Batman: Caped Crusader has been inevitable since the superhero genre expanded into a medium a long time ago. Tales of the Dark Knight can be compelling crime thrillers, campy sci-fi, or spine-chilling horrors. DC’s genre-bending has gotten more experimental in recent years, so of course, we got an animated series set against the backdrop of 1940’s Gotham. Drastically different takes can make or break superhero stories. In the case of Batman: Caped Crusader Season 2, it is unfortunately the latter.
The new season continues the early crusades of the world’s greatest detective and superhero through the eyes of executive producers Matt Reeves, JJ Abrams, and Bruce Timm in a radically different time. We know Batman’s story. Billionaire Bruce Wayne (Hamish Linklater) becomes the masked vigilante, a symbol of fear for those who prey on the innocent because of the tragedy he endured as a child. The core elements of his character and origin involving his parents’ murder remain intact. The time period, on the other hand, has shifted, allowing classic noir to consume the Caped Crusader’s world.
The first season of Batman: Caped Crusader was lightning in a bottle. It was a fresh spin on Gotham’s mythology and a handshake between the minds of visionary auteurs. Season 2 tries hard to recapture the lightning, but falls short of holding a spark. Apparently, the wrong lessons from Season 1 were learnt. There is a greater emphasis on shock value and experimentation over coherent storytelling. While the intent to offer an adaptation unlike anything prior is commendable, it becomes an Achilles’ heel when significant characters are out of touch with their identities. That being said, do not get used to your expectations about prolific Batman foes entering Season 2.
Dark Knight Done Right
Hamish Linklater is an immovable force as Batman. With a haunting voice and intimidating confidence, he commands attention in character. However, he stumbles as Bruce Wayne in an effort to distinguish his dual personas. For the sake of being the Devil’s Advocate, it is entirely plausible that his Batman does not know how to be Bruce Wayne at this point in his life. Batman is Bruce Wayne, not the other way around. He is only his authentic self when he is pursuing justice with Alfred in his corner.
Speaking of Alfred (Jason Watkins), his relationship with Batman is more dignified this season. Seeing him taken for granted by his surrogate son in Season 1 was disheartening. It should not have taken Bruce 8 episodes to call him by his first name. We have seen them with their fair share of tension across previous iterations, but their familial love was always clear in unspoken moments. That was not the case in Batman: Caped Crusader until now. Higher stakes force Batman into realizing Alfred’s worth with enough nuance to distinguish their dynamics from Reeves’ The Batman.
This iteration of the Caped Crusader is a blend of creator Bill Finger’s 1939 comics and Bruce Timm’s 1992 original animated series. Batman’s character sketch can resonate with the Golden Age and Silver Age fans because it is a reminder of his pulp roots in an age that often neglects them.
Batman: Caped Crusader’s Elseworld
Caped Crusader’s world is slightly more pronounced this season in terms of animation. While it is not as bold as Batman: The Animated Series essentially becoming The New Batman Adventures, it is allowed more space outside of Bruce Timm’s shadow. The aesthetics of Gotham and its Gothamites ground themselves deeper into the period police procedural, not limited by Batman and DC spectacle.
James Gordon(Eric Morgan Stewart), Barbara Gordon (Krystal Joy), Renee Montoya (Michelle C. Bonilla), and the rest of Gotham’s finest provide extra intrigue with their characterizations and dialogue, fitting in this alternate timeline cohesively. Gotham’s three-piece-suit crusaders complement our hero as supporting characters in his war against the criminal underbelly.
Season 2’s biggest issues lie in the main plot and villain depictions. Outside of “Joker” and “Riddler”, the series lacks a consistent through-line. Most episodes see Batman go up against a different foe, with Eddie Nygma as a recurring gangster, and Joker committing serial killings in the shadows. Said formula collapsed due to a clash between serialized and episodic narratives, uneven pacing, and criminal mischaracterizations.
Villains Gone Wrong
Batman’s rogues gallery is unquestionably the most infamous across DC, Marvel, and Beyond. Some of them are so compelling that they carry a spinoff series or standalone film. Most of Season 2’s iterations of these villains are not compelling at all. Let’s rip that band-aid off. Joker, Riddler, Scarecrow, Mad Hatter, and others (no spoilers) are not so much reimagined as they are character-assassinated.
Scarecrow and Mad Hatter are drastically recreated into different people who contribute little to the plot. Although Scarecrow’s mask is an honorable choice, taking inspiration from plague doctors, he is a one-off character with an unsatisfying twist instead of meaningful character development. Mad Hatter has been genderswapped like the Penguin in Season 1. Unlike Oswalda, she is less of a villain and more of a vocal critic. That is all anyone can say about her because she serves no purpose beyond that.
Joker and Riddler are the biggest disappointments considering that they are the main antagonists this season. Starting with the Riddler(Ronan Raftery), he is not the methodical, calculating adversary he should have been. Instead, he is just “Eddie Nygma”, Rupert Thorne’s overzealous right-hand man with serious impulse control problems. There are no signs of him evolving into the classic Riddler. Nygma remains a crime boss indistinguishable from the common criminals Batman faces.
As for Caped Crusader’s Joker(Matthew Needham), he is undoubtedly the worst version of the Clown Prince of Crime I have ever seen. He is a monotonous killer devoid of a sense of humour, regardless of his twisted ways. One would wish for him to be a “Proto-Joker” instead of the real one, but that’s unlikely given Joker: Folie à Deux’s reception. This alleged Joker appears in small doses until episode 9. There is no payoff when he asserts himself as Gotham’s biggest threat. He only smiles or laughs once, during the season finale. Do not expect any chills, because his laugh is underwhelming and his character is so stiff that he would make a better Mr. Freeze. His victims are better “Jokers” than him.
Real Batman Villains
Unfamiliar characters Thorn and the Monk are Season 2’s most interesting rogues, despite limitations by one-off episodes. The writers peaked with those characters leading stories that should have been fleshed out in two-part episodes. Episode 7 introduced Thorn in a tragic tale with subtle shades of an Alfred Hitchcock film. She is a complex, sympathetic character longing for vengeance in a mini psychological thriller. A plot twist at the expense of someone else is the only thing holding her episode from reaching greatness.
The Monk’s episode was a horror story featuring Batman at its best. Unlike Thorn, the Monk is not sympathetic at all. He is evil incarnate, and his episode finds the right balance between fantasy and reality, making it the most terrifying episode in the series thus far. As for Batman’s unmentioned enemies, the less said about them, the better.
Batman: Caped Crusader Season 2 Falls Flat
Batman: Caped Crusader Season 2 should have been a big step forward, not a misstep backward. Batman, Alfred, and other allies still feel like themselves in another life. They are rich in depth and nuance, driving tension and turmoil until a string of mischaracterized foes sinks conflict with them.
My Adventures with Superman currently has Caped Crusader beat because its calculated risks do not lose sight of its roots or take any conflict for granted. Having Riddler and Joker be common thugs or serial killers strips them of their defining character traits. Regardless of this show’s setting, those changes are inexcusable.
Fans of the animation and character designs might overlook the glaring flaws, but disappointment from the masses is expected for Batman: Caped Crusader Season 2.
