#jervis is /also/ theatrical

[neurowaltz-archive]

WHAT COLOR IS YOUR AURA?

𝖋𝖔𝖗𝖊𝖘𝖙

fern leaves, greenhouses, cloaks, bookstores, pine trees, chokers, snake scales. your essence is forest: you are insightful and intense, possessed by your thoughts. you seek the impossible; you are pulled between pragmatism and romanticism, never sure which is right. often you rest in the spaces between black and white, lost in theory. you are the observer. you are the hypothesizer. you find kinship in like-minded individuals of green, sage, moss, and teal, who share your deep contemplation. you are also drawn to the imaginative souls navy and amber, who will help you grow and help you let go of the rational. however, you may struggle to get along with the theatrical personalities of magenta and gold who are too loud in their pride.

tagged by : @riddleroyalty ( thank you ! ) tagging: literally everyone who sees this !

[rae-raewrites]

Hi! I saw you did Riddler finding out he had a teenage daughter he never knew about and meeting her so can you do it with all the Scarecrow's too? I dunno the limit to how many charachters can be in a post so just take your time and thank you!

Hell ya Jon being a dad!

Scarecrows with a teenage daughter

Tw:death,fear toxin

Arkham

A man already dealing with quite the past Jonathan crane was of the opinion nothing could surprise him at this point

Oh boy how wrong he was

williamina was the result of a relationship long since dead that he never considered becoming a variable in the future

Mina only being 16 was told repeatedly to avoid any possible contact with her father after the Halloween incident.

Just like her dear old dad,she was quite the rebellious one

Jonathan can’t exactly ignore the resemblance especially the look from the eyes

Turns out with mom mostly being rather on the negligent side Mina needed someone to be there with her during the big years of her life

Jonathan starts finding out he has some rather ingrained parenting instincts

His old teaching habits really come back to him!

Teaching such a young mind his years of well earned knowledge really invigorates his spirit

He certainly doesn’t intend to turn the little prodigy into a lab rat. He’s the master of fear but he’s not a heartless monster

He’s definitely one of those dad’s who sits down and has heart to hearts with his kids over something like tea.

“Come have seat a young one,tell me what clings to your soul.”

He more than anyone knows the kind of someone so young around someone like him needs to be checked on here and there.

She’s definitely going to inherit her father’s more theatrical side let’s be honest with ourselves here.

She’s getting taught every little bit of chemistry he knows,both out of a way to expand his child’s intelligence but also to keep her safe.

Mina helps him when his leg acts up. According to her it’s the least she can do for him

He greatly appreciates it though he’s not always vocal about it

Btas

Very similar to Arkham Jon btas jon is a man who is surprised by such a thing

He was never a ladies man, his previous partners be dammed but that certainly won’t stop him from being apart of Jenna’s life

Especially when Jenna reaches out actually wanting to meet her old man

15 and yet very clingy of her old man,understandable seeing as she doesn’t exactly have a lot of people to turn to

Is definitely the kinda dad who enacts curfew because he’s so damm worried about where his daughter is

Overprotective as hell

“No jenna I don’t want you on the streets after 8! I may be the master of feet but I know Gotham.”

Helping this girl with her homework constantly.

Doesn’t exactly want her involved with his criminal work directly,last thing he wants her is going to Arkham

Kids don’t belong in a place like that

Edward and jervis easily become her “uncles” Incase something happens to her hold man

Jenna has giggle at one of his master of fear rants

He was grumpy for hours after it

BTAA

Let’s be completely honest here,this man is the most likely to end up accidentally getting bun in the oven,risk is his territory.

The fact he’s even surprised when Lilith shows up to the office of one dr Jonathan crane is a joke in itself.

He doesn’t initially think she’s telling the truth.

Gets corrected almost immediately when he recognizes her mothers name and really takes a good look at the kid

A little apprehensive about even having a kid around.

His general customers are indeed kids around her age range

Lilith however for good or bad inherited daddy’s charisma and charm

He doesn’t immediately tell her about his……….culinary behaviors

Would probably never forgive himself if something happened to her

That doesn’t mean she doesn’t slowly put together whats going on

“You scare people……with drugs?” “I’m providing a service kiddo! Why I’m basically paying for your college education!”

Girl is gonna get spoiled with the amount of drug money he’s pulling in.

Miss autumn ATTEMPTS to help Jonathan navigate the turmoil that comes with one so young

Extremely “your parent is your best friend” relationship

Movie nights are a weekly tradition

Year one

He certainly hasn’t had a lot if healthy relationships in his existence

It wasn’t long ago he went on that hunt to find his own father,Vera was just another who had too.

Genuinely a guilt ridden soul when he finds out.

He may not have known about her but that still doesn’t mean he doesn’t feel like a fool

It’s not out of obligation by blood he takes Vera in but more so because he understands what it’s like to be alone at such a young age .

Definitely a relationship based upon slowly warming up to one another

He’s definitely the over protective type always making sure she isn’t bullied

Lord forbid if they’re ever were they’d be dead within an hour of finding out

Absolutely fosters an adoration for reading

[just-an-enby-lemon]

Harley: Look I understand none of ya want to be here-

MadHatter: I want to be here.

Harley: Except Jervis. He is mad. But c'mon, guys is for Professah Crane birthday!! It was really hard to get it all authorized by the Arkham staff. It took a lot of threats, a bit of dismemberment and some contacts I had as a doc.

Ivvy: Fine.

Harvey/Two-Face: It's very nice of you to do this, Harls/SPOOKY ISN'T GOING TO ADOPT YOU QUINN.

Riddler: I already gave him a very expensive birthday present do I have to also do that?

Harley: Whacha ya gave him? The professah don't really like expensive fashion shit, Eddie.

Riddler: I gave him a card that grants him the power of shuting me up for one whole day whenever he wants until his next birthday, Harv even officialized it, so now it's legal.

Ivvy: Tecnically this is a free gift. It's an excelent one and I want the same but I don't know where the expensive fits.

Riddler: It's emotionally expensive!!!!

Harley: It's a very nice present but ya still have to go.

Riddler: *grits his teath and speaks like an annoyed teen* Ookay.

Mr. Freeze: It can't be that bad. Besides Crane did offer his help in my research to help save Nora as long as I helped him with his toxins.

Harley: That's the spirit!! Ozzie and Cat are not in Arkham at the moment but they did send regards and a PUMPKIMG PIE decorate with a halloween aesthetic!!! There is even a tiny Elvira doll at the top.

-- 30 minutes later --

Jonathan: *enters in the activities room, all the lights are off* Please don't be a surprise party, please not a surprise party. I'll acept the Joker with a crowbar over a surprise party. *lighs come in*

Everyone: SURPRISE!!

