Spoilers for “Batman: Caped Crusader” to follow.
“Batman: The Animated Series,” which many would call the definitive depiction of Batman, ran for an impressive 85 episodes in the ’90s. (109 if you count the follow-up season “New Batman Adventures.”) Any show that could escape the 65-and-no-more syndication cap that cartoons faced in those days had to be pretty good. Even across that many episodes, though, there were still unrealized stories.
Writer/producer Paul Dini specifically wanted to do an episode where Batman, beaten within an inch of his life, met Death and Morpheus from Neil Gaiman’s “Sandman” comic. However, he was told that putting a character named Death in a kids cartoon was a no-go. (Dini included this story in his autobiographical comic, “Dark Night: A True Batman Story,” drawn by Eduardo Risso.)
That wasn’t the only impact Fox Kids’ censors left on “Batman.” Series co-creator Bruce Timm and producer Alan Burnett have both discussed an abandoned episode pitch where Natalia Knight/Nocturna, a vampiric villain from the comics, briefly turns Batman into a vampire. Fox Kids said “no way” to turning the show’s hero into a blood-sucker. Dini claimed that Kids’ WB (where “New Batman Adventures” aired) had the same objection when they tried to re-pitch the episode.
“Batman” wasn’t the only one affected by Fox Kids’ no vampires rule. The contemporary “Spider-Man” cartoon featured Morbius The Living Vampire, but could not depict him actually drinking blood or even use that word. (The show said “plasma” instead, which confused the heck out of nine-year-old me.)
Well, Timm’s freshly released series “Batman: Caped Crusader” does not have the same creative restrictions. For one, it’s set in the 1940s, as Timm had once wanted “Batman: The Animated Series” to be. (Instead, it was set in a “timeless” era that just looked the 1940s.) Meanwhile, episode 8, “Nocturne” (written by Halley Gross), finally features Batman facing Natalia Knight.
Batman villain Nocturna, aka Natalia Knight, explained
“Nocturne” is set at a traveling fair come to Gotham City. Natalia (voiced by McKenna Grace) is one of the performers alongside her older brother Anton. Natalia has a rare “condition” where sunlight burns her flesh and she must steal others’ life-force to survive. Unable to control her hunger despite Anton’s efforts, Natalia picks off orphans visiting the fair one-by-one. (Their names? Dickie, Jason, Stephanie, and Carrie — the only orphaned Robin missing is Tim Drake.)
Keep in mind, “Nocturne” isn’t exactly what the Nocturna episode of “Batman: The Animated Series” would’ve been like. The series’ teenage Nocturna resembles Wednesday Addams, far from Timm’s more vivacious concept drawing from back in the day.Â
Warner Bros Animation/Bruce Timm
Batman himself is never turned into a vampire in “Nocturne,” whereas that sounded like the hook of the unmade episode. While “Caped Crusader” is more adult than “Batman: The Animated Series,” Nocturna still feels a bit watered down. She doesn’t bite any throats or drink blood; rather, she sucks vaguely-defined life energy out of her victims. The process isn’t inevitably fatal, but it does leave the afflicted pale and unconscious. So, while the episode puts children in more explicit danger than a Saturday morning cartoon would, they all make it out okay (they are future Robins).
Where the episode most honors “Batman: The Animated Series” is Batman’s compassion. After learning she accidentally killed Anton, a sobbing Natalia tries to burn herself in the sun. Batman, refusing to listen to Carrie’s cries that she’s a monster, wraps Natalia in his cape and carries her through the sunrise. It’s a scene that reminds me of past times Batman comforted tragic villains, like in “Baby Doll” or “Justice League Unlimited” episode “Epilogue.”
“Batman: The Animated Series” always excelled at bad guy sob stories. In “Nocturne,” “Caped Crusader” does too.
“Batman: Caped Crusader” season 1 is now streaming on Prime Video.
