet? Have been eagerly waiting for a review from the gang here at 13th Dimension.
August 6, 2024
The problem with reviews is someone always (these days it seems) gets overly defensive to another’s comments. I will say this about the show it’s a solid effort. I’ve watched about half the episodes. I’m enjoying it mostly for what it is…another take on the world of our favorite character. Again, my opinion and my personal taste here, it is not BTAS. For it being set in the early days of The Bat-Man, things are progressing too fast. I would have liked to have seen more of a story that followed along with Detective #27 either leading up to that story or following immediately after. The changes to the Penguin are just an odd duck. The yet again having Alfred there from the beginning is not my cup of tea but I like the nod in appearance to his Golden Age look. I hope we see Dr. Death, Hugo… and, I hope they hold off on Robin for a bit. Jeff, I noticed you didn’t say if you liked it or not. Hmm?
August 7, 2024
Oh, I haven’t shied away from a review because of potential responses. I always say my piece when I have something to say, as you guys know. I’m still not finished with it yet and I may or may not do a post. It’ll come down to timing. But so far I like it. I don’t get worked up about alternate takes. I just want good stories that stay close to the spirit of the concept and this show has done that. That said, and I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it feels a little bloodless. There’s a passion that’s missing. But, again, I’m not finished yet.