Batman: Caped Cursader

[ProfessorDetective]

Just finished the new Batman cartoon on Prime Video. It was very good. A real return to the roots of Batman and Gotham, as a whole. If you're wanting a classic detective series, this will scratch that itch.

Anyone else give it a watch yet?


youtu.be/AdzSiO-7LyM

[Thebestoftherest]

It nice having a super hero story that is street level.

[Madner Kami]

So far, I find it a bit superfluous. It feels largely like a redo of The Animated Series to me. It's good old noir detective story-telling, so pretty solid, but it does the same mistake that every Batman-media does: Disenchanting the myth. Batman starts out as a rumor, but right from the get-go, a few minutes into the first episode, he's revealed to be real.

[Thebestoftherest]

I don't mind, the animated series happened long enough ago having something like that isn't a bad thing, plus it nice having Batman back in his element.

[McAvoy]

Is the one that is building up a cry from a certain side about the Penguin? Oswalda? My only grip is that is a horrible name.

What is the story with that?

[ProfessorDetective]

Is the one that is building up a cry from a certain side about the Penguin? Oswalda? My only grip is that is a horrible name.

What is the story with that?

She's in the first episode and is... just Cobblepot as a woman and Minnie Driver's performance sells that well. I liked her.

And, yeah, this show is catching hell from the usual suspects. Cobbleopt's a woman, Gordon's black as is Barbara, Montoya is openly homosexual and a bit heavy-set as is Quinzel (who is also Asian) and none of this is called attention to in the show, in spite of the show's 1940s-ish setting. So, you know, the chuds are smelling "woke" in the water, again.

[Thebestoftherest]

I guess they aren't trying to hard to make it a realistic period peace. I wonder if they gender swap penguin just to give penguin kids to be cruel to.

[Winter]

Bruce Timm really needed this shot in the arm after the Animated Film Adaptation of The Killing Joke. That film really hurt Timm's reputation with the shit first half hour of the film and a few changes in the second half that really just made me go "huh?"

Glad to see that Caped Crusader is doing well and I hope it continues to improve.

[Madner Kami]

And, yeah, this show is catching hell from the usual suspects. Cobbleopt's a woman, Gordon's black as is Barbara, Montoya is openly homosexual and a bit heavy-set as is Quinzel (who is also Asian) and none of this is called attention to in the show, in spite of the show's 1940s-ish setting. So, you know, the chuds are smelling "woke" in the water, again.

I'll bite: Are they wrong though? I was a bit flummoxed, going into the series not knowing any of the above. Just sitting there in my car on a McDonald's parking lot after a looooooooong week of work and having Prime running on the center screen, where this show was advertised, having a package of fries in my hands. I like Batman and I feel he works best as a noir detective and this going-back to the "roots" of the character, seemed like a "fresh" take on him compared to the High Tech Near Future Ninja Batman usually ends up being since quite a while now (starting with the success of Arkham-Batman at latest).

It took me quite a while to realize, that this feisty pseudo-burlesque isn't a show-act in Penguin's Iceberg Lounge, but actually is the Penguin. Now I wasn't bothered by the character as is. She absolutely works as this crime-boss hiding in plain sight, being tricked into murdering (or trying to murder) both her sons. But why is this the Penguin? Why does this have to be the Penguin? What does it add, that he's a she and a mother now?

Similarly the Gordons being made black. Making Barbara an attorney was a good idea. It gives her agency and stakes beyond wanting to be a girly version of Batman. This is absolutely great (in fact, this nicely resembles the change from Batgirl to Oracle; nobody cared about the former, but the later was a character in it's own right, rather than a fangirl cosplaying). But her being black? What narrative purpose does it serve? What does it add to the character?

Montoya, I got no reactions about. I know this character existed and was recurring in the franchise and that she played a bigger role in Batman-media that I largely didn't consume, so I had no pre-conceived notions about her sexuality or looks beyond: Trying-to-be-honest female cop in a deeply corrupt world. She's still that. Works for me, don't care otherwise.

Now I'm not worked up about any of this. At best, it makes me roll my eyes and groan. I just wonder: Why was this done? And the only reason I can come up with so far is: Woke. Diversity for the sake of diversity, even if previous iterations of the character don't fit the bill. Trying to hammer the square peg into the round hole.

[Nealithi]

If we are going to have the woke conversation. I lean against changes just for the sake of being woke. But if you cast someone because skin color doesn't matter and they have the right gravitas to pull it off. Go for it. This being a cartoon. I am suspect, because it is begging to be called out in a period piece. Present day and I would not bat an eye, no pun intended. 40's noir sounds a little off.