10 DC Characters Who Deserve the Batman: Caped Crusader Treatment

Batman: Caped Crusader is the latest DC animated series and the latest collection of adventures for the Dark Knight. This series takes the powerless superhero back to his roots, reflecting the general noir, hardboiled tone of the Golden Age Batman comics. Given how successful and acclaimed this formula has become already, it’s easy to see how it might translate into other DC characters.




This could be used to adapt other heroes who debuted in the Golden Age, namely the superhero that started it all. Likewise, more recent characters or interpretations of older heroes might also work in this more grounded, street-level tone. This way, Batman isn’t the only one given this level of polish, showcasing how such concepts work just as well for the wider DC Universe.


11 Golden Age Superman Deserves a Revival

Debut: Action Comics #1 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster

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Before Batman was protecting Gotham City, Superman ran faster than a speeding bullet in Metropolis. The Golden Age version of Superman began the Golden Age of Comics, and this take was more “rough and tumble” than the more familiar incarnation that came after. Moodier and more street-level in scope, this take on Superman could have his own version of Batman: Caped Crusader.

Evoking the iconic Max Fleischer Superman cartoon, this show could have the Man of Steel taking on mad scientists, corrupt landlords and other more relatable threats. As things transpire, characters such as Lex Luthor, Ultra-Humanite or versions of foes such as Metallo, Parasite and Livewire could also be introduced. This would be similar to how Batman: Caped Crusader utilized characters and aspects beyond the Golden Age Batman mythos. It would also fit well given that Golden Age Superman was powerful, but far from how tough he is in later continuities, making these sorts of stories fit more.


10 Bronze Tiger and Richard Dragon Can Have Retro Kung-Fu Adventures

Debut(s): Kung Fu Master, Richard Dragon: Dragon’s Fists and Richard Dragon, Kung Fu Fighter #1 by Denny O’Neil, Jim Berry and Leopoldo DuraƱona

Bronze Tiger is perhaps the best martial artist in the DC Universe, with his skill surpassing that of even Batman. Likewise, Richard Dragon is another martial arts master, with the two making their comic book debuts in the same issue. Though they’re both rather overlooked in the grand scheme of things, a hardboiled, kung fu story might be the best way to put them in the spotlight.

An old-school martial arts-based, globetrotting adventure in the Sax Rohmer tradition would be perfect for Richard Dragon and Bronze Tiger. Though they aren’t Golden Age characters, the tone and time period of Batman: Caped Crusader would still be a good fit for them. Featuring martial arts and perhaps a bit of mysticism, this could do well as either an animated miniseries or a movie for the two fighters.


9 Green Arrow Works Best In a Grounded Setting

Debut: More Fun Comics #73 by Mort Weisinger and George Papp

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Golden Age Green Arrow was a bit of a joke, with the Emerald Archer starting out as a blatant ripoff of Batman. It wasn’t until Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams revitalized him as a streetwise liberal character that he truly came into his own. A Green Arrow animated show in the vein of Batman: Caped Crusader might showcase the sort of stories that work best for the hero.


A Green Arrow series in a version of the 1940s would be ripe for all manner of social issues and stories for Oliver Queen to deal with. He has his own share of supervillains, but few are otherworldly enough to be inappropriate for the a series. Instead, the show could combine Golden Age takes on the topical themes seen in runs by creators such as Denny O’Neil and Mike Grell, while featuring villains such as Merlyn, Count Vertigo, Onomatopoeia and Clock King.

8 John Constantine Was Teased With Papa Midnite’s Debut

Debut: Swamp Thing #37 by Alan Moore, Steve Bissette and John Totleben

John Constantine wasn’t a Golden Age DC character, and he instead appeared in the tale end of the Bronze Age, right before Crisis on Infinite Earths. Starting off as a character in Saga of the Swamp Thing, he was spun off into his own book under the Vertigo Comics banner. While he’s a fairly 1980s character, Constantine could be reworked to operate in a Golden Age setting.


Constantine could investigate the more supernatural events of the world of Batman: Caped Crusader. After all, such tasks were somewhat hinted at through the inclusion of Papa Midnite in the show’s sixth episode. Thus, Constantine could expand the universe’s scope, all the while capturing the subversive and cynical tone of his original comic book series.

7 Swamp Thing’s Brand of Horror Works Well With Noir

Debut: House of Secrets #92 by Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson

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While Swamp Thing might not be a street-level character, he’s a horror-based DC Comics character who has his own grim tone. Many of his earliest adventures were in the vein of monster movies, with the character dealing with the machinations of Anton Arcane and the Sunderland Corporation. These elements could be used for a moody series that feels more at home with EC Comics than DC Comics.

Using the tone of Batman: Caped Crusader, a Swamp Thing animated series could evoke the scarier parts of the live-action Swamp Thing series from a few years back. It could take place in the same universe as Caped Crusader without explicitly tying into its events, perhaps even featuring Papa Midnite. Creating a dark and spooky vibe, it would be the best showcase for the somewhat old-school horror of the character. It would also be a good marketing segue into the character’s upcoming movie in the cinematic DC Universe.


