R.I.P.: Entertainers That Passed Away in 2017

Screencap of Tom Petty from the music video for "Don't Come Around Here No More"

As with every year, entertainers who have brought some sort of joy to your life pass away. This year was no different. In fact, there were some big names that passed away this year.

I bring you a list of the top 10 celebrity deaths that hit me the hardest. This is not to take away from those I don't mention below. For everyone, this list can be different and in a year crappy year like 2017, I could have easily made this list longer than 10 names. People like Nelsan Ellis, Chester Bennington, Mary Tyler Moore, Michael Parks, Robert Guillaume, and Malcolm Young could have made this list in any other year.

Rest in Peace to following 10 entertainers who made big impacts on me. (in no particular order)

1. Chris Cornell - This death was a big one for me. Chris Cornell was the front man for Soundgarden and eventually went on to Audioslave. Much of his music could have been the soundtrack for my high school and college years. He was behind hit songs such as "Black Hole Sun", "Blow Up the Outside World", "I Am the Highway", and much more. He was nominated for 15 Grammy Awards and had won twice, but his impact on the rock music world was substantial.

2. Fats Domino - Newer generations of music fans may not appreciate Fats Domino's impact on rock and roll, but he did sell over 65 million records before his passing this year. His hits include "Blueberry Hill", "Ain't That a Shame", and "I'm Walkin'". He was one of the premier piano players of his time and had a voice that went perfectly with the music he played. Because of his music achievements, rock and roll, blues, and R&B were forever changed.

3. Tom Petty - Tom Petty took music to another level. He not only recognized that the music was important, but during the time of MTV's music video domination, he also put out some of the best music videos of his time. His music was great for road trips and cruising the California coast. Selling over 80 million records, Petty was one of the best selling music artists of all-time. His hits include "Runnin' Down a Dream", "Refugee", and "I Won't Back Down". His music video for "Don't Come Around Here No More" is perhaps one of the best music videos ever produced.

4. Hugh Hefner - Not necessarily an entertainer himself, Hefner did contribute to igniting the sexual revolution via Playboy. He also hosted Playboy After Dark which opened the door to entertainers who may have never got a chance to make it in the mainstream. A popular joke, "I only read the magazine for its articles," was not necessarily untrue. Playboy featured interviews with political and civil rights leaders, featured short stories by legendary writers such as Hunter S. Thompson and Truman Capote, and more.

5. Jerry Lewis - Lewis was the slapstick comedian who partnered with Dean Martin to form the comedy duo of Martin & Lewis. Unfortunately, they ended up splitting up. Lewis didn't let this hurt his career as he moved on to star in movies such as The Nutty Professor, King of Comedy, and The Bellboy. Later on, he would become known for his telethons that raised money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

6. Adam West - Quite simply, Adam West was Batman for children who grew up from 1966 until the release of Tim Burton's movie. Yes, his portrayal was campy, but it was supposed to be. A Western actor before his three-year stint as the Caped Crusader, West would eventually become forever adored by comic book geeks all over the world.

7. Roger Moore - Not the best actor to portray James Bond, Moore was still a prominent enough actor to be knighted by the British Empire. His stint as 007 was longer than any other actor including Sean Connery and Pierce Bronson. He starred in Live and Let Die, For Your Eyes Only, and The Spy Who Loved Me.

8. Don Rickles - Quite possibly the biggest entertainer death this year for me besides Adam West, Rickles was one of the last surviving unofficial members of the Rat Pack. His comedy made him a favorite and close friend to Frank Sinatra. So close, that Rickles was one of the last people to see Sinatra alive. He made over 100 appearances on the Tonight Show and rounded out his career by taking on voice acting roles in movies such as Toy Story. He can easily be argued as being one of the top standup comedians of all-time.

9. Chuck Berry - Another legendary rock musician, Berry was a member of the Chess Records stable. His hits include "Johnny B. Goode", "Roll Over Beethoven", "Rock and Roll Music", and "Maybellene". His guitar skills were unmatched at the time of his peak. His music was so significant that his song "Johnny B. Goode" is the only rock song that was included in the Voyager Golden Records that were sent to space and intended to be listened to by any future intelligent life forms to listen to.

