S02.E19: Wrath of the Villains: Azrael

[formerlyfreedom]

Gordon and Bruce question Professor Strange about Project Chimera, which leads Strange to send the newly resurrected Galavan to confront Gordon. Meanwhile, Nygma investigates who Professor Strange is.

 

[Primetimer]

His name is Azrael, and he enjoys long walks in the park, Jazzercise, and slaying people for reasons he's not 100% clear on.

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[Lantern7]

I am convinced that the most fun place to be in the television industry is the script readings at Gotham. The actors and writers probably have to keep bets as to how long they can go without laughing. Or drinking. Fuck it, what else am I going to do between 8 and 9?

So . . . Theo is Azrael, and Azrael is Jim's mortal nemesis. Sure, why not? No flaming swords or complex armor, but the insanity is preserved in spades. And you know Strange whacks it to footage of his rampages, while Ms. Peabody shakes her head and rolls her eyes.

Nice to see Ed adjusting well in Arkham. He'd be ready for a grisly death if he wasn't a canon character.

Can't believe Barnes might still be alive. I guess an intact sword would have done the job. Man, that was telegraphed, but I didn't turn away. I guess my tolerance to the bullshit is higher than normal for me.

[HoodlumSheep]

Pretty decent episode.

• Still don't like Theo's..err...Azrael's cartoony-ness
• Baby Bruce is becoming more and more like Batman with each episode.
• barnes was not making the brightest choices tonight (no wonder he got stabbed), but if he actually dies I'll miss him a little bit at least
• not enough Harvey
• hugo's gone bananas and Ms. peabody looks like she's about to bail, so she'll probably end up too.
• nice to briefly see a number of other characters (butch, tabby, ozzy, babs, etc)
• firefly in the promo!
• and looks like babs is starting to crack
• more tabby next week! Yay!

Edited May 3, 2016 by HoodlumSheep

[Spartan Girl]

If Barnes isn't dead now, he probably will be soon.

That stuff with Galavan/Azrael is messed up.

Babs is losing it even more. Bet she isn't long for this world either.

[SoSueMe]

Liked seeing Babs and Penguin. They're both amping up the crazy :) 

[thuganomics85]

I don't know if anyone will ever top Jada Pinkett Smith in the scenery-chewing department on this show, but man, was James Frain devouring the scenery as Azrael.  That was pure-grade camp right there.  This whole thing is just insane.  And it sounds like he's only going to be Hugo's first.  I'm guessing that bit where he is reading Alice and Wonderland means the Mad Hatter will be showing up any day now.

It's tough being the captain.  First Essen, and now Barnes is knocking on death's door.  Wouldn't be surprised if he survives though, but I do wonder how much longer he's going to be sticking around.  The character doesn't strike me as one who will be here long-term.

Bruce is slowly but surely no longer taking any crap from the adults.  He's been that way with Jim before, but even Barnes is getting an earful!  I also noticed those shots of him watching Azrael do all his nifty climbing, so I'm wondering if that's going to play into how becomes Batman.

Not enough Bullock... again.

Nygma breaking into Dr. Strange's lair of crazy.  Yeah, that's going to end well for everyone.

Looks like Theo being revealed is what is going to cause Oswald to come back to Gotham.  Good idea, since I have to think the mansion is starting to smell with that dead body still there.

Ha!  Of course Barbara would freak Butch out.  Tabitha though, probably finds that even hotter.

[Lokiberry]

OMG, this was so much fun! Bruce's face while Azrael was leaping around all "I am Vengence,I am the Night, I am . . .some crazy dude" was just priceless! And, Ed taking to Arkham like a fish to water. Hugo Strange, never leave me. You are the villain Gotham needs and deserves. This was the best episode in a long time. Sure huge chunks made no sense, but who cares? It was awesome. The end shot with Azrael on the bridge, and the batman-like cape flip? Perfection!

I watch all the DC shows and they frustrate the hell out of me with their wangst, insipid love triangles, and characters who kill themselves in the past but are still alive in the present because reasons. Gotham may have questionable writing, play fast and loose with canon, and I'm still not sure that Gordon is supposed to be a hero, but it's unabashedly not afraid to be what it is: a psychotic blend of comics, Batman the Animated series, Tim Burton's Batman, and  Adam West's 60's tv show.

Learn from this flarrowverse. Ditch the soap opera, and the baby mama drama, and Barry's 50 pep talks per episode, and embrace the sheer insanity of being a comic show. There's no such thing as too over the top.

