CASE FILES - Batman: Caped Crusader's "In Treacherous Waters"

NOTE:  This article obviously contains SPOILERS.  Proceed at your own risk!

Official Summary

A series of explosions rock Gotham.  Batman finds himself in the middle of a turf war between rival crime bosses Rupert Thorne and the Penguin.  Meanwhile, Commissioner Gordon and his daughter Barbara look for ways to fix Gotham’s corrupt Criminal Justice System from the inside.

My Summary

After months of criminal competition on the streets of Gotham City, the Penguin steps up her campaign against established crime boss Rupert Thorne by targeting his front companies with a military grade, long range cannon anchored to her casino yacht.  Still considered to be an urban myth by the population, Batman must stop the cabaret criminal from bombing her next target.  Meanwhile, Commissioner James Gordon and public defender Barbara Gordon must each deal with a corrupt justice system in their own ways.

Voice Cast

• Hamish Linklater as Batman / Bruce Wayne

• Minnie Driver as The Penguin / Oswalda Cobblepot

• Diedrich Bader as Harvey Dent

• Krystal Joy Brown as Barbara Gordon

• John DiMaggio as Detective Harvey Bullock, Jerry, Wilford Lee

• Eric Morgan Stuart as Commissioner James Gordon

• Jason Watkins as Alfred Pennyworth

• Gary Anthony Williams as Detective Arnold Flass, Iggy

• Jeff Bennett as Bill, Clarence

• Grey Delisle as Partygoer, Scared Woman

• Paul Scheer as Aaron and Ronald Cobblepot

• Cedric Yarbrough as Rupert Thorne, Judge

Commentary

Welcome to the world of Batman:  Caped Crusader.  It’s been twenty-five years since the end of The New Batman Adventures—the direct sequel to Batman:  The Animated Series—and a lot has changed.  To quote the second Joker from his 2000 Batman Beyond film:  “New Gotham.  New rules.  Even a new Batman.”

As previously stated, this “Earth-2” Gotham City is firmly anchored as a 1940s period piece but with more tolerant, culturally sensitive attitudes.  Here, we can have dapper gangsters with tommy guns fighting with police in a world with no cell phones or computers, but these characters are multiracial, feature varying body types, and are accepting of LGBT+ people.  In terms of the specific time frame, producer Bruce Timm elaborated on this in an August 7th post on Anime Superhero: 

We’re intentionally avoiding direct references to “real world” figures and events of the 1940s (World War 2, Presidents Roosevelt and Truman, nuclear weapons, Stalin and the expansion of the Soviet Union, etc.) in order to keep the time period somewhat vague.  Caped Crusader takes place in [an] elastic time bubble, anywhere from roughly 1939 to 1950. (b.t.) 

So, based on the above, it’s fair to say that alcohol prohibition is over (hence the real booze at the Iceberg Lounge), and—with cocaine and opiates made more difficult to manufacture and use in 1914 and marijuana made illegal in 1937—organized crime has shifted over to other sources of income (note Bruce Wayne uncovering a crate of cocaine in the Penguin's “pool room”).  World War II may be going on in the background, but it’s unlikely that Batman will leave Gotham to go fight Nazis.  Also, seeing as how Bruce Wayne is wealthy, he can probably avoid the draft, as well as the stigma of not enlisting in the service, and Wayne Enterprises doesn’t appear to exist in this series (at least, not yet), so Bruce probably isn’t manufacturing weapons for the war effort.

By comparison, while the world of Caped Crusader is steeped in the past, it appears that its legal system is dealing with the timeless issues of corruption and graft.  As I predicted, this series is able to address a crooked legal system and dirty cops in a way that BTAS and TNBA were unable to, given that they were considered children’s entertainment at the time.  Here the GCPD are no angels—in this episode, one gangster boasts that half of the police department are in the pocket of Boss Thorne and, later, Ronald Cobblepot says to Barbara that Commissioner Gordon’s “the only cop in Gotham I know for sure isn’t bent.”  Hell, it even turns out that the corrupt officers are equal opportunity, with Detectives Flass and Bullock accepting bribes from both Thorne and the Penguin.  Add to this toxic stew a district attorney more interested in padding his resume than uncovering the truth, and the result is a city that desperately needs both Batman and the Gordons.