10. Powers Boothe - Gaining notoriety for playing TV Detective Phillip Marlowe, Booth went on to play Curly Bill in Tombstone, Cy Tolliver in Deadwood, and Senator Roark in the Sin City movies. Nominated for various acting roles, Boothe was both an underrated actor and a star actor during his lifetime.

Adam West is my Batman: RIP

Screen cap from Batman movie

Before there was Ben Affleck, Christian Bale, and Michael Keaton, there was Adam West. A new generation has grown up, mentally visualizing Christian Bale as their Batman. There's also plenty of argument that Bale's Batman is a more realistic portrayal of Batman. And it's a slam dunk to argue that Kevin Conroy may be the best Batman voice actor of all-time.

That said...Adam West is my Batman.

I remember what it was like to be a Batman fan before Michael Keaton even wore cowl. I remember what it was like to be a Batman fan before the animated series became a reality and Kevin Conroy became THE voice of Batman.

I was first exposed to Batman through Super Friends, a wannabe cartoon version of the Justice League. It wasn't until I saw the reruns of  Batman '66 that Batman became more than a passing character of interest. West's portrayal of Batman solidified the Caped Crusader as one of my favorite fictional characters of all-time.

West only played Batman for three seasons and 120 episodes, along with one movie, but that was enough to mark his place in television history. Acting in many different western movies and television shows, West was new to the comic book genre when he earned the role of Bruce Wayne. West has played Doc Holiday, Wild Bill Hickock, acted alongside Paul Newman, Chuck Connors, The Three Stooges, and guested on Perry Mason, all before he became Batman. He was a working actor and had a successful career going prior to being Batman.

After playing Batman, West became known for his voice talents, acting in animated series such as Family Guy, Rugrats, The Simpsons, SpongeBob Squarepants, and more.

No matter how you view it, West had a successful career and shouldn't have had to wait as long as he did to earn that star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

With 193 screen credits to his name, I will always think of Adam West as my Batman.

Yes, he was campy.

Yes, he was cartoon-y at times.

But Adam West was my Batman and will always be.

Top 10 Private Investigators in Television and Movies

Promotional Poster from the Marvel series Jessica Jones which airs on Netflix

There are few professions depicted in television shows and in the movies that are portrayed as being as cool as a private investigator. Many times these fictional investigators are often written to be lone-wolf types who often will go as far as risking life and limb to solve their cases...and they almost always solve all the cases they have on their plates. Like a bloodhound, they always seem to find the necessary evidence to turn a case in their client's favor and in the process save a life or two along the way. While being a private investigator in real life can be a rewarding job, it's tough to even come close to the levels that the following fictional P.I.'s have reached.

Here's a top-10 list (in no particular order) of private eyes that can be seen on the silver screen and on the boob tube...

1. Sam Spade of The Maltese Falcon: There are several screen versions of this character, but perhaps the best known iteration of Sam Spade was played by Humphrey Bogart. Spade is a noir-style detective that probably helped kick start the rise in popularity of the American detective novels during the pulp fiction era. He was a cynical character, but still was likeable enough for many fans to wish that Dashiell Hammett wrote more stories for the prototypical movie P.I. The mental image that some people imagine, a handsome man wearing a trench coat and smoking a cigarette, most likely originated from Humphrey Bogart's interpretation of Sam Spade.

2. Thomas Magnum of Magnum P.I.: The 1980's was the decade of television where the starring characters of the various hit dramas lived life in luxury and excess. It was no different for Magnum even though he was an investigator. He lived in a mansion, drove a Ferrari, chugged beers, was surrounded by attractive women that often were victims or were involved with his cases somehow, getting free rides in his buddy's helicopter, working only when he wanted to, and of course, living on the island of Hawaii. Magnum got to enjoy the rich lifestyle without being rich himself. In favor of his technical expertise, famous author Robin Masters let Magnum do anything he wanted. Higgins was the only thing standing in Magnum's way, but the two often found a way to co-exist.

