Earlier this year, DC animation went dark with their first R-rated movie, Batman: The Killing Joke. But now they’re going to lighten up a bit with Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders, a PG romp that goes back to the 1960s TV show by reuniting Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin with Julie Newmar voicing Catwoman.

We got a brief look at the film last week, but now Warner Bros. has released a full trailer for the film, and it looks as delightful as fans of the 1960s show would hope. While some dismiss the 1960s series as too goofy, keep in mind that in the 1950s, Batman comics had him flying around in spaceships and fighting monsters. It may not be dark-n-gritty Batman, but a character who’s been around for over 75 years contains multitudes, and this is just one take on the character. It’s also a fun one, and it looks like Return of the Caped Crusaders has captured the right attitude of the classic TV series.

Hopefully, Return of the Caped Crusaders is a success so that DC and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will make it into a series.  There's enough room for different kinds of Batmen in the DC universe, and if WBHE animation leads the charge, it could encourage different kinds of stories, not just adaptations of the Dark Knight's darkest chapters.

Check out the trailer below, and pick up Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders on Digital HD on October 11th or on Blu-Ray on November 1st.


Here's the official synopsis:

It’s back to the 1960s as Batman and Robin spring into action when Gotham City is threatened by a quartet of Batman’s most fiendish foes – Penguin, The Joker, Riddler and Catwoman. The four Super-Villains have combined their wicked talents to hatch a plot so nefarious that the Dynamic Duo will need to go to outer space (and back) to foil their arch enemies and restore order in Gotham City. It’s a truly fantastic adventure that will pit good against evil, good against good, evil against evil … and feature two words that exponentially raise the stakes for both sides: Replicator Ray. Holy Multiplication Tables!

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Image via DC Comics, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment