It's not easy to make someone--let alone me--be embarrassed for something they have nothing to do with.
So... congratulations, Gotham Knights!
Was Bird of Prey too high-brow for you?
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| "Greetings, Angels." |
Was Gotham too dignified?
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| I had... SO many choices. |
Was Batwoman too respectful?
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| "I'm, sorry, kids.... we've already run out of candy! Do you like apples?" |
Was Pennyworth too closely tied in?
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| Bob Haney would love this. |
Well, then you're in luck! Gotham Knights should be the show for you.
Gotham Knights, to most people, is a popular Batman-based video game; this show has nothing to do with that. It starts with Batman's death--because OF COURSE IT DOES. Then a Scooby Gang of Batman-adjacent precocious adolescents are (somehow) collectively, absurdly accused of his murder. Naturally, they escape custody and go on the run to prove their innocence, as kids are wont to do.
One of aspects people are complaining about is using Bruce Wayne's ad hoc "adopted son, Turner Hayes" rather than one of Bruce's 47 pre-existing orphan wards/offspring. I say, thank Kane for small favors. The last thing we need is a "real" character attached to this hot mess.
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| At least Riverdale's stunt doubles found work. |
That's why the others are mostly "unreal": Duela (Dent?), the "Joker's Daughter" (who in comics was actually Two-Face's daughter, which is weird because Two-Face is IN the show, except he's still Harvey Dent, even though he's 47 and Batman's already dead and I'm getting a headache just typing this); Harper and Cullen Row, because no one gives a hoot about them anyway except their creator; Stephanie Brown, because she's ALWAYS a log for the fire; and Carrie Kelly, because 40 years later fanboys still won't drop that bone; and whoever "Brody" really turns out to be.
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| NEVER underestimate the threat he poses. |
Many (including me) would prefer WB's new owners to simply say "NO" and add this one to the pile of shows newly cancelled as part of a desire for a more coherent, holistic approach to the use of the DCU properties. But it's already in the can and paid for, so it's seem unlikely they are going to let that go to waste.
Gotham Knights is a perfect example of the 'Squirrelman Phenomenon' I mentioned in yesterday's post. The owners of a popular property like Batman would rather milk that to death with the most tortured and tangentially related projects than make the investment to develop any of their thousand other properties. It diminishes the greatness of the popular IP and stunts the growth the lesser known ones. It shallows the IP 'gene pool', insults the audience, and reaffirms the prejudice that comics books really only offer a lower-common-denominator form of entertainment.
In short, it's embarrassing.
Hooray, another show I won't be watching!
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned Harper and Cullen Row; I think Scott Snyder did okay in creating them, but then wrecked them by forgetting (or perhaps misunderstanding) their initial value. They were originally just a couple of ordinary Gothamites on the edge of Batman's world, so they were useful POV characters. But then Harper got promoted to Bluebird, thus turning her into a redundant sidekick.
Which gets me thinking: what does Batman do with civilians who want to get involved in his world? I like to think Batman's go-to move is, he appoints them as informants, so that they can be his eyes and ears. Of course, they can't tell anyone, nor should they get involved in any actual crime-fighting lest they expose their super-important role as informants. I'm imagining that, when Batman's got a slow night, he throws them a bone by visiting them and asking them to collect information for him ("I think the Joker is in town and I need a list of warehouses that have suddenly started using electricity again"), which he accepts with gratitude and then promptly discards. Batman keeps civilians safe through a variety of methods.
Another Batman show sans Batman? And it’s not Gotham Central, the one Batman-show-sans-Batman anyone would actually watch? (Not that we need anymore cop shows, but that comic was so dang good) Hard pass. What’s next, “Ma and Pa Kent: The Courtship?” “Rimbor?” “Guy Gardner: Gym Teacher?” “The Jean Loring Chronicles?”
ReplyDeleteActually… I might watch that last one.
- Mike Loughlin
" I might watch that last one"
ReplyDeleteYou took the words right out of my mouth.
Remember the time she defended a swan?
I can't stop imagining that Pennyworth image there juxtaposed with that old Weird War cover with the Nazi Gorillas (the "Primate Platoon" IIRC?) so that the two groups are charging one another.
ReplyDeleteAlso those shoes with that purse have to be some kind of crime against humanity.
Dick, by law, those shoes can be worm only with that purse.
ReplyDeleteScipio, tell me she's wearing matching panties. :)
ReplyDelete