OK, I can buy that.
Batman: Caped Crusader (Prime Video)
- Thread starter Wingcommanderdarkwolf01
- Start date
Agreed
That would be an interesting twist on the character.
I've just finished watching the first season and I thought it was... okay. I've been watching a lot of classic superhero cartoons recently, so I could appreciate how it took the time to tell actual stories instead of jumping from fight scene to fight scene. I also liked that it used proper 2D animation, though it felt less stylish than the 90s Batman (in either of that show's art styles).
I think my biggest problem with it is that I don't like it when adaptations change stuff I'm familiar with. It just bothers me. I know that they have to change something, or else every cartoon would be the exact same, and I appreciate the 90s show brought extra depth to characters like Mr Freeze, but they're always going to have to do the work to sell me on the changes.
I thought Classic Catwoman worked, Hard Boiled Detective Renee Montoya was basically fine, Hard Boiled Lawyer Barbara Gordon felt like a different person and Harley Quinn should've been a different person. They should've just given her a different name, made up a new character. Not everyone has to be from the comics! I hated Bullock being corrupt, that felt entirely wrong, Commissioner Gordon was either entirely motionless or there to be the wrong side in any argument, and Harvey seemed to be a better person after the acid somehow.
Also bringing all the Robins in and making them all be orphans who live together was pretty eye-rolling for me. They basically turned them into a reference for the fans to spot.
Going back to a 40s style was great and I could mostly get behind it being a more tolerant version of the past except for when they tried to have their cake and eat it with things like Montoya. I mean, it shouldn't have been ambiguous why she was a controversial choice to lead the task force.
Oh, plus I liked Batman and Alfred. They're not my favourite versions of the characters, but they do feel like versions of the characters, plus they're suitably competent and effective. Previous cartoons have shown Bruce Wayne become harder and more closed off as he got older, but this guy's basically still the 8 year old who woke his butler up swearing vengeance on the bad people of Gotham, so he might actually become more human in future seasons, now that he's made some friends.
I think my biggest problem with it is that I don't like it when adaptations change stuff I'm familiar with. It just bothers me. I know that they have to change something, or else every cartoon would be the exact same, and I appreciate the 90s show brought extra depth to characters like Mr Freeze, but they're always going to have to do the work to sell me on the changes.
I thought Classic Catwoman worked, Hard Boiled Detective Renee Montoya was basically fine, Hard Boiled Lawyer Barbara Gordon felt like a different person and Harley Quinn should've been a different person. They should've just given her a different name, made up a new character. Not everyone has to be from the comics! I hated Bullock being corrupt, that felt entirely wrong, Commissioner Gordon was either entirely motionless or there to be the wrong side in any argument, and Harvey seemed to be a better person after the acid somehow.
Also bringing all the Robins in and making them all be orphans who live together was pretty eye-rolling for me. They basically turned them into a reference for the fans to spot.
Going back to a 40s style was great and I could mostly get behind it being a more tolerant version of the past except for when they tried to have their cake and eat it with things like Montoya. I mean, it shouldn't have been ambiguous why she was a controversial choice to lead the task force.
Oh, plus I liked Batman and Alfred. They're not my favourite versions of the characters, but they do feel like versions of the characters, plus they're suitably competent and effective. Previous cartoons have shown Bruce Wayne become harder and more closed off as he got older, but this guy's basically still the 8 year old who woke his butler up swearing vengeance on the bad people of Gotham, so he might actually become more human in future seasons, now that he's made some friends.
I agree with the last sentence, but Harley's role here is as a therapist, and since she's canonically a former therapist in most incarnations, she seems the logical character to use in that role, even if she is reinterpreted. What I've read about her role in B:CC sounds almost exactly like her role in the 2002 Birds of Prey TV series, where Harleen Quinzel was the therapist for Helena Kyle/Huntress, with neither of them knowing the other's secret identity. It was actually a pretty good variation on the Harley character, more high-functioning and malevolent but recognizable as Harley.
He was originally introduced as a corrupt cop, but was reformed when he became a popular character with readers. Maybe this version will have a similar redemption arc.
The former sounds unfortunate, but the latter seems like an interesting twist.
One of these days I'm gonna have to get around to subscribing to Prime so I can see this and some other things, but I'm subscribed to enough streamers at the moment.
Personally I think they should've replaced her with Hugo Strange if she had to be anyone. I still would've bitched about it, because I don't like changes, but that feels like a better fit for who she is in this series.
Hmm, Hugo would've better fit the '40s milieu, but Harley is the more popular character by, like, a huge degree, and I can easily understand why Bruce Timm would've chosen to use a character he co-created.