Jonathan: *sees everyone and the surprisingly nice cake* Dammit!! *fake polite smile* Look guys I apreciatte the gesture, kind off, but I'm not into parties so-

Harley: Wait! We know it that's why this isn't a party! I got the PowerPoint material and permission for the staff and today we are giving you a free lecture!

Jonathan: You mean?

Harley: You can present to everyone: "The human fight-or-flight response re-evalueted when viewed as intrisic to theatrical badinage, with specific reference to the later plays of William Congreve (1670-1729)" and everyone here will pay attention also they will post it on YouTube!

Jonathan: *very happy* I... I'm very thankfull for the oportunitity, Miss Quinzel, everyone *enters lecture mode* *is terrifing but also very happy in lecture mode*

[gothamslostboy]

GOTHAM

Favorite Movie Genre

ACTION:

Harvey Bullock (Western)

He just gives off the vibes

Like I can full picture him half asleep on the couch while a classic western on the tv is the only light in a dark room

Fish Mooney (Superhero)

Mainly just female lead ones or heros w/ similar powers to her

HORROR:

Victor Zsasz (Comedy w/ Body)

Wants to be able to laugh, but loses interest in horror without gore

“So is that demon JUST gonna snap their neck? Not even a little burning the body dragging it to hell? What the fuck, lame”

Johnathan Crane (Psychological)

Sense he doesn’t get scared anymore he watches them only with other people to see them freak out

MYSTERY:

Edward Nygma

Any mystery movie works for him as long as you let him gloat that he figured it out before the reveal

Lucius Fox (Murder)

Likes the Who Done It vibes and figuring out what the killers exact path would be

FANTASY:

Ivy Pepper (Urban)

She just likes when semi realistic human societies get destroyed

Jim Gordon (High)

He likes to go to a place completely different from his real life in his free time

COMEDY:

Lee Tompkins (parody)

Loves to see how similar the parody is to the actual movie, enjoys it more when they poke fun at her favorite movies in other genres

Butch Gilzean

Likes all comedies, least favorite movies in the genre tend to be dark comedy

ANIMATION:

Jerome Valeska (Claymation)

Fascinated with how the characters move, also enjoys that they tend to lean into darker themes than other animation sub genres

Selina Kyle (Disney)

Used to watch them all the time before living on the streets

ROMANCE:

Tabitha Galavan (Rom-Com)

Won’t admit it & if you find out she’ll threaten you into silence

Victor Fries

Any romance film reminds him of his wife, but tends to lean toward contemporary romance bc it was her favorite

SILENT FILM:

Alfred Pennyworth (comedy)

Used to watch them with Thomas & Bruce years ago so now it’s just a nostalgia thing he does every once and a while

DRAMA:

Barbra Keen (Melodrama)

Watching a bunch of people who are also highly emotional makes her feel better after an impulsive over reaction

Oswald Cobblepott (Soap Opera)

Used to watch them with his mother

THRILLER:

SCIENCE FICTION:

Bruce Wayne (Space)

I feel like he wanted to be an astronaut when he was really young and had a ton of space posters in his room

MUSICAL:

Jervis Tetch

This man is all for theatrics, there is literally no other option that comes close to this

OTHER:

Jeremiah Valeska (Documentary)

Let’s him learn about past criminal’s mistakes and increases the intelligence gap between him and Jerome, even if only a little

[riddle-me-ri]

i’m gonna follow the pattern here lol:

your thoughts on…the different scarecrows? especially MOF jon?

Oohh spooky Twig Boys that I may or may not slightly slightly enforce my southernness on (only the good southernness like cooking, music, hospitality none that other shit) I'll be more than happy to oblige anon hehe. It's not often I get to talk/discuss the masters of fear.

Again gonna just kinda discuss all the ones I write for since I'm the most informed on those versions so sorry if I missed one and the post got long lmao

Masters of Fear Scarecrow: since you asked for him specifically I put him first lmao. And this Jon is just incredibly endearing? I think he's an adorable spry kinda guy that, like most, deserved better. I'm also super fond of his design. Also as someone who writes for "x reader" it was nice to see him...actually have a romantic interest? (albeit she was a bully bitch) listen listen...any extra info in a romantic sense of a character I will take

Arkhamverse Scarecrow: Uhh can I just say, absolute whiplash in design and mannerisms lol. While I enjoy both its like...such a bizarre change? Like yeah he did go through something traumatic (being very close to dying) but like...a total voice change? Maybe there's some behind the scenes explanation or something I don't know but yeah...I do enjoy him being whimsy and silly in Asylum and brooding and stoic in Knight with his waxing poetic lectures...but also also...does anyone have any idea how Knight Scarecrow's face works? Like his mouth and such?

TNBA Scarecrow: Definitely a more gritty and intriguing take, especially considering its a revamp of BTAS. Allegedly this is the idea of Scarecrow with a noose started? And now we've seen it incorporated in other designs which is pretty cool.

BTAS Scarecrow: Much like Jervis and I think Batman as a whole, this was my first Scarecrow encounter, and cause of such there's a wee bias to him being one of my favorites lol. Super rich voice, I don't care if he's terrorizing me, I will die of fear peacefully. Solid design and a super strong depiction of the character overall? Also my god his theatrics, top notch such a dramatic lad I love him.

Dark Knight/Nolanverse Scarecrow: pretty eyes...pretty eyes..strong jawline..pretty pretty scarecrow..huh, what? Oh..uhh yeah he's...fine I guess..I mean like not just fine as in fine as hell just...meh? I don't know I just remember him being stupidly criminally pretty. Although to be fair I don't recall much about him..sorry (granted I don't recall much about nolanverse as a whole...its been at most five years rip)

Year One Scarecrow: it took me an embarrassingly long time for me to actually read Year One rip. But it was very gut wrenching. It was the best updated take I've seen on Jon's origins and just how deeply rooted he is in his obsession, and it was a unique way too? Like it was an interesting take on the broken family scenario, I dunno I just thought it was super enriching.

Fear State Scarecrow: so I will say the designs for him are jarring as there's like..a different artist between the beginning, middle, and end of Fear State. But I like both looks, especially in the middle where he looks a lot like his BTAS counterpart. It was an amazing surprise to see the spikey red hair and wide eyes again in comic form and more realistic but still animated? I hope that makes sense. But I loved the story, and he was especially cunning and ruthless here.

