It should come as no surprise to learn that Gotham is rather different from the comics that serve as its source of inspiration. After all, even the comics are different from the comics. Still, it can be interesting to look into how Gotham differs from its source material as well as their effects on the series as a whole.
Here are 5 ways that Gotham is different from the comics:
Oswald Cobblepot
There are both similarities and dissimilarities between Oswald Cobblepot and his comic book counterpart. On the one hand, he shares the same interest in controlling Gotham. On the other hand, he has little physical resemblance to most versions of the Penguin, seeing as how he is skinny rather than short and rotund like most versions of the character. Furthermore, Cobblepot is more emotional and more erratic, though that could be explained as him being at an earlier point in his life.
Solomon Grundy
As it turned out, the man who went on to become Solomon Grundy was always on Gotham. At the end of Season 3, it turned out that Butch Gilzean’s real name was Cyrus Gold, thus revealing that he would rise from his rest as the revenant Solomon Grundy. With that said, considering that the comic book version of Cyrus Gold lived in the late 19th century, it should be clear that there have been some rather significant changes.
Victor Zsasz
The comic book version of Victor Zsasz is a serial killer who cuts notches in his skin whenever he kills someone. As a result, he tends to operate on his own for rather obvious reasons. The Gotham version of Zsasz still cuts notches in his skin whenever he kills someone. However, he is a contract killer for the city’s criminal elements who uses guns rather than knives. Furthermore, he has his own team of contract killers, which is a significant change in how he operates compared to his comic book counterpart.
Barbara Kean
Barbara Kean was James Gordon’s first wife in the comics. Unfortunately, she was something of a non-entity, meaning that there wasn’t much to compare with her Gotham version. With that said, there can be no doubt that the Gotham version of the character has been changed a great deal, as shown by her very notable mental issues, her influence in Gotham’s criminal underworld, and the sheer number of villains with whom she has worked with over the course of the series so far. Based on this, it is rather difficult to see Barbara Kean as the mother of James Gordon’s two future children.
James Gordon
This can sound rather blunt, but Gotham‘s James Gordon seems like the sort of person who the comic book version of Batman would be less than fond of. He wants to be a good police officer, but by this point in the series, it is clear that he is not. Simply put, Gordon has crossed the line on a number of occasions, which has included cases of outright murder. Furthermore, he has shown that he isn’t really someone that other people can count on, which makes him a far cry from his comic book counterpart.
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