For all the Marvel and DC content available to stream with a Disney+ subscription and Max subscription, respectively, Prime Video is still easily a major player in the world of superhero TV thanks to shows like Invincible, The Tick, and arguably the most brutal one of them all, The Boys. The politically motivated action romp remained atop the streaming service’s charts for weeks following its nutso Season 4 finale, but has now been pushed down to #2 earlier than expected by another worthy superhero.
Batman: Caped Crusader Has Taken Over Amazon's Prime Video Charts
August 1 marked the streaming debut of the long-awaited animated series Batman: Caped Crusader, which began its life as a Max and Cartoon Network original before Warner Bros. Discovery started shelving projects that were either in mid-production or had already been completed. Thankfully, Prime Video stepped in as its new home, giving Batman fans access to an excellent series that combines the talents of Batman: The Animated Series’ Bruce Timm, comic book mastermind Ed Brubaker, The Batman director Matt Reeves and Bad Robot’s J.J. Abrams.
Though Amazon MGM Studios’ marquee original projects like Jack Reacher often spend extended stretches atop the service’s Top 10 list, The Boys’ run was cut short by the throwback noir adventures of the Dark Knight and a slightly altered rogues gallery featuring Minnie Driver’s “androgynous” Penguin and Jamie Chung’s Asian Harley Quinn, among others.
At the time of this writing, Batman: Caped Crusader has been crouched on the gargoyle atop Prime Video's rankings for at least four days in a row, proving that the DC vigilante's latest animated success is no mere fluke. And it's likely that the villainous teases for the future will inspire fans to stick with the show going forward, with word-of-mouth recommendations bringing new viewers into Gotham City's past.
How Has Batman: Caped Crusader Fared With Critics?
Though Batman: Caped Crusader's altered villains and other details sparked negative comments from all the corners of the Internet one would expect such feelings to arise, that hasn't done much to stop the show from quickly becoming a critical darling. Currently, the series is sitting dark and pretty with a 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes. With 59 reviews tallied for that score, that obviously puts the majority of critics in the Bat-fam.
By and large, the DC Studios effort has been praised by many for feeling like an evolved version of Batman: The Animated Series, which is commonly cited as being a top-tier property for the character in any medium. Kevin Conroy's 2D take on the character will forever be a fan-favorite, and while Hamish Linklater's portrayal doesn't quite hit the same highs, it's a worthy follow-up for a Bruce Timm production.
The Audience score is, unfortunately, more reflective of the viewership that isn't so open to all the changes made. With 500+ rankings noted, that score currently sits at 58%. Still not as terrible as some superhero fare out there, but obviously not comparable to the stellar critics rating.
Though they're not on the same streaming service, I'll be interested to see how Max's live-action The Penguin show fares with viewers compared the animated series. Colin Farrell's Oswald Cobblepot was a winner in the 2022 film, so here's hoping both shows will help tide fans over until The Batman arrives on the 2026 movie schedule.
Thankfully, Season 2 of Caped Crusader is already among the list of upcoming Batman shows and movies to look forward to. Of course, the future will certainly see Eric Kripke’s comic book franchise return to that top spot whenever Gen V Season 2 is released, or when The Boys’ fifth and final season drops, or even when the Mexico-set spinoff and/or the Soldier Boy spinoff eventually premiere. But until then, cucumber sandwiches for everyone!