Happy Halloween, Scooby-Doo! Scarecrow: asdgggh this boomer asshole lmao. But definitely one of my top three favorites. He's a decent blend of old and new for me. Like he bears resemblance to BTAS but also some other comic appearances, he doesn't even need to he in the costumer and you can just tell he's Jonathan Crane. Also his voice is amazing, and I will forever be grateful to the writer that decided that Scarecrow was a fucking Elvira fan boy. Like of fucking course he'd love Elvira, Mistress of the Dark asdfghjj one of the few times where canon got it right lmao

[your-nanas-house]

The maze

pairing: Jerome Valeska x villain!Reader, Jeremiah Valeska x villain!Reader

warnings: ???

words: 1060

summary: The J Squad (including Reader) meet Jerome's twin brother.

note: I think this story came out badly. I apologise for the English.(Reader in this story is a villain and I used the name "Jester" as a criminal name).

..................................................................................

It was time, Jervis Tetch, Jonathan Crane and Jester were in front of the entrance to the bunker they had reached after following the secretary of this presumed man they didn't know much about yet.

Jervis managed to hypnotize the woman as they met her and as they continued through the labyrinth they tried not to lose each other.

Following the path of the labyrinth they collided with Jim and Harvey who noticed them immediately raising their weapons pointing them at the trio.

Jester continued through the labyrinth's ways looking for the exit being left alone after losing sight of the other two. She turned another corner walking quietly, now slightly bored, keeping her hands in her trouser pockets.

That day she wore comfortable light grey trousers held up by coloured braces and a short-sleeved white shirt tucked into the trousers, with a design in the centre of a jester's hat identical to the one she was wearing at that moment. She also wore her iconic make-up which included red heart-shaped lipstick and a small heart drawn on her left cheekbone in green and a blue star on the other cheekbone.

She raised her head as she heard voices, noticing Jerome and another person in front of him of the same height, she moved towards them leaning against the wall with her shoulder without taking her eyes off the person with neatly combed orange hair wearing a brick red suit, who stepped back slightly from Jerome making to turn and run in the other direction stopping immediately finding himself in front of her gasping and stepping back again.

Jester began to smile in amusement giggling at the reaction of the ginger with glasses "that's not very nice though, I don't think I'm as scary or ugly as the person in front of you currently might be", Jerome looked at her pretending to be offended, she giggled again murmuring "just the scary part, not the part where I say ugly", she winked at him moving away from the wall in one move switching her gaze back to the boy that was between her and Jerome "introductions?" Jerome nodded smiling with a grin pointing his gun at the ginger with glasses "Jesty, this is my dearest twin, Jeremiah…. brother, she..is Jester", she nodded slightly raising an eyebrow studying Jeremiah as she slowly moved next to Jerome.

She noticed the ginger's quick gaze turned towards the direction where moments before she was standing interrupting his thoughts "hmm, I don't know if you should seriously run that way, you're a smart man, or so it seems, would you rather go up against a scarecrow and an Alice in Wonderland obsessed man who have weapons that are certainly more powerful than what your brother and I currently have or would you prefer your brother who is currently armed with a gun...and he hasn't killed you yet?" she raised an eyebrow, noticing Jeremiah's slight eyebrow raise, ending up chuckling understanding the thoughts of the boy in front of her "yes, I think I would choose the first option too, your brother knows how to intimidate...I'm sorry, I won't interrupt any more, last question... Did you create the maze?", Miah nodded slightly still scared, she nodded impressed bowing theatrically "well, respect", she met his gaze again saying "it's not bad, a bit boring though, it didn't take me long to find the exit and I didn't have the map because I lost sight of the other two", she cast a glance at Jerome trying not to laugh at his expression apologizing again stepping aside watching their family reunion.

Several minutes passed that seemed like hours to Jeremiah unlike the way Jerome perceived them, he turned to Jester continuing to share what had happened when he and Jeremiah were little stopping to look at her when he noticed she was eating, she continued to look at him slowly handing him the box of popcorn clearing her throat "should I step in and say something?" he reached over taking a popcorn eating it "where did you find popcorn? ", Jester chuckled shrugging her shoulders "I thought there would be some drama so I brought it...I have to admit you didn't disappoint me", she nodded again impressed eating more popcorn "so he's the one who ruined your life from the way you're telling the story", Jester looked at Jeremiah slightly closing her eyes nodding again opening them fully looking at Jerome "appearances can be deceiving".

Soon after they were interrupted by Jervis and Crane coming around the corner running and warning them that the two detectives were behind them as they quickly exited the maze.

Jim and Harvey turned the corner stopping at the sight of Jerome who was now holding his brother still with his arm pointing the gun at his temple, they shifted their gaze to Jester frowning in confusion.

Jim shifted the gun towards her continuing to keep an eye on them "I thought The Jester worked alone" she sighed finishing her popcorn checking the box "what can I say, how can you say no to a freckled ginger?....And I have to thank you, Jimmy, it's only because of you, if you hadn't locked me up at Arkham I don't think I would have ever joined the J Squad....my name starts with a J too, was it fate?" She stepped back slightly looking up again meeting their eyes smiling with her signature smile shaking her hand saluting without adding anything else quickly leaving a few moments before Jerome, who left his brother after saying goodbye too, running out joining the others arriving at the van that was waiting for them a few metres away from the bunker.

The return to their base was quieter than the other times, Jervis moved over and sat down next to Jester who had been looking down for almost twenty minutes totally lost in thought which broke when Jervis opened his mouth to ask her if she was alright, she lifted her face up meeting the mad hatter's gaze nodding slightly returning to smiling as before "just lost in thought...I'm fine...thank you".

She frowned slightly as she looked away from her colleague, thinking back to her encounter with Jerome's twin, who still seemed quite familiar, as if she had already met him somewhere...

[thealmightyemprex]

Top 10 Batman villains (EXcept the Joker)

So I want to talk about my favorite Batman villains EXCEPT the Joker,because while he is my favorite villain,I dont have much to say ,so lets give the other villains a spotlight

10.Ras Al Ghul

OK so Ra's is a weird villain,cause he stands out in Batmans rogues . "Weirdos and monsters" is what I think of when it comes to Bats villains,and Ra's isnt one of those .He's a centuries old terrorist who is a well intentioned extremist that runs a secret society who wants Bats to join his side in making the world a better place .I know some bat fans dont like him cause he sticks out so much,and I will admit yeah thats why he isnt higher.....But I like him,for me he is the "Things are serious" villain ,when Ra' s is involved you know things are going to go down

9.Mr Freeze

A great concept that has been sadly poorly handled .I think as a villain on his own he's great,especially after he is reinvention in Batman The Animated Series. A man who can only live in the could,thus he is a cold man who has lost the one person he cares about .Not higher cause despite how tragic he is ,I feels there is only so much one can do with Freeze

8.Mad Hatter

Ol Jervis Tetch ,a villain with a lot of potential.A brillaint yet VERY unhinged man with an obsession with Lewis Carols Wonderland books .I'll admit most of my love for this guy comes from media outside the comics,mainly Roddy Mcdowells performance in Batman the Animated Series (He is the villain of my favorite episode of that show) ,as in the comics he is hit and miss

