I have been looking forward to "Batman: Caped Crusader" for a very long time. I've been waiting for it for several years now. However, with only a few days left until its premiere on Prime Video, very favorable early reviews are beginning to emerge.

Positioned as a sort of spiritual successor to "Batman: The Animated Series" (a personal favorite of mine), "The Cloak Crusade," Bruce Timm, co-creator of that classic animated feature, returns to Gotham City with J.J. Abrams and Matt Reeves (director of 2022's "Batman") returns to Gotham City with the company to bring a new spin to The Dark Knight.

While the pre-release trailer clearly draws inspiration from the popular 90s animated "Batman" series, "The Cloak Crusade" is still blazing its own trail. For starters, the film is set in 1940s Gotham and features new twists on classic enemies like Harley Quinn and the Penguin. For Batman fans, it will be the perfect blend of familiar and fresh.

My expectations for "Batman: Crusader in Cloak" were already high, but now that critics are free to post their first impressions, my hype has reached a new level. As of this writing, "Batman: Caped Crusader" holds a 100% perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes. Though no impressions have been released yet, this very impressive rating comes from 24 individual reviews, which is not an insignificant sample size.

Ross McIndoe of Slant magazine noted, "The series concocts a hard-hitting crime story within the confines of a children's show." One of the best things about "Batman: The Animated Series" is that it is able to tackle adult themes within the Saturday morning cartoon format, and "Cape Crusader" seems to be following suit.

Commenting on comparisons to the iconic series of the 90s, Cambole Campbell of Empire magazine wrote, "This is a return to the very foundation of 'Batman: The Animated Series' that defines Bruce Timm and Paul Dini's characters, and the favorable reviews of 'Cape Crusader' In their review of the show, they said, "It is a show that feels more like a revamp than a retread." They also called it "familiar yet different."

AV Club's Jarrod Jones is also a fan, stating that "'Cape Crusader' promises a moody, noirish thrill ride through a tough, desolate, forbidding Gotham City through a mostly silent protagonist." Meanwhile, Angie Han of the Hollywood Reporter praised the show's "sleek, simple style and consistently moody atmosphere," but also felt that it "rarely soars to spectacular levels."

After seeing the sneak peek trailer linked above and the universally positive reviews, you may be tempted to see "Batman: Cape Crusader" for yourself. Fortunately, you won't have to wait long, as all 10 episodes will be available on Prime Video on Thursday, August 1.

After several years of waiting (the show was first announced in May 2021), it seems a bit unrealistic that there are only a few more days until we can finally stream "Batman: Cape Crusader." Even more so considering that the show was originally scheduled to be available on HBO Max (now simply called Max), but HBO Max has stopped streaming it. It was Amazon Prime Video that saved the series from the brink of cancellation, and judging by the early reviews, it seems to have worked.

While the premiere date is ticking away, I'll be watching my favorite episodes of Batman: The Animated Series to get me in the mood for The Caped Crusader. But if you need something to stave off boredom, check out this underrated "Batman" movie on Netflix.