10 THINGS BEN AFFLECK NEEDS TO DO AS BATMAN

You guys have seen my lists for moments that I loved from all the Batman movies. Not too long from now (well long enough for me) a new actor will take up the Batman role. Many have said that he’ll suck. Many have said that he won’t. Some are just excited that Batman is finally going to be sharing the screen with Superman. Well, I’m one of those people that believes that Ben Affleck will be a terrific Batman. I actually thought he was great as Matt Murdock/Daredevil. Little did I know that 10 years later he would be cast as Batman. As I think about what he could do with the part, I realized there are certain things that Affleck and company need to do in order to properly convince me that he is Batman. The things on this list may seem familiar but that’s only because they are some of my favorite aspects of past Batman movies and I think they need to be carried on to the next incarnation. 

For example, Batman must be sad despite being rich and handsome

Keep in mind that some of these are out of Ben Affleck’s control (you’ll see what I mean when you read it) but they are still important moments. Here is my list for the 10 THINGS I WANT TO SEE BEN AFFLECK DO AS BATMAN:

KEEP BRUCE WAYNE AND BATMAN SEPARATE:

Kevin Conroy is cemented in most fans’ minds as the definitive Batman. He voiced the character in the original Batman: the Animated Series and has continued to do so for the last 20some years. He tapped into something with Bruce Wayne that had not really been done before – He treated Bruce Wayne and Batman as two separate characters. More than that, he treated Batman as the true personality and Wayne was his disguise. Bale did something a little similar, he had 3 portrayals – the public Bruce Wayne that was a drunk playboy, the private Bruce Wayne that was his true self, and the Batman who was the beast that Bruce could become to fight criminals. 

I'm gonna beat the shit out of you!

Bale and Conroy definitely got it right with treating Bruce and Batman as separate entities. If Affleck is going to win over audiences then he’ll need to have Bruce Wayne be the public face while Batman is his true identity. Batman is the embodiment of everything Bruce has built himself up as. Bruce is just the face he puts on at board meetings and dinners with his "friends." It will be great to see Bruce reveal this side of himself to Clark (you know after they're done punching each other). Plus it would be great to see Clark notice that there is something off about that Wayne guy . . . 

AWESOME REVEAL FOR THE BATMOBILE:

The Batmobile is one of the most famous cars ever. It’s easily the most recognizable Batman gadget and has been a huge part of every Batman film to date. We already know what the car will look like but it’s gotta have a cool reveal. Think of Batman’s “Get in the car” or in Batman Begins “I brought mine!” Those were great reveals to the greatest car in the world. Affleck’s Batman is taking on a character that can fly, shoot lasers from his eyes, and can travel faster than a speeding bullet. 

Not to mention those muscles! Damn son!

It’s best that his car get a good reveal that can make even Superman say, “Wow.” I mean, you can’t just bring in the Batmobile like any old car. It’s gotta have its moment! Roaring through the streets of Metropolis and Gotham and everything in between, the Batmobile will get its reveal and OWN the streets!

UNMASKED:

Hear me out here because I don't mean that the whole world finds out Bruce Wayne is Batman at the end of the film. This might sound strange and it really isn’t a requirement per se but I really like scenes where the hero is wearing the full costume except for the mask. Spider-Man was the first one to do this on a regular basis. 

So much for a secret identity, you moron!

It’s rarely done in the Batman films except for one scene in The Dark Knight Rises when Alfred and Bruce are arguing in the Batcave. I just think it’s a cool image seeing the costume on but the mask is off. I think nowadays it’s done as part of the actors’ contracts to give them more “face time” but I don’t care. I still think it looks cool. Plus, Ben Affleck is a good looking dude. Why not give him some time to show off his face. If for no other reason than to remind the naysayers that Affleck is Batman. Haha . . . That will show them . . . 