7.Penguin

OK ....So Penguin has taken a long time to grow on me ,but over the last few years I have grown fond of this gentleman gangster .I do like that among all the maniacs and literal monsters,the Penguin is a relatively sane normal guy who just looks distinct .I also think he works well both a sa main villain and as a side character ,like if Batman is chasing Two Face, have Batman go to the Iceberg Lounge to get info from the Penguin ,ol Oswald gives life to a story

6.Clayface

Now there are a LOT of Clayfaces ,so to simplify things I am referring mostly to Basil Karlo AKA Clayface 1,an actor turned into a monster .I love the concept of a theatrical shapeshifter ,and he is a character that can be all at once funny ,tragic ......And above all horrific ,cause he is the villain I find the scariest , a intelligent killer eho happens to be a fleshy mud monster ,who can be anyone in a crowd

5.Killer Croc

Man adaptations have botched this guy.A tragic villain,a man treated like a monster,so he became one.He is so alinated from human society he feels he must be an animal .I always have felt Batman Returns would be a better movie if Croc was the villain

4.Scarecrow

Ah Dr Crane,another terrifying villain with great potential , obsessed with fear and performing "Experiments" on the populace ,theres a quality to him that makes him chilling

3.Two Face

A former friend and allie of Bruce/Batman ,Harvey Dent is both scarred and a man with two personalities ,one good and one evil ,with every decision being based on the flip of his coin .One of the most tragic villains in the rogues gallery and one of Batmans most personal

2.Catwoman

So like Joker I considered leaving her off the list ,but for a diffrent reason.....Shes not always a baddie . Hell most people know her more as a antihero / being Batmans love interest.At the same time thats why I like her,she walks the line between hero and villain .Theres this wonderful drama between her and batman due to their on and off romance and their diffrent moral codes

1.The Riddler

A more brainy threat to Batman ,what I love about this guy is his ego ,he wants to prove he is the smartest guy in the room,as part of the fun for him is getting to gloat about his vastly superrior intellect..His main motivation is he wants attention While other villains are scary or tragic,I like Riddler cause he is just fun (THough I did love the scary take from the recent Batman film ) .Also I have seen people say that they tink Riddler might be a better arch nemesis for Batman then Joker,and I kind of agree to a point

What are your top 10 Batman villains

@ariel-seagull-wings @amalthea9 @personofsinterest @marquisedemasque @professorlehnsherr-almashy @princesssarisa @metropolitan-mutant-of-ark@the-blue-fairie @lord-antihero @filmcityworld1

[roguish-gallery]

What does Jervis call each of the rogues. Has he ever tried to get them all together for a tea party.

Jervis Tetch + Alice-Themed Nicknames He Has for Other Rogues!

Okay,,, I’ll start this post by saying I haven’t read the Alice books since middle school, and I’m not, like, super confident in a lot of these? These are just my headcanons, but I’d love to hear y’all’s thoughts if you think there are better Alice equivalents for each rogue! I also threw a few extra rogues I don’t often cover into the mix too lol!

Bane: Gryphon- sdfjlsd;kfj;sldkj he’s a big, bossy know-it-all. He’s coordial with Jervis though! They get along alright.

Catwoman: Cheshire Cat- k… kitty… I mean, yeah, there’s technically another lady from DC who actually goes by Cheshire Cat, but whatever. Jervis has tried SO HARD to invite her for crimes and shit and she NEVER responds so you know what? Fuck that, Selina is nice and she’s EARNED the Cheshire title. 

Clock King: White Rabbit- pretty self-explanatory lmao. Jervis wants to plan a heist with him so baaaad but he’s too playful and capricious for Temple’s tastes.

Harley Quinn: She USED to be an ideal candidate for Alice… until Jervis spent an afternoon hanging out with her... She… lacks the temperament. No matter! He considers her to be the White Queen bc she’s a hot mess and he loves her for it.

Joker: He doesn’t have a nickname because that’s Jervis’s most effective way of insulting him.

Killer Croc: Bill-  ...... Lizard. Waylon is familiar with the books but at the same time he’s just ”??? That’s not my name bro.”

Mr. Freeze: Mock Turtle- He fascinates Jervis! Why is he so sad? Why won’t he tell Jervis what’s wrong? Why won’t he accept Jervis’s help????

Penguin: Dodo- he would NOT say that in front of Oswald, but I mean??? Both are bossy, theatrical, and use big words. Oswald genuinely loves having tea parties and hanging out with him though (well-dressed short king-solidarity) so Jervis considers it a term of endearment.

Poison Ivy: Tiger Lily- !!!! she can control plants!!! Cool!!! 

Ratcatcher (yeah, I’m bringing Otis into this): Dormouse- small, but a surprisingly good friend???? He wears a cool mask and he has all of these cool facts about rats and Jervis is extremely impressed.

Riddler: Caterpillar- Kinda condescending, lacks maturity, and is always asking rude questions. Always down to smoke tho.

Scarecrow: Jabberwock- Jon insisted that he got to be a cool character and Jerv was like “okay! Big Scary it is! :)”

Two Face: The Lion or Unicorn: It depends on Harv’s mood.

To answer the second part of the question, yes, oh my god, Jervis has tried to get everyone together for a tea party so many fucking times. He’s never managed to get everyone to sit down together at once though because ppl are either in jail or in hiding, and because there’s always some rogue-on-rogue beef happening. There would be bloodshed before Jervis is even able to pour tea into everyone’s cups.

[twistedtummies2]

Gotham’s 31 Most Wanted - NUMBER ONE

The first month of the new year ends today. Ladies and gentlemen…undecided…fellow geeks and nerds alike…the hour has come. Today marks the end of Gotham’s 31 Most Wanted. All throughout January, I’ve counted down My Top 31 Favorite Batman Villains of All Time. Now, the time has arrived for me to unveil the wicked fiend at the top of the criminal heap. If you haven’t guessed who it is by now – especially if you know me fairly well – that’s quite a shock. But if you need a hint: he can’t be killed, that’s why they cast a Phoenix to play him. (And again, if you got that reference, you are awesome.) MY NUMBER ONE FAVORITE BATMAN VILLAIN IS…The Joker.

