Prime Video Has An Animated Batman Series With A Near-Perfect Rotten Tomatoes Score

Ask any self-respecting Batman fan which is the best animated iteration of the character, and chances are they'll shine their Bat Signal on Eric Radomski and Bruce Timm's 1992 groundbreaking show, "Batman: The Animated Series." The gloomy-yet-gorgeous take on the Dark Knight was an Emmy-winning masterpiece, held in just as high regard as the greatest live-action versions of Gotham's guardian, giving us the perfectly cast Kevin Conroy as Batman and Mark Hamill, in one of his best movie roles not including Luke Skywalker, as The Joker. For decades, the show was untouchable, but in 2024, Timm returned to the Batcave, giving us a brand-new take on the pointy-eared vigilante in Prime Video's "Batman: Caped Crusader."

Timm once again tapped into what made his original take on the character so iconic, drawing on story lines from the 1940s to the 1960s and the hero who fought throughout them, but this is no attempt to mirror his '90s show. Timm is joined by executive producers that included J.J. Abrams, "The Batman" director Matt Reeves, and Ed Brubaker, while Hamish Linklater, best known for his roles in "Midnight Mass" and "The Big Short," steps up to the microphone to provide the voice behind the cowl. Delivering a very different but impressively impactful take on Batman, the show also applies some creative tweaks that set it apart from "The Animated Series," and in doing so has earned the series immense praise.

Holding its own against the show it would inevitably be compared to, "Batman: Caped Crusader" has earned 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. IndieWire's Ben Travers said, "Casual fans should be happy, die-hards will find plenty to savor, and a new generation may be about to discover a Bat-series to call their own." Decider's Johnny Loftus assured that "'Batman: Caped Crusader' has a great pedigree with DC veteran Bruce Timm running the show, the animation is moody and cool, and just like so many Batman projects before it, the villains might be the best part about it."

Burt Peterson of SciFi Now gave the show a perfect 5/5 rating, saying, "Batman's back in a brand new animated series that beautifully blends the nostalgia of the 90s with an updated, more serious tone." Clearly, with this kind of route, it makes sense as to why Prime Video has snatched up another superhero from the 1940s, with the imminent arrival of Nicolas Cage's live-action show, "Spider-Noir." There really is something special about heroes fighting the good fight in a different time, but just when will we see the Caped Crusader make a comeback to go another round? And what kind of new villains will he face after going up against a compelling variety of rogues already?

It may not turn as many heads as Prime Video's other superhero shows, like "The Boys" or "Invincible," but the positive reviews for "Batman: Caped Crusader" should be enough for the series to continue. The only worry is that there's been no solid confirmation of when the Dark Knight would return to action, and the wait has been a long time coming. The first season was released in 2024, and there have been only murmurings of Season 2 getting a future slot. In an interview with MovieWeb in September 2025, Hamish Linklater couldn't give a confirmed release date for the second season but said it wouldn't be too far away. 

If that comes to fruition, there's no telling who will join Linklater in the recording booth, both as friends and foes. Season 1 ended on a cliffhanger with the Joker making his debut, having already faced off against the likes of Catwoman (Christina Ricci) and Clayface (who is set to get a live-action film this year). For now, we can only cross our fingers and keep our utility belt at the ready, hoping that "Batman: Caped Crusader" answers the call soon.