by Matt Sernaker, Managing Editor
We all know that Gotham City is full of crime and villainy. While it might eventually fall under the protection of Bruce Wayne/Batman, it must first survive an onslaught of mob warfare and government corruption. In 2014, FOX ordered a series featuring the story of a young Jim Gordon and his struggle to protect the streets of Gotham, and the coming of age tale of Bruce Wayne following the tragic murder of his parents. Fox’s Gotham: The Complete First Season is now available to own on Blu-ray and DVD.
Episode Highlights:
“Pilot” – When Detective Jim Gordon is assigned to the Wayne Murders, he soon learns that there is more to their deaths than meets the eye. With assistance from his partner, Harvey Bullock, Gordon attempts to navigate the crime filled underworld plaguing the city. Can he find the Wayne murder before the trail runs cold? What role does a young Selina Kyle play in the Wayne murders? This episode introduces all of the key players for the series, including Oswald Coblepot (aka the Penguin), and Edward Nygma (The Riddler).
“The Penguin’s Umbrella” – The best episode of the season demonstrated how cunning and ruthless Oswald truly is. In a wonderful twist, viewers finally get to see Penguin’s plan come together as he manipulates both Maroni and Falcone to get the power he desires. This episode also featured Batman villain Victor Zsasz, the killer who tallies his victim count on his body via scars.
“Harvey Dent” – Harvey Dent, the future villain known as Two-Face, arrives in Gotham! While meeting with Gordon, he suggests that billionaire Dick Lovecraft might be behind the murders of the Wayne family. With their main witness to the murder locked away safely at Wayne Manor, Gordon sets out to investigate. This episode also features the proper introduction of Arkham Asylum.
“All Families Are Alike” – The mob war continues! The final fate of Fish Mooney and the feud with Maroni and Falone comes to a head, and not everyone will walk away unscathed. Who will lead the mobs when the dust settles? And what has Bruce Wayne found in his father’s study? Gotham will be forever changed after the events of the season finale.
Cast
Gotham includes Ben McKenzie (The O.C), Robin Lord Taylor (Accepted), Donal Logue (Blade), Corey Michael Smith (Camp X-Ray), Erin Richards (The Quiet Ones), Morena Baccarin (Firefly), Jada Pinkett Smith (The Matrix Revolutions), Sean Pertwee (Event Horizon), David Mazouz (Touch), and Camren Bicondova (Battlefield America). McKenzie and Taylor are the two standouts from the season, and provide the best live action incarnations of their respective characters to date. Smith as Fish Mooney was extremely hard to watch as the season progressed. While you could see she was attempting to channel Eartha Kitt (from the 1960s Batman), the character felt forced and out of place in the grand scheme of things. Logue as Harvey Bullock also gets a shout out, as he provides a solid foil for the future Commissioner Gordon.
Special Features
- Gotham Invented – How did this incarnation of the Batman Universe get brought to the small screen?
- Gotham: Designing the Fiction
- The Game of Cobblepot – A look at the birth of The Penguin.
- Gotham: The Legend Reborn
- DC Comics Night at Comic-Con 2014 – Presenting Gotham, The Flash, Constantine, and Arrow – Did you miss out on Comic-Con 2014? Gotham has you covered with a recording of one of the biggest events of the convention!
- Character Profiles
- Gag Reel – One of my favorite features on the release.
- Unaired Scenes
- Digital HD Ultraviolet Copy
Overall
Gotham’s inaugural season definitely had it’s shares of ups and downs. There are some fantastic character moments scattered throughout the 22 episodes, but also some highly questionable writing choices. Many people (myself included) had a hard time sticking past the first half of the season. The latter half definitely had some challenges, but it also included the welcome addition of Morena Baccarin’s Leslie Tompkins. If Gotham can maintain the drive from the final batch of episodes moving forward, the series could definitely move into some interesting areas of the Batman Universe.
ComicsOnline gives Gotham: The Complete First Season on Blu-ray 3 out of 5 looks at the history of Batman.
Grab your favorite Batmobile and head out on patrol with ComicsOnline.com, and be sure to check back for more reviews, news, and everything geek pop culture!