A GREAT THEME:

This one is pretty much out of Ben Affleck’s control. However, in order for his Dark Knight to stand out, he’ll need to have a kick ass theme song. Everyone knows the Na na na Batman song from the Adam West TV show, and the first Lego Batman video game featured all of Danny Elfman’s score from the 89 Batfilm. Hans Zimmer’s score from the Dark Knight Trilogy totally fit into those films. Zimmer is supposedly coming back for Batman v Superman and that’s good news, but it’s also a little scary considering that Affleck’s Knight will need a brand new theme. He’s gonna need something to make him stand out from the previous films score and a great way to do that is with music. 

And now you've got Danny Elfman's theme stuck in your head. You're welcome

Some of the greatest movie scenes of all time have only been great due to the addition of music or the lack thereof. In Batman’s case, his best moments are closely associated with a great score. The music will help get the audience cheering or groaning. Elfman and Zimmer were masters at getting just the right note (lol) to get the audience cheering for Batman. Danny Elfman's score was so good that a separate soundtrack was commissioned with just his score. Let's hope Zimmer will give us a new theme to fit our newest Batman.

WORLD'S GREATEST DETECTIVE:

One thing that’s never really been touched upon in the films is Batman’s detective skills. He did a little bit in The Dark Knight but it would be interesting to see Batman try to deduce Superman’s identity and/or weakness. Bruce is supposed to be one of the smartest men in the world and that needs to be shown in the film. If he’s gonna take on the most powerful man in the world, there should be at least a scene or two with him figuring out what he needs to do to beat Superman. 

Preparation is key. 

There probably won't be much of a mystery in the film, but given that the two main characters are a detective and an investigative reporter, a mystery would be really awesome to see. The main mystery for Batman is how to beat Superman and for Superman it's "Who is Batman?". I'd like to see these aspects of the characters shown off and then they can compare notes later. We all know that eventually they'll be buddies!

Such good buddies that Batman will carry Superman home when he's had too much to drink

ALFRED:

Alfred is a bit of a tricky situation. On the one hand, he’s technically just Bruce’s employee. On the other hand, he’s Bruce’s surrogate father, mentor, confidant, and conscience. One thing that the first couple of episodes of Gotham got wrong about Alfred was that he needs to care for Bruce. One thing that the later episodes got right is that Alfred is Bruce’s enabler. In real life, the family butler would have probably sought psychiatric help for a young boy traumatized by the death of his parents. In the fictional world, it’s much more interesting in that Alfred has enabled Bruce’s vigilante behavior. For whatever reason, Alfred believes in Bruce’s crusade and would never, ever betray his trust. Before there were any Robins, Batgirls, Justice League, or even Commissioner Gordon, Alfred was Bruce’s most trusted ally. That relationship is key to every incarnation of Batman. Luckily, Alfred has come around on Gotham and is a more likable character (and kind of a bad ass, which is cool) and I suspect we’ll being seeing that type of relationship develop in Batman v Superman as well. Jeremy Irons isn’t the kind of actor to just sit around the Batcave, he’s much more of the “Earth One” Alfred that Geoff Johns and Gary Frank gave us. I could be wrong and we’ll just see Irons in a tuxedo getting tea for Clark and Lois in the Batcave but I doubt that. Regardless of how much we see Alfred in the final film, one thing must be clear – While he’s technically just an employee, he’s much more than that to Bruce. That relationship between these two men needs to be established clearly from the get-go. 

NO LOVE INTEREST:

I went to a lecture a couple years ago by Will Brooker AKA Dr. Batman. This guy has specialized in dissecting Batman’s whole world from the comic books, video games, movies, cartoons, etc. He had an interesting theory on Batman. He thought Batman was asexual. Batman’s one true love is Gotham City. I don’t necessarily agree with that idea but it is intriguing. One thing that I think Ben Affleck could do in his performance that would be vastly different than what has come before is not have a love interest. As much as I don’t care for the term, I’d much rather see the “bromance” between Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne develop during Batman v Superman than have Bruce be interested either in Lois Lane or Wonder Woman. 