3. The Angels in Charlie's Angels: Not a specific set of characters such as Magnum or Spade, the nickname "Angels" was bestowed on a group of women that work for Charles Townsend's private investigation firm. The first ones were graduates of the police academy that excelled in their training, but were relegated to lackluster roles because of their gender. Seeing the potential they had Charlie hired them and doled out assignments to the girls through Bosley. Every episode the girls would go undercover to solve a case, eventually being thanked by Charlie via speakerphone. The three key girls would often change out for others, but the moniker "Angels" never did change. Almost all the girls remained loyal to Charlie despite never meeting the man in person. That tradition continued even after the show jumped onto the big screen a couple of decades later.

4. Paul Drake of Perry Mason: The right-hand man to the most successful defense attorney in Los Angeles, Drake was the business suit wearing P.I. that would gather the necessary evidence that it would take for Perry Mason to eventually win his cases. He was sort of the stiff type, but managed to find himself dating nearly every single woman that made an appearance on the show...except for one. Della Street. He may not have been flashy like Magnum, but the results he produced were more than enough to prove that he was one of the most successful fictional P.I.'s around.

5. Sherlock Holmes: Guinness Book of World Records recognizes the character of Sherlock Holmes as the "most portrayed character in movie history". The private detective was usually aided by his physician buddy, Dr. Watson who was a genius at solving crimes on his own. With Holmes, the pair nearly solved every case that came their way from Scotland Yard. Sometimes more computer than man, Holmes would find clues that no one else would ever find, sometimes imparting his knowledge on how he solved the case to his best friend. Often depicted in the Victorian era, Sherlock Holmes was moved up into present-day London when he was played by Benedict Cumberbatch. Even in the fictional future, Holmes is a favorite of Data and La Forge in Star Trek: The Next Generation.

6. Hercule Poirot from Agatha Christie's writing: Holmes wasn't the only private detective in England that assisted Scotland Yard. Perhaps Agatha Christie's greatest character, Poirot was a refugee from Belgium who moved to England during World War I. During his time as a detective, he saved the British Prime Minister from abduction, undertook cases for both the British government and civilians alike, and traveled all over the world while sporting a mustache that could go head-to-head with Magnum's. Perhaps Poirot's most widely known case was Murder on the Orient Express in which he had to solve the murder of an American business tycoon on the famous train line.

7. Angel Investigations from Angel: A spinoff of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the vampire with a soul fled Sunnydale, California to get over his broken heart after his breakup with Buffy. Unlike 99 percent of vampires out there, Angel was determined to "help the helpless" by starting his own private investigation firm that specialized in the supernatural. It didn't take long for him to form a team that would eventually take on the ultimate evil, Wolfram & Hart. Angel was the muscle and leader of the team, Wesley was the brains, Cordelia was the heart, Gunn was the street-smart muscle turned ultimate lawyer, and Fred was the science geek. Unlike the villains that Holmes and Poirot faced, Angel and his team would face vampires, demons, and even demigods on a nightly basis and not even blink.

8. Jessica Jones: A recently created Marvel comic book character, Jones was created in 2001 by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos. She would go on to star in her own comic book series called Alias. The former high school classmate of Peter Parker (Spider-man) opened up her own private investigation business after her traumatic experience with Zebediah Killgrave. Under the mind control of Killgrave, Jones was depressed that no one knew she was missing for so long while he used her like a puppet. Her hatred for Killgrave was transferred from the comic book to the small screen via Netflix. The streaming service took a chance on Jessica Jones after Daredevil did well and now because of her popularity, Luke Cage (Jones' husband in the comic books) will also get his own series. She is the product of the streets, gritty, dark, and definitely not the positive role model type.