Speaking on which, let’s discuss our new Dark Knight.  Timm has stated that this version of Batman is just starting his crimefighting career and may have only been at this for a few months … or possibly even weeks.  In an interview with Empire Magazine, he stated how “Batman is so early in his career that, in the first episode, he’s still an urban myth.  It’s not ‘Year One’ […] It’s more like ‘Week Two’” (qtd. in Warmann).  And that is evident in this episode—while highly skilled, one can tell how the Caped Crusader is still finding himself as a crimefighter, particularly with his infamous “no killing” rule.  While the BTAS Batman would go out of his way not to let anyone die, even crooks, this Batman seems to be okay if the bad guys off themselves with friendly fire.  Also, later in the episode, he has no hesitation sideswiping Penguin’s goons with the Batmobile to save Barbara Gordon's life.  Now, I don't have much of a problem with this—read Frank Miller’s early Batman work to see how brutal he is with criminals—but It will be interesting to see whether these ethics evolve, or if the series is simply testing the waters of an adult-oriented streaming platform.

Of course, we cannot talk about Batman without discussing his new voice actor, Hamish Linklater.  Consider his position:  while multiple actors have voiced the Dark Knight over the past thirty years, he is performing it on a Bruce Timm-produced animated series, so there’s going to be comparisons to the late Kevin Conroy, whose version of the character recently “died” in Justice League:  Crisis on Infinite Earths, Part Three.  Based on Season One, I can proudly say that any fears are unfounded.  He’s not Kevin Conroy, and he shouldn’t have to be.  Here, both Batman and Bruce Wayne are nuanced and distinct, but they both have that unnerving “off” quality that the creative team was shooting for.  This incarnation of the Caped Crusader is less a Wagnerian hero and more of a creepy, disturbing outsider, which is a break from previous Batmen and specifically what this series called for.  If I could make any comparisons, I would say that he is reminiscent of Jeffrey Combs’ chilling portrayal of the Question from Justice League Unlimited.  I would gladly watch 85 episodes of this Batman.

Like Batman, the rest of the cast is rock solid, particularly this new, female incarnation of the Penguin.  Kept secret until this year’s San Diego Comic-Con (but blown a week early in an article from Animation Magazine), this genderbent bird not only maintains the level of menace and cruelty of her male antecedents, but even raises the bar, casually murdering one of her sons and blowing up police headquarters to stop her other son from squealing to the cops.  Also, in a twist unique to this series, this crime boss moonlights as a cabaret performer, acting as both emcee and grande dame to the Iceberg Lounge, here a yacht capable of movement in the waters off of Gotham’s coast.  And while some may question this plot point, remember that—in his heart of hearts—the original BTAS Penguin was always a theatrical ham himself.

However, unlike the potbellied Oswald, this Penguin is stocky, but she is also voluptuous, busty, and flat stomached (in fact, she physically resembles an Emperor Penguin).  Some reviewers have compared Oswalda's look to classic cinema stars like Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, and Mae West (which I agree with), but I also see quite a bit of Liza Minnelli in her, particularly via her portrayal of Sally Bowles from the 1972 film version of Cabaret (they even have the same haircut).  Unlike her predecessor Penguins, this brick house poses more of a legitimate threat to Batman in hand-to-hand combat situations.

Overall, “In Treacherous Waters” is a solid episode, both solo and as the first part of this ten episode season.  It succeeds in introducing the main cast, setting the stakes, and beginning to unwrap the secrets and rules of both Gotham City and Caped Crusader itself.

Stray Observations

• The Penguin’s weapon of choice—a military grade cannon atop her yacht—takes advantage of the 1940s era setting.  A modern day Penguin would have the problem of satellite surveillance, cameras everywhere, smart phones, etc.  At worst, a few citizens might see the fired artillery in flight, but the eyewitness reports could disappear or be ignored completely.  Kudos to the creative team for making the most out of their milieu.

• The action on Caped Crusader is certainly more violent than its predecessors (more punches to the face, people getting hit with bullets, etc.).  Thanks, Prime Video!

• According to an August 5th post on X (formerly Twitter), producer James Tucker revealed that the design for Caped Crusader's Batcave is inspired by the 1960s Batman series, as well as the two Batman movie serials, 1943's Batman and 1949's Batman and Robin.

• In addition, Batman's transparent map of Gotham City is a also a tip of the hat to the aforementioned 1960s Batman series.

• The Iceberg Lounge first appeared in Detective Comics #683 (March 1995) as a means for the Penguin to continue his illicit acts while maintaining a sheen of civility.  It has become a frequent plot point of Penguin stories since its debut.

• During her act, Oswalda sings “(Won’t You Come Home) Bill Bailey,” written by Hughie Cannon and published in 1902.  It was originally called “Bill Bailey, Won’t You Please … Come Home?,” and it’s considered a jazz standard.  This is the fourth time a classic song has figured into a Bruce Timm-produced animated show:

  • Harley Quinn sang “Say That We’re Sweethearts Again,” written by Earl Brent and performed by Virginia O’Brien for the 1944 film Meet the People, in the BTAS episode “Harlequinade.”

