There’s something miraculously comforting about how a Batman show like Caped Crusader even came to be. Developed amid the tragic Warner Bros/Discovery merger/purge, there was every reason to believe such a cartoon would never see the streaming light of day. A Batman cartoon that retools the superhero and his characters into a 1940s noirish adult animation doesn’t seem like a show that would be preserved, even with big names like Bruce Timm, JJ Abrams, and Matt Reeves backing such a project. Thankfully, it debuted on Prime Video and revealed a refreshing new take on the bat-themed hero of Gotham City. Season two only reinforces how intriguing this retro revision has become for one of the most overdone heroes of DC Comics.

Despite the crime leader Rupert Thorne maintaining his rule via corruption, the criminal underworld tightens with the latest developments. The eager and vicious Edward Nygma aims to dominate more of the streets. Within the shadows, the mysterious and apparently German Joker orchestrates a bigger plan that extends beyond controlling the cops and shaking down residents for protection money. Even the expected laughing gas the villain is known for has a different twist, placing the chaotic character in a mode more nihilistically accepting than snickering at the concept of order.

Retaining the format of the first season, the show continues with single-episode villains sliding in amid the season-long threats. There are some expected additions with the ice-based obsession of Mr. Zero (aka Mr. Freeze) and the mad-scientist experiments of Doctor Hugo Strange. But there were also some lesser-used villains that made for some clever additions. I loved how the split personality of Rose and Thorn was used for a highly engrossing noir-ish tale of seduction and revenge. The rocket-focused Roxy Rocket fits nicely with her Rocketeeer-esque attire and bitter quest to rip her life’s work from destructive hands. The characters are woven into this setting so well that it rarely feels like Batman’s rogues gallery cosplaying the 1940s.

As with a lot of Batman media, the weakest element of this show remains with the titular character. Bruce Wayne becomes more of a vessel for witnessing Gotham’s plight than anything else, always one step behind and one second too late to stop a murder. One of the few episodes where Bruce Wayne displays more vulnerability is when he infiltrates prison as a prisoner to protect someone targeted by the mafia. There’s a lot of time spent with Bruce and this fellow inmate, but their inevitable split only brews a modicum of somber emotions and does little to add regret to the hero’s persistence. This compartmentalized format leaves little time for Batman to be something more than the rough-voiced vigilante who spends the majority of his time barking crucial information at the cops.

The Gotham police department has far more exciting developments than the Batcave. Corruption still lingers as the dedicated Montoya doesn’t trust the crooked Flass, having escaped the charges attributed to the busted-down Bullock. Barbara Gordon still grapples with how dangerous her job has become aside from lawyering, questioning how much she should get involved as a liaison between Batman and the police. Her father, Commissioner Jim Gordon, still debates the best ways to solve cases, keep tabs on his department, and work with Batman’s penchant for disappearing mid-conversation when backs are turned. It’s surprising the show didn’t just frame itself as a Gotham police drama, considering there are far more associations with the villains, as Barbara fears a threat from beyond the grave and Montoya still has an ongoing romance with Harleen Quinzel.

Where the show still succeeds best is in its atmosphere of embracing a noir-style show, made all the more vocal through the throw-back title cards. The Batman movies of Christopher Nolan and Matt Reeves have embraced a grounded version of Gotham that at times feels hard to buy with the retooling of characters. Bruce Timm’s show is a perfect fit for fully engrossing viewers in its tale of cops and robbers. There is such confidence in this format that there’s a bravery to dabble in the supernatural once again. So while the show might not have Mad Monk actually summoning a demon, the addition of Specter doesn’t downplay the character’s undead devotion to seeking vengeance and forgiveness.

Caped Crusader still holds up as one of the most refreshing revisions of Batman in animated form. That’s saying something for how often the character has been retooled in his many direct-to-video animated movies, placing him everywhere from gaslit streets to ninja battlegrounds to Aztec environments. After having already helmed one of the best Batman cartoons, Bruce Timm doesn’t just return to the superhero with more of the same. There’s a thrilling nature to how well the era of trench coats, fedoras, Tommy guns, and dated slang fits like a glove for these comic book characters. This isn’t Batman playing noir dress-up; it’s Batman embracing the noir elements that work best, presented in another highly engrossing season.