Could you pick between these three hotties? I know I couldn't!

A love story can always be done in a later film (or not at all, to be REALLY different). I’ve never understood why love interests and romantic subplots are so important to the superhero stories. In a lot of cases they are unnecessary and shoehorned in to get that coveted “female audience.” What they fail to realize is that women don’t need a “love story” to get them to see an action movie, they want the same thing the men want – a good story. But that's a debate for another day!

A "WTF" MOMENT:

In just about every Batman film, and the comic books do this too, Batman does something that should not be humanly possible. You can chalk this up to it being a comic book film and suspension of disbelief is necessary for the overall story to work, but I think that Batman needs to have at least one moment where you say, “WTF? How did he do that?” If I had to guess, I’d say that this would be during the fight with Superman. Superman will get the upper hand and rip off all of Bruce’s protective armor and then suddenly, Bruce will pull out a kryptonite baseball bat and beat Clark senseless. I mean, he is called Bat-Man. This actually happened in an episode of Batman: the Animated Series. 

When you say Batman TAS was amazing just remember this moment

Ok so it probably won’t be that exactly, but I’m willing to bet that given Snyder’s love of great action beats we’ll see Batman do something so cool that we’ll all cheer. After all, he wouldn't be Batman without some sort of crazy moment where we all let our jaws hit the floor. Ben Affleck will need to have a moment where he reminds us that Batman is a total bad ass. And it needs to be good!

THE VOICE:

The biggest complaint from Christian Bale’s performance was always his voice. I never really was bothered by it. In fact, I always felt it was just people complaining just to complain. I kind of get it, but I never had trouble understanding what he was saying. In any case, to avoid such criticism, Affleck will need to find the character’s voice, and I mean that in a literal sense not in a literary sense. Haha! That was a clever joke. Anyway, Michael Keaton, Christian Bale, and Val Kilmer each found a voice that worked for them when they were in costume. After all, Bruce Wayne is a recognizable figure in Gotham City, he should find a way to hide his voice. Adam West and George Clooney either never thought of this or didn’t care. Probably both. Since Keaton’s portrayal, the voice has become an important part of the character of Batman. We may not know what the actual voice sounds like till the film is released (the early trailers for Batman Begins had Christian Bale speaking fairly normal). Affleck will need to dig deep to find his inner Batman. It's not written in stone that the voice needs to be dark and gravely, but it still needs to be imposing. As I said before, he's taking on a man that can move mountains with his pinky finger, so an imposing voice is vital. Batman needs to scare the shit out of criminal scum in Gotham City and sometimes that translates to him scaring normal people too. The scarier he is to Superman, the better. 

 

"I'M BATMAN":

Jeez, JJ! This is like the third time you’ve made this your #1 request! Well, yes. And for good reason. I’ve already stated how Michael Keaton’s “I’m Batman” defined the character for me, how Bale’s “I’m Batman” instantly convinced me he was Batman, how Clooney’s “I’m Batman” is a bit of a guilty pleasure for me, but I never said how Will Arnett’s “I’m Batman” from the Lego Movie made me laugh because in my mind, it’s a staple of the Batman films and Arnett delivered it so hilariously.

I've made a huge mistake

Affleck NEEDS to say it in the film. Granted it may not make a lot of sense for a character to just go around stating who they are every time they meet someone new. I mean it’s pretty clear who you are with that get up. It’s more important that a new actor state it at least once to establish to the next generation that they are Batman now. This is just a selfish request, but if I don't hear Affleck say it I'll be very upset. So you better say it Affleck! You hear me! . . . Sorry for losing my temper there . . . 

