While Comic Book movies have been all the rage, it’s good to see them finally making the transition to television. Marvel has Agents of Shield, DC is absolutely killing it with Arrow and the Flash. As we await Supergirl to make her grand appearance I felt it was time to catch up on a show I largely missed; Gotham season 1 makes its debut on Blu Ray – and I went on a binge watch. So how does Gotham stack up against other DC TV shows?
When I first heard about the series I was largely on board. You can actually hear me discussing the topic via the Comic Issues Podcast Live we did at San Diego Comic Fest. My concept may have been different – I really liked a show focusing on James Gordon before becoming the Commissioner.
Basic Story:
This is a crime procedural at heart, so I don’t want to ruin any of the mystery. What makes this show interesting is the question “What makes Gotham?” Is it the heroes or the villains?
Story:
The basic story revolves around Detective James Gordon and his arrival in Gotham city. Which of course starts with the death of Thomas and Martha Wayne (Bruce Wayne’s parents). James Gordon is partnered with Harvey Bullock and you discover how truly corrupt Gotham is. As James tries to solve the murder, he has various chance encounters with a few of Gotham’s most notorious villains.
What I liked:
This show is full of surprises, mostly with the focus on the Mafia elements of Gotham. With each crime family having a background it almost gave the show a Game of Thrones quality. As I wanted to know more about each family and what their ambitions were. What I appreciated most about this, was how subtle the transition is.
The Mafia is a real element, which the viewer will expect – and slowly transition them into the Super Villains. They did a very similar thing with Game of Thrones, magic was discussed but never fully explored until most later in the series.
As for the Villains, I did enjoy seeing their origins but none were as epic as The Penguin. While I never really cared too much for the character, he’s always been a mainstay within the Batman Universe. I did enjoy Rocksteady’s take in the Arkham universe but this version in Gotham is very intriguing. Robin Lord Taylor who plays Penguin really takes the character to a whole new level. He’s nowhere near a kingpin yet, but you can certainly see his rise to power.
What I wanted:
I did enjoy watching the series but felt like there was something missing. The episodes didn’t really feel as connected as I had hoped. More or less I wanted a mystery that could be solved throughout each season.
For instance look at how they handled the Flash. You were introduced to the concept that someone killed Barry’s mother, and you were attempting to solve that. For us Flash nerds – you already knew who the murderer was aka: Reverse Flash – but you were trying to figure his true identity.
I was hoping for the same in Gotham – but with the Court of Owls. Having subtle references to it in the first episode would have been epic. Batman nerds would pick up on it – and try to figure out who belonged to the court. It just would’ve made each episode a little more interesting. While the general public would be following Bruce Wayne and James Gordon discovering the Court of Owls.
Overall:
I generally enjoyed the series and think it’s a great way to bring non Comic readers into the genre. The show certainly has its moments and the potential to become something greater.