6 Wildcat Needs a Major Production

Debut: Sensation Comics #1 by Bill Finger and Irwin Hansen

Ted Grant as Wildcat in DC comics.

Wildcat is one of the bigger Golden Age DC characters, at least when it comes to the Justice Society of America. A boxing champion, Ted Grant takes the identity of Wildcat to root out criminals and crooks in his city. These early adventures included the help of his “sidekick,” Stretch Skinner, a private detective. Though he wasn’t a long-term solo act, Wildcat is still an important DC character who’s never gotten a lot of attention in outside media.


A Wildcat animated special or movie would work well in the world and scope of Batman: Caped Crusader, and it could showcase the origins of Ted Grant. He might not have enough solo material for his own full series, but he’s more than worthy of the spotlight. Given that James Gunn and DC as a whole seem to want to emphasize the DC Universe as a whole in the DC Universe movies/shows and the comics, this would be a good way to replicate Batman’s success without the Dark Knight himself.

5 Golden Age Hawkman Is Ripe for Pulp Adventures

Debut: Flash Comics #1 by Gardner Fox and Dennis Neville

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Hawkman has one of the most convoluted backstories in DC Comics, and this legacy goes back to the Golden Age. There, he was Carter Hall, a reincarnation of an Egyptian prince who, along with his beloved Chayara, was reincarnated through time. Chayara was reborn as Shiera Saunders, and the two became Hawkman and Hawkgirl in the 1940s. This saw them take on various foes, including the first version of Gentleman Ghost to the equally reincarnated Hath-Set/Dr. Hastor.

Inspired by the somewhat grim and moody adventures seen in pulp and adventure novels of the time period, the Golden Age Hawkman comics could easily be translated into an animated series. Showcasing just how dark those comics could be, this show would take the hardboiled edge of Batman: Caped Crusader and double down on the sense of adventure and the supernatural. This would provide for a definitive adaption of the original Hawkman and Hawkgirl.

4 Hourman Has the Most Grounded Superpowers

Debut: Adventure Comics #48 by Ken Fitch and Bernard Baily


3 Hourman in his debut during the Golden Age of DC Comics.

Hourman is another classic Justice Society member who was never exactly a big deal. Also known as Rex Tyler, the character was a chemical engineer who used his creation of “Miraclo” to gain superhuman physical faculties for an hour. Given that his powers were never to the level of cosmic capacity, he’s the perfect metahuman for a world where vigilantes such as Batman are just now becoming more common.

An Hourman animated special would be a good fit, as it would be enough to delve into his origins and showcase him solving a crime or case without being too long. While the character doesn’t have a lot of material to draw from, he’s still a Golden Age icon who exemplifies the very spirit of the era. In fact, he might even work well in an episode of the second season of Batman: Caped Crusader.

2 The Question Can Protect a Brutal Hub City

Debut: Blue Beetle #1 by Steve Ditko

The Question wearing his featureless mask overhead and his supporting cast in the foreground.


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Besides Batman himself, The Question is one of DC’s most grounded superheroes. Using a false face mask that obscures his features, Hub City reporter Vic Sage becomes The Question to look into the seediest crimes in his home city. These tend to involve some of the most harrowing social ills of society, making The Question even more grounded in that regard than Batman.

The Question would thrive in his own Batman: Caped Crusader-style animated series. Such a series could essentially combine his original Objectivist incarnation written by Steve Ditko with the character’s adventures from the Denny O’Neil run in his comic books. These would be truly brutal and harrowing stories delving into some of the darkest material that DC has ever published, but the result would be a fantastic animated project that’s perfectly spooky and depraved.


1 Sandman Mystery Theatre Is DC’s Best Formula for Noir Stories

Debut: New York World’s Fair Comics #1 by Gardner Fox and Bert Christman

Dian Belmont meets Sandman in Sandman Mystery Theatre.

Long before Batman: Caped Crusader, DC Comics showcased how an obscure DC superhero could perfectly work in the noir genre. Sandman Mystery Theatre took the concepts behind Wesley Dodds (the Golden Age Sandman) and updated them for stories set in a much darker and more accurate version of Great Depression New York City. It was the best re-imagination for a member of the Justice Society of America, mainly because it ignored many of his more superheroic trappings.


A Sandman Mystery Theatre animated series could actually surpass Batman: Caped Crusader, namely by diving into the realities of the time period. If the Vertigo comic books are accurately adapted, these strong themes would eschew the supernatural and other concepts for a truly topical noir series of tales. Add in the fact that Batman or other recognizable characters wouldn’t be involved, and narrative punches would certainly be thrown instead of pulled. Likewise, it can cement Sandman Mystery Theatre as the true Sandman comic by DC.

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