A gang war erupts between the Penguin and mob boss Rupert Thorne. Batman tries to stop it. The Penguin, aka Oswalda Cobblepot, strikes first. Batman investigates and stops her operation which is based out of her party boat, the Iceberg Lounge.
Batman gets some help from Alfred Pennyworth, his alter ego Bruce Wayne's butler. Police Commissioner James Gordon and public defender Barbara Gordon, his daughter, are caught in the middle. Most of Gotham's police department seems to be crooked.
The episode ends with Batman realizing that by taking down the Penguin he has just made life easier for Thorne.
Batman is a legendary figure at the beginning of this series, just as he has been in many other television series and movies. He does not have a history of helping the police. They don't view him as an ally which of course probably has something to do with the fact that most of the police department is on the take.
The level of violence in this show seems to be higher than in previous Batman TV shows that I have seen.
I like the interpretations of the characters that I have seen before in the comic books and other Batman cartoons. Penguin is a woman and the Gordons are African American.
I wish this episode was a little more focused and slower paced. I guess that they have to set the table and introduce a number of characters. Harvey Dent and Harvey Bullock are among the characters introduced whom I didn't mention above.
Based on how this episode was structured and what I have read online it seems that this 10-episode season will be told in a serialized format.
There are several executive producers on this series, nine according to Wikipedia. Bruce Timm and James Tucker are two whose names I recognize from other DC animation projects including Batman: The Animated Series. J.J. Abrams and Ed Brubaker are the only other names I recognize from the list of executive producers.
I'm not won over just yet but I am going to watch more of this series. Curiosity will keep me coming back for more for at least a few episodes.
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