Welcome to the DC Weekly, where every week we cover DC news, TV show reactions, and random speculation.

THIS WEEK was a big one for DC on the television front. Not only did we get the season premieres for CW’s “The Flash” and “Arrow,” but we also had an especially captivating episode of “Gotham.” While I won’t be able to speak much on “Arrow” just yet, I’ll definitely be covering the latest “Flash” and “Gotham” episodes this week. Top that off with some “Wonder Woman” news, and a surprising dose of Marilyn Manson, and we have one great week in DC.

NEWS

Marilyn Gotham?

You know what’s been missing in the show “Gotham?” No, it’s believable storytelling or yet another villain, though I can see why you’d go there. What’s really been missing from the show is Marilyn Manson. I’ll repeat that: Marilyn Manson.

The rock artist recently sent out a suspicious tweet potentially implying that he’d be making his way onto the show in the future.

At this point, it’s not really clear if Manson is campaigning for the role, or if he’s already been cast and is just hyping up his eventual appearance. This tweet came a mere few days before the SHOCKING TWIST in this week’s episode of “Gotham,” so one has to wonder if the two are related…I won’t spoil that part here (you’ll have to scroll a bit farther to see that), but those who saw the episode will know of what I speak.

What do you think? Would Manson fit in to the world established in “Gotham?” If you think so, which role do you think he should play?

Time-Hopping Wonder Woman?

One of the most anticipated titles in the DC lineup of films so far is “Wonder Woman.” Despite the long string of success that comic book movies have had in the past, there has yet to be a female superhero of note spearheading a comic book movie. Despite havingan eight-year head start, Marvel’s “Captain Marvel,” the only female-led film on the docket, is still a good three years away. “Wonder Woman,” on the other hand, is about a year and a half away. Needless to say, it’s got quite the burden to bear for female fans who have been waiting patiently for decades.

But what of the plot? Well, the folks over at Den of Geek have some rumors regarding that, and from the sound of it, Diana Prince won’t be restricted to one time period in her first solo outing.

“We’ve now learned from a well-placed source (who will remain anonymous) that ‘Wonder Woman’ will, in fact, take place in three distinct time periods. It’s even possible, we’re told, that the story will move through a different time period for each act.

The first setting will be Themyscira, the idyllic island Wonder Woman has called home since her adventures began in the 1940s.

The second period is World War I – the specific year we’ve been given is 1916, which places it right in the middle of that conflict.

The movie will then move to the modern day, where it will tie into the events of ‘Justice League Part One,’ out at the end of 2017 and also set to star Gadot’s ‘Wonder Woman.’”

With each setting, it would make sense that the superhero would get an outfit, but there’s no indication of her actual circumstances just yet—so maybe she’ll be sporting the same outfit throughout. 

Lastly, there’s no news as to how this film will tie into the upcoming “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.” Does it take place before, after, or what? DC has already made it pretty clear that they don’t plan on retreading Marvel’s pattern of storytelling, so it’s very difficult to anticipate the timeline as of right now.

What do you think of this news piece? Do you buy it, or is it nothing but noise at this point?

The Patty Jenkins-directed “Wonder Woman” is slated for release on June 23, 2017. 

TV RECAP (SPOILER ALERT):

“Gotham” Season 2 Episode 3: “The Last Laugh”

I’m sad to say that the series “Gotham” has kind of disappointed me at every turn. While I was initially excited for the untold story from Jim Gordon’s perspective, it became clear early on that this wouldn’t be the show I signed on for. My initial fears of episodes with a young Bruce Wayne stuck on a proverbial merry-go-round pretty much became the focus of the series, and rather than focus on a dark , grounded world of crime, the series pretty much turned into a “where were they then?” kind of thing.

This entire mess was made all the more cringeworthy when they introduced the character of Jerome, who seemed to be doing nothing but a pale imitation of Heath Ledger’s Joker from the 2008 classic, “The Dark Knight.” Everything about the show was on-the-nose to the point where it hurt.

So imagine my surprise in the most recent episode when Jerome is unceremoniously killed off by getting stabbed in the neck.

