Batman: Caped Crusader‘s first season was an interesting, if decidedly mixed, spin on the Batman mythos: its ten-episode debut in 2024 was marred by a lot of static and/or incomplete visuals, incredibly inconsistent characterization, and one of the worst animated appearances of Catwoman I can ever remember. Despite that, the show’s takes on Harley Quinn and Harvey Dent, along with its intriguing (if unevenly applied) brutalist aesthetic, was undeniably intriguing, offering a glimpse into a clearer vision of what Caped Crusader was aiming to be as a series – though the season-ending tease of the Joker’s arrival in Gotham suggested perhaps it was one all too ready to fall back into old, reliable rhythms and patterns, rather than explore the expansive, varied Batman mythos in new and exciting ways.
“Brute Force”, Batman: Caped Crusader‘s second season premiere, offers an unclear answer to whether the series is ready to chart a new path and embrace some of the lessons of season one, or if this is a continuation of a vision unwilling to deviate from the narrow, shallow version presented through most of its first season. Beyond that, it’s just an incredibly strange season premiere, mostly sidelining Batman (and completely abandoning Bruce Wayne, who isn’t seen once in the episode) to both introduce Edward Nygma (The Riddler) into Gotham’s world, and resolve a few of the threads left hanging at the end of “Savage Night”.
At both, it’s kind of uneven: while I hesitate to pass judgement on Nygma’s presence after only a single episode, the initial introduction – reckless two-bit gangster with a violent streak – leaves a lot to be desired, especially as Caped Crusader folds him into the existing structure of the series (Nygma is one of Thorne’s lieutenants, one who just happens wear a forest green suit with a purple tie at all time). Caped Crusader‘s Nygma is not one inclined for clever behavior, which makes him one of those Caped Crusader “reimagining’s” that feels like a bit more brutish, simply for the sake of it. While there’s certainly been versions of The Riddler who’ve risen from the ranks of common criminal, Nygma’s introduction – which seems him brashly trying to kill Calendar Man, who stands ready to testify against Rupert Thorne at his trial – is a bit leaden, portraying Nygma as opportunistic, rather than calculated, in a way that makes him more simplistic and straightforward than his most iconic portrayals.
While I appreciate Batman: Caped Crusader not going full Jim Carrey with the character, time will tell whether this streamlined, “gritty” version of The Riddler proves to be anything interesting, or something merely to fill time until season two inevitably pushes the Joker to the forefront (at the end of “Brute Force”, Joker cuts off season one pretty cleanly by killing Thorne right in front of his son, whose been traumatized arguably more than anyone over the course of the first eleven episodes… except maybe the remaining Cobblepot twin). Considering season one’s mixed of serialized and one-off storytelling (like “Night Ride”, one of season one’s bright spots), it will be interesting to see how season two balances these two iconic villains, each of which come with a certain narrative gravity, that could either enlighten some of the show’s burgeoning character arcs for characters like Montoya, which only came in fits and starts between other stories in the first run of episodes.
“Brute Force” doesn’t really provide any solid evidence in that regard, either: there are some nods towards lingering season one stories – primarily Bullock and Flass as the two corrupt cops, the latter of which features a bit more prominently in the season premiere in a way that intrigues me, especially with his new proximity to Montoya as her assigned partner hunting down the corruption within the GCPD (aka, Flass himself). But outside of that, “Brute Force” is mostly just about The Riddler’s pursuit of Calendar Man, and Batman’s mostly-passive presence in the story as it plays out across Gotham. There’s no Bruce Wayne, there’s no interior exploration for characters like Barbara or Jim – depending on how you look at it, Caped Crusader‘s second season premiere is either incredibly focused on what’s ahead of it, or so tunnel visioned it is losing any sense of dimensionality, right as it tries to tackle two of its most dynamic, iconic villains at the same time.
Despite that slight feeling of stagnation (not really what you want in a season premiere), there are some definite improvements I hope carry through the season – leading with the animation style, which takes a big step forward through much of “Brute Force”. Though it still feels a bit stiff with its non-superpowered characters at times, the animation of “Brute Force” is much more consistent and engaging than much of season one – which, if anything, suggests we might get a bit more visual panache, which could go a long way to bringing some much-needed energy to the proceedings. There are also just enough new introductions – like TV reporter Hattie Tetch, who is The Mad Hatter in the form of a mob apologist/propagandist on local TV, the rare Frank Miller-ian touch I can get behind – to make “Brute Force” feel like its at least bridging itself towards something new and different, rather than be content with the underwhelming mix it offered through most of its freshman season.
Neither satisfying nor disappointing, “Brute Force” is a weird little nugget of a season premiere; while there are certainly signs towards a more dynamic, exciting version of the series, the sudden shift away from any sort of interiority for its main characters, while offering mostly two-dimensional versions of familiar faces in its place, is not exactly the most promising sign for the season to come. It would be silly to pass judgment on Batman: Caped Crusader after only one episode, but I’m certainly concerned that the show’s clear narrative ambitions may be a series getting ahead of its skis, before it shores up some of the underwhelming elements that held back much of 2024’s first season.
Other thoughts/observations:
- Welcome back to Batman: Caped Crusader reviews! If you are catching up on season one, I’ve got you covered – and if you want to stay up to date with season two reviews as they publish, you can get Processed Media right in your inbox!
- My biggest issue with this episode is that it doesn’t feel like it has much to say. It’s just kind of like “Here’s The Riddler… and Joker, I guess!”. Time will tell how they tie Nygma’s arc to Batman (and to Joker, eventually), but it’s a precarious start, for sure.
- Barbara insists Gordon and Batman meet through the episode, but the friction and tension always feels suggested more than anything. After all, the cops just watch Batman bash the monster Nygma creates, and do nothing when he leaves. It’s strange “Brute Force” keeps bringing it up, when it doesn’t really feel important to the story of this episode (nor is something either Batman or Jim really acknowledge).
- Dr. Strange gives Riddler the monster-making serum, noting is gives “Power. Strength. Aggression.” Could that be teasing Bane?
- That dude really just gets torn up by a plane propeller! A strange way to make Caped Crusader earn its “gritty” badge; it’s a moment that feels completely random.
- Also – why is Dr. Strange’s head such a weird shape? It is distracting.
- Gotta love the openly corrupt judge in a case that somehow has no jury. Logic!