Now, for MOST of you reading this, this is probably neither a surprise nor a disappointment. The Joker – The Clown Prince of Crime – has been Batman’s nemesis practically since he was first created. The character first appeared in the first issue of Batman’s title series in 1940; the character had only been around for three years, and most of his villains prior to the Ace of Knaves never really “stuck,” so to speak. However, despite apparently dying in that first issue, the Joker was, at the last minute, given a second lease of life: someone on the team making Batman recognized the potential of the character, and a final panel of the comic was hastily slapped together, revealing that the Joker wasn’t actually dead. This began a long tradition for the character: over and over and over again, the Joker has seemingly died in horrible ways. He’s been stabbed, shot, electrocuted, drowned, torched, blown to bits, hit by automobiles, and has fallen from great heights, just to name a FEW of the ways the character has seemingly kicked the bucket…but, inevitably, the character pops up again, usually with no real explanation of HOW he survived, just to cause trouble once more. However, one could argue this also marked the beginning of a trend that, in recent years, has been seen more and more frequently: the OVERUSE of the Joker. You see, after that initial appearance in Batman #1, the Joker appeared over and Over and OVER again in multiple stories that followed, almost one after the other. And to this date, the character has appeared – both in and out of comics – more times than any other Batman Villain out there. Counting only live-action standalone theatrical films (and you will note how VERY specific that category is), the character has appeared in movies no less than FOUR times. In direct contrast, looking at the same category, most Batman Villains who have even gotten a CHANCE to appear in such movies don’t get more than one or two appearances. I think the only ones who have come close so far are Catwoman and Scarecrow, and in the latter’s case, that was because he appeared in all three “episodes” of the Dark Knight Trilogy. So, technically, there’s only one version of Jonathan Crane in this sector. And let’s not even THINK of other media beyond that, like animated features, TV shows and their spinoffs, direct-to-video movies, video games, et cetera and so on and Scooby-Dooby-Doo. (Literally, since he’s APPEARED in Scooby-Doo…multiple times…see what I mean?) As a result of this constant popping up over and over again, the character has, in recent years, received a bit of a backlash. It’s probably been around for a while, but the time when I heard it becoming most vocal was when the “Arkham” games came out. In “Arkham City,” you see, the character died, and many fans felt it was one of the best “True” deaths the character had. It was even meant to cap off a career, as it marked – at the time – what everybody thought would be the inimitable Mark Hamill’s last time playing the role. But just as he has in comics before, the Joker – and Hamill as the Joker – returned in later installments of the series, and many felt the Clown Prince was starting to poke his pale nose into places he really didn’t belong. More and more people were saying that the Joker was, while perhaps not necessarily OVERRATED as a villain, certainly OVERUSED: people wanted other Batman Villains to get the same focus and attention he was getting, and for DC to stop falling back on him as a way to get sales going and get fans interested. I must confess, despite my placing him here at the top…very recently, I’ve started having similar feelings. I needn’t discuss the…well…EVERYTHING that was Jared Leto’s Joker, and while I personally liked the TV series “Gotham,” the way they handled Joker/The Valeska Brothers is actually one of my personal biggest upsets with the series. Those are just two examples. However, it doesn’t annoy me as much as the overuse I’ve mentioned from his (ex?) girlfriend, Harley Quinn, who really, REALLY gets on my nerves with how she keeps popping up in places and in ways she really shouldn’t. It's for this reason some may feel that me placing the Joker as my favorite villain is too predictable, and perhaps not even fully deserved. But here’s the thing: being overused does NOT mean the character, by default, is bad. Do I wish other Batman Rogues would get more attention? WELL, DUH. I’d love to see a more comic-accurate take on Two-Face, or a film with Scarecrow as the main bad guy, or, heck, ANYTHING with Jervis Tetch on the silver screen. GOD. PLEASE. JUST….SOMETHING WITH JERVIS TETCH. But that doesn’t make me like the Joker, himself, any less. The ways he works and the reasons he works have been analyzed, argued, and even essayed upon so many times, I think not even HE would find it funny at this point; he’s a character who opens up discussion very easily, and you can see why his fate as the Dark Knight’s arch-nemesis was so quickly set. With all the horrible things he’s done to Batman over the years, no one is truly a more personal threat than him; sure, Bane broke his back, and sure, Catwoman and Talia have had many a romance with him, but it’s hard to say any of them have CONSISTENTLY proven to be as big a pain the neck as the Joker. He’s crippled friends, murdered allies – occasionally allowing them to return as villains themselves – and done numerous other atrocities that are pretty hard for ANY Batman Villain to top, not only in terms of how high the body count ranks, but in just how HORRIBLE the actions are and how meaningless the reasons frequently tend to be. He is, very simply, one of the most evil characters in literary history…and yet also one of the most entertaining. The genius of the Joker, generally speaking, is he makes you laugh and grin…but then you realize what you’re laughing at, and you almost feel nauseated. He is the Master of Dark Humor. Ever since I was a little boy, the Joker was pretty much always my favorite Batman Villain. And as time has gone on, that feeling has never truly wavered, and I doubt it ever will. In fact, as time has gone on, instead of liking the Joker less, I’ve only seemed to like him more and more; as a kid, I liked the character for his dark sense of humor, his eye-catching design, his zany gadgets and tricks, and his flair for the dramatic. As an adult, I find the philosophy of the character fascinating, I like seeing how different people interpret his origins, and I love to see how people continually toy with the twisted relationship he has with the Dark Knight. Much like Batman himself, he’s another one of those characters it’s just really hard to ruin…though Lord knows certain reimaginings have done their best to attempt THAT. Is he perhaps too popular and too focused on for his own good? Oh, almost undeniably…but at least he’s popular and focused on for a good reason, at the end of the day. It's better him than Killer Moth. The Joker: forever and always My Favorite Batman Villain…and, very possibly, my favorite villain of all time, period. “Laugh, Clown, Laugh.” Thank you all for joining me during the course of this countdown! I don’t know if I’ll do another one in the future; not sure what topic it may cover or what event it could be for. XD We’ll see what happens, but in any case, hope you all stay safe, and let’s hope 2021 shapes up better than 2020 as the New Year Rolls On…

[ucflibrary]

It’s Day Whatever of quarantine, so being stuck in the same confines as the same person(s) for such a long period might be getting a bit trying at times. They say misery loves company so why not enjoy a couple of movies where two people are stuck in the same space together.

~

Interview (Steve Buscemi, 2007)

The opening shot of Interview is through a surveillance camera. Pierre (Steve Buscemi, who also directed the film) is sitting in a mental institution with his committed brother. It's a particularly conspicuous way to set the tone of the film, but it slyly establishes some of the plot and thematic elements to come out later in the story.

Katya is a movie star and used to having eyes on her. Pierre is a political journalist who has reluctantly accepted doing the supposed puff piece of interviewing her. He's immediately dismissive of her, bitter that he can't be in D.C. working on "real" stories. Before Interview becomes a two-hander, Katya and Pierre meet at a restaurant, where all the patrons gawk at the celebrity in their midst. Even the incident that forces the two to eventually conduct the interview alone in her loft is caused by the incessant persistence of this gaze. When the initial interview at the restaurant is a disaster, Katya begins to walk home and Pierre takes a cab to leave. But the cab driver is too focused on hitting on Katya that he crashes into a parked delivery truck. Katya offers to help Pierre after his head is slightly injured in the accident and the remainder of the movie will proceed as a verbal and emotional battle of wits with those two as the only characters on screen.

