I believe Batman has overstayed his welcome in recent years, particularly in animation. I can’t help but feel that characters like Wonder Woman and The Flash deserve more attention and an opportunity to shine in their own animated series. Despite this, I’m still hooked on Batman: Caped Crusader, now with its second season on Amazon Prime Video.
The first season of Batman: Caped Crusader was a surprising one, as I wasn’t sure what to expect from a new animated series. However, I was engaged and enthralled throughout, with a couple of minor gripes here and there. With Season 2, my opinion is that it is better, but just like before, there are a few missteps.
The Episodic Pacing Was Improved
In the first season, the episodic structure allowed them to tell new stories every episode, but it also ran into a strange issue with the pacing. One episode would be very engaging, resulting in strong momentum, but then the following episode would feel like a drag. I felt that with Season 2, Batman: Caped Crusader improved on this, with (almost) every episode being strong from beginning to finish, with an equally strong thread that connects them all.
Each episode hints at the Joker’s impending arrival and his gradual rise to power. At first, I was hesitant about this storyline because I have become quite fatigued with the Joker as a villain in recent times. However, he turned out to be a menacing figure that piqued my curiosity about his ultimate goal. As the series progressed, I found myself trying to deduce how the Joker was connected to each story.
Batman Villains Continue To Be Iconic
Part of what made Season 1 fall flat sometimes is that for every story that was thrilling, there was one that was also kind of disappointing. When it came to Season 2, I felt the writers hit their stride far better, with a wide variety of stories and villains that not only surprised me, but kept my attention every time.
I was not expecting the likes of Roxy Rocket, Blockbuster, and The Spectre, but they were executed in ways that had me applauding them. Even the Joker himself was a radically different version of the character that I can see being divisive, as he was not the jolly jester of chaos that fans are used to: he’s dark, brooding, and only laughs once in the entire season.
There was only one villain I didn’t particularly care for, but overall, I loved the rogue gallery this time around. One of my personal favorites ended up being the Scarecrow, as his episode felt like a love letter to one of the most famous episodes of Batman: The Animated Series, while still adding enough of its own flavor to stand out.
This Season Is Even Darker
The first season of Batman: Caped Crusader was definitely written more with adults in mind, but Season 2 takes that aspect even further. I was taken aback by how bloody and brutal this season got, with characters’ necks being snapped, others being filled with bullets, and even impaled with lots of blood and other body parts.
I admire this direction as it helps separate Batman: Caped Crusader even more from Batman: The Animated Series. It is not meant for kids, and that is definitely exemplified in the final two episodes with Joker’s plot, which might be the most evil we’ve ever seen this character, and that’s including the likes of Heath Ledger’s iconic portrayal.
I also admire that the show tackles different genres with its darkness: the Mad Monk and Scarecrow feel like classic slasher villains, the Riddler is like an insane gangster, and the Joker tiptoes into more of a mad Nazi scientist vibe. It also never feels like the show is trying to be edgy just for the sake of edginess, which is a trend I see a little too much in modern comic book adaptations, where they are so focused on shock value that they don’t seem to care about the stories and characters. With Batman: Caped Crusader, the darker content adds to the noir style that the creators are embracing, taking Batman back to his roots and gritty detective.
Riddle Me This, Riddle Me That, Why Is The Riddler Written Like That?
I really only have two gripes with this season, and one is with Eddie Nygma, also known as The Riddler. I personally think this character does not get enough love from DC as a whole, which is why I loved Paul Dano’s terrifying portrayal in The Batman. Batman: Caped Crusader, on the other hand? He is very much a disappointment.
I understand that they were trying to create old-school gangster vibes with him, which is why he doesn’t leave any riddles for Batman to solve. However, he comes across as a rather uninteresting villain. His story lacks depth and is primarily defined by being the catalyst for the anti-hero known as Thorn. Furthermore, the Riddler is more of an annoying, whiny man-child who fails to instill fear, especially when compared to almost every other antagonist in the series.
Hamish Linklater Cements Himself As An Iconic Batman
While he was never bad as the character, Hamish Linklater’s Batman took me some time to get used to in Season 1, and that’s not because I wish it was Kevin Conroy or anything like that. His take on Batman is fascinating, because he’s very one-note: stoic and really gruff. At times, it even felt like that classic Batman voice was forced and unnatural, but I grew used to him by the end of Season 1.
In Season 2, I felt that Hamish Linklater was able to flex his talents more as Batman. He’s given more to do emotionally, whether it’s Bruce’s slow acceptance that he can’t do everything alone or showing care to Carrie Kelley. He just feels more humanized compared to the first season, where I felt sometimes he was too stiff and robotic.
I especially loved seeing his more hateful rivalry with the Joker in the last two episodes. It starts with Batman just doing his job as usual, but as the story goes on, you can feel Bruce develop this immortal hatred for the Joker, especially when you see the kind of damage the villain does to Gotham City.
If we do get a third season, I hope we have a few more episodes that focus on Bruce himself. Those episodes were always some of my favorites from Batman: The Animated Series because they provided a refreshing break from the darker episodes that highlighted the villains. However, other than that, I still think this take on Batman is great and ripe for more in the future, with Hamish Linklater solidifying himself as a voice artist as iconic as Kevin Conroy, Bruce Greenwood, and Troy Baker.
I’m Not The Biggest Fan Of The Animation
I think the art style of the show is absolutely gorgeous, and the accompanying music is nothing short of breathtaking—it’s perfect for a noir version of Batman. However, in Batman: Caped Crusader Season 2, I couldn’t help but notice that the animation feels inconsistent at times.
There are moments when the animation flows smoothly, reminiscent of an episode of Justice League from 2001. However, there are also times when the characters’ movements seem more like those in an episode of Daniel Tiger. I’m not sure if Caped Crusader is working with a tighter budget or what, but the animation quality varies significantly from one episode to another.
This is just a minor observation, as it only distracted me from the scene three or four times. Perhaps it’s simply due to my preference for classic hand-drawn animation cels over fully digital ones. However, for about 85% of the show, it is visually impressive and deserves recognition, especially in an era when 2D animation is becoming a lost art.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
If you enjoyed Season 1 of Batman: Caped Crusader as much as I did, you’ll likely find Season 2 appealing as well. However, if you didn’t like the first season, this one probably won’t change your perspective. It continues in a similar vein but takes the darkness and epic scale to another level, which feels like a natural progression for the series. I personally had a fantastic time with it and am excited to see what the creators have in store for a potential third season.
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