9. Batman: The Dark Knight is the only member of the Justice League that doesn't have super powers. He doesn't need them. He is perhaps the most prepared character in the comic book world and that's due to his investigative abilities. He was shunned for a while by the Justice League when it was revealed that Batman had dossiers on each superhero and knew how to kill each one in case they turned evil. At times, heroes were even surprised to find out that Batman knew their true identities. Batman's transition to television and the big screen was no different. Batman used the ultimate surveillance system, OMAC, to track the Joker down in The Dark Knight movie. Even as a teen in the current show Gotham, Bruce Wayne is using his intuitive skills to track down the evil-doers within Wayne Enterprises. And of course, there is the original Batman series that starred Adam West. That campy-version of Batman could solve any riddle left for him. His skills over the years have saved the world countless times.

10. Jessica Fletcher of Murder, She Wrote: A mystery writer and part-time amateur detective, Fletcher always found herself in the wrong place at the right time. Murder and crime seemed to follow her everywhere. A resident of a small community called Cabot Cove, Fletcher was a retired English teacher that always found herself involved in murder investigations going on in her hometown. The cops would often arrest the wrong suspect, but Fletcher wouldn't rest until she found the real one by utilizing her intuition and her ability to piece the clues together like others couldn't. If the fictional town of Cabot Cove existed in real life, it would top the FBI's crime statistic lists in homicides, but no one in Cabot Cove seemed to notice. There is even a theory out there that believes that Fletcher herself is secretly the killer in most of the episodes and is pining her crimes on others to avoid suspicion and boost her reputation for book sales. Either way, she is easily one of the best detectives on the small or big screen that doesn't have a super power.

Honorable Mentions: Shaft, Jim Rockford, Easy Rawlins, Dixon Hill (the fictional character within the fictional universe of Star Trek: The Next Generation that is played by Jean Luc Picard on the Enterprise holodeck), Tony Rome

When is it okay to Spoil?

With the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, there have been a ton of posts on social media that have asked people to not spoil the plot and ending of the movie. Other blockbuster movies had posts requesting the same thing. This leaves the question...when is the acceptable time period okay to talk about a movie plot or ending?

Some examples of opinions online have stated that while a movie is still in the theaters, it should be off limits. If that is the case, some movie theaters exhibit movies far beyond their initial release date. The Dark Knight Rises lasted in some theaters for almost two years after it was released. On the flipside, if it is okay to talk about the movie after it has stopped being exhibited at movie theaters, then how is this fair for people waiting for it to be released for sale on DVD or Blu-Ray? People pay good money for a movie that is released for home viewing, so why would it be fair to spoil the movie for them?

From personal experience, I once got an earful from a person at my work when I talked about the plotline to the ending of Batman...during the week of the release of Batman Begins which was released 16 years later. The other person complained that they had planned on having a Batman themed movie weekend planned before they were going to see the new one in the theaters. Is this fair to complain about? In this particular case, the Tim Burton movie had nothing to do with the series starring Christian Bale.

When talking about a movie, should a pre-question be posed to the group of people who might participate in talking about the movie, whether or not they have seen the movie or at least not mind hearing about it? Does this conversation have to stop or be paused if someone enters the room? This seems like it would take the fun out of talking about movies if you have to worry about talking about them in front of groups of people. It can be understandable if the movie had been just released, but if it has been out for a while, it seems like the movie should be fair game.

Another question that can be posed...does the popularity of the movie play a difference on when it can be "spoiled"? A blockbuster hit like a Star Wars movie has more people who want to see it than say a movie such as a sequel to Joe Dirt. Does this make it more okay to talk about the smaller anticipated movie within a shorter amount of time after the movies release date? If a Star Wars movie has a six month "no spoil" limit, does a Joe Dirt movie have two months? On the flipside of this question, shouldn't a blockbuster have a shorter spoil limit since it presumably has a higher demand to see it as soon as possible?

I feel that on average, a three to four month limit on spoilers should be placed on a movie. A person should be self aware of friends or coworkers that have been wanting to see a movie, but have yet to see it, but in the situation of casual conversation, one hundred days sounds about right. Yes, it might not be for sale in home video form yet, but this isn't exactly fair to those who have seen the movie and want to share their experience with friends and family.

