There continues to be a trend of creating new TV shows and movies that rely on nostalgia to succeed. This also holds for certain animated series. One of the most recent examples is X-Men’97, continuing the story from the ‘90s animated show X-Men. Another iconic animation from that period was Batman: The Animated Series, which is a well-regarded show to this day. The show was produced by Bruce Timm, with outstanding music by the late Shirley Walker and the main theme composed by Danny Elfman. This year a new animated Batman show with Bruce Timm at the helm, Batman: Caped Crusader, was announced.
Caped Crusader can be seen as a spiritual successor of The Animated Series. It is not a sequel as the story is more of a reimagination of Batman’s early days in Gotham City when his existence was still sort of a rumor. The series takes place in the ‘40s, while The Animated Series was officially set in the ‘90s with some aesthetics from the ‘40s. The focus on nostalgia means that its target audience has also grown up in the meantime, which is why the story is darker and has been adapted to the standards of the current day and age. Harley Quinn and Catwoman are less like lust objects, for example, and The Penguin is a woman in the series.
Being influenced by the show from the ‘90s, but also at the same time being something different, is perfectly reflected in the music that Frederik Wiedmann has written for Caped Crusader. The music for the series is a fantastic orchestral score, packed with many different, wonderful melodies like The Animated Series had, but it is also different in tone. A good example of this difference is the “Main Title Theme.” This theme sets the tone for the series perfectly, with its melody having longer emotional lines that also have some mystery to them, representing Batman more as an unknown entity instead of the heroic version Elfman had written decades ago.
A series about Batman means that there are many villains that need to be introduced, and each needs their own music. While Catwoman is a bit different in Caped Crusader, having the violins playing high, playful lines is still one of the best ways to portray this feline character, as can be heard in “Claws of a Thief.” Two other excellent examples of music for villains are for two lesser-known ones. “Natalia,” for example, contains some lovely music with the main melody by the clarinet, but you can also sense a dark undertone. The other amazing example of Weidmann’s work for a villain is how he used a children’s choir to sing the theme for Firebug as a lullaby, combining the villain’s childlike mind with his dark urges, as can be heard in “Fire in His Eyes” and “Flames of Glory.”
I was quite impressed with the Caped Crusader when I watched the show. The show focuses more on life in Gotham City, in which heroes and villains coexist, but they are not as black and white as in other adaptations for this iconic hero. This concept is reflected amazingly in the music Wiedmann has written, with a darker and moody orchestral score and some occasional more uplifting moments. I also love that the soundtrack album is only 90 minutes long instead of cramming as much music on it as possible, which happens with many other soundtrack albums from TV shows. Only putting the highlights from the series on the album makes the music for Batman: Caped Crusader a delightful listening experience.
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Tracklist
The highlights are in bold.
- Batman: Caped Crusader (Main Title Theme) (0:36)
- Precious Little Angels (4:03)
- Shadow of the Penguin (5:06)
- The Big Scene (2:16)
- Transformation and Rebirth (5:44)
- Born to Be the Villain (2:49)
- Beautiful Stray (3:58)
- Claws of a Thief (3:21)
- Bad Bad Kitty (4:05)
- Fire in His Eyes (2:09)
- Flames of Glory (3:25)
- A Dreadful Harlequin (3:19)
- Roughhouse (2:39)
- I Gotta Leave Town for a While (3:50)
- Gentlemen Ghost (1:59)
- Eliminating the Impossible (2:50)
- Possessed (4:05)
- Renee and Barbara (1:21)
- Onomatopoeia (3:14)
- Resolution (3:46)
- Natalia (1:48)
- A New Sunrise (4:45)
- Harvey’s Descent (1:55)
- Gotham by Night (2:44)
- Asking Questions (2:01)
- Sounds Like Revenge (2:56)
- The Fog (2:20)
- Twisted by Ambition (5:25)
Total length: 1 hour and 28 minutes
WaterTower Music (2024)