Edited May 3, 2016 by Lokiberry

[Jediknight]

Nygma is so darn awesome it's not funny.  Seriously, every week Cory Michael Smith and the writers keep knocking it out of the park.

Crazy Babs scaring Butch was excellent.  We really need more time with Babs, Butch, and Tabitha.  I say that, but that means they'd take time away from any number of entertaining characters, like Nygma, Oswald, Bruce, Selina, Bullock, Hugo,  and Alfred.  This show definitely does not have a shortage of actors completely nailing their characters.

And on the shallow end, damn, Erin Richards and Jessica Lucas continue to be absolutely gorgeous.

[darkestboy]

Bonkers episode and one of the best we've had too.

I wasn't sure about Theo at Azrael but it surprisingly worked well and was so gloriously OTT I found the whole thing amusing. Also if this was Barnes exit too then it's a pretty decent one to rid the character.

Nygma in Arkham has turned out to be a great move too. Never mind Gordon, it should be Ed that Hugo should be worried about as a threat to his work now that he's become privy to Indian Hill as well.

The various reactions to Theo being alive were great, especially Oswald and Gordon's.

Loved Bruce standing up to both Gordon and Barnes in this episode too.

The fact that Barbara scares Butch is actually pretty amusing. Not that I blame Butch or anything, 8/10

[Philbert]

Oh "Gotham" you insane, 'express elevator to Hel'l thrillride of a comic book show, how I have grown to love you...without any embarrassment whatsoever. Are there better shows out there? Sure, absolutely no question. Are there any that are more entertaining? Honestly, even "Game of Thrones" and "Penny Dreadful" aren't this over the top nuts. This is the one show that I get off my computer for and just shut my brain down for an hour.

 Seriously, if they ever cancel this show (knock wood) then Strange and Peabody need their own spin-off. The two of them together are absolute horror-comedy gold. B.D. Wong's casting as Hugo Strange is going to go down as the stuff of legend. He is knocking this role totally out of the park. He's the perfect embodiment of the "mad scientist" trope imbued with nearly perfect comedy timing. I was absolutely riveted by him last night, despite the fact that I find TheoGalavan/Azreal to be an utter bore.

And so we bid a fond farewell and a job well-done to Michael Chiklis who I thought gave a very good performance as Captain Barnes this season. Sure, he was a bit of a tool at times, but an honest and brave one and he died a hero. On this show, that's about as good as you're gonna get. I continue to think people are right to say that Gordon is the weak link on this show. I don't think it's Ben MacKenzie's performance the way some do, it's just that I don't think he's being written very consistently because he's supposed to be the one sane man in a land of lunatics, and the "Gotham" writers simply can't do sane...or subtle. At least they've given up on the subtle and gone full out comic book in season two-and it's working for the most part.

Not sure what they are doing with poor Babs. She's clearly not stable...although it's pretty clear she's trying to be sane and failing miserably at it. Loved Butch's reaction to her babbling. In fact, I'm totally on board with the Butch/Tabitha/Babs ship. It's gonna sink tragically...with much loss of life...but like everything else on this show, it's gonna be a whole hell of a lot of fun to watch.

Excellent episode. 9/10.

Edited May 3, 2016 by Philbert

[Artsda]

Great episode, loved everyone not taking crap from Barnes. Bruce is coming into his own.

[Dobian]

So is Michael Chiklis dead?  He seemed to be, but then Gordon and Harvey went back to business as usual while they carted him off I guess.  Stabbing someone to death with a broken sword, though, is a trope they've used in tv and movies before, but not something that would really work in real life.  I did like his character though, the one truly lawful good character in all of Gotham.  Nygma having the planning meeting with his band of crazies at Arkham, including face-licker, was hilarious.  Babs is Crazy Babs once again.  I guess the writers tried to make her Sane Babs for that one episode and decided, nope, Crazy Babs is much more fun!  I guess Gordon technically gets a pass for murdering Galavan now that Galavan is back to life.  Now Gordon can change his ways and follow Barnes' example.  He's already advised Bruce on the no-kill policy.  And I enjoy B.D. Wong as Hugo Strange every episode plus his assistant who is great as his sidekick.  But the more he plays Strange the more he seems to morph into George Takei.  Ohhhhh myyyyy!!!

[Traveller519]

Don't bother trying to steer into the skid, just keep skidding everywhere! It is fantastic!