Photo Credit: Storyboard from Dark Knight Rises

DC Superhero Equals Dead Parent(s)

Art by Alex Ross

Many kids grow up with lofty aspirations of what they want to be when they grow up. Everything from being a rock star to being a sports star are often goals the youth of America aspire to achieve. Some kids, especially when they are too young to know better, state they want to be a superhero when they grow up. Watching TV, movies, and reading the stories of their favorite comic book characters, kids often pretend to be their favorite heroes while they play. One of the most popular groups of superheroes that kids emulate is DC's Justice League. Unfortunately, what most kids don't realize, if you want to be a Justice League member, one if not both your parents have to have passed away.

Now there have been many Justice League members over the years, so of course many of them probably still have living parents, but if you look at most of the core members over the years, you'll notice a trend.

Batman: This is probably the most obvious one since the death of Thomas and Martha Wayne basically created the desire in Bruce to become something more than your average kid. Without their death, he would probably resemble something closer to his playboy image he pretends to be when he's Bruce Wayne, rather than the Dark Knight. Without the act of Joe Chill, the world itself might have been destroyed several times over because there would be no Batman to save it.

On a side note, though not a core member of the Justice League, the various Robins have been victim of parental deaths as well. Dick Grayson (Nightwing), the first Robin, was orphaned after his parents were killed while performing. Jason Todd (Red Hood), the second Robin, was originally an acrobat himself and his parents were killed by Killer Croc. This storyline was retconned though and Todd became an orphan who tried to steal the tires off the Batmobile. The third Robin, Tim Drake (Red Robin), started his superhero career after the death of his mother and the crippling of his father. His father would eventually be killed by Captain Boomerang. This story was later retconned as well and Tim Drake's parents would go into hiding in the Witness Protection Program.

Superman: Although raised by the Kents, Superman was originally orphaned when his home planet of Krypton explodes, taking the lives of his parents. Raised by the wholesome Kansas farmers, Superman is more of an alter-ego for Superman, as opposed to Bruce Wayne is the alter-ego to Batman. Not personally knowing his biological parents, Clark is less influenced by their death than he is by the boy scout like demeanor that the Kents instilled in him.

Aquaman: In the Golden Age version of Aquaman's backstory his mother dies while giving birth to Arthur.

The Flash: Barry Allen's family is torn apart when his mother is murdered after he comes home from a spelling bee. Making matters worse, his father is arrested and sent to prison for the death of Allen's mother, despite his father's innocence. Proving this becomes one of Allen's priorities in life and the likely inspiration for his career choice in forensics for the police department.

Green Lantern: Hal Jordan was the son of a test pilot for Ferris Aircraft. Idolizing his father, Hal unfortunately watched his father die right before his eyes when he crashed his plane. Despite witnessing such a traumatic event, Hal eventually became a pilot himself before the ring found him, turning Jordan into the first human Green Lantern.

Green Arrow: The child of millionaires, Oliver Queen learned how to shoot a bow and arrow to emulate Robin Hood. After accidentally killing a small animal, Queen was mildly traumatized. Later on, while on an African safari, Queen witnessed his parents being mauled by lions. He could have saved them, but his hesitation to shoot the lions leads to their death.

Shazam: Billy Batson is a teenager who bounces around from foster home to foster home before acquiring the powers of the Wizard who passed his powers onto Batson.

The Martian Manhunter: While technically not the victim of an early parental death, J'onn J'onzz was a loving father and husband until his family and just about all the other Martians died off from a contagious virus that fed off the telepathic energy that Martians had.

Review of The First Episode of Gotham (spoilers after second picture)

A day late, but I finally got to see the first episode of the new television series Gotham. Leading up to the debut of the show, I was excited to finally get a Batman based television show. Yes I know "Birds Of Prey" existed for almost a whole season on the former WB Network, but Batman never made an appearance, even if only as Bruce Wayne. In fact the only allusion to Bruce Wayne in a live action series since "Batman" from the '60's was in Smallville in a Lex Luthor flashback to his teenage days when one of his fellow students was named Bruce. Finally as a DC Comics fan, I finally got to see a Bruce Wayne on television--that wasn't doing a Bat-Toosie.