HONORABLE MENTION:

COOL GUYS DON'T LOOK AT EXPLOSIONS:

Because they don’t. And we haven’t had a cool moment where Batman walked away from an explosion in slow motion. Many thanks to the Lonely Island for bringing this to my attention.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sqz5dbs5zmo

These are all the things that I believe will help sell Ben Affleck as Batman. Granted, some of these we may not get right away, after all he is technically just the co-star in a Man of Steel sequel. However, these are key things that sold me on Batman when I was a kid and kept my love of the character as I got older so I believe they are necessary to ensure an accurate portrayal of the Dark Knight. Or they could really mess with us and Ben Affleck will wear a baseball uniform and take his enemies out to bat. Stranger things have happened . . .

Till next time!

JJ - The Comic Junkie 

  

10 CAMEOS I WANT TO SEE ON THE BIG BANG THEORY

Have you ever seen the Big Bang Theory? It’s this quirky little show on CBS with reruns on TBS (no relation) that features 4 geeky, socially awkward scientists and their hot neighbor. Now the cast has expanded to include Minnie Mouse and Blossom but the basic premise of the show hasn’t changed much.

If you havent seen it then turn on TBS. It's probably on right now

Considering that the show features nerds as the lead characters they reference a lot of different comic books, sci fi shows/movies, books, and all that stuff. The show is currently in its 8th season and is consistently one of the most popular shows on television. They’ve had many “geeky” guest stars like James Earl Jones, George Takei, Stan Lee, Wil Wheaton, Summer Glau, as well as actual, notable geeks such as Stephen Hawking, Steve Wozniak, and Dr. George Smoot. I think it’s fair to say that one of the highlights of the series was the Stan Lee episode. It demonstrated the show’s commitment to the characters being true comic book geeks as well as playing on Lee’s real life celebrity status.

He's lived a full life

This got me thinking, why don’t they do more of these types of cameos? Stan Lee is definitely the world's most popular comic book writer but there are current writers that are producing best selling comic books that the guys are buying on a weekly basis. Why not have those guys guest star and promote the comics? Why not have actors from the superhero films show up to greet the guys and have some sort of misadventure? Here are my TOP 10 SUGGESTIONS FOR CAMEOS FOR THE BIG BANG THEORY:

GEOFF JOHNS AND JIM LEE:
It’s no secret on the show that one of Sheldon’s favorite characters is Green Lantern. Most episodes see him wearing a Green Lantern or other Lantern Corps shirt.

There he is with his trademark smile

Johns is responsible for giving Green Lantern and the Green Lantern Corps their current popular status in the comic book world. Johns helped create most of the new colored Lantern Corps and even wrote the Green Lantern comic book for a landmark 9 year run including spin offs like "Blackest Night" and "Brightest Day." The guys would have read his stuff and would likely be huge fans. Given Johns’s role as DC Entertainment Chief Creative Officer it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch for him to go to the Warner Bros lot and film a cameo. Heck, Johns could even guest write an episode or two! As for Jim Lee, he is one of the most popular artists with a career spanning over 20 years. His credits include revitalizing the X-Men, revitalizing Batman, and revitalizing the Justice League. Dang, this dude has revitalized a lot of shit! The guys would also be big fans of his and given his status as an industry legend, it would be great to see him show up on the show. Or maybe just his artwork . . . That works too . . .

That's so cool! 

These two creators are still producing best selling work at DC right now, so it wouldn't be odd for them to show up on The Big Bang Theory. In fact, I'm surprised it hasn't happened already!

ROBERT DOWNEY JR:

The guys are big fans of comic books and discuss Marvel Comics and movies on a regular basis. Downey is pretty much Marvel Studio's mascot and it would be great to have him show up in an episode. He could be annoyed by all the fan attention or maybe he’d embrace it (like James Earl Jones did in his episode). Downey is a funny guy in real life and it would be great to see him branch out and do more comedic roles. Given his very busy Marvel schedule it might be difficult to put him into an episode. However, an appearance by Downey would boost ratings (not that the show needs it). They could even bring on another Avenger or two and do a whole Marvel themed episode. This is unlikely given that the show is produced by Warner Bros (Marvel is owned by Disney) but it could still be a fun way to promote Avengers: Age of Ultron or next year's Captain America: Civil War. They devoted an entire episode to Star Wars so it's not entirely out of the realm of possibility. Hey I can dream right?

