Having kids is a fun excuse to watch and play with ideas related to The Dark Knight, but as comic book superheroes have become co-opted for adults wanting gritty and violent depictions of the comic characters they once liked, it seems like there are fewer media options for the young, who's these characters were originally intended for. And while I hope for more versions of the caped crusader to show my kids, I still think about that dark and gritty version of the Gotham crime fighter, so I know I am partially to blame.
I have my own perfect Batman version in my head, and much of this is born of the first time I saw Batman depicted dark and gritty. Before 1989, my image of Batman and Robin was from the 60's TV show, and various cartoons of the 70's and 80's that used the campy and vibrant Adam West / Burt Ward model for the Caped Crusaders. Then one summer I saw the Tim Burton Batman film. Actually I saw it twice that summer. Though the comic pages had treated Batman in a grim and gritty manner for some time, The 89' Batman film was my first exposure to this version of the Dark Knight. And I was obsessed from them on. In time, my over watching of that first film kind of ruined the movie for me, but there was also a successor, and what I and many other fans consider the greatest depiction of Batman to date. Batman: The Animated Aeries. Less grim, and less violent, The Animated Series was one of the best depictions of the Dark Knight along with his allies and Enemies. The Christopher Nolan Batman films were well crafted and infused the element of contemporary realism. I really liked the Gothic Noir, and the idea that this Dark Knight could exist in the real world. Still, The Nolan films left me a little empty, there was something missing, something The Animated Series had that it did not. Perhaps it was the ability to build characters and stories over multiple episodes, something a film could never do. So for some time I dreamed of a Batman TV show that might be able to pull off the complexity of B:TAS, while also keeping the realism of the modern films.
After being exposed to three dozen incarnations of Law and Order, CSI and acclaimed cop shows, I read Gotham Central. The short lived series is now in four trade paperbacks and shows Gotham from a new perspective I had not imagined before. This GCPD centered police procedural comic was a fantastic insight into the world of crime from the Men and Women who served in law enforcement for Gotham City. That lead me to imagine a perfect Gotham PD show... that sadly is NOT what the Gotham Series on Fox became.
Batman has had some amazing comic depictions, both regular run issues, but also some of the stand alone graphic novels. Of these, Year One and the stories that take place in this early time in Batman's career as vigilante are some of my favorite. Gotham Central took place withing the main Batman comic arc between 2002 and 2006. The only issue was that this comic had to coincide with the rest of the DC universe as it stood at that time. Jim Gordon was retired, and other notable charters were out or unavailable for reasons relating to the universe at that time. What about the GCPD perspective around the time of Year Two. Frank Miller's, Year One is an amazing depiction of both Jim Gordon, and of Bruce Wayne becoming Batman. What happened after that?
About a year before Fox even hinted at a GCPD procedural, I spent long commutes day dreaming about Gotham City from the perspective of the Police. I know that some one, or maybe fifty other people were dreaming up similar ideas. Batman obsession is fairly prevalent in the US. My ideal show, which "Gotham Law" was the best title I could think up, would have centered on Lt, Jim Gordon, and Renee Montoya. Batman had just shown up, and his arrival coincided with a big arrest of some of Gotham's biggest crime bosses and corrupt city officials. Gordon and the PD don't trust Batman yet, And in the turmoil of this big string of arrests being due to this new vigilante, the GCPD is feeling slighted. Jim Gordon knows that this is just the tip of the iceberg, there are way bigger fish, both in organized crime, and police and city corruption. Gordon perseveres, both holding a grudge against the Dark Knight, but also appreciating the nest of hornets he just kicked.
One thing that might not be popular about my version of this crime series is Batman would almost never be seen, at least at first. Batman would be mythic, exactly why he takes on such theatricality. Batman might appear from time to time, with a tip. or just slipping away with only a hint that he was just there, but he doesn't want to interact with the PD yet. He doesn't believe he can trust them yet. So it may not be a popular option with an audience to never see Batman, but it could serve the GCPD narrative in amazing ways. While Batman would not be seen Bruce Wayne would be. While attending Police Balls and promotional Events, Bruce Wayne as billionaire philanthropist would well known. It is in these venues where Bruce might interact with GCPD members, either complementing them on their work, donating extraordinarily to their causes, and supporting other friends who also work to make Gotham a safe place. One area where a series, hopefully over several seasons, would really shine is in relation to the interaction with our villains. Few villains have the connection to Bruce as Harvey Dent, and rarely has this been depicted well in film. For this show, Bruce and Harvey would both be young men, perhaps former college friends, working any way they could to help the city. Harvey would be a young attorney, Bruce would be one of his champions. This buddy relationship would carry out for several seasons, only when you least expect it would we see the accident that changes him into Two-Face. This emotional punch to the stomach would be episodes in the making, and hopefully feel as bad as when your favorite character on Game of Thrones dies. Only then can we see later see the Batman vs. Two-Face confrontation and truly understand the emotional weight of the situation.
Other ideas are less concrete, but the show would progress season to season, becoming very different as time went on. Imagining a seven season arc, Season one would be exclusivity centered on GCPD. Some guest roles for Wayne and Dent, but the police processionals would only be from the Gotham police prospective. Batman would only be even seen once ever five episodes or so, and when he did it would only be a moment and possibly giving only the faintest clue to the case.
Later seasons would slowly show Gordon and the GCPD accepting Batman. Until season 7 would be them working together. At that time, some perspective from Batman and allies could be possible. Dick Grayson and Barbra Gordon would be High School students in early seasons, later donning their alter egos and fighting crime.
Early seasons would show almost only mafia and city government corruption, Falcone and Marone families fighting for power. Super villains would only slowly appear as Batman becomes more known. It is this reason why the GCPD begin to accept him, as things get worse and weirder, the police realizes how vital Batman is. A reference to the greater DCU could also be made. Each city has is defender. Maybe Gotham was the last city to get one, so when Batman appears, he is a welcome crusader. Proto villains could appear, but more time would be spent building them up. Perhaps characters like Penguin and Scarface could be some of the old guard, mob bosses who have been part of the criminal underworld for years, and will continue to be. Others like Scarecrow, Riddler and Joker would be introduced, but less about their origin, and more about their cases. It is a PD centric show.
And all of this thought is surely a waste. Now with the Gotham TV show on Fox, this kind of story might never be told for a long time on TV. I am an avid watcher of the the show, despite it not being very good, it is still very entertaining at times. I do enjoy the actor portraits of Bullock, Cobblepot and Kyle, but I think the show is a bit of a trainwreck, but one you just can't take your eyes off.
As for other Gotham based stories I obsess about, some may not be a wast of time. While getting a seven season long network tv show is a major project. A comic might be more doable. There is a fan fiction origin for Alfred Pennyworth I have been kicking around. Something I could do on my own. I might not have the ambition for a fan project that would never be endorsed by a major media conglomerate, but it might be a story that I could tell, and no matter if I tell it or not, it would still be good practice.
