EntertainmentTVSuperhero ShowsBatman: Caped CrusaderBatman: Caped Crusader captures the lurid horror feel of the Dark Knight’s earliest adventuresWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
EntertainmentTVSuperhero ShowsBatman: Caped CrusaderBatman: Caped Crusader captures the lurid horror feel of the Dark Knight’s earliest adventuresWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Prime Video)
Batman: Caped Crusader, which is streaming now on Prime, takesBatmanback to his gritty noir roots, and recaptures the lurid crime drama vibes of his initial comic book adventures. It’s both a superhero detective series and a horror show, and while it sometimes struggles to find its footing when it involves Batman’s sleuthing efforts, it thrives as a creepy exploration ofhis foes. If that sounds surprising it shouldn’t be – the history of Batman in the comic book medium provides a wealth of potential for things to get a little scary.
Mild spoilers for Batman: Caped Crusader ahead
(Image credit: Prime Video)
Caped Crusader, set in what appears to be the early 1940s, doesn’t hide its adoration for this source material. Clayface is an early foe in the series (allowing its creative team to tinker with all sorts of riffs on Golden Age Hollywood) and his eventual reveal is played with effective Phantom of the Opera-style shock. But as the series moves on, it also pulls in villains (and remixes of villains) that are of a newer vintage, all while managing to imbue them with a noirish eeriness. Its take on Firebug (a character who didn’t actually show up until 1979) is a product of nervous psychopathy, coming off like one of Peter Lorre’s distinctly haunted characters.
(Image credit: Prime Video)
But Batman’s horror homages didn’t end in the 1940s. Caped Crusader also includes foes like Nocturna, a soul-sucking baddie and pseudo-vampire that first appeared in 1983. Though it would take time for her powers to develop in the comics and the version of her that appears in Caped Crusader is younger (Comic book villains rarely start out with the full deck of outlandish skills that they’ll inevitably accrue) she’s always been an oddly fascinating, otherworldly presence. To watch her draw in victims in Caped Crusader feels like seeing Christopher Lee and his bloodthirsty brides hypnotize their own prey in ’60s Dracula installments.
(Image credit: Prime Video)
One of the most recognizable foes in Caped Crusader is Harley Quinn, transformed here into a ruthless psychiatrist who even calls into question Bruce Wayne’s own mental health. At times, the atmosphere recalls that ofArkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth, the landmark comic from Grant Morrison and Dave McKean, which delved into the surreal dread of Batman’s mind.
Equally unmistakable is Two-Face, not presented as a cartoonish double-talker in Caped Crusader but as a nightmare who doesn’t just crave revenge but his own twisted form of empathy. His facial scarring is far from outlandish here, and in fact, he looks like something that classic horror actor and make-up genius Lon Chaney could’ve pulled off. And his personality ties into the powerful figure, equally scary and full of pathos, shown in fairly recent comics like Batman: One Bad Day – Two-Face and The Beautiful Ugly.
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Batman: Caped Crusader has hit the ground running when it comes to capitalizing on the horror of the Dark Knight’s world. And with so many villains still to run into, this version of Gotham City will likely never be safe from the grotesque and the frightening…
Many of the characters from Batman: Caped Crusader appear on our list ofthe best supervillains of all time.
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GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2
Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
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Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2
Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3
Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5
Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
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1
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2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2
Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3
Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”