Does the world really need another Batman adaptation? Not really, but this show’s refreshing return to form makes it a worthwhile entry.
What it's about
Alongside co-executive producers JJ Abrams (Star Trek) and Matt Reeves (The Batman), The Batman: Animated Series producer Bruce Timm returns for a new iteration of his '90s classic, this time featuring more villains, more action, and more moody noir.
The take
It’s easy to mistake stills of Batman: The Caped Crusader with Batman: The Animated Series, that iconic ‘90s series that many of us grew up watching. And while they are more or less helmed by the same showrunner, the newer adaptation is sleeker and cleaner, stripped of color and replaced with noir. It sounds ironic, but despite its Art Deco setting and near-monochrome design, The Caped Crusader feels refreshing to watch. It explores plenty of other villains besides the usual suspects, forgoes actual powers for skills and gadgetry, and uses plain but engaging dialogue to get its points across (no annoying snark here). This Batman goes back to his Detective Comics roots, in other words, and this show is like a police procedural that anyone of any age (and DC exposure) can enjoy.
What stands out
Vulture’s Roxana Hadid already beat us to it: this is exactly like a season of Perry Mason.