Batman: Caped Crusader unravels the story of Hamish Linklater’s Batman, and it’s very much a pulp/noir nod to the past. It mixes in elements such as Year One, as well as the Bruce Timm era. The trailers alone show the new series wearing its heart on its sleeves with that visual aesthetic that nods to Batman: The Animated Series from the 1990s.

In this new universe, The Dark Knight has a lot to deal with. He fends off street-level criminals, white-collar corruption, and supernatural threats, all with the help of friends. However, Caped Crusader Season 1 doesn’t patch every hole, creating quite a few mysteries and unanswered questions.

10Why Was Caped Crusader’s Bruce So Surly to Alfred?

Throughout Season 1, Bruce is surly to Alfred. He comes off as not being grateful to Alfred taking care of him like a son. The show reveals flashbacks of Bruce struggling to process his parents’ deaths since he was a child. But Alfred accommodated and enabled his every need, including this dual lifestyle.

Bruce makes amends and apologizes mid-season in Episode 6, “Night Ride,” admitting he needs Alfred after almost losing the butler on a mystical mission, but he lashes back out later on. It feels like there is something the show hides and needs to address in their history, as these microaggressions paint a Batman who is not self-aware.

9Why Did Renee Montoya Chase Batman?

When Caped Crusader’s Basil Karlo (aka Clayface) tries to kill a former acting colleague, Yvonne, Detective Renee Montoya tracks him down. He takes her hostage, however. Luckily, Batman breaks in, frees Montoya and takes Clayface out in Episode 2, “… And Be a Villain.”

Despite saving her life, unfortunately, Montoya pulls a gun and makes it clear she’ll shoot the vigilante if need be. She has more than enough evidence to know Batman is no villain. While he escapes that incident, Montoya keeps chasing and hunting him. This doesn’t add up. It would have made more sense if Batman messed up a job.

8Why Did Batman Throw Away a Literal Smoking Gun?

Batman sees the corrupt cop, Arnold Flass, shoot Caped Crusader’s Harvey Dent dead in the finale. An infuriated Batman almost shoots Flass with the weapon. He ends up knocking Flass out and throwing the weapon into the river, not wanting to give into his rage.

This is another odd choice. In the Caped Crusader Season 1 finale, “Savage Night,” Barbara and Jim Gordon can corroborate what Flass did. It’s bad to discard evidence, especially when Batman knows these cops have crime bosses like Rupert Thorne who can get them out of prison. The justice system needs concrete data to galvanize their guilt.

7Why Did Gordon Keep Flass and Bullock on the Payroll?

Even before the Dent murder, Commissioner Gordon has enough evidence to see Flass and Harvey Bullock are dirty cops. A big example is when they break rules in Episode 4, “The Night of the Hunters,” free Firebug and use him to bait Batman in. They later shoot Firebug dead, which should have left evidence to trace back to their weapons.

That bit of plot convenience aside, the series never reveals why Gordon doesn’t lobby to have them removed. He is facing opposition from a mayor who favors them. But the Gotham City Police Department is his jurisdiction. He should have suspended them without pay, or pushed for an internal investigation. They’re kept on just to cause drama as Thorne’s spies.

6Why Didn’t Barbara Gordon Trace Batman’s Number?

Barbara isn’t Batgirl in this series. She’s a lawyer and Bruce believes in her. It’s the reason he gives her a contact for Batman. She even uses to speak to Alfred and Bruce to seek protection in the finale.

The cartoon, however, never explains why she didn’t try to track it before. She wouldn’t have to let Batman know she’s onto him. It would have fit her nature as someone who needs to know everything and everyone on the chess board — tactics she uses in the courtroom. It’s a sentimental show of trust by Batman.

5Is Harvey Dent Really Dead?

Batman promises to be a better hero once Harvey is killed. They were close friends, after all. However, the finale rushes over the death and a funeral. It just has Bruce promising to honor his comrade’s memory.

It has some fans wondering if Harvey really is dead. If not, Season 2 of Caped Crusader could bring him back, but in his more vindictive Two-Face form. The show has Two-Face wanting criminals dead, whihc is a big shift from the comics. It does feel like it would be a waste to subvert Two-Face like this and just remove him after two episodes. The character has strong potential as an aggressive hero, who could well help Bruce dial down his own rage issues down the line.

4What Did Papa Midnite Want With Gentleman Ghost’s Soul?

In “Night Ride,” Caped Crusader’s Papa Midnite helps Batman take down the evil Gentleman Ghost. Bruce gives Midnite the vial holding the man’s evil soul. A boon for a boon. Interestingly, Midnite teases he has some purpose for it.

The cartoon never reveals if it’s an occult ritual, a sacrifice, or Midnite plotting something bigger. The fact Batman admits he doesn’t want to know what torture is in store does come off as a tad irresponsible. By leaving Midnite to his devices and providing no oversight with this spectral prisoner, Bruce doesn’t come off as a virtuous custodian of justice.

3How Did Catwoman Pull Off Her Biggest Tricks?

When Caped Crusader’s Selina Kyle sneaks into a museum to steal items in Episode 3, “Kiss of the Catwoman,” she comes in through a hole in the roof. Yet when Batman tries to stop her, a panther emerges from the shadows to attack him. There is no physical way for her to lower the jungle cat through the hole, nor does the show explain how she could control a panther the way she does little kittens.

Secondly, Catwoman sees the Batmobile and makes her own copy: the Catmobile. That’s a pretty hefty transformation of a vehicle. Given she is a thief, it would have been nice to know who made her weapons. Getting electric knuckles is believable, but building an entire Catmobile from scratch is a stretch that could have been easily explained by showing more of her underworld connections.

2What Happened to Barbara Gordon’s Mother?

The cartoon implies Jim’s wife and Barbara’s mother died due to some criminal act. It’s never verified, but it could explain why Barbara wanted to become a lawyer.

It’s a nuanced way of making her a crime-fighter, while keeping the spotlight on Batman doing the work as boots on the ground. Hopefully, more insight will be shown into this down the line as it teases emotion and the major driving force regarding Barbara’s identity and life choices.

1Who is Catwoman’s Father?

Selina Kyle’s exchanges with her maid suggest her father is a gangster who left an inheritance. This benefactor might be Carmine Falcone, who hated that she was his illegitimate daughter in the source material. The Batman director, Matt Reeves, used this origin in his movie. Seeing as he worked on this cartoon along with Timm, that may be the case again.

This could be solved once Catwoman escapes prison and goes on more heists. Season 2 may well introduce the Maroni and Falcone gangs to build this arc up some more — touchpoints that Ed Brubaker (writer on this cartoon) dealt with when he scripted Batman for DC Comics many years ago. Selina being Falcone’s daughter that he wants to keep hidden could lead to some terrifying family drama, and Batman needing to be her guardian in their usual cat-and-mouse romantic game.

Season 1 of Batman: Caped Crusader is now streaming on Prime Video.