SCOTT SNYDER AND GREG CAPULLO:

When it comes to record breaking, character defining runs on Batman, Snyder and Capullo are this generation’s Dennis O’Neill and Neal Adams. They’ve collaborated on the current best selling run of Batman comic books that have not only broken records but consistently remained in the top of the sales charts. When I’ve attended New York Comic Con these guys are a big deal. People literally run to meet them. They are Comic Con celebrities so it makes sense for them to meet the guys on Big Bang at some point. Sheldon could talk about their work on the Joker or how they reinvented the Batman origin with “Zero Year.” I think this is a cameo that should definitely happen. They are genuinely nice guys that love interacting with their fans. It would be great to have an episode where Sheldon pushes their buttons with his constant badgering and questioning. Sheldon's been known to make nice guys go a little crazy, usually without him noticing. It would be funny to see them react to a "passionate" fan like Sheldon. Plus, on a personal note, I love these guys. I've met them at NYCC a couple of times and loved chatting with them. And even if they never come on the show, they should still pop up somewhere. Hey maybe they can cameo on Gotham! Let's make this happen Warner Bros!

EMMA WATSON:

This one might be a bit of an odd choice, but hear me out. In the film This Is The End she showed us that she has some comedy chops. Let’s see her branch out a little more and give the guys a reason to revert back to their socially awkward days (shouldn’t be too hard). The guys are big fans of Harry Potter and it's probably safe to say that the girls are too, so it would be fun to have an episode where Watson showed up and let them all have "geek out" moments. It's also fun to see actors play against type, and I think Watson's cameo could have her break out of her "good girl" phase. Granted she's done some films where she showed a little bit more of a bad girl side, but let's show her on Big Bang where it's revealed that she is actually like that in real life. Maybe not so much in a seductress kind of way, but just a genuinely mean person. Something like that. I don't know, I just want to see Emma Watson in more things!

STEPHEN AMELL:

Given the popularity of both Arrow and The Big Bang Theory plus Amell’s presence at Comic Cons all over the country, it’s not a stretch to think that he should be considered for a guest spot on Big Bang. There are already talks of crossing over the eventual Supergirl TV show with Arrow and the Flash, why not start that now with Stephen Amell himself guest starring or making a cameo on Big Bang? It would also be a great plug for whatever new charity Amell is sponsoring. The episode could deal with Amell promoting his new charity and convincing the guys to help him out. Or maybe the guys have a debate about the Flash and Arrow crossover episodes and then Amell and or Grant Gustin show up to monitor the debate.

Damn those are some good looking men!

It's also a well known fact that Stephen Amell is a very handsome man. Like I said, it would be fun to see the guys act awkward around Emma Watson, it would also be fun to see the girls (and Raj) be awkward around Amell. Yeah, those jokes are a little cheesy but the actors have proven time and again that they can make water into wine (so to speak) with a good joke. Plus, having Amell show up on a comedy and show a little range would just be beneficial to his career. Ya know since Oliver got stabbed and all that . . . 

BILL MURRAY:

Murray is infamous for being difficult to get a hold of but when he does show up he always brings his A game. It would be fantastic to see him guest star on the Big Bang Theory. Whether he plays himself, another scientist (Peter Venkman, anyone?), or some other random character it would be awesome to see him on the show. Maybe he could put those Ghostbusters 3 comments to bed once and for all. And I won't lie, I would like to see him on the show somewhat along the lines of his Zombieland cameo. That's how I imagine Bill Murray in real life. He's welcoming, funny, and forgiving.

