Is the Dark Knight victim to another DC superhero cash grab?
The Batman machine does not seem to be slowing down. With what feels like only four decent movies – Tim Burton and Christopher Nolan’s first two iterations and his third at a stretch – it seems like no one has learnt any lessons. The latest instalment of the live-action film featuring Robert Pattinson felt void of anything new and merely attempted to remix what Nolan had already achieved.
New Batman cartoon shows promise
Fast forward a couple of years, and we now have another animated effort in the shape of “Batman: Caped Crusader,” Jeff Bezo’s latest foray into the world of entertainment. Produced by Matt Reeves and JJ Abrams, the show was initially dropped by HBO Max before it was picked up by the real life supervillain.
The new Amazon animated series featuring the Gotham superhero feels like a woeful attempt to cash in on the comic sensation. Following the passing of Kevin Conroy, Batman’s finest voice actor, there are big shoes to fill, and Amazon Studios felt they found their man in Hamish Linklater. However, when watching the trailer, Batman/Bruce Wayne sounds more constipated than he does Dark Knight.
The story is set in the 1940s, which means, no phones or smart tech leading the world, which implies a bare bones vigilante. But the story once again revolves around his origins, despite the world already knowing how he became the crime fighter he is.
A terrible trailer reveal
In a truly terrible trailer reveal from the multinational company, Linklater showcases his vocals and introduces a cast that features Christina Ricci, Minnie Driver and John DiMaggio (Futurama).
As a spotlight dances around uncovering the aforementioned and more, it finishes with the voice of Batman who says “and me, Batman”. Though the most concerning thing about the show so far, is that the protagonist sounds more tame than intimidating. Linklater’s interpretation fails to introduce anything new, and instead sounds like an impression of Conroy that falls flatter than gravity.
It is set to feature some of the Gotham protector’s rogues gallery, including Harvey Dent and Harley Quinn. However, one disappointing detail is the episode count, clocking in at just 11. In comparison, the ’90s series boasted a whopping 65 episodes in its first outing alone.
The comic industry has been adapted time and time again, and with that, failures to reinvent according to lore are becoming more common. The DC superhero has been licenced to death, and now it seems those rights are doing just that.
Stanisland Magazine 
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