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Even XXXXX, XXXXX XX, 2013 | TAB NAME Odd 2 TV ENCORE By Jacqueline Spendlove TV Media C omic book adaptations have taken off on both the big screen and the small. Ever since "Superman and the Mole-Men" graced the silver screen in 1951, DC Comics has raked in more than its fair share of theater revenue. From "Swamp Thing" (1982), "Catwoman" (2004) and "Green Lantern" (2011) to more Batmans and Supermans than you can count on one hand, it's clear that the franchise isn't exactly wanting for popularity. It's no stranger to television, either, and a few new DC proj- ects are on the horizon for the near future. The first of these to make its way to prime time is the highly anticipated "Gotham," which gets underway Monday, Sept. 22, on Fox. What makes the series a par- ticular standout is that is doesn't cover the Batman time frame we know from the comics and previ- ous screen incarnations. "Gotham" is, in fact, an origin story, and it aims to provide the background on how Gotham City and its residents — heroes and villains alike — came to be. The idea is a dynamo for sure. While there's no question that Batman's a beloved character, his story has been done before, over and over. By contrast, there's not a whole lot known about The Penguin, Catwoman and the rest before they went bad — if they ever weren't bad — and now we'll get some insight as to what happened to put them on their Graybeals Carpet 2 x 3" Pear Tree Gallery 3 x 2" Harrison- Metzger 2 x 2" On the Cover dastardly paths. With "Gotham" comes a taste of something brand new, but still connected to the story and hero that we love. "We don't want to just regur- gitate a comic book," says DC Entertainment's chief creative officer Geoff Johns in a preview clip. "We need to elevate it, we need to make it something it's never been before, while still staying true to the DNA." You don't have to worry about a total lack of Batman, either — he's still around, he's just not Batman yet, and therefore doesn't demand the same focus. Thirteen-year-old David Mazouz ("Touch") plays the billionaire- playboy-to-be, Bruce Wayne. He doesn't know it yet, but the mur- der of his parents sets young Bruce on the path to keeping Gotham safe from people like the man who made him an orphan. It's also how he meets Det. James Gordon (Ben McKenzie, "The O.C.," "Southland"), the city's future White Knight and "Gotham's" leading man. Millennials will best know McKenzie from his role as "The O.C.'s" brooding bad boy with a heart of gold, Ryan Atwood. Now in a far more age-appropriate role, the handsome Texan is the perfect choice for the future Commissioner Gordon. As for the baddies, expect to see younger and less outlandishly dressed versions of Catwoman (Camren Bicondova, "Battlefield America," 2012), The Riddler (Cory Michael Smith, "Camp X-Ray," 2014) and more, but the first sea- son focuses most heavily on The Penguin, or Oswald Cobblepot (Robin Lord Taylor, "Accepted," 2006), as he's still known. A pre- view clip shows a geeky (and let's face it, kind of creepy) Cobblepot being ridiculed for his waddling gait — tuxedo and all — and the palpable rage that flares up in him is a pretty clear indicator of his villainous future. "Who are the super-villains in the city, and how did they become that way? Maybe they were just like me and you," sug- gests director and executive pro- ducer Danny Cannon in the pre- view. "Why on Earth would that real person turn into that crazy psychopath?" This is what "Gotham" will explore. As for the rest of the villains we're familiar with — Poison Ivy, The Scarecrow, The Joker and any other member of the rogues' gal- lery — their inclusion and amount of screen time is depen- dent on the audience's reaction Fox's new series tells the origin stories of Gotham City's most well-known characters to them. "The first year is very much about the rise of The Penguin ... but other characters will be intro- duced as we roll along through that first season," Heller revealed during a TCA media tour, "but we'll respond to what's working and what isn't." They won't play it fast and loose with character roll-outs, either; Heller assures us that later villains-to-be will be introduced slowly, and often in unexpected ways. It's tough to catch all the new projects coming in hard and fast during premiere season, but "Gotham" is one that you'll want to make time for. What lit- tle that's been revealed of the series already makes it a must- see, and that barely scratches the surface. 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