Unfortunately, I came away with both hope and anger from the pilot episode. I'll start with the negatives and wrap it up with the positives. Also I'm using the picture below to divide the intro of this blog from the pros and cons so I don't spoil anything for anyone who has yet to watch the show. So if you have yet to watch the show, do not read past this...

The Cons:
I'm not exactly sure where to start, so I'll go character by character.

Oswald Cobblepot has a significant role in the pilot episode...but as a lackey to Fish Mooney. By this point, he should be an established boss himself. His family was one of the First Families of Gotham along with the Wayne family, the Kanes, the Elliots, and the Crownes. He is from a family of wealth and shouldn't be rubbing feet of local gang bosses and running around like a butler. The writers also heavily emphasized that he is nicknamed the Penguin, which in the show, the character hates. It almost happens so much, some of the characters almost seem to go out of their way to call him that. Cobblepot in the comics wasn't ashamed or angered by his Penguin nickname, but so far in the show he is. Hopefully he will adopt it.

Selina Kyle is introduced in the pilot as mainly an observer. She is an hidden witness to the murder of Bruce's parents which is unlike the comics. If she witnessed the murder, I wouldn't have expected her to try to interfere, but just her presence seems a bit off. Selina also appears to be wearing an early version of a Catwoman costume, but she never took on that persona until she was an adult in the comics. The actress who plays her, Camren Bicondova, is fifteen years old in real life and it appears so far that is the age of her character. In the comics, she is slightly younger than Bruce Wayne, yet appears to be at least three years older that Bruce in this show. Lastly, most of the developments that turn her to becoming Catwoman, happened in her early adult years. Unless Gotham skips some years into the future or the show goes on for at least four or maybe five seasons, I don't see how you can properly develop her character as a prominent character in this show.

Ivy Pepper is a big spike to the heart for me. First off, this is the character that is supposed to be Poison Ivy, but Poison Ivy's name in the comics is Pamela Isley (Lillian Rose originally). She appears to be no older than seven to eight years old, which would make the age about right in comparison to Bruce, but she never becomes a villain until she's at least in college. Pamela grew up in an abusive home and the Mario Pepper character that's her father fits that role, but he is killed in the pilot while the mother lives on. In the comics, he kills Pamela's mother and buries her in the garden. I also don't like that with this character, as I stated it will at least a good ten or eleven years before she starts doing anything "evil" and that's only pheromone pills to fellow college students. She eventually becomes one of the biggest eco-terrorist alive, but not until her adult years. Introducing her character seems to be way too early.

Edward Nigma played a small role in Gotham as a coroner for the Gotham P.D. In the comics, there has never been an origin story that ever mentioned that he worked for the police department as a coroner. In either version of his origin story, he never works for the public sector. He was a carney in one version and a Wayne Enterprises employee in another.

Another stickler, despite how small the detail might be, was that when Gordon meets Bruce Wayne for the first time at the murder scene, he is supportive, but distant. In the comics and even in the Nolan-verse, Gordon puts his jacket on a young Bruce and the kid cries his eyes out. In the show, Bruce already has a blanket on, so I understand not trying to place his jacket on the kid, but there isn't that connection really. It was that simple connection that kept Gordon in Bruce's memory as he got older and built that first layer of trust between the two, even though Gordon is unaware that Bruce is Batman.

