"Batman: Caped Crusader (Amazon Prime)" Animated Series News & Discussion Part 3 (Spoilers)

[RoyalRubble]

Harley might be instrumental in stopping Scarecrow and/or Joker. I'm not sure if she'll form some sort of partnership with the latter, let alone a romance.

It's pretty awesome how the legacy of Batman TAS lives on with stuff like Gray Ghost... or Roxy Rocket.

 

[Millicay]

Does anyone else feel like the animation is kind of... off?

I'm having trouble articulating it but for example in that Riddler shot, the pose looks a bit awkward, the proportions don't look quite right, it reminds me of when Batman would appear in Static Shock where you could just tell that he looked a bit off. To be honest, there were a lot of moments in Season 1 where I felt the same thing.

Asking here because I honestly don't know if it's just nostalgia glasses or there really is something to it.

 

[Yojimbo]

Does anyone else feel like the animation is kind of... off?

I'm having trouble articulating it but for example in that Riddler shot, the pose looks a bit awkward, the proportions don't look quite right, it reminds me of when Batman would appear in Static Shock where you could just tell that he looked a bit off. To be honest, there were a lot of moments in Season 1 where I felt the same thing.

Asking here because I honestly don't know if it's just nostalgia glasses or there really is something to it.

It's not just you. Studio IAM did a lot of the animation services for season 1 and the output was all over the place but never high bar, imo, just mid-grade. Like some B and C-teams only worked on it - you can tell when some poses look stiff or just some uncanny valley stuff you can't put your finger on but know it's there. These stills made me think IAM is back for season 2. It got me wondering if in the shift to Prime (or it was always the case), the budget was left a lot to be desired. Or is it just the fact that there's such a glut of anime and Western animation productions, it's become harder to sign on the really good studios. I don't know if it's just me but the quality from the South Korean studios dropped in the past decade or they're just so overworked, it can't be helped. But idk, I just watched a show that Grida did the whole season of and it was spectacular. The weird thing is IAM was founded from former Studio Mir staff, and are a 'support' studio Mir and NEFU subcontracted work to so you'd think quality would be high, not stuff by newbish work staff. Curious if they tried to get Mir or Tiger but couldn't.

 

[Trueblade74]

Does anyone else feel like the animation is kind of... off?

Animation is terrible across the board these days. There's no avoiding it, and no way to stop it from happening. It's only going to just keep getting worse.

The weird thing is IAM was founded from former Studio Mir staff, and are a 'support' studio Mir and NEFU subcontracted work to so you'd think quality would be high, not stuff by newbish work staff.

Studio Mir isn't known for being a high quality studio. Why would a branch studio from it be any better?

 

[Yojimbo]

Animation is terrible across the board these days. There's no avoiding it, and no way to stop it from happening. It's only going to just keep getting worse.


Studio Mir isn't known for being a high quality studio. Why would a branch studio from it be any better?

They were pretty good when they started out but nowadays inconsistent. I thought they did pretty good work on My Adventures with Superman season 1.

 

[Frontier]

They were pretty good when they started out but nowadays inconsistent. I thought they did pretty good work on My Adventures with Superman season 1.

I think it just goes to your point about overwork because Mir does so many productions now that the quality was bound to take a hit.

 

[wonderfly]

From the front page of AnimeSuperhero.com:

"Batman: Caped Crusader Returns July 31 To Amazon Prime"​

"What do Batman and the X-Men, despite coming from opposite sides of two competing companies, have in common? Both had landmark animated shows come out in the 90s that changed the face of superhero cartoons forever, both were given new cartoons in the 2020s based around those shows (though the connection is only spiritual in Batman’s corner), and both launched with two-season orders. Also, both took too darn long to get those second seasons done.

I saw a complaint from a TV producer this morning that said without the rigid calendar schedule of a TV season and pressure to fulfill promises to advertisers, the streaming business tends to “slack off” and get things done whenever they’re done. Maybe that’s the problem, maybe it isn’t. What we do know is on the first day of July you’ll get to see the return of X-Men 97. On the last day of July you’ll get to see the return of Batman: Caped Crusader. Fair?"

Read the full article here.

 

[MatthewP]

not much to say here but i wonder whose idea it was to use carrie kelley some more

doesn't frank miller have a restraining order about these things?

 

[Yojimbo]

not much to say here but i wonder whose idea it was to use carrie kelley some more

doesn't frank miller have a restraining order about these things?

I've never seen him object to Bruce Timm using her in projects he's worked on.

 

[MatthewP]

huh, guess it's mainly the mainlines in that case

 

[Millicay]

huh, guess it's mainly the mainlines in that case

Not even that. She appeared for a while in New 52 as Damian's theater tutor, IIRC. She was supposed to be developed further but editorial had other plans.

