After watching the first episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. I went online to join in on the discussion, and I was instantly sidetracked by the news of a Gotham TV series. As much of a Marvel fanboy as I am, I'm also a huge fan of Batman and his universe.
We don't know much about the project; but a few things excite me, scare me, and even perplex me. So I wanted to jot these ideas down and start a discussion -- because, why not!?
NO 'CW TWATS' TO BE FOUND One of the first things that excited me about this project is that it's not on the CW. A common joke I make on this site is that of the 'CW Twat' which means that the CW loves to cast attractive, hunky/sexy, and young (20-30 years old) actors and actresses in their shows. Sometimes this is ok, and other times it's not.
With this show, I'm sure someone at one point thought of making Jim Gordon some 25 year old punk without the mustache. Instead, the show has gone to FOX; which doesn't get away with this as much as other networks.
Ideally we'd get a Jim Gordon who is 35-40. Someone who displays a world weariness but also an energetic optimism. I can rattle off casting suggestions all day but I'll refrain from turning this into a fan-cast.
VILLAINS & CAMEOS Something I am curious about is villains. Now, Batman has a huge assortment of villains but as many people all over the web have pointed out it's not always going to make sense to have The Joker be a constant threat to Gordon and company.
Ideally, this would be a show that has villains centering around corrupt cops and the mob. Part of the reason YEAR ONE always stands out in my mind is that it's more-so about Gordon's resistance found within his own ranks; and in taking on the fight against corruption he becomes just as much of a hero as Batman.
The Falconi crime family are also great choices. I think that Harvey Dent is almost a shoe-in for the show. I think you could also do cases where you show the soft origins of many of Batman's infamous rogues. Having Joker fall into the acid, or Victor Zssaz's first few kills.
If I could, I'd hand the writers the collected editions of
Batman: Streets of Gotham as it was a run that really did a great job of showing the crimes of Gotham on a street level with Gordon as one of the primary protagonists. If you've read this book you know what I mean as to the possibilities of various characters that could show up in
Gotham.
Ideally, you show Gordon trying to accomplish the same things that Batman strives for but show him restrained by the confines of bureaucracy -- not able to elevate himself above the law in the same way Batman can.
CONTINUITY The biggest question mark, and my biggest concern right now is how this all ties in together. How does Gotham tie into Arrow and The Flash? Does it at all? Will it tie into Justice League and the universe WB is presumably trying to build.
Marvel on this front has done a meticulous and near-perfect job of taking all of their projects a part of their studio and tying it together. At this point, we all know that the movies and TV shows will tie into each other partially because Marvel communicates their intentions so well.
DC needs to be proactive on this front; tell us where Gotham falls in their current continuity (if it even does). I'll check it out regardless but I think if DC is tying this in somehow; it would be in their best interest to drum interest early like Marvel did with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
CONCLUSION I think there's a lot to be excited for with Gotham, but WB needs to be a bit more proactive in telling us what exactly this show is about. Telling us that Batman is not in it is probably not the best first step; but they need to tell us about villains, about some story elements. I have little doubt that this won't unfold over time but they should putting more elements out there for us to get excited about. Maybe that's just the fanboy speaking.
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Leave A Comment. What are some of your favourite Jim Gordon Moments? Do you feel like the mustache will be a big deal on the show? Also remember to follow me on Twitter if you want to keep up on more of my articles.