Broadcast in the mid-90s, Batman: The Animated Series remains, for many, myself included, the definitive version of the Dark Knight. Not only did this version of Batman pave the way for all future interpretations, but the hero’s rogues gallery was explored and expanded so perfectly that certain characters were fundamentally changed forever. Not to mention, the series was also the birthplace of Harley Quinn, one of the most popular comic book characters of modern times.
When it was announced that Bruce Timm, creator and showrunner of the animated series, was returning to work on a new Batman, with Matt Reeves, JJ Abrams and Ed Brubaker as executive producers, it felt like I had slipped into a dream that I wanted to stay in forever. Batman: The Masked Crusader is this project that explores Batman’s earliest days as a vigilante in 1940s Gotham as he fights crime, solves mysteries, and engages in plenty of world-class pondering.
The vaguely 1940s setting is full of ties and fedoras and steeped in the cartoon’s Art Deco style. You won’t see any out-of-place technology here, though: old cars, crackling radios, period clothing, and TVs that you’d have to sit inches away from to enjoy. The setting gives Caped Crusader its own identity, but also contributes to the pacing of each episode.
