‘Batman: Caped Crusader’ Easter Eggs & DC Connections, Explained

Through the course of eight long decades, Gotham’s favorite vigilante has gone through numerous redefinitions, modifications, and adaptations in the hands of multiple legendary writers, artists, and directors, which has made the Batman corpus essentially the richest lore in the history of fictional characters. The latest entry to the ever-expanding Bat-mythos is the animated series Batman: Caped Crusader, which takes the world’s greatest detective back to his roots in the golden age of comics in the 40s, and while doing so, the series draws elements from the existing layered history of Batman spanning through comics and various media adaptations. Die-hard bat fanatics out there have surely completed the first season, consisting of ten episodes in one sitting, and pinpointed references and easter eggs, which tie Batman: Caped Crusader into Batman lore and the larger DC universe. We would like to highlight all those crucial signifiers while briefly discussing their connection to the series itself. 

Spoilers Ahead

Batman’s Appearance is A Callback To ‘Batman: Strange Days’

Artist Bruce Timm, who was the chief creative mind along with writer Paul Dini behind the creation of the legendary Batman: The Animated Series, had created an animated short titled Batman: Strange Days in celebration of Batman’s 75th anniversary. Set in 1939, the animated short envisioned Bruce Timm’s idea of a Batman during his initial days of crimefighting, and what if the original animated series could have shed the restraints of being kid-friendly? In this context, Batman: Strange Days acted as a blueprint to Batman: Caped Crusader which has veered towards more adult-themed storytelling and presented Batsy in his golden age-inspired appearance. 

Clayface and Catwoman Retain Their Golden Age Origin

Along with Batman, the series has introduced golden-age versions of iconic Batman villains like Clayface and Catwoman as well, which suits the more pulp-fiction-oriented approach of the series. In comics, the first Clayface, aka Basil Karlo, was a failed actor who went on a vengeful killing spree, and in the series, a similar origin for Basil is showcased with a jilted lover/veteran actor turned appearance-altering villain. Additionally, the creation of Basil Karlo was inspired by the renowned Universal horror movie veteran actor Boris Karloff, who remained stuck with typecast roles through a major part of his life. Catwoman’s appearance matches her late 40s comics counterpart, and in this iteration, she is presented as a thrill-seeking socialite, similar to her role in the initial days of her comic-book debut. Special mentions need to be made of Catwoman’s Batmobile-inspired vehicle, the Kitty Car, which looks as goofy and awesome as it sounds. 

The Gray Ghost Reference and ‘Batman 1966’ Connection

In Batman: The Animated Series, the episode Beware the Gray Ghost retained a special place in the hearts of Batfans. In the episode, veteran actor Simon Trent played the role of a fictional vigilante named the Gray Ghost, whose exploits had inspired a young Bruce Wayne. The episode was special as actor Adam West, who played Bruce Wayne/Batman in Batman 1966, had voiced the character of Simon Trent/Gray Ghost, which in turn enriched the legacy of Batman lore. In Batman: Caped Crusader, in the episode titled Nocturne, Alfred is seen reading a book on Gray Ghost, which honors the series’ connection with Batman: The Animated Series. Also, Max Grantwell, the author of the book that Alfred was seen reading, might be a reference to Maxwell Grant, the pen name of Walter Gibson, who created the pulp vigilante character Shadow, who acted as an inspiration in the creation of Batman.

Additionally, the map of Gotham seen inside the Batcave is identical to the map of Gotham from Batman 1966, and both of them are based on the real-world map of St. Louis, Missouri. The connections grow further with the character Fletcher Demming, a crooked billionaire who became Harley Quinn’s puppet through her psychological manipulation and started believing himself to be King Tutankhamen. In Batman 1966, King Tut was a series exclusive character, whose goofy presence made him popular among fans and since then he has appeared in multiple animated series, games, and comics as well. 

Multitude of ‘Batman the Animated Series’ References

Batman: Caped Crusader was conceptualized as a spiritual successor to the classic Batman: The Animated Series, and that is properly reflected right from the similarities in animation style, tone, characterization, title cards, and everything else. The connection seeps into the narrative as well, through some sneaky Easter eggs scattered throughout the first season. Basil Karlo, aka Clayface, is shown attending the premiere of the movie Gangbuster in the episode titled And Be a Villain, the same movie title was featured in the BTAS episode titled Feat of Clay, which was centered on Matt Hagen’s version of Clayface. In the fifth episode of the series, The Stress of Her Regard, Batman rummages through newspaper reports that showcase a plethora of BTAS episode references, ranging from Joker’s toxic barge, Nostromo’s machinations, Poison Ivy’s presence, a Scarecrow tease, etc. 

Lastly, the first season ends with an iconic shot of Batman standing on a rooftop as thunder crackles behind him, paying a homage to the iconic shot of BTAS, which has already been etched into the minds of fans for a long, long time.