Not to mention honest

I'd love to see the guys throw a huge party and Bill Murray show up and crash it. It's been documented that Murray has done that in real life, so why not let him do it on The Big Bang Theory? Naturally all eyes would be on him which would only drive Sheldon crazy (assuming he's the one that threw the party). Plus, look at the picture of him in the Ghostbuster uniform. Wouldn't it be great if he brought spares for the guys? Sheldon would have to forgive him for ruining his party.

MICHAEL KEATON:

Given Keaton’s popularity as Batman and his recent Oscar nomination it can be easy to forget that he got his start as a comedic actor. His most famous role other than Batman is definitely Beetlejuice. No doubt the guys will be big fans of both, so it would be great to see them meet him and try to talk to him about both of those characters.

Mostly Batman

It would be great to have a scene where the guys are debating who is the best Batman - Keaton, Bale, Kilmer, Affleck, or Clooney. The guys could get Keaton on it and it would be funny to see him offer his input whether he's all for one of the other actors, talking himself up, or just trying to get out of the conversation all together. A lively Batman debate featuring one of the actors that played Batman would be a fun way to promote Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice next year. Actually, that would be amazing!

SAMUEL L. JACKSON:

 Jackson is famous for being cool. I mean the guy’s reputation is pretty much built on the fact that he’s awesome. He’s a great actor (with several Oscar nominations to prove it) but he’s also just one hell of a slick cat. It would be great to juxtapose that with the guys and their very “uncool” way of life. Maybe it could be revealed that Jackson is just as uncool as they are in real life, or maybe he gives them lessons on how to be bad ass mother-effers. Even better, Jackson could play Nick Fury and recruit the guys to be agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. or Avengers. That would obviously be a dream sequence or fantasy, but it would still be cool to have Jackson show up. Maybe he and Downey could do their cameo together! 

 This could just as easily be a table at the Cheesecake Factory

Jackson has a very busy schedule and appears in just about everything, so a Big Bang cameo isn't too much of a stretch. It's probably a long shot, but it could be really funny and memorable.

BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS:

Bendis is another famous comic book writer that has consistently put out great comics over the last few years. Bendis is responsible for the creation of Ultimate Spider-Man (both Ultimate Peter and Miles Morales), the Avengers disassembling and then reassembling several times, Secret Invasion, and critically acclaimed runs on Daredevil, X-Men, plus his own creator owned work. He is to Marvel what Geoff Johns is for DC Comics. He's an award winning writer and it's believable that the guys would be big fans of his work. Maybe the guys could meet him and then be shocked by his graphic creator owned comics. Or maybe they know about it and prefer it to his mainstream Marvel work. Either way, it would be great to get more comic book creators on the show. Referencing the movies is great, and it makes sense given their popularity, but it would be great to see more of the actual comic books sneak their way onto the series. Bendis has a knack for changing the status quo of the stuff he works on. From killing off Ultimate Peter Parker to revealing Matt Murdock as Daredevil to putting the original five X-Men in present day, there is nothing that Bendis seems to love more than shaking and breaking Marvel's most famous heroes. Why not have him guest star on Big Bang and do the same thing with the guys? It's a bit of an old trope, having a new character come on the show and split up the main characters for an episode or two, but like I said before, Big Bang is very good at making old sitcom tropes seem fresh and funny with its wonderful actors. Or, maybe Bendis is just signing autographs at the local comic book store . . . Whatever comes first . . . 

SUPERGIRL:

With all this talk about Supergirl crossing over on Arrow and the Flash it’s interesting to me that no one has mentioned a possible guest spot on Big Bang. It’s not that crazy when you think about it.

 Just don't think about this!

