Smallville has come and gone. Many feel that it was a terrible show and at time I agree with that. But I feel there is a good show that could be in the works. And it's all about Bruce Wayne, the heir to a billion dollar empire, who has not spread his preverbial "bat wings" yet. The Bat before he became the bat. And he's a regular student attending Gotham High School.
So to crack it down here is a list of the characters I would include in the television series all together at least once or twice (unless they are a main or supporting character in the series):
Bruce Wayne
Julie Madison
Alfred Pennyworth
Wilson Klass
Selina Kyle
Harvey Dent
William Wayne
Jack Napier (otherwise known as The Joker, but using this name from the original 1989 Batman film)
Pamela Isly
Harley Quinzel(she eventually becomes Harley Quinn towards the end of the shows run)
Police Officer James Gordon (not quite Lt. Gordon or Commissioner Gordon, as these are the early years of Batman mythology)
Commissioner Gillian B. Leob (preceeded Gordon as commissioner, stayed in this position when the Lt. was killed, and Gordon moved up).
Principal Polaski (principal at Gotham High)
Vice Principal Sherman (becomes principal when Polaski is murdered by Pamela Isly)
Dr. Jonathan Crane (being a young science teacher who goes horribly mad)
Waylon Jones, Gym Teacher (towards the end of the series would become Killer Croc)
And those are the only characters I have so far. During the run of the series I feel that the show would recieve guest appearances from heroes like Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern and possibly the Man of Steel himself, of course he would have to be in his Clark Kent smallville form. Now for the theme of the series, I think we should go with the old Tim Burton films as a style. Those old films had the great style of the old comic books especially the Frank Miller books and I think that would be what is best for the series.
And now without further ado, Here is my treatment for the pilot episode of Gotham:
The show would open with Bruce getting into a fight at school during a day of 1st grade. He wins, but goes home with a bloody nose. His father, Thomas, gives him a lecture, but then explains to him that he is proud he won the fight. Later that day, Thomas surprises Bruce to two tickets to the new broadway musical in town. So he and his wife Martha take young 8 year old Bruce to the musical/play. However, soem of the things in the musical scare Bruce, so he asks to leave early as he is frightened. The three leave the theater, and stumble across a mugger outside. Thomas tries to protect his family to the best of his abilities, but he is shot down. Martha kneels down to look at him, and the mugger shoots her point blank in the head,(though this is not seen because of the blood). The mugger then points the gun to bruce, but is stopped by his partner who says the two must flee the scene immediately. As the muggers leave with Thomas Wayne's money and blood on their hands, Bruce kneels down beside his dead parents in the dark alleyway. At his parents funeral with rage he exits into the rain and runs as fast as he can outside of Wayne Manor where the funeral is being held. He slips on the wet ground and falls, and then continues to fall and fall until he reaches a stopping point on the ground of what appears to be a cave, filled with great scenery, he looks off into the distance and sees a bat flying towards him. (cue epic music)
We then cut to 8 years later, and Bruce is now a freshman in High School, on his first day at Gotham High. His first class is Science with Dr. Jonathan Crane where he also meets a girl named Julie Madison, much to the jealousy of fellow classmate Selina Kyle. Having already an esablished friendship with Wilson Klass, he feels he has his high school group together. He has grown into his own person, usually wearing the colors of black, grey, yellow and white, and listening to very heavy metal rock music. Wayne Manor, where he resides with his guardian William Wayne and butler Alfred Pennyworth. Anyways, has grown into a bigger mansion due to the expansion of Wayne Enterprises into a worldwide company. One day while bruce walks through the garden he gets a flashback from the day he discovered the batcave. He then notices something familar and goes to it, discovering it to be the entrance of the cave. He finds a way to lower himself down in there and discovers more features of the cave, and the wide space it provides.
Back at the school, Dr. Jonathan Crane reveals to his students that they will be dissecting bats, everyone is enthused but Bruce as he finds them to be interesting creatures. However after a little tat, Bruce gets sent to his seat by Crane, and is asked to stay after class. After the class, Crane talks to Bruce about fear, and how it is the most interesting of all traits. He sends bruce away convinced to dissect the bat. Crane then looks a little ill, and goes into his back room and injects something into his arm. He sets up a webcam chat with someone, and says that everything is going according to the plan, and he will release the gas that coming friday.
Bruce and Julie hang out at the Gotham Science Center and are in the bat section. Bruce tells Julie all about bats, and explains his fascination and fear with them. Wilson is with them, and he notices Dr. Crane carrying a case of something from the center into his car.
The next day Wilson asks Dr. Crane about what he was carrying the day before, and he invites wilson into the backroom. There, Dr. Crane sprays Wilson with the fear gas, Bruce shows up a time later and finds Wilson trying to kill him telling him to "Get away foul beast", He eventually calms wilson down after the fight as the gas wears down and Wilson explains Dr. Crane sprayed him with something. Bruce goes into Dr. Crane's room and finds Crane wearing a gas mask that looks something similar to a scarecrow head. Bruce covers his mouth and fights crane, and stops him just before he is able to release the gas into the entire school.
Later as ambulances arrive, Wilson explains to Bruce that when he was on the "fear" gas, Bruce appeared as a giant bat, to which Bruce replies "wouldn't that look silly"...
This is all I have for the pilot so far. I have had some thoughts about the finale episode and what episodes would lead up to that, but my feelings for the finale would be Bruce being out of college for two years, being head of Wayne Enterprises, staying friends with Wilson Klass, who has since become Mayor, and Lt. James Gordon who has become Commissioner by episodes end. Also would have the first appearance of the Joker in full makeup, Bruce putting the Batsuit on for the first time in the last 40 minutes of the show, with it feeling very much like a Batman film of the late 80s, early 90s, the batmobile breaking down and repairing it with new tech, and the ending be exactly like the first batman film, with bruce standing on a ledge in the batsuit, staring at the batsignal in the sky.
Thank you very much for reading my article, if you have any questions, comments, concerns, threats, suggestions, just please let me know, Thanks and have a Great Day CBMers!!
comicbookfreak