Batman: Caped Crusader coming August 1

[LordGigaIce]

That *is* quite jarring, unlike the Howitzer Umbrella mounted on a cruise ship and the literal Cat car which the 30-40’s were absolutely rife with…

I’ve noticed “realism” especially in otherwise fantastical properties is almost always used to justify absolute jive things like bigotry and racism (or Section 31)

It’s fake so if you can believe a dude dresses in a leotard to fight crime you can believe people didn’t have a problem with LGBTQ relationships.

EDIT: I’m not accusing you of wishing that or anything just to be clear.

It's a good point, and if this show took more of a BTAS approach- a fantasy world that just leans into 30s-40s aesthetics but clearly isn't that era- I'd not be tilting my head at it.

My issue comes from being both a progressive person and a history teacher. A lot of the issues faced by both LGBTQ+ peoples and racial minorities in the US are rooted in centuries of systemic bigotry. You need to understand the histories to understand the modern issues these groups face, and you need to reckon with these histories before you can fully move to fix the damage. I take that part of my job as an educator incredibly seriously.

To be clear a Batman tv show is under no obligation to be a history lesson or replace schooling in general but at the same time it was a conscious effort to set this show in the mid-20th century yet make it conform to our standards of progressiveness when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights and race relations.

If a kid sees this show and decides that African Americans couldn't have had it so bad if Black Jim Gordon could be police commissioner or that sexual and gender minorities don't have it so bad if open Lesbian relationships were seen as no big deal pre-WWII then...

eh

Anyone coming into my classroom spouting that stuff off will get their record set straight, but I'm not looking at the state of our education system as-is and feeling super confident in that being the case across the board.

I don't think Black Jim Gordon or openly Queer folk are bad in Batman by any means. And hell, go the BTAS route if you want to do that stuff and keep your pulpy feel... but something about pretending like everything was a-ok for LGBTQ+ peoples and racial minorities in a 1930s-1940s setting just doesn't sit right with me. I understand the good intentions of the creators, but I think it's one of those "does more harm then they intended" sorts of things.

Aside from all of that...

This show's design for Bruce Wayne makes him look like Sterling Archer.

His Bruce Wayne persona basically is! Right down to him being mean to his butler

 

[Sabrblade]

Another character design that looked familiar to me was that of Rupert Thorne, who looked to me like an animated version of the late great Charles Napier (circa the 1990s).

 

[Fero McPigletron]

Ah, Flass was a movie character. At least he didn't come from nowhere.

Saw a video who pointed out that the photographer who took pics of Catwoman was named Eel! As in Plastic Man! Dang, I didn't catch that!

Darn! I actually liked the photographer as a new support crew for Caped Batman. Like, Batman would always come to him for photo help or news gossip or whatever. Now that he's identified as Plastic Man, probably won't happen.

Other guys I liked seeing are The Spectre and Deadshot. Those were cool cameos.

 

[Shadhausen]

Other guys I liked seeing are The Spectre and Deadshot. Those were cool cameos.

Actually it may not the the Jim Corrigan that becomes the Spectre. This Corrigan seems more based on the 3rd character named Jim Corrigan from the Gotham Central books who is a corrupt cop that killed Crispus Allen leading to Allen becoming the Spectre.

 

[Sabrblade]

Ah, Flass was a movie character.

No, I said the Batman Begins version was just the most recognizable version. The link I included said which comic issue he originated from, Batman #404 (February 1987).

 

[Shadewing]

Just got around to watching this. Overall, I like it. It does have that BTAS feel to it, while also feeling abit old school noir. I liked a lot of what they did here, like Clayface (probably my favorite episode becuase its the most dectective-y), Catwoman (I've always really liked that Golden Age outfit of hers), Two-Face. I like the whole "Year 1" thing they have going on with Batman having to learn to open up and trust people. But certain things didn't really land with me, Lady Penquin just feels like a change for change sake. I didn't dislike her, but I wasn't sold on her either. Onomotpia feels neutered here being just some guy with a vocal tick. Harley Quinn... I really don't get why she needs a costume, she's basically taking the role of Hugo Strange, it feels; but I like that she is genuinely friends with Babs and Montoya. I kinda wished we had a bit more stuff like Gentleman Ghost and Nocturna. Stuff that would help the series feel a bit more unique. Also not really sold on the end teaser either.

I also kinda agree with Gigaice about the settings and minorities. I'm not as hung up on it, but it feels weird there not much comment or pushback from it. I wouldn't want it to big down the show or anything, but it does feel like if they are trying to be set in that era, there should be a bit more; espically since this is supposed to be a more mature series overall.

I do want to see this get a second season, but I'd like to see them do more with the show. I'd like to see them use more lesser known characters, some of them could really shine in a setting like this. I'd be great if some of his "loser villians" got a real upgrade like they did with Mr. Freeze. I kinda feel that's what this series is missing at the moment. A lot of the villians are just kinda... there. We don't get to really see or know them, except for the few we generally already know.