Other negatives that bugged me included the small nod to the Joker, the harlequin dancers, and the Renee Montoya and Crispus Allen team up. It seemed that the writers were trying to prove their knowledge of DC Comics and stuff everyone they could into the first episode. The comedian who entertained Fish Mooney was clearly the nod to Joker's origin as a failed comedian. The harlequin dancers on the stage when Gordon first met Mooney is a small nod to Harley Quinn. They wore the red and black alternating colors in their lingerie. Finally the duo of Renee Montoya and Crispus Allen. While Allen and Montoya were partners at one point in the comics, it was because Commissioner Gordon is the one that assigned them together. Gordon in the show is younger and lower ranked than her unlike the comics. It also seems to early to introduce Crispus Allen to the show as well.

The Positives:
Donal Logue plays a good Harvey Bullock. He is content on living with organized crime, instead of trying to take it down like Gordon wants. Bollock comes off as a borderline villain himself, but being the first episode, it gives him plenty of time to develop as a character and redeem himself bit by bit.

A Batman show that has Montoya! Now, I know I just complained a couple of paragraphs ago about her role, but the fact that the writers included her in the show is great. In the comics, she is a cop that eventually washes out from an alcohol addition and almost fades away until The Question takes her under his wings and mentors her to take his place. She played the role of The Question extremely well in the comics and I hope that there is some nod to her possible future as the show goes on. I just wished that they didn't make her character older and higher ranked than Gordon. She also has some sort of hidden past with the future Mrs. Gordon, which if played right, can be awesome or fail horribly. I'm still on the fence about that, but I am hopeful.

David Mazouz is the kid with the weight of the world on his shoulders. He is given the task of playing the pre-teen Bruce Wayne. From a casting standpoint, he appears to be a good pick. Visually he looks like he could be a young Bruce Wayne and he appears to have the gravitas to pull off the brooding personality.

Crispus Allen makes an appearance! While it's too early in my opinion, for him to be part of the Batman world, I think it's great that the future Spectre is on the show. Knowing his future role in the comics, I am going to keep my eye out for a Gotham cop named Jim Corrigan, who is Allen's murderer. Should be interesting since both Allen and Corrigan play host to The Spectre. While the show so far has played like a real life drama, I wonder if they'll add the supernatural element then when or if Allen is killed.

Ben McKenzie of The OC fame takes on the lead role of James Gordon. So far after one episode, all is well. He seems to have that unwavering quality about him that he fights for good, no matter what. He breaks up the beating of the Fish Mooney lackey, saves Cobblepot's life by faking his murder, and promises Bruce that he will find Thomas and Martha's killer. I hope that they don't necessarily play this up too much verbally, but instead continue to show that he's THE good guy by his actions. The only thing he needs is the mustache, but there's time to grow that as the show progresses.

Lastly, I sort of like the role of Fish Mooney played by Jada Pinkett Smith, but I'm torn at the same time. While I do admit to liking a show more when it follows comic book cannon as closely as possible, sometimes there does need to be a little variance to give the show it's own personality. Fish Mooney doesn't exist in cannon, but I wonder if her character is derived from a pre-existing midlevel boss such as Great White. While not disfigured like Warren White was, she shares the aquatic theme and is placed about the same level of "boss hood" as Great White was in the comics. Warren White went mad and adopted his Great White role and maybe that's something similar to what the writers have planned for Fish Mooney. I also can foresee a bad pun coming up soon when Cobblepot eventually overthrows her (he already has shown interest in doing show) from his position..."Penguins eat fish".

Last Thoughts:
I like the prospects of the show so far. The potential is there to be great, but also to be bad. I'm hopeful that the writers keep it a little closer to cannon and don't take too many liberties with the Batman universe. They already have with Fish Mooney, but there was room there to create a midlevel crime boss that early into Bruce's life. It's not as if the biggest comic book readers can identify all the midlevel bosses of Gotham before Batman came around. Gotham producers seem to have casted Bruce Wayne, James Gordon, and Fish Mooney well. I just hope that future roles keep up the decent casting they've done so far. I hope to see future appearances by other Gotham staples such as Thomas Elliot (Bruce's old best friend and future Hush), the Flying Graysons, and maybe some hints or mention of The Court Of Owls. If done right, I can see this show lasting as long as Smallville did and hopefully it ends with some sort of glimpse of a young Batman.