The sparring is at times playful, feeding into the stereotypes these two naturally project as characters. Other times, it's particularly cutting and dark, with lines crossed on multiple occasions. Yet the playing field is not exactly equal—and in ways one might not expect. It subverts, even mocks, the trope of the heroic, older male. Pierre's arrogance about his work allows him to feel superior to Katya. Yet there really isn't a moment when she isn't in total control. He acts (and thinks he is) above the fray, but Katya is pulling the strings.

Even more so now than in 2007 when this movie was released (which is itself a remake of a 2003 Dutch film), we are hyper-aware of the idea that the eyes of the world can be on you at any time, and that things we say or do may get broadcast for others to witness. Pierre has always been the witness, the spectator to these things and Katya the subject. But lessons learned are lessons taught. And by the end, Pierre just might get (home) schooled.

 Interview (2007) is available through Alexander Street Press.

~

Daddy Long Legs (Stephen Mlinarcik, 2017)

Interview's sparse setting and limited cast make it feel like it could've been adapted from a play. And that intimate theatrical setting with only two characters in (basically) one set is what we have with the stage musical, Daddy Long Legs. The simplicity of this production (which also only has three musicians in its orchestra) similarly made it an ideal show to be the first ever Broadway or Off-Broadway play to be live-streamed on the internet.

In the early 1900s, Jerusha is oldest of 97 orphans in the John Grier Home. When one of the trustees of the orphanage decides to fund her college education, she is given the opportunity to study writing, with the only caveat that she write to this anonymous benefactor to report on her progress. She believes him to be an old, tall, spindly man—hence the Daddy Long Legs moniker—but in reality is much closer to her age. Most of the songs are presented as these letters Jerusha writes to Daddy Long Legs, whose real name is Jervis, with her singing as she writes them and him singing as he reads them. It's a cute way to get the two to sing a duet when they're not actually singing to each other. Misunderstandings and mistaken (or unknown) identities drive the plot forward as we wait for them to meet and fall in love.

Formally, watching the show reminded me of The Last Five Years and She Loves Me. The former with its similarly low cast total of two performers who rarely meet (at least Daddy Long Legs figures out a way to get Jerusha and Jervis to actually have scenes together more than once); the latter with its epistolary structure and elegant charm of its score.

And that's really the word to describe this musical: charm. Megan McGinnis and Adam Halpin as the two leads are a real-life married couple offstage and that built-in chemistry certainly works in their favor. But their performances independent of each other is the charm of this lovely musical. Halpin is convincing as a man with a secret who desperately wants to tell it and doesn't know how and McGinnis is adorable as a young woman eager to experience the world in a way she's never been allowed to as well as heartbreaking in moments when she feels abandoned by the benefactor who gave all those opportunities to her. The show's pathos belies its airiness and by the end you're as happy as those people walking out of the theater. Remember when we could all go to the theater?

Daddy Long Legs (2017) is available through Alexander Street Press.

[sick-raven]

Ghosts of the Present - Chapter 5

Chapter 1 + warnings

AO3

Previous chapter

Chapter 5

“Motherfucker,” Miranda grumbled under her breath. Jonathan’s phone was dead, the message was obvious. What could have anger him this much? Miranda had her suspicion and the ridiculousness of the whole situation made her pissed. Not only was he snooping around, he also couldn’t even stay and ask a question? Fucking Jonathan, is that the genius you claim to be, you damn baby? His theatrics annoyed her before, but now he just stepped over the line with his damn stalking. He deserved thinking whatever he did!

Sitting in her living room, body burning in pain, she grinded her teeth. What the fuck, that idiot. Was she really that untrustworthy? What did she do wrong?

Nothing! This reaction is on him, she was fair!

“Motherfucker!” she shouted angrily and took her phone out again.

The other side picked up immediately.

“What do you need, Constantine?” she asked calmly, focusing at the most important thing at the moment. It wasn’t Jonathan. She can deal with him later, if she deems it worth it.

“I found the last ingredient, if you feel like going for it, love,” answered Constantine.

“It hurts like hell,” she whispered unsure whether she talks about her body or the betrayal.

“I warned you.”

“I know. Tell me.”

***

The anger grew stronger by the minute. Jonathan moved around the lab making small silly mistakes that threw him into worse and worse rage. How dares she? Takes away his dignity and now his focus too! “Fuck this,” he grumbled to the vial with wrong amount of liquid.

“You should drink some tea to calm your nerves,” Jervis giggled.

“Shut up!”

Jervis sat in the corner of the lab. Somewhere he got small chair and table and he prepared whole tea set with kettle, biscuits and tiny cups. Only thing missing was a teddy bear. Jonathan counted seconds, ready to flip the table if Jervis only looks at him funny.

He slammed his fists on the table. Focus, Jonathan! One bitch won’t destroy your work. She doesn’t matter!

Miranda…

Damn her!

Was he not good enough? Was he a bad fuck? She was just playing with him, eating his feelings like succubus, cutting his life, energy and trust. She never liked him. Who could’ve? Bitch!

Stumbling around dissatisfied with everything his mind was running. Formulas and amounts of necessary components tangled together with Miranda’s voice asking him, if he trusts her.

He had to sit down. Calm down. Focus.

That’s how Khulan found him, strict look on her face. “How is the work proceeding?”

“Well,” he snapped annoyed. “Your flying monkeys work overtime.” That made Jervis in the corner chuckle. Jonathan will stuff the kettle into his throat!

“You need to hurry up; Ra’s al Ghul wants to fasten the production.”

“Ra’s al Ghul can come here and say it to me himself.”

“Watch your tongue, doctor,” master Khulan warned him.

“Your self-important attitude doesn’t scare me,” he snapped. “It’s easy to order around, but the work has system! You brainwashed morons couldn’t know!”

“You…” Khulan reached for her dagger, Jonathan held his toxin bracelet up. The imminent disaster stopped Jervis who jumped between them.

“Everybody please, hide your weapons,” he asked in happy tone. “Excuse my good crow friend, dear scary master,” he giggled. “He is angrier than Red Queen herself since his Banshee left him.”

“Shut up, Hatter!”

“Or he left her,” Jervis continued.

Khulan straightened her back, frowning at the short man. “What did you say?”

Jonathan moaned frustrated and turned back to his work. The last thing he needed was to speak about Miranda to the…

League?

“His dear Alice is no more,” Tetch was babbling. “Even though she was hardly Alice, maybe her eyes, but dark, dark lady she is indeed. Scary, always hidden in the shadows, killing like one of your ninjas.”