I've already read some people saying she'll become Robin in the series but I highly doubt it, I think it'll be more along the lines of another cameo. Really don't see this Batman with child sidekicks.

 

[Otaku-sempai]

Not even that. She appeared for a while in New 52 as Damian's theater tutor, IIRC. She was supposed to be developed further but editorial had other plans.

I've already read some people saying she'll become Robin in the series but I highly doubt it, I think it'll be more along the lines of another cameo. Really don't see this Batman with child sidekicks.

Well, Dick Grayson is a Golden-Age character and was introduced as Robin during the period when Batman was still using a gun, so who knows?

 

[Millicay]

Well, Dick Grayson is a Golden-Age character and was introduced as Robin when Batman was still using a gun, so who knows?

Funnily enough, only kinda true. The Batman with a gun thing gets way overblown sometimes, IIRC he only used guns 5 times in the Golden Age, and only one of those times was after Robin's debut (Robin wasn't in the story). Soon after that editorial gave the mandate to not have him use guns.

Personally, I just feel it'd change the tone the creators intend for the show too much, that said, they've already adapted stories that included Robin originally, like Basil Karlo's Clayface, so who knows.

I'd like to be proven wrong, though. Would be really interesting to see how they handle Robin in the series.

 

[Trueblade74]

They were pretty good when they started out but nowadays inconsistent. I thought they did pretty good work on My Adventures with Superman season 1.

The character designs for that show being so uninspired would be enough to disprove that, but honestly I just didn't think the animation was good.

 

[Frontier]

Once again a binge watch. How disappointing.

Other thoughts inside the spoiler tags:

Spoiler

* Interesting way to reinterpret Mad Hatter. I guess we're not doing Alice In Wonderland again, which is fine by me. I'm most curious about this one.

* Scarecrow is okay. I got to agree, after seeing how creative Absolute Scarecrow is, this feels like a step back. I would've at least him wear the full plague doctor garb instead of just the mask. It's a bit dull otherwise.

* Riddler looks okay. More of an outward criminal and not as stylish. I'm curious about the kiss that works as the dot in his question mark. Does he have a female accomplice or did he leave that himself?

* I guess the masked figure is Roxy Rocket. The homage to the Rocketeer is very cool and appropriate for the era.

* Carrie Kelley as Gray Ghost is cool. It's a nice inversion: Bruce was inspired by Gray Ghost into becoming Batman, and now Carrie is inspired by Batman to become GG. Also, using Carrie as an early career partner in 1930s Gotham versus her initially came at Bruce's later years in life in the near future.

* The newspaper Bruce reads has an article titled "Florist dead, leaves behind heartbroken daughter". This could be subtle set-up to Poison Ivy. Or alternatively, this could be Dinah Drake and the daughter is Dinah Lance. Either way, it strikes me as way too specific not to be foreshadowing.

The kiss mark on the question mark makes me wonder if it's actually a Riddler/Catwoman episode?

Not even that. She appeared for a while in New 52 as Damian's theater tutor, IIRC. She was supposed to be developed further but editorial had other plans.

I think there was speculation that Frank Miller wanted exclusive use of her for a story he was doing which is why she vanished. Well, that and Tomasi got to bring Damian back.

I've already read some people saying she'll become Robin in the series but I highly doubt it, I think it'll be more along the lines of another cameo. Really don't see this Batman with child sidekicks.

I think the Nocturna episode basically doubled down on how much the creators have no intention of using Robin in any traditional form. I think the Carrie episode will just be cutely acknowledging and further developing that.

It's just also that I think the creators are very fond of her which is why she was the one Robin that came out the most prominent/likeable in that episode compared to even Dick Grayson.

 

[RoyalRubble]

I'm not expecting Carrie Kelley to wear the Gray Ghost outfit for more than one episode. Presuming she even appears in more than one episode this season.

Maybe that other kid, Jason, could also wear a red hood or something.

 

[Frontier]

I'm not expecting Carrie Kelley to wear the Gray Ghost outfit for more than one episode. Presuming she even appears in more than one episode this season.

Maybe that other kid, Jason, could also wear a red hood or something.

And Dickie will wear a red and green circus outfit, just for the heck of it .

 

[James Harvey]

Prime Video has announced the trailer for season two of Batman: Caped Crusader will debut tomorrow and released poster artwork. Check it out below.

​

 

[Frontier]

Prime Video has announced the trailer for season two of Batman: Caped Crusader will debut tomorrow and released poster artwork. Check it out below.

​

Okay, so from left to right:

- Ridder

- Scarecrow?

- Roxy Rocket?

- Joker?

- Harley?

- Mad Hatter?

Of course that's still only six villains for 10 episodes. Granted the season 1 poster also only featured six villains .

 

[Yojimbo]

Season 2 trailer has been released.