“Um, what?” was essentially how I reacted to that.

Two theories pop up out of this.

The first is that Jerome was NEVER meant to turn into the Joker, and that the moniker will go to someone else down the line. Now I’ll bring up the Marilyn Manson bit of news…is it possible that…nah, they wouldn’t go so far as to cast someone like Manson as the Joker, would they? That’s too crazy.

The second theory is that the Joker will NEVER appear in this “Gotham” universe. Sound blasphemous? I kind of agree, but the writers of the show seemed to have made it perfectly clear that they’re okay with shaking the foundation of the Batman mythos.

If you’ll recall, the season premiere of “Gotham” ended with little Brucey finding a note from his dad in what will eventually become the Batcave. In the note, Thomas Wayne all but gave Bruce permission to fight for what felt was justice. In a single episode, the series managed to turn the entire backstory of Bruce Wayne on its head. No longer was he a demented man on some complex mission to ensure that no one suffers the pain he did, but rather he’s a man with a mission given to him by his father. It’s decidedly more altruistic than what is the norm for Batsy. I won’t comment on whether or not that’s a good thing, but it’s a definite difference.

With all that in mind, why wouldn’t the writers create a world without the Joker? Based on everything we’ve seen, this world of “Gotham” is a far cry from the traditional interpretation of the city. Maybe this eventual Batman will find a new arch nemesis.

What do you think? Is to too much in the opposite direction of what Batman is as a character? Let us know your thoughts below!

We’ll have to wait and see. “Gotham” airs on Mondays at 8/7c. 

“The Flash” Season 2 Premiere: “The Man Who Saved Central City”

I’m not going to lie. This season premiere threw me for a bit of a loop. For the past few months, we’ve been given some pretty hard teases on the DC multiverse opening up in season two of “The Flash.” So when last season ended with the giant cliffhanger of The Flash running up into the black hole, I naturally assumed that this black hole would be a gateway tothese alternate dimensions with Jay Garrick and Wally West Flashes. Boy was I wrong.

Instead, we cut to six months after the singularity incident. The Flash saved Central City, but at the cost of one poor Ronnie Raymond (one has to wonder what the future of Firestorm is at this point, and how that ties into the upcoming “Legends of Tomorrow”). This loss kills Barry from the inside, making him take on a more solo role as the hero of Central City. He simply refuses to endanger any more of his friends. This internal conflict is what makes up the majority of the episode.

Overall, the premiere was a lot less plot-heavy than I anticipated it would be—and I am incredibly happy about that. The series was content to take time to re-establish and develop the relationships between our main cast, and it helped to make the episode’s ending all the more impactful.

The other twist in the form of Harrison Wells’ confession was also kind of amazing. Despite the fact that he was all kinds of terrible near the end of last season, we still get the impression that he was an okay guy at heart. And boy, was it great seeing Barry’s father finally freed. Glad they didn’t feel the need to drag that out over several seasons.

I do have some nitpicks, though. The whole time paradox with Reverse Flash dying was never addressed. If Harrison Wells was killed, then the characters should have no memory of him, and the entire timeline should be different. Sure, we know that Barry Allen would have become The Flash anyway, but his life circumstances would have been night and day. I’m hoping they’ll address this problem down the line, but considering that they never even brought it up, I assume they’re just going to sweep it under the rug. Shame.

My second nitpick had to do with Barry’s dad leaving. Why’d he do it? Understandably, the man spent 14 years in prison, so he’s allowed to be a bit off, but there was no legit reason given for his departure other than, “can you be all you can be with me here?” was the odd question he asked Barry. Um, yeah, Mr. Allen, why wouldn’t I be able to?

More than anything, it seemed to be the passing of the torch from one TV Flash to another, but in a logical sense, it was a bit flawed. 

What did you think of the “Flash” season premiere? Let us know your thoughts below!

“The Flash” airs on Tuesdays on The CW at 8/7c.

Well, that about wraps it up for the first installment of DC Weekly! What other type of content would you like to see in this weekly column? Let us know down below, and we’ll see what we can do about incorporating it!

SOURCES: Marilyn Manson, Den of Geek