“Banshee,” Khulan repeated.

Jonathan lost his breath. Small puzzle pieces fell together with loud snap. He found what he forgot and realized what just happened.

Good! Let her rot!

No, that’s…

Khulan smiled at Jervis and her smile could freeze people alive. “Tell me, Mr. Tetch, where do I find this Banshee?”

Cold has run on Jonathan’s back.

This wasn’t supposed to happen.

***

Miranda was lucky, if whatever happened these last few days could have been considered luck. Sadness and anger she left behind her. There will be enough time to wallow in feelings (is this really why she looked for them so hard? Just to suffer?). Right now she had more important matters.

Gotham museum could challenge the best prisons she has ever seen. Constant destruction and robberies forced the city to invest in good security system. Miranda never was a tech-savvy, but she was Banshee. Making loud noise was her jam.

Hidden in shadows she moved around the building. Silent alarm had to be on already, she moved fast, going exactly where Constantine sent her. The work was quick. She got to glass display of old Irish artefacts.

‘Violence is always the answer’ was a motto she lived by. Miranda broke the glass with a baton. The silent alarm switched, now it was screaming. Whole building was screeching, honking like crazy. In the shards a bracelet was waiting, decorated with runes and pictures of snakes and branches.

She grabbed it and screamed. The gold burned, so did her whole body. Every part of the skin Constantine touched was boiling. She couldn’t let go, she tucked her hand in, but the gold fried onto her fingers. The bracelet melted, the gold liquid found its way on her hand, up to the wrist, and burned in her skin.

The bracelet disappeared. A scar of gold stayed around her wrist.

“Fuck!” she hissed painfully on her knees. “Next time warn me, you jerk.”

She stumbled her way back. The police ran by her without noticing her in the shadows. She slipped right by them, skin still pulsing in pain. Why did she ever agree to this? Ha, as if! Why did she ever decide this?

Home sweet home. In light she could finally look at the new scar. The burn lost its red colour. Now it looked like grey and gold tattoo, pulsing, burning. “Cool,” she mumbled. Will it work? Hand trembling, she dialled John.

“You could have told me I will get attacked by jewellery!”

“You are welcome, pet. It’s the last thing you needed.”

She bit her lip thinking. “Thanks, Constantine. I owe you one.”

“I will summon you if necessary. You remember the rules. Don’t die, Bradbury.”

Don’t die. She wanted this. She built this up for a month and half. Stealing, killing, hurting, cooperating with John fucking Constantine. Just so she didn’t die. So she knows more and knows better. So if the League ever came back…

And it did. Sooner than she anticipated.

With a sigh she took down her weapons and set them on the table. Sleep is what her body and mind needed. Long, deep sleep. In her experience, it solved many things. In the morning she will know what to do with Jonathan. How to deal with danger in the city.

Her plans got interrupted by knock on the door.

She hid a knife in her palm. Who would come here now? The knock came again, more desperate than the first one. Slowly, she opened.

Jonathan stood there, guilty look in his eyes. Miranda clenched her teeth. Brave of him to come here after that theatre. Stabbing him between the eyes sounded nice.

“What do you want? Calmed down, huh?” she snapped.

“I’m sorry, Miranda. I overreacted,” he apologized.

“Overreacted? You are a jerk, that’s what you are. Goodbye.”

He held the door so she couldn’t close it. Playing with fire, she was so close to smack his fingers in the frame.

“What do you want?”

“Let me in, I will tell you.”

Should she listen to him? Give him a chance? Why? He went out of his way because of one stupid message. He didn’t even have balls to ask!

Maybe he gathered them now?

“Fuck you,” she hissed and went back to living room. He followed, looking around curiously. His gaze stopped at pictures on her wall. He never noticed them before. “Well? Speak!”

“I’m sorry, darling, I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusion,” he said gesturing apologetically, faint smile on his face. Miranda’s anger rose. What was he playing? “I hoped to made this right.”

“Oh? How?”

“However you ask,” he held his hands to her.

Miranda frowned. Something smelled fishy. “What did I do to you? Answer.”

“Nothing, and I know that now.”

“I see. You will do anything I ask?”

“Yes.”

Miranda tucked her hair behind ear. Then she smiled. “You beg on your knees for forgiveness, Johny-boy, just like last time you fucked up. And I will consider your request.”

Jonathan didn’t hesitate to go down.

Neither did she. One swift kick to the side of his head. This wasn’t Jonathan. Send him to the land of unconscious and question that fucker later!

But this she didn’t expect.

Her leg hit his face. She expected hard surface.

Leg went through. It burrowed in the face like a mud. Miranda shouted in shock and staggered.

“What the fuck?” she screamed.

Wet bubbling came out of Jonathan’s body as it crumbled under its own weight into pool of mud. It didn’t splash on the floor but formed into humanoid shape. The mud golem grinned with yellow teeth.

“What gave me away?” the mud asked.

Miranda took a step back. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Gotham, what the fuck is that? Weapons!

She threw her dagger.

With a laugh the mud swallowed it inside its body with wet sound. No good!

Golem grabbed at her. She dodged. His arm stretched and caught her anyway. Hugged her body like a disgusting wet strait jacket. “Let go!” No strength could get her out. She tried to kick to no avail, he was too far away.

“Master Khulan wants to speak with you,” Golem said.

Miranda’s head gone light as if he forced every ounce of oxygen out of her. That name stabbed her heart. Khulan. In Gotham. And she knew about Miranda. How? HOW!

Jonathan.

“No!” her tries to wiggle loose were for nothing. “No! Kill me! Do it!” The mud surrounded her face stopping her screams leaving a taste of cemetery in her mouth. Tears formed in her eyes. No! Not to them! How the fuck could he?

She can’t die.

She doesn’t want to die!

Table! Weapons! Close enough. Now, Miranda, no time to waste!

She kicked. The leg hit one of the sound mines and activated it. Loud noise and rhythm in low frequency filled the room. She felt it resonate in her head, teeth hurt, heart couldn’t decide how to beat.

Golem screamed as his arm fell off. Whatever held the mud together broke apart and the mud slid down and splat on the floor. With every beat it got flatter and turned into liquid.

Miranda spit the mud. She grabbed the gun and the rest of the sound mines.

Window behind her broke. On the carpet fell burning bottle.

“Shit!”

Door in front of her burst in flames.

Shadows moved in the flat, out of balance from the sound.

Miranda activated the second sound mine. Every normal human this would sent to unconsciousness. And it did. League’s assassins screamed and fell silent. Miranda wobbled to the door, blood spurting out of her nose. She jumped the fire and ran out, finding her tempo. Behind her sound mines screamed and loudly cracking fire was swallowing everything she owned.

