TITLE: “In Treacherous Waters”
EPISODE DETAILS: Season 1/Episode 1
AIR DATE: Thursday, August 1, 2024
WRITERS: Jace Ricci & Bruce Timm (Story), Jace Ricci (Teleplay)
DIRECTOR: Christina Sotta
CAST: Hamish Linklater as Batman/Bruce Wayne, Minnie Driver as Oswalda Cobblepot/The Penguin, Diedrich Bader as Harvey Dent. Krystal Joy Brown as Barbara Gordon, John DiMaggio as Harvey Bullock, Eric Morgan Stuart as James Gordon, Jason Watkins as Alfred Pennyworth, Gary Anthony Williams as Arnold Flass, Cedric Yarborough as Rupert Thorne, Paul Scheer as Ronnie and Aaron Cobblepot
REVIEW
“On Treacherous Waters” is the premiere episode of BATMAN: CAPED CRUSADER — the first animated Batman TV series in over a decade — and successfully introduces this Batman, Batman world, and the Bat-characters that inhabit it. There’s no origin story — everyone already knows how and why Bruce Wayne became Batman — but it does feature a young Batman who has only been on the job for a short period of time.
Set in the early-ish 1940s (though there are a few anachronisms found in this series that are intentional I believe), Batman’s new war on the underworld finds himself investigating a series of bombings on buildings and businesses owned by Boss Rupert Thorne. Additionally, Batman is the target of a GCPD task force led by Commissioner Gordon. Talk about being caught in the middle!
Because of The Batman’s superior detective skills (which do not rely on any sort of modern technology) including going “undercover” to a party on the Iceberg Lounge as Bruce Wayne, he discovers that it is Oswalda “The Penguin” Cobblepott who is behind the bombings. The Penguin’s public persona is that of a cabaret performing/nightclub owner, but she’s actually a ruthless — and I mean RUTHLESS (and her son Aaron) — mob boss.
The big finale features The Batman returning to the Iceberg Lounge (via the Bat-sub!) to take down The Penguin and her operation once and for all.
We are also introduced to the main supporting characters that are featured throughout Season 1: Public Defender Barbara Gordon, D.A. Harvey Dent, Alfred Pennyworth, good GCPD Detective Rene Montoya, bod GCPD detectives Flass and Bullock, and Commissioner James Gordon.
“On Treacherous Waters” is an excellent beginning to BATMAN: CAPED CRUSADER that, as I previously mentioned, sets up the series perfectly. Detective Batman, Gotham, a classic villain, mobsters at war, and corrupt police. What else could you want from a Batman story? (If you say “Parademons!”, well, bless your heart.) – Bill “Jett” Ramey
GRADE: A