As a seasoned detective of the silver screen and small, I’ve seen my fair share of shadows dance across the cityscape. From the mean streets of Gotham to the sun-drenched avenues of Los Angeles, I’ve chased down the nefarious doings of Perry Masons, Batmen, and everyone in between. And let me tell you, dear reader, the latest addition to this noir-filled roster, Batman: Caped Crusader, is a gem worth adding to your collection.
In the captivating world of Batman: Caped Crusader, I find myself drawn less towards Bruce Wayne’s multifaceted personas – the billionaire, detective, philanthropist, playboy, or vigilante – and more towards the city that he protects. This masterpiece by Bruce Timm, a man who co-created the legendary Batman: The Animated Series, truly shines when it delves beyond the Dark Knight’s personal struggles and explores the decaying heart of the city itself. Here, we witness the insidious spread of corruption on its streets, the complicity of those sworn to protect, and the temptation of bending rules for moral justice.
filled with sleek chrome automobiles, tailored suits, villains in fedoras, and Art Deco architecture, similar to “Perry Mason”. The police force in Gotham City mirrors the ethically questionable Los Angeles Police Department. The series’ industrial titans exhibit the same air of self-righteous wickedness as the McCutcheon and Nygaard oil magnates. Batman (voiced by Hamish Linklater), Barbara Gordon (Krystal Joy Brown) serving as a public defender, Commissioner Jim Gordon (Eric Morgan Stuart), Detective Renee Montoya (Michelle C. Bonilla), and the city’s remaining good cops form Gotham City’s motley crew of vigilantes striving to restore justice – much like PI-turned-lawyer Perry Mason, legal secretary Della Street, beat cop Paul Drake, and assistant district attorney Hamilton Burger in their uphill battle. The storyline even involves a contentious land deal dispute – as neo-noir as it gets!
In its debut season of 10 episodes, the animated series Caped Crusader skillfully blends essential elements of the genre such as suspicion, intrigue, and striking visual contrasts, while offering a twist that long-time Batman fans will appreciate but is not exclusive to novices. By aiming to engage viewers with varying levels of Batman familiarity, each episode typically introduces new characters, and yes, we encounter yet another portrayal of the Wayne family murders. The series moves at a swift pace, the animation is rich and detailed, particularly when it takes an unanticipated supernatural turn; and the character depictions exhibit clever adjustments, especially those that may provoke strong reactions.
The suggestion that Batman is actually the cause of so much unrest in Gotham rather than a deterrent or cure isn’t new; everything from Batman: The Animated Series to films by Tim Burton, Christopher Nolan, and Matt Reeves have poked at that idea to varying degrees. (Reeves is an executive producer here too.) But Caped Crusader takes a risk in making Batman so devoted to his bland Casanova cover that he initially can’t quite understand exactly why so many of Gotham’s criminals would resort to extreme methods if placed under economic duress or witness to injustice, and head writer Ed Brubaker and his team use that unexpected moral quandary as narrative fuel. This Batman is first a bit of a hard case, someone empathetic toward children but not to many others — until he realizes the extent to which Gotham City’s public servants have crept over the line of illegality. The way that knowledge shakes his hard shell of trauma, sarcasm, and a little bit of cynicism puts him in line with Perry Mason and so many other noir heroes whose compassion grows in relation to the depths of the conspiracies they reveal.
The show, titled “Caped Crusader,” poses a series of thought-provoking questions that delve into the darker aspects of the superhero genre. For instance, if Batman is an extension of a corrupt system, does his heroism have its limits? If he’s reluctant to dismantle the system entirely to get rid of its wrongdoers, then isn’t he more like the rule-bending and self-centered Harvey Dent (played by Diedrich Bader), rather than the principled but extremist Harley Quinn? Does Batman’s bias prevent him from ever seeing eye to eye with public defender Barbara, who believes in giving everyone a second chance?
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2024-08-06 00:53