Gotham
Yet another offbeat take on the Batman mythos is Fox’s 2014-19 series Gotham which grew into a sensation. The first season is the weakest, opening with the Waynes being murdered, a grief-stricken Bruce coping and Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) trying to be a good cop in a bad town. But it gets better once it embraces the madness of Gotham and showcases how the classic mob families gave way to “the freaks.”
The cast is sensational: Donal Logue as Harvey Bullock; Erin Richards as Barbara, whose transformation from quiet wife to psycho mob boss is fantastic; Cory Michael Smith as the twisted Riddler; Camren Bicondova as Selina Kyle, and, of course, Robin Lord Taylor as Oswald Cobblepot who rises up in power.
That’s without mentioning versions of Poison Ivy, the Mad Hatter, Firefly, Mr. Freeze, Ra’ al Ghul, and Cameron Monaghan’s future Joker. The show gets wilder every year with unexpected twists, laugh-out-loud moments, and some dark takes on Gotham. The finale brings it to Batman’s arrival, yet the journey makes this a rare prequel that truly works.
Streaming on Max
Black Lightning
Born Again is about a hero returning after a long while away. That matches this CW Arrowverse entry where Jefferson Pierce (Cress Williams) had given up his life as the electricity-powered Black Lightning to be a principal. When his mob boss enemy, Tobias Whale, returns, Jefferson is pulled back into this life, complicated by how his daughters have gained their own powers.
The show packs some gritty action with the super-heroics while also addressing issues of race and class. It could be a tad too complex but not as tied to the other Arrowverse shows, and so it could rest on its own identity. It’s a terrific series with a strong finale to mark a fine series about a streetwise hero that can appeal to Daredevil fans.
Streaming on Netflix.
Kung Fu
If you love the martial arts action on Born Again, check out this CW reboot of the 1970s TV series. Nicky Shen (Olivia Liang) returns to her home in San Francisco after years of training in a secret Chinese monastery. She’s now a martial arts expert whose fighting skills have become superhuman and trying to clean up her crime-ridden neighborhood. That leads her to clash with forces to gain more power.
Liang is fabulous in the action scenes, especially when going against rival Zilan (Yvonne Chapman). The show also does a fine job exploring Chinese-American culture via Liang’s family and her connections to her people around her. While lasting only three seasons, it had a good finale and for a mix of action and mystical heroics, any Daredevil fan will enjoy this series too.
Streaming on Max.