[NorthstarATL]

"I'm making gimlets! ...Do we have any limes?" Crazy Babs is awesome! Ed and Hugo as well. I was hoping we'd get a better look at the facilities as we followed Ed's foray, but I guess that's probably coming. In the comics I always thought the Azrael/Dumbass thing was silly, but making it a fiction created by Hugo Strange to control Galavant, inspired by the Riddler, was a great use of the concept! We need a bit more OOT on the good guys' side to balance out some of the characters of the villains. Perhaps an honest-to-goodness vigilante who isn't quite the Bat.

[Chaos Theory]

Not enough Loony Tunes Barbara.   What?  I think she is fun.

Loved Nygma King of Arkham.  I love how he had the place clocked.  I think Nygma was the best part of the episode.

Its a bad thing when you just don't get the motivation of the lead.  Jim Girdob's motivation for just about everything pulpexed me.

 

I have zero interest in Galavan except that him being alivish dies cause havoc for slot of my favorites Is Penguin, Babs and Tabitha. 

Shut up Bruce.  You are a kid.  Stop bossing around grown ups.  

[Biggie B]

I'm in the minority - I don't like Barbara, sane or crazy. I find her boring either way, and wouldn't miss her if she was gone. At this point, what's left for her character? We've already seen her go after Lee a million different times, none of which were successful. She's tried to get Jim back and failed. She's tried to be "sane," or as sane as one can be coming out of Arkham, and that didn't get her anywhere. Now that she's with Butch and Tabitha, will she once again try to be a villain? *yawn* There are already so many great characters on this show that we don't see enough of, so take her screen time and put it to better use (IMO).

I love that Ed figured out how to access the secret entrance to Dr. Strange's lab/work area. I was hoping we viewers would catch a glimpse of perhaps Fish Mooney in stasis.

Not enough Penguin, although again, there are only so many minutes per show, and he did have a huge amount of screen time with his last story line. It was great seeing his reaction to Galavan's 'resurrection.' Can't wait to see the two of them crossing paths once again, even though I could do without Galavan/Azrael as well. I have no knowledge of Azrael, this is my first exposure to this character, and while it's exciting for Dr. Strange to have successfully brought someone back to life, so far I'm not really invested in Azrael.

Will Jim become commissioner now, or is it too soon?

I love Miss Peabody. She never smiles. It's like she knows damn well how totally WRONG everything Dr. Strange is doing, but she just couldn't care less. As long as her paycheck clears at the bank. She's so deadpan - "What he needs is some thorazine." She cracks me up!

Edited May 3, 2016 by Biggie B

[Kromm]

So this show is inverting the Batman/Azrael relationship?

I suppose that's one way of using a character who shouldn't show up until late in Batman's career. Then again.., that's kind of this whole show, in variations.

I suppose the Jean-Paul Valley fans out there are really upset at a shit like Theo Galavan replacing him. You know. All five of them.

[tiredofwork]

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Will Jim become commissioner now, or is it too soon?

Maybe I'm stupid, but who is in fact the commish?  Barnes/Chickless was just the Captain.

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I don't know if anyone will ever top Jada Pinkett Smith in the scenery-chewing department on this show

I can't tell if this is meant to be complimentary to Jada or not?   I actually liked Jada's Fish Mooney though.   But in my opinion, B.D. Wong is way, way over the top in scene chewing.., but again, for this show, I think all the characters are meant to be that way and that is cool with me.

Edited May 3, 2016 by tiredofwork
Bad grammer and spelling

[HoodlumSheep]

Barnes is dead according to Gotham's twitter account. They replied to a couple people about it. Unless they're flat out lying. RIP Captain Barnes. You will be missed a little by me. 

[blackwing]

This show is getting ridiculous.  I am not a fan of James Frain and I hated the Galavan character the first time around.  But this time, with the added supernatural powers and apparent invulnerability, it's just completely over the top.  Apparently, just like Damien Dahrk on "Arrow", he just can't be stopped.

Not a fan of B.D. Wong either.  I hate his lisp or whatever he has that makes him sound like that.  The character just oozed condescension when talking with Gordon.

Too bad Barnes died, but it was mostly his own fault.  He didn't believe in Jim.

I want more Riddler and more Penguin.  More Tabitha and Butch.  More Barbara.  Less Galavan, less Hugo Strange.  And I want Fish Mooney resurrected, pronto.

[Kromm]

6 minutes ago, blackwing said:

This show is getting ridiculous.  I am not a fan of James Frain and I hated the Galavan character the first time around.  But this time, with the added supernatural powers and apparent invulnerability, it's just completely over the top.  Apparently, just like Damien Dahrk on "Arrow", he just can't be stopped.

