It seems that the next big thing in comics is movie-to-television continuity. With Agents of SHEILD getting a head start (as Marvel seems to be in all things movie and television) the onus is on Warner Brothers and DC to create links among not only their budding cinematic universe, but also among their upcoming television series. Currently, Arrow is successful and highly popular and has managed to incorporate a lot of the DC Universe through storyline or Easter eggs, and now with the looming series launches of The Flash, Constantine, and Gotham it seems that the best way to support the trend and hunger for continuity is to find ways to link these shows even though they may not all be on the same network. Better yet, why not have the shows interact in a massive crossover? That's not an easy task, to be sure, though this has to a certain degree been accomplished in the past: Angel and Buffy managed to co-exist in the same universe across different networks for the latter part of their runs, thus proving that this feat is not impossible. In the case of connecting these DC properties, there are a number of factors that separate the series beyond network rivalries, however. While there are several issues that must be addressed, at the forefront is including Gotham in a way that doesn't preclude the DC Television Universe from being included in the DC Cinematic Man Of Steel Universe and a plot or threat that justifies Constantine's involvement with Green Arrow, the Flash, and Jim Gordon. It requires that any cross-over between the shows contain some mechanism for the time displacement of Gotham, time travel endeavour for the other three, or a plot that spans a large amount of time. In this case, the former is probably more reasonable than the latter two. There would be some difficulty, in addition, because Gotham is probably not being planned as a closed series with a definitive ending in mind (beyond obviously setting up Batman's debut or Bruce Wayne leaving Gotham). There's a fine line to walk, but the balance is by no means impossible to manage. That said, there are a few ways to link these shows up, under the premise that most of the action is in Gotham's future rather than its present, and deploying world and character development and a good, believable plot...
Brandon grew from the awkwardness of his youth into the awkwardness of his adulthood. He is the author of the Eat Your Serial Press title "Ten Years Gone: Pomp and Circumstance" and is a contributor on Maglomaniac, Polite on Society, and What Culture.
