A new Batman show is heading to Prime Video - and it looks fantastic
The spirit of the noir 90s is alive and well in Caped Crusader
Prime Video has confirmed a new Batman animated series, Batman: Caped Crusader, will come to streaming this August, and has given us a first look.
Superhero movies may be floundering but we’re in a golden era of animated superhero stuff.
You might think of Batman: Caped Crusader as a companion piece to X-Men '97. They are modern continuations of 1990s animated shows that were beloved by an entire generation. Just about, anyway.
Batman: Caped Crusader is based on the style of animation seen in Batman: The Animated Series, the four seasons of which were originally broadcast between 1992 and 1995.
It was one of the signature works of Kevin Conroy as Batman. Conroy sadly died in 2022, and the new voice of Batman is yet to be revealed.
The look of plenty of the new characters has, though, in these teaser images:
As well as retaining the noir style of the classic Batman animated series, Batman: Caped Crusader features key figures involved in the old show.
Bruce Timm and Michael Reaves, who wrote episodes of the 90s version, return as executive producers alongside production and writing leviathan J.J. Abrams.
Prime Video has given us the official lead line for Batman: Caped Crusader, and it sounds as classic bats as you can get: “Welcome to Gotham City, where the corrupt outnumber the good, criminals run rampant and law-abiding citizens live in a constant state of fear.
"Forged in the fire of tragedy, wealthy socialite Bruce Wayne becomes something both more and less than human—the BATMAN. His one-man crusade for justice attracts unexpected allies within the GCPD and City Hall, but his heroic actions spawn deadly, unforeseen ramifications.”
Not many clues as to an over-arching storyline, then, but the images above clearly show a stack of classic Batman characters are set to feature.
There will be 10 initial episodes of Batman: Caped Crusader, to be released on August 1, but Prime Video has already ordered two seasons of the show. It was originally going to be made for HBO Max, before Amazon swooped in to keep the ball rolling in March 2023.