Not a fan of B.D. Wong either.  I hate his lisp or whatever he has that makes him sound like that.  The character just oozed condescension when talking with Gordon.

I can agree with frustration at the show and how ridiculous it gets, but I can't count a villain being condescending to a hero as a negative. They're not there to be likable, after all, just (hopefully) fascinating to us. Logically someone like Strange would consider a mere cop (or a non-cop, or whatever the hell Gordon is) akin to an insect, so the condescension makes sense. 

Edited May 3, 2016 by Kromm

[blackwing]

13 minutes ago, Kromm said:

I can agree with frustration at the show and how ridiculous it gets, but I can't count a villain being condescending to a hero as a negative. They're not there to be likable, after all, just (hopefully) fascinating to us. Logically someone like Strange would consider a mere cop (or a non-cop, or whatever the hell Gordon is) akin to an insect, so the condescension makes sense. 

I agree with you there, the condescension makes sense.  It's just everything surrounding it that annoys me, the actor is over the top in his portrayal.  I see that some enjoy that, and for me, I can tolerate it in small quantities, but he's going way overboard.

[Danielg342]

I dreaded Theo Galavan's return, but I like him better as the off-kilter, vengeance-seeking Azrael. James Frain plays that role far better, and he should stick to it. Suave businessman isn't his thing.

R.I.P. Captain Nathaniel Barnes...we hardly knew you. Sad to see him go, but I must admit the show will be better without him- Barnes was way too one-note about "sticking to the law" that it became irritating real quick. Dude, you're in Gotham. If you can't understand that this place doesn't follow the rules- or expectations- you really don't know what you are doing.

Jim actually did pretty well in this case, and I liked how Bruce Wayne stood up to Barnes and called him the jerk that he is. Jim's highlight was playing Hugo Strange- I'm not sure if Jim planned on being despondent about where his life was to get Strange to open up, but it sure did work. Props to him.

Nygma playing everyone else was a joy too...if Strange gets dropped out of Arkham, Nygma could run it. He's just as twisted and knows how to control the others...he's perfect.

Of course, the real star of this episode was Strange. I thought at first he was a bit over the top but after a while he warmed up to the crazy, charming Strange that I love...and he ran with it. I've lost count how many times I've said that BD Wong is having the time of his life with this role but it shows...big time...and it's a real joy to watch.

The Bullock Meter- 2. I believe that's how many lines Harvey Bullock had. A real, real big waste, especially considering that with Barnes dead, the storyline potential with Bullock remains unexplored. If there was one guy who could have put Barnes in his place, it was Bullock- and the show dropped the ball, big time.

Episode Grade- C+. It kind of zoomed on by without really holding my attention, but it had enough moments that it still largely worked for me.

[HalcyonDays]

6 hours ago, HoodlumSheep said:

Barnes is dead according to Gotham's twitter account. They replied to a couple people about it. Unless they're flat out lying. RIP Captain Barnes.

I'm not sad Barnes is dead, TBH. Even in this episode, I was getting tired of his "by the book" mentality, continuously not believing Gordon, even though he (Jim) has shown he was telling the truth time and time again, etc. Like, when the lights went out, I was going "Unlock the Cell, you IDIOT!" Barnes' inability to think outside the box got a lot of people killed time and time again. If he just shutup with the whole "We do things by the book" BS, a lot more lives would have been saved. Glad he's gone.

Getting a bit tired of Bruce being so impatient too... it makes him make rash decisions. Maybe it's deliberate, that he'll learn he NEEDS to be calculating and not impulsive as Batman. Did love him studying Azrael with a bit of awe, when he's climbing the walls, cape flowing behind him.That was awesome.

James Frain hamming it up as Galavan. Have to say, I got a kick out of the cute kiddie excitement and pourty faces he was making...and shallow comment of the episode, he looked GOOD in that black wetsuit whatever that was thing.

Jim is the best....he needs to be Commissioner, or at least Captain NOW. Anytime Harvey appears, the episde automatically improves.

Crazy!Barbara is the best.

Nygma being at home in Arkham made me laugh - he's right, he knows how to manipulate people. Very dangerous. But man, I was worried for him going down to Strange's "lab" area....you know he'll be caught.

What a twisted messed up show...and I like it!

