Summary
The first season ofDC’snewest animated series,Batman: Caped Crusader, sees the titular character come as close to breaking his biggest rule that I have ever seen without actually breaking it.Batman: Caped Crusaderis set in Gotham in the 1940sand heavily emphasizes the detective noir aspect of the character. Hamish Linklater (Midnight Mass) lends a new voice to the character in a series developed byBatman: The Animated Seriescreator Bruce Timm and produced by the likes of Matt Reeves, director behindThe Batman.
The team behindBatman: Caped Crusadermakes surprising changes to Batman’s story, all in the service of creating something fresh that still respects the important aspects of the source material and the adaptations that came before it. At times, it feels like a spiritual successor toBatman: The Animated Series, and the show’s depiction of the Caped Crusader so far takes him in interesting directions. By theending ofBatman: Caped Crusaderseason 1, the series notably sees its hero come close to breaking his no-killing rule, the most significant rule that Batman has.
DC’s New Batman Show Redeemed A Villain The DCEU Totally Failed
Batman: Caped Crusader takes a certain villain in an interesting direction, alleviating the DCEU’s failure to make him a compelling character.
Batman: Caped Crusader’s Season 1 Ending Sees The Dark Knight Almost Kill A Detective
Towards the end ofBatman: Caped Crusaderseason 1, episode 10, “Savage Night,” Detective Arnold Flass shoots and kills Two-Face, leading to a confrontation with Batman.After knocking the gun out of Flass' hand, Batman slowly picks it up before pointing it at Flass in a tense scene that shows the character peering over the edge about to break his no-kill rule.Killing Dent was a shocking moment for the series, and showing Batman seemingly ready to kill Flass reveals how much the moment affects the character.
Off-screen, the sound of gunfire rings as Batman unloads the gun’s clip. Of course, he doesn’t actually kill Flass, instead shooting around his head before ultimately throwing the gun into the river and violently knocking him out. It feels like the moment in the show where Batman decides how he actually wants to be as a hero and protector of Gotham. The fact that he struggled not to kill Flass makes it all the more compelling.
Showing Batman’s Struggle With His No-Kill Rule Makes It More Important
Discourse surrounding his no-kill rule is fine, but when Batman ultimately rejects killing a villain or enemy, it shows why the rule is so important and why he won’t follow through with it.
Some of the most compelling on-screen Batman moments show him flirting with his no-killing rule.The Batmandoes this well towards the end of the film, as he is stopped by Gordon and Catwoman from killing one of Riddler’s goons, whileBatman v. Supermanshows Bruce Wayne completely abandoning this part of his code, mowing down enemies left and right. Discourse surrounding his no-kill rule is fine, but when Batman ultimately rejects killing a villain or enemy, it shows why the rule is so important and why he won’t follow through with it.
In a Gotham full of corrupt cops and terrifying villains, it could be easy for Batman to kill those he fights, ensuring that they won’t be able to terrorize the city anymore. What makes the character stand out is his rejection of that notion, believing he can ultimately aid in getting these people the help they might need.Watching his parents die in front of him as a child is what drives him, and that’s why seeing him pointing a gun at a corrupt detective is so shocking, but even more meaningful when he steps away from that edge.
Batman: Caped Crusaderintroduced fans to a new interpretation of the character and his mythos while exploring a setting rarely seen outside his early comic book history. Focusing heavily on the detective noir aspect of Batman provides a compelling narrative and explores the character in interesting ways.Batman: Caped Crusaderseason 1 took the character to the brink in its last episode, coming as close as possible to breaking his no-kill rule without actually breaking it. It might very well be the defining moment for the character moving forward in future seasons of the series.
Batman: Caped Crusader
Cast
Wealthy socialite Bruce Wayne, transformed by tragedy, takes on the mantle of Batman to combat the rampant corruption and crime in Gotham City. His vigilante actions attract both allies within the GCPD and City Hall and deadly adversaries, leading to unforeseen consequences. The series delves into the noir roots of Batman, exploring the psychological depths of Gotham’s inhabitants.