 

[Sabrblade]

I also kinda agree with Gigaice about the settings and minorities. I'm not as hung up on it, but it feels weird there not much comment or pushback from it. I wouldn't want it to big down the show or anything, but it does feel like if they are trying to be set in that era, there should be a bit more; espically since this is supposed to be a more mature series overall.

The most that I can recall of any of it being addressed was a short bit in the Firebug episode where Flass asks Bullock to punch him, and Bullock was very clearly uncomfortable about hitting him, as if it was because it would look like a white man beating a black man in the street. But even that was very subtle since the moment was brief and they didn't dwell on it or actually say anything explicit about it.

 

[Shadewing]

The most that I can recall of any of it being addressed was a short bit in the Firebug episode where Flass asks Bullock to punch him, and Bullock was very clearly uncomfortable about hitting him, as if it was because it would look like a white man beating a black man in the street. But even that was very subtle since the moment was brief and they didn't dwell on it or actually say anything explicit about it.

Also their dislike of Montoya being in charge of the Task Force seems to be becuase she's a woman, though that's never out right addressed either. But I wanted a bit more of those moments. It doesn't have to be some big grand deal that gets a focus episode, not when we're only getting 10 episodes a season, but, and I know this is going to sound wrong, I Like some level of racism and sexism and stuff in some shows becuase it makes a setting feel more real. You can get some really great stories out of it, when its handled right. Even when its entirely fictional Racism like in BG3 with how Teiflings are treated. It sucks, but its also a way to address it in ways you can't easily do so IRL, and like I said gives just a bit of realism to the world. There's always ways that it can be done poorly or done intnetionally when actual bigots use it in stories, I don't want to see it being used to actually harm people; And I don't want it in every show I watch, but in a series like Batman, not just CC, it feels like one of the types of injustice they would highlight to some degree.

 

[The Predaking]

We finally finished the series this weekend. It was great!

My overall favorite episodes were the two face two part finale. I loved how Harvey just goes on a rampage and almost single handedly takes out Thorne. Later on, seeing Harvey dealing with his multiple personalities but legitimately controlling big bad Harvey was great. He had such a sad fate in this show, and I was hoping that it would push Batman to actually take out Flas and Thorne.

Loved the teaser at the end.

 

[Fero McPigletron]

It's been renewed so that's good.

I'd like to see other villains get the limelight. Onomatopea is a modern villain brought back to the past. While I find Zsasz boring (no gimmick?), it'd be fun if he appears as a background killer and is disposed of promptly. Like how Deadshot's cameo was done.

I'd like to see The Cavalier, maybe entangle him with Catwoman One (I kinda love her here).

Maybe White Rabbit instead of Mad Hatter.

I liked Magpie and Humpty Dumpty from Beware the Batman. Magpie might be too Catwoman-y but Humpty Dumpty would work.

Btw, who's Nocturna?

 

[Sabrblade]

Btw, who's Nocturna?

List of DC Comics characters: N - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[Shadewing]

List of DC Comics characters: N - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

She's a Character Timm wanted to use in BTAS, but could never get past the censors back then.

 

[Fero McPigletron]

Huh, so the 'vampire' version was only from the unused pitch. From the text, Batman was suppose to be bitten and turned to a vampire too.

But there was a Brave and the Bold ep where Batman was turned vampiric. It was actually a freaky ep, actually scary. I recall the time was running out and I had no idea how they were going to resolve it. I thought it was going to be a dream ep but it wasn't.

 

[lastmaximal]

Recently finished this, and it was okay. Enjoyable, good even, but not something I'd seek out.

Hamish's Batman/Bruce take is good, but there are many points where it feels like he's carefully doing a (good) Conroy impression that holds back how well he can emote with the lines. He has a naturally deep and rich voice, and can act with it -- hopefully he can loosen up (or be allowed to if it was a directorial choice) with this next season.

Some changes were interesting, some not so much. Oswalda Cobblepot I can take or leave; I like the dynamic she has with her company, but I'd rather see a new Cobblepot matriarch with Oswald being a lieutenant instead of just straight up swapping Oswald. I dig the new Harley (always nice to see her get to be a psychiatrist) and how she was woven into the plots. Catwoman was a delight from start to finish and needs to be recurring; the show's take on Gentleman Ghost was very cool; this is one of the best takes on Clayface ever.

I was not fond of the "mean to Alfred" bit, especially since it wasn't really woven well into the season. He just calls him Pennyworth (which itself seems a bit off for Bruce), and there are lines that tease Bruce for it, but no real substantial reflection on them even with the life-threatening battle with Craddock. And then at the very end it's oh, he calls him Alfred now. There are better ways to do the "emotionally closed off in his early years" thing; even the way The Batman did it didn't really do much for me.

I think the season was structured pretty well, with some throughlines that connected the episodes but not at the cost of the individual plots. The pacing and general episode structure also varied a fair bit.

Anyway, as a whole, the cast was also very, very enjoyable -- I instantly want more of Jamie Chung as Harley, Christina Ricci as Catwoman, DiMaggio as Bullock, and so on. It's fun to think of how else the other Rogues can be worked into this time frame.