[mtlchick]

Much like Bruce Wayne slowly embraces who he eventually becomes, this show is slowly embracing that you can have serious undertones mixed with WTF campiness.  Last year it suffered from introducing too much of the lore too soon.  This year with the split seasons of the Rise and Wrath, the narrative was become more focused.  It's not perfect and there are a lot of wonky problems to fix, but it has improved greatly.  

 

Adios Barnes...in a place like Gotham, you can't go by the book all the time. Sooner or later, the spine of said book gets warped and VERY flexible after some time. 

[HoodlumSheep]

At the same time I can sort of understand Barnes' "by the book" views, despite it being obvious that they don't always work out for the best. It's all about that slippery slope you can find yourself on. Jim is a prime example. Jim chose to do some shady stuff and that snowballed into the giant Galavan mess.

but yeah, Barnes' methods were definitely ineffective this episode. I can't believe he wasted all those bullets shooting at armor. He should have at least tried aiming for a joint or the neck or something wear there wouldn't be as much protection.

[jhlipton]

13 hours ago, Dobian said:

So is Michael Chiklis dead?  He seemed to be, but then Gordon and Harvey went back to business as usual while they carted him off I guess. 

11 hours ago, HoodlumSheep said:

Barnes is dead according to Gotham's twitter account. They replied to a couple people about it. Unless they're flat out lying. RIP Captain Barnes. You will be missed a little by me.

He seemed to be alive in the ambulance (they said something about his BP), so he would have to have died off-stage. Kind of odd to do that.

11 hours ago, Biggie B said:

I'm It was great seeing his reaction to Galavan's 'resurrection.

"How many times do I have to kill him???"

[Kathemy]

They probably make a point of him dying next episode. I guess the official twitter is a bit fuzzy on what happens in which episode.

[Snookums]

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So is Michael Chiklis dead? 

I'd be surprised if he was because A) the EMTs said something about his blood pressure, as an earlier poster noted, and B) they showed him on the gurney with his head uncovered, which is TV Show Shorthand for "messed up but alive." Head covered is of course Dead Dead Dead.

 

Well, this one was pretty good! So many bits I liked: Strange just reveling in his everything while reading from Alice In Wonderland while Peabody purses her lips and thinks about Thorazine and how absolutely fucking crackers her boss is. I loved how she was all your recently resurrected mass murderer writing on walls with his own blood patient in there needs drug therapy and Strange is all "we work with what we have." You could tell she was thinking "Yes and I have LOTS AND LOTS OF THORAZINE."

James Frain's a lot more fun now that he's lost it and is running around all I Am An Avenging Angel Sword Night This Armor Is Really Heavy FLASHBACKS! then back when he was boring and smarmy and wanted to rebuild Gotham out of Mac desktop shell casings. And he's in hella shape. The decision to put him in that black bodysuit was the right one.

Well, Barnes at least fulfilled his duties in both pointing Jim Gordon back to the path of good (he did a great job in his speech about how the streets are flooded with evil and the only chance they have is the law; i.e., not just doing what you want based on your own private compass because that never works) and illustrating that too much worship of an orthodox reading of said laws is just as bad--it leaves you rigid and defensive and you can't think outside the box at all. Here's hoping Jim Gordon, the dummy, manages to grasp the lesson and not open himself up to future charges of hypocrisy by Bruce "That look! It is all that I've dreamed! Cape and all!" Wayne.

Butch, Tabitha and Babs continue to be fun as hell. "Babe, I know you like her but she scares me." *shrug* "She says she's cured." "THAT'S WHAT A CRAZY PERSON WOULD SAY!" *meat cleaver* "ARE THERE LIMES?"  I need a spin off set in a duplex where Babs, Tabs, and Butchie are roomies in one half and Nygma and Penguin in the other.

Last but not least, Eddie pulls it out of the corner and puts his brain to some good (ish) uses, and the choice of "I'm Lookin' Over A Four Leaf Clover" was genius and whoever dug that up gets a raise.

[Biggie B]

Quote

 And he's in hella shape. The decision to put him in that black bodysuit was the right one.

I thought that the body suit was padded and sculpted. I mean, if that's really the actor's physique, congrats to him, but it looked artificial to me.

[blackwing]

1 hour ago, Biggie B said:

I thought that the body suit was padded and sculpted. I mean, if that's really the actor's physique, congrats to him, but it looked artificial to me.