Both shows are on CBS, produced by Warner Bros, and the main characters of Big Bang will no doubt be big fans of the new Supergirl series. It would be a great way to promote Supergirl to a large audience as well as give the actress that plays her a chance to shine outside of what will probably become a famous role for her. Obviously, there wouldn’t be a big crossover like Supergirl vs The Guys or anything like that but maybe an episode devoted to Penny recalling how she auditioned for that show, or maybe Supergirl shows up in a dream sequence (like Bob Newhart as a Jedi). It would definitely be a memorable episode and a cool way to cross these two “geeky” shows. I know this is probably my strangest suggestion but I think out of all of these it actually makes the most sense. It might be a long shot, but it would still be awesome to see these two shows support each other. 

Ok so is it just me or am I coming up with awesome ideas for episodes here? Haha . . . Yeah . . . Anyway, I'm a huge fan of the Big Bang Theory. It's one of the few comedy shows where I genuinely laugh out loud at almost every episode. Like I said, seeing Stan Lee on the show was a highlight for me as a comic book fan and I would love to see more moments like that. The show has changed a lot, but there are still frequent visits to the comic book store and lively debates on famous comic book characters. CBS and Warner Bros, I hope you're listening! You've signed on to do three more seasons! Let's make them unforgettable!

But unforgettable in a good way. Not like this . . . 

Till next time! 

JJ - The Comic Junkie

5 Villains to Rise During Season 2 of Gotham

Gotham has been officially renewed for a second season. This is great news for all the fans of Gotham. For anyone that isn’t a fan . . . Well . . . you can watch something else on Monday night. I think there’s a sport that’s on . . . Soccer maybe? I dunno, I don’t care. Anyway, the producers have stated before that they wanted to structure each season of Gotham around the rise of one of Batman’s villains. This season has of course been about the Penguin played by Robin Lord Taylor.

Seriously, they cast an actor named Robin in a Batman show! Priceless!

Batman has the best rogues gallery of any comic book hero. Structuring a whole season around a Bat-villian is a great way to service them. I’ve already discussed what characters I don’t want to see on Gotham, but who do I want to see?

Sorry, I think we're gonna go another way . . . 

A hero is only as good as his villains but Batman's villains have proved that they are good without him around. I mean not good, because they're bad guys but you get the idea. There are a plethora of Bat-villains that the producers can use to structure season two around. Here are my 5 VILLAIN RISING ARC SUGGESTIONS FOR GOTHAM SEASON 2 AND BEYOND:

HUGO STRANGE:
Hugo is one of Batman's oldest and best villains. You probably know him best as the main antagonist from Batman: Arkham City. My favorite Hugo Strange story is "Prey." In that story, Strange is a psychologist obsessed with Batman. He starts a smear campaign against Batman including creating another vigilante named Night Scourge to undermine Batman's work. I think it would be interesting to see him as a doctor at Arkham Asylum, especially if Gordon will be spending more time there. Of course, Gordon will get his detective shield back but Arkham will likely still be a major part of the series. I’d like to see him at Arkham, commenting on the increasingly bizarre criminals that Gordon and Bullock are catching. While treating them, his obsession would grow with understanding the criminal mind, eventually driving him mad.

We all go a little mad sometimes . . . 

His obsession could start with Gotham City itself, rather than just an individual person like Batman. This would actually make a lot of sense considering that the show is all about the decline of Gotham City. It would be really interesting to see him being creepy and crazy under everyone's nose but no one notices or realizes what's going on. It would emphasize how much worse things are getting for Gotham City.

MAXIE ZEUS:
I’m only partly kidding with this one. If your only exposure to Maxie Zeus is the one episode of Batman: the Animated Series then  . . . Well you get it. He’s a businessman that went a little nutty and thinks he’s the actual Greek god Zeus. It’s surprising that he hasn’t been challenged by the Roman god Jupiter! Ha . . . Ha . . . Ok . . . Back to the seriousness, this could be a really cool villain. Maybe if the campiness of the “Zeus” persona is toned down, it would be cool to see this guy rise through the criminal ranks while maintaining a legitimate business, similar to the Kingpin from Daredevil or Lex Luthor from Superman. I'd like to see the legitimate business aspect of what these criminals do. Maybe it would have something to do with supplying new equipment to the police department. I don't know what legitimate businesses do. I think they build . . . staircases?

