6 Times Gotham Improved Batman's Mythology (And 4 Times It Failed)

1. He’s Basically Batman

As Gotham’s final episode drew to a close, audiences were given a glimpse into a future in which Bruce Wayne has fully embraced the moniker of Batman. But the real truth of the matter is that we’d all pretty much seen Batman already.

In the comics – in particular Frank Miller’s seminal Batman: Year One – we see a 25-year-old Bruce returning from his worldly travels, having honed his physical abilities, sharpened his mind, and returned to Gotham City with a determination to rid the city of its vile and vicious criminal element. Needing a symbol that will strike fear into the streets of Gotham, a bat crashing through a Wayne Manor window gives Wayne the inspiration to take on the mantle of Batman.

The thing is, in the Gotham TV show, Bruce Wayne is pretty much already Batman before the series finale's ten-year jump into the future. He’s already been out patrolling the rooftops. He’s already been tinkering away with gadgets. He’s already been targeting Gotham City’s most infamous of characters. And he’s already been wearing an outfit that is essentially an ear-less, cape-less Batsuit.

For the last season or more of Gotham, we were basically watching Batman-lite – with a large part of Bruce’s comic book ascension skipped over and fast-tracked.