I agree, it looked like padding to me.  James Frain is a 50 year old man.  Not that a 50 year old can't look like that, but if he was that in shape, he'd be getting offered different roles.  There's a reason why they made Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck take their shirts off in Bats v. Supes, it's so you can see that they actually have the muscle and that it's not just the costume.

[Flyingwoman]

This episode was in desperate need of some Bruce Campbell.

 

When will Ms. Peabody finally take over Arkham? That woman needs a side kick of her own!

[Kathemy]

I liked it!

Doux Reviews <> Gotham <> Azrael

[HalcyonDays]

Quote

I'd be surprised if he was because A) the EMTs said something about his blood pressure, as an earlier poster noted, and B) they showed him on the gurney with his head uncovered, which is TV Show Shorthand for "messed up but alive." Head covered is of course Dead Dead Dead.

Unless Dr. Strange hijacks the ambulance and includes Barnes in his little Pinewood experiments.....

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When will Ms. Peabody finally take over Arkham? That woman needs a side kick of her own!

I love me some Ms. Peabody. Her expressions, manner and dead-pan comments are priceless.

Quote

I thought that the body suit was padded and sculpted. I mean, if that's really the actor's physique, congrats to him, but it looked artificial to me.

I thought Frain just has the body type of a thin tall man. Didn't see any padding - he seemed pretty lean with lean muscles.

Quote

James Frain is a 50 year old man.

Really? Wow. Nicely aged, sir, nicely aged. Wow.

[driedfruit]

With Gotham I never know what I'm in for, and what a ride! Baby Bat's crazy silently unfolding as he watched Azrael all capey and awesome was the cherry on top. 

[Camera One]

I thought the Azreal stuff was boring.  Still hate Galavan.  I'm not feeling any anticipation for Tabitha and Penguin seeing Galavan again.

The Ed in Arkham was surprisingly entertaining, though.  I hope he ends up ruining some of Hugo's plans.

Bruce looks almost as tall as Jim Gordon now.  I didn't expect him to be so mouthy with the Captain.  I hate characters being killed off, but Barnes is so repetitive and I won't miss him much.

[John Potts]

Fun episode because it just decided to embrace the ridiculous. Hugo Strange determines that instead of making himself rich and/or powerful, he'll get his kicks by creating villains until somebody notices that he keeps releasing criminal nutcases. Nice to know that as well as creating Azrael and the Mad Hatter, he indirectly inspired Bats himself (I don't recall if there's a "Leprechaun" in Batman's Rogue's Gallery, but it wouldn't surprise me). Though he did have the sense to shut up when questioned by Gordon (who isn't even a cop), so maybe he's not completely taken by his mad science project. At least he's enjoying himself!

Babs was similarly embracing the crazy. Loved the shot of her with the cleaver and inquiring about gimlets - I'd make sure that any cocktail recipe she has doesn't use "fingers" as a way of measuring alcohol because I'd be worried what might turn up in my drink!
 

Quote

 

Monty Ashley (Recap) Jim takes some time to tell Bruce that you can't just murder the people you don't like

 

 

A bit hypocritical of him, perhaps, but it seems a lesson Bruce takes to heart.

[MarkHB]

On 5/3/2016 at 2:30 PM, Kromm said:

So this show is inverting the Batman/Azrael relationship?

I suppose that's one way of using a character who shouldn't show up until late in Batman's career. Then again.., that's kind of this whole show, in variations.

I suppose the Jean-Paul Valley fans out there are really upset at a shit like Theo Galavan replacing him. You know. All five of them.

IIRC, Azrael was established in the comics as a role fostered by the Order, not just a mythical figure.  So the way they handled him here doesn't directly contradict the Jean-Paul Valley stories happening much later. 

On 5/3/2016 at 3:32 PM, Kromm said:

I can agree with frustration at the show and how ridiculous it gets, but I can't count a villain being condescending to a hero as a negative. They're not there to be likable, after all, just (hopefully) fascinating to us. Logically someone like Strange would consider a mere cop (or a non-cop, or whatever the hell Gordon is) akin to an insect, so the condescension makes sense. 

Here's a bit of a Hugo Strange Batman cover that's on his WP article.  With this as the character's endgame, I think they did very well by him:

[Old House Nut]

This is really late, but here is another of the series' unending line of nitpicks. When Ed slipped out of the cell by using a newspaper to keep the lock from engaging, that was at least possible. But, how did he get back in the cell after his escapade? We already know that the lock automatically engages when the door closes since the guard didn't have to use a key to lock the door when Ed was breaking out.

Edited June 5, 2016 by Old House Nut