  • Circe performed the jazz standard “Lulu’s Back in Town,” written in 1935 by Al Dubin and Harry Warren, in the Justice League Unlimited episode “This Little Piggy.”

  • Later that same episode, Batman sang “Am I Blue?,” written in 1929 by Harry Akst and Grant Clark, to appease Circe and free Wonder Woman from an enchantment.

• Dumb question:  is gambling illegal in this alternate Gotham?  During his approach to the Iceberg Lounge, Bruce Wayne refers to it as a “gambling ship,” but that poses the question as to why the police would choose to host a benefit there.  Are they that corrupt?  We can't be sure since gambling does not figure into any other Season One episodes, but perhaps Ms. Cobblepot takes advantage of the yacht’s mobility:  the card tables and roulette wheels only come out when the Iceberg Lounge is moved to international waters.  Note how we don’t actually see any gambling on the ship, since it’s apparently still within the city’s ordinance.

• Both of Oswalda Cobblepot’s sons call her “Mama.”  While they’re both clearly “mama’s boys,” this is also possibly a reference to Matron “Mama” Morton, from the 1975 musical Chicago.

• Before getting murdered, Aaron Cobblepot mentions that “Mama” refers to Ronnie as “the slow one.”  It appears that, resenting his mother’s distain for him, he attempted to rat on her to Thorne in an attempt to secure a place in his organization.  Thorne, however, had no intention of taking in “the slow one,” leaving him to twist in the wind.

• Like the Penguin herself, note how all of her henchmen have black suits with purple accents (hat bands, ties, pocket squares, and gloves).  It reminds me of that frequently seen social media meme that says how people “who make their minions dress in coordinating outfits [are] theater kids.”  And, for all her sins, Oswalda is obviously a theater kid.

• In an August 2nd post on Anime Superhero, Bruce Timm pointed out that Barbara Gordon has two outfits—a green one and a purple one—and “whenever she has to go into action, we make sure she’s wearing the purple one,” presumably harkening back to Yvonne Craig’s Batgirl costume from the 1960s Batman series (b.t.).

• If that wasn't enough, when Ronnie attempts to get help from Barbara at her office, she pulls out a Louisville Slugger to confront him, making her a literal “bat” girl.

• As stated above, when seeking help from Barbara, Ronnie says Commissioner Gordon’s “the only cop in Gotham I know for sure isn’t bent.”  It’ll be interesting to see how things shape up for Season Two, since we only outed three crooked cops by the end of Season One.

• As previously stated, Bruce Timm described the new Batmobile as resembling “a ’real world’ roadster […] kinda like the front end of a ’37 Cord mashed up with the back end of a ’63 Corvette,” as described in a June 26th post on Anime Superhero (b.t.).

• In a sly wink to the character, the Penguin’s long range military cannon is “hidden” in the umbrella.

• Considering the number of trunks sunk at sea, the Penguin’s been a busy bird.

Works Cited

b.t.  Comment on “’Batman:  Caped Crusader (Amazon Prime)’ Animated Series News & Discussion Part 2 (Spoilers).”  Anime Superhero.  XenForo Ltd.  26 Jun. 2024.  <https://animesuperhero.com/forums/threads/batman-caped-crusader-amazon-prime-animated-series-news-discussion-part-2-spoilers.5797216/page-18#post-87953955>.  Accessed 3 Jul. 2024.

---.  Comment on “’Batman:  Caped Crusader’ Season One Talkback (Spoilers).”  Anime Superhero.  XenForo Ltd.  2 Aug. 2024.  <https://animesuperhero.com/forums/threads/batman-caped-crusader-season-one-talkback-spoilers.5799833/post-87960986>.  Accessed 8 Aug. 2024.

---.  Comment on “’Batman:  Caped Crusader’ Season One Talkback (Spoilers).”  Anime Superhero.  XenForo Ltd.  7 Aug. 2024.  <https://animesuperhero.com/forums/threads/batman-caped-crusader-season-one-talkback-spoilers.5799833/post-87961927>.  Accessed 7 Aug. 2024.

@JTuckerAnimator.  “BT and I are both fans of ‘66 so this Batcave was partially inspired by that version as well as the one from the two Batman movie serials.”  X.  5 Aug. 2024.  8:50 a.m.  <https://x.com/JTuckerAnimator/status/1820442180592230826>.  Accessed 8 Aug. 2024.

Warmann, Amon.  “Arise, A New Knight.”  Empire Magazine.  Aug. 2024.  21.  Print.

Images courtesy of Prime Video, Warner Bros. Discovery, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, DC Comics, 20th Television, ABC Pictures Corp, and Allied Artists.