Plus, as with Penguin's gender swap, they probably wanted to improve the balance of male and female villains. Looking at the character list on Wikipedia, it seems that the majority of villains on the show are still male, with Harley, Catwoman, Penguin, and Nocturna being the only female ones.
I thought what they did with Nocturna was really interesting, especially since I never really liked her in the comics.
You could do what I do, and just rotate through every few months. I pick two or three that I subscribe to all the time, and then my last one I rotate between 3 or 4 different ones ever few months.
Me too. I forget that can watch stuff on Prime. Been subscribing for years for the free shipping. In fact, it has been years since I logged in on my TV so I could watch this and then I saw the boys was on here. I heard that was good so I may watch that next.
"Because carnivals are magic. The air always smells of popcorn and burning leaves. Those tents hold secrets you only uncover if you're brave enough to step into the dark."
I finally had a chance to sit down and watch the season the past two days and I largely enjoyed it.
I especially loved the new version of Harley and how she was introduced as Bruce's therapist and then became part of the circle of friends with Barbara and Renee. Romantically pairing her off with Renee was a lovely surprise and I was sad when it was cut off so soon. In fact, as much I loved the Harley-focused episode, I wish it had been later in the season just to see more of her civilian interactions with Bruce, Barbara, and especially Renee. Either way, I was grateful that she became a villain on her own without a certain toxic relationship to get her going.
I also loved the new version of Clayface. As much as I've enjoyed the lovable oaf in Harley Quinn, it was really nice to see him utilized as a serious threat again while returning to his roots as a tragic figure.
As a big fan of Something Wicked This Way Comes, I'm a sucker for carnival stories so I greatly enjoyed "Nocturne," especially since I hadn't heard of either of Nocturna or Nightslayer before, although I wish it had leaned more towards the weird as the above quote had hinted at. Until the credits, I almost thought they were show originals but I'm not surprised that wasn't actually the case.
The only thing that surprised me about the show was its commitment to killing off Harvey by the end of the season. If nothing else, it demonstrates the series' willingness to focus on some of the lesser known villains instead of letting the usual suspects hog up all of the space...which is why I was disappointed (but not at all surprised) by the finale's stinger.
It's going to be a long wait for the second season...
I finally had a chance to sit down and watch the season the past two days and I largely enjoyed it.
I especially loved the new version of Harley and how she was introduced as Bruce's therapist and then became part of the circle of friends with Barbara and Renee. Romantically pairing her off with Renee was a lovely surprise and I was sad when it was cut off so soon. In fact, as much I loved the Harley-focused episode, I wish it had been later in the season just to see more of her civilian interactions with Bruce, Barbara, and especially Renee. Either way, I was grateful that she became a villain on her own without a certain toxic relationship to get her going.
I also loved the new version of Clayface. As much as I've enjoyed the lovable oaf in Harley Quinn, it was really nice to see him utilized as a serious threat again while returning to his roots as a tragic figure.
As a big fan of Something Wicked This Way Comes, I'm a sucker for carnival stories so I greatly enjoyed "Nocturne," especially since I hadn't heard of either of Nocturna or Nightslayer before, although I wish it had leaned more towards the weird as the above quote had hinted at. Until the credits, I almost thought they were show originals but I'm not surprised that wasn't actually the case.
The only thing that surprised me about the show was its commitment to killing off Harvey by the end of the season. If nothing else, it demonstrates the series' willingness to focus on some of the lesser known villains instead of letting the usual suspects hog up all of the space...which is why I was disappointed (but not at all surprised) by the finale's stinger.
It's going to be a long wait for the second season...
Watched episode 2 this afternoon and I really enjoyed it.
I liked this version of Montoya, and their take on Clayface was good too.
With so many people making such a big deal of casting voice actor who match the race of the characters, I was a little surprised the black character Yvonne Francis voiced by white actress Lacey Chabert.
I found interesting that in the scene where Bruce was alone in the car with Alfred, they had him using his Batman voice, even though he wasn't dressed as Batman.
I liked this version of Montoya, and their take on Clayface was good too.
With so many people making such a big deal of casting voice actor who match the race of the characters, I was a little surprised the black character Yvonne Francis voiced by white actress Lacey Chabert.
I found interesting that in the scene where Bruce was alone in the car with Alfred, they had him using his Batman voice, even though he wasn't dressed as Batman.
I love the gender swap there.
I like keeping Harley free of the Joker as well.
I might have omitted Gentlemen Ghost and Nocturna however.