Seems about right

In Zeus’s case, he has this weird fetish that ends up taking over his whole life/personality. Like I said, maybe the actual Zeus persona can be toned down, but it would still be cool to see him causing trouble for Gordon and Bullock and maybe even the Penguin.

EDWARD NYGMA / THE RIDDLER:
I think this is inevitable on the series. Nygma’s story so far on the show is that he’s a genius CSI that is under appreciated by his colleagues on the police service. It would be interesting to see the next season see Nygma be promoted or gain some sort of recognition only to have it taken away either literally, like he's fired or figuratively, like he's still under appreciated despite being successful. Perhaps he could even leave the GCPD to start his own P.I. firm.

If it's on a comic book cover, it must be true

The recent "Zero Year" comic book storyline gave Riddler back the status of genuine threat to both Gotham City and Batman. He threatened the entire city with extinction if they weren’t smart enough to figure a way out of it. In a way, he has a point. We all need to be smarter and it would be interesting to have a (probably toned down) version of that on the series. Nygma could challenge the police to be smarter. Of course, they will be nothing compared to his ultimate Bat-shaped nemesis. But there was a cool little moment in the pilot where he had a riddle and Gordon solved it right away. Nygma gave a little look of shock. It was one of my favorite moments from the pilot. We need more of that on the show.

THE COURT OF OWLS:
This is a more recent addition to the Batman rogues gallery but they have deep ties to Gotham City. The Court of Owls is an Illuminati-esque group of elite citizens hiding in the shadows, shaping the City as they see fit. When things don’t go their way they send their assassin, the Talon, to “take care of things.”

Dun dun dun!!!!

In order to build a rich mythology for Gotham it would be beneficial to look into its history. Maybe things have gotten so bad because someone wanted it that way? Interesting . . . interesting . . . Also, it would give a reason for my main man Scott Snyder to write an episode or two of the series.

Best selling writer pictured here

In the "Court of Owls" story, Batman learns how the history of Gotham was shaped by the Court of Owls. It would be interesting to see Gordon conduct a similar investigation, only for it to come up with no leads. Then of course it's revealed that the Court was there all along. They're now an integral part of the Batman mythology and it would be awesome to see them woven into the TV show. But shhh! It's a secret!

HARVEY DENT / TWO-FACE: 

This would actually be serendipitous because it's season two and he's all about two's! That’s pretty much the only reason . . . No I’m just kidding! I highly doubt that we’d see Harvey become Two-Face by the end of the season (or even during the series for that matter) but that doesn’t mean that we can’t get deeper into his psyche and find out how this crusading D.A. could become one of Gotham’s most notorious citizens. It could be totally different from Oswald’s story in that instead of seeing him rise from minion to crime boss, we watch him become a little more unhinged. Like how Oswald started a villain and stayed a villain, just with more power, we could see Harvey start a hero and stay a hero, but instead of becoming stronger he’ll be weaker. He’ll be a man broken and easily manipulated. Two-Face is one of the best Bat-villains out there. He's got one of the best origins of all the villains. Seeing him go from strong, confident man to broken would be a great arc. Granted it would be tragic but that just makes for great drama. Anyway, seeing him broken and turning to the dark side would make sense for when the Dark Knight Rises. PUN! HAHA!

Gotham is quickly becoming a distinct note in the Batman mythos. I'd like to see the show embrace not only more of Batman's mythology but establish itself as it's own entity. Young versions of Batman's rogues are cool and all but what keeps people coming back are the character interactions and mythology building. Hopefully, we'll see more of these characters (except the five I mentioned in a previous post). Here's hoping Gotham season 2 will dig deeper into the rich DC Comics Bat-mythology.

JJ - The Comic Junkie