'Gotham' brings fresh, crime-drama twist to Batman legacy

"Gotham" (2014 - present) catapults into fall TV’s comic-scape with all the expected classics: cloaked imps whizzing through market alleyways, sweeping pans of a shadow-soaked city, a full, brooding score of police sirens and suspense-mode strings. Immediately recognizable are the impossibly gloomy and permanently wet streets that the Batman trope has carved into the collective memory of the silver screen. The only thing missing is the masked vigilante himself.

However, instead of an appearance by the Batman, we see Jeff Gordon (Benjamin McKenzie a.k.a. Ryan from The O.C. (2003-2007)) as the leather-clad, steely eye muscle man. He’s shown here as a detective in pre-Batman Gotham. So, until little Bruce Wayne grows up, Gordon is the one kicking around criminals. Purist fans of the iconic franchise keen on seeing a fresh installment materialize on the small screen, will likely be disappointed without their beloved winged hero. But FOX has scraped together all the other best parts of fiction’s favorite corrupt city, making a strong case for anyone to stick around with or without him.

The first step to getting the most out of this new "Gotham" is appreciating it for what it is. Instead of being the comic-book-turned-television series that it was marketed to be, the show is a gimmick-riddled crime drama. Just like Batman himself, the show’s true character is hidden beneath a thinly veiled false identity. Protagonist Jeff Gordon is a cop who chases criminals, deals with mob bosses and struggles to balance his job with his relationship -- all the usual, real-world ingredients. Since the Batman franchise has always chosen a gritty brand of fists and guns over powers and mutations, the show’s premise risks isolating anyone seeking a more superhuman jolt from reality.

Fortunately for Bat-fans and comic neophytes alike, "Gotham" peppers its grainy goon-chasing with a satisfying dose of fantasy. Classic villains introduced in the first episode alone include a ruthlessly sultry, threat-seething criminal boss named Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett Smith), icy ringleader Carmine Falcone (John Doman) and Clare Foley’s the campy foreshadowing of mini-villain Poison Ivy among others. Judging from the pilot, Gotham City’s prerequisites for citizenship still oscillate between extreme sadism and utter helplessness.

As such, the most gripping of these troublemakers is Oswald “Penguin” Cobblepot (Robin Lord Taylor), whose twitchy ticks and disturbing, emotional stutters threaten violent breakdowns in each tense movement.

This twisted dark side to "Gotham" bubbles beneath the surface during the pilot’s entire first half, which focuses a bit aggressively on exposition and unnecessary world building. The show’s producers are eagerly yanking at a pool of influences that have been multiplying for decades since Batman’s conception, and viewers can feel their heavy hands trying to cram in as many references as possible. At its worst, this thickly laid-on, syrupy plea to both comic lovers and financial backers is a transparent attempt at marketable fan fiction. But about halfway through the episode, they drop the act, the audience buys in and the mania manifests itself. "Gotham" stands to be one of the most brutal shows on FOX’s otherwise family friendly lineup, and, at its best, this sleazy darkness riles up anticipation with every cut.

This is not to say that the absence of the series’ true leading role is not felt. The players that do remain in "Gotham" frequently remind each other of their need for a “guardian,” and they cling steadfastly to this idea because the city’s essential substance still rests on the Dark Knight. Since each character was originally sketched out in reference to the masked hero, his shadow inevitably looms over the forced plot lines weaved by all his supporting roles.

Even still, in a fall season soggy with desperate crime show repeats and comic book afterthoughts, "Gotham" is a welcome new kid on the block. The series will have to fight to find its place in the bottomless pit of DC and Marvel adaptations hitting the screen, especially with a basis that lends itself so readily to the hackneyed “good cop, bad cop” dynamic. But with its classically gothic cinematography, glossy cast and “Blade Runner” (1982) style grit, this pilot has already earned "Gotham" some street cred.