“Fuck you! Fuck!” she grinded her teeth. They knew about her. Jonathan told them about her. To Khulan of all people! What now?

While running, she called Terry.

“What is it, boss? It’s night.”

“Don’t go to the shop, Terry, understand?” she ordered, hardly catching her breath.

“What?”

“Don’t!”

“Okay, okay. What is…”

She ignored them and kept running.

Next chapter

[mrjoelgarcia9]

Let’s Talk #Gotham: Final Thoughts

Gotham was never about Batman.

For my Final Thoughts on FOX’s Gotham, feel free to keep reading. There will be spoilers.

While there have been an abundance of animated shows starring Batman, either centering around him or as part of the Justice League, the same cannot be said about live action shows. There have been only three either based on or centering around Batman: the titular 1960s Adam West series, Birds of Prey, and Gotham.

The reason for such a low number is due to Warner Brothers prioritizing Batman for theatrical features and restricting his live action TV appearances to mentions and shadowy cameos.

Gotham was able to work as a show because it did not exclusively focus on Bruce Wayne and his path to becoming Batman. If it had done that in the first place, the show would just be a bloated re-tread of the first act of Batman Begins. With an ensemble cast, the show was able to explore different characters and how their respective paths clashed with one another.

It presented something rarely explored in the comics or even past productions: the origins of Batman’s villains and supporting characters. While the early beginnings of certain characters such as The Riddler, Commissioner Gordon, and Penguin have been previously explored in other adaptations (with ranging degrees of success), Gotham expanded upon them in new ways.

Notable examples include Selina’s mother, Edward’s love life, Oswald’s implied bisexuality, Jonathan Crane’s father, Jervis Tetch’s sister Alice, and The Joker’s twin origins. The most notable of these expansions were Barbara Kean, Leslie “Lee” Thompkins, and Butch Gilzean.

For Barbara, the show was able to work with a blank slate since not much has been shown of Barbara Gordon’s mother either in the comics or other adaptations. She went from being an annoying character fans may have wanted to see die during the second season to a major part of the fourth and fifth seasons. This was also the rare adaptation where she never married Jim, instead co-parenting their daughter Barbara with him and Lee.

Leslie Thompkins' only other prominent appearance outside the comics was on Batman: The Animated Series (coincidentally, another FOX show). The show radically altered the character from being one of Bruce’s longtime allies to someone who worked for the GCPD and eventually got into a relationship with Jim. It did retain her motivation of helping the poor, even if at one point she temporarily became an antagonist.

At first, Butch was shown to be just another mobster but prominently became one of the show’s biggest characters. When it revealed he was actually called Cyrus Gold, it retroactively gave Solomon Grundy an expanded backstory. While Grundy’s origins have been brought up in past adaptations, Gotham was the first to show him before the incident that turned him into Grundy. Additionally, it was the first one to bring him back to life (and then kill off again).

There were several flaws, especially during the first two seasons by how the show was trying to introduce nearly every single Batman character. 

The first season featured Renee Montoya and Crispus Allen. They were set up as potential antagonists within the GCPD to Jim and Harvey but felt redundant due to Maroni and Fish Mooney serving similar roles. Their disappearances after the first season did not hurt the show in any way, but they could have either appeared later on or properly made their debut in the series finale.

When it comes to the villains, some felt shoehorned in as fan service such as Hush (Tommy Elliot), Killer Croc, and Magpie. However, the one villain badly treated by the show was Harvey Dent (AKA Two-Face).

His involvement with the show was admittedly affected by his actor’s availability. Just as it seemed he began to play a prominent role during the second season, Nicholas D’Agosto went on to star in NBC’s short-lived comedy Trial & Error.

Likely because of his unavailability, Two-Face’s dual personality was instead presented via Edward alternating between himself and The Riddler. This was not the first time this had occurred. In The Batman, due to an embargo, it was presented with an original character who would eventually become Clayface.

The show featured villains who either only appeared once before or were making their live action debuts, such as Sofia Falcone, the aforementioned Hush, Professor Pyg, and Magpie. The latter two had only previously appeared on Beware The Batman.

When it comes to the seasons, the first two were great, parts of the third and the first half of the fourth were somewhat inconsistent (especially when the latter adapted Batman: The Long Halloween), and both its second half and fifth season were also great.

As I previously wrote, there are fans who want to see the show continue in some form. The only possible way would be as a comic book due to Warner Bros’ live action restrictions on Batman.

For now, at least one actor will be reprising their role very soon. Peyton List, who was the third and final actor to play Ivy Pepper in the show’s final two seasons, will play Pamela Isley/Poison Ivy in the upcoming animated film Batman: Hush.

Gotham was a great show that stood out from other comic book TV adaptations. Rather than be a straightforward origin story centering around Bruce, it used an ensemble cast to develop the characters into their respective recognizable roles of heroes and villains.

It did have several flaws, such as the occasional pacing issue, shoehorned fan service, and how long it took to get Bruce into becoming Gotham City’s Dark Knight.

Regardless of the show’s positives and negatives, at least Batman showed up faster than Superman over on Smallville.

Gotham/Smallville episode count: 100<217

Until next time, thank you for reading!

[sunlitroom]

For the Gotham Questions: 1, 8, and 17?

Thank-you, @destielfourever!

1.) What thing(s) are you most excited for for season 4?

Hmmm.  I would say an Oswald n top of his game again, but I fully expect that to last all of four episodes.  I’m looking forward to seeing Alexander Siddig - Game of Thrones totally squandered him, so I want to see him given lots to play with in Gotham.  I’m keen to see Jonathan Crane again - I felt so sorry for him.  Jervis is a terrible human being, but fantastically entertaining.  Lee, Ed and Butch’s weird household also should be interesting - I like it when characters who don’t get to interact much are allowed time together.

8.) Which actor, in your opinion, has done a stellar job with portraying their character?

I think they all do a marvellous job, to be honest - especially given that the writing can be very uneven.  

RLT is brilliant.  Oswald can be incredibly resilient and dangerous, but also vulnerable and sympathetic. The scene where he’s throwing his fake tantrum was fantastic - his whole body is practically spasming with rage.

CMS gives Ed incredible nuance.  The scene at the gala, where he has his back to a pleading Oswald, was tremendous - there were so many different emotions running through his eyes.

Erin Richards makes Barbara believable - no matter which direction her story has taken.  Even when she’s theatrical and manic - she can flip and make you see that Barbara is still the broken and needy woman we met way back in s1.

17.) Mr. Freeze or Firefly?

Even-stevens, I think.  Mr Freeze can be accidentally hilarious,but I also enjoyed Firefly’s apparent glee in her new family.

Thank-you!  If you’d like to play: 7, 13, 16, and 18