'Gotham' Won't Return for a While, But We Can Help

On Monday night, Fox will air the midseason finale of Gotham, and it looks all sorts of intense. We're bound to get some much needed answers and see a few of our favorite characters in peril. I'm especially excited to see Alfred kick ass and the friendship between Bruce and Selina continue to develop. Unfortunately, after the Nov. 23 episode, Gotham won't return until January. The Futon Critic lists its winter premiere as Jan. 5, however Fox has not confirmed a specific date. Still, it feels like such a long wait.

So what should you do while waiting for the spring premiere to get your Gotham fix? You're in luck, because Batman is a character who has been on the scene for a very long time — about 75 years. No matter what you love about Gotham, this list has something that will keep you happy until it finally returns.

If You've Never Read a Batman Comic Before...

Batman is a character whose story feels so familiar, even if you haven't read any of the comics, because he's a cultural touchstone. That doesn't mean there's no value in reading the graphic novels that show up most frequently on "best of" lists. In terms of the important works that are often recommended? Check out The Killing Joke and some of Frank Miller's earlier Batman works like Batman: Year One. If you want something more contemporary, check out Scott Snyder's run on Batman that has been ongoing since late 2011.

If You Love Fish Mooney...

Fish Mooney may have been created especially for Gotham, but that doesn't mean we don't see traces of her in other Batman stories. If you love her campiness you have to check out the Batman TV show starring Adam West from the 1960s. As Fish Mooney, Jada Pinkett Smith's performances owes a lot of Eartha Kitt's deliciously malevolent take on Catwoman.

But if you like how Mooney is a badass, kinda bonkers crime boss, check out Batwoman: Elegy written by the always stellar Greg Rucka (who makes more than one appearance on this list) and illustrated gorgeously by J.H. Williams III. Batwoman: Elegy is one of my favorite Batman-related graphic novels. It is definitely darker and more assured in its storytelling than Gotham. So, if you want to see diverse, badass, greatly written women occupying major roles, do yourself a favor and pick up up a copy.

If You Love Selina Kyle...

How can you not love the teenaged Selina Kyle/Catwoman on Gotham? She sasses cops, loves cats, and operates by her own set of rules. If you're enjoying her as much as I am, check out her adult-self in the endlessly fun Gotham Sirens, where we see Catwoman team up with Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn. For a more intense, globe-trotting, noir-inspired take on Catwoman, check out the graphic novels When In Rome or Trail of the Catwoman.

If You Want to Learn More About the Dynamics of the Batman Family...

Bruce Wayne may like to front like he's just some broody, closed-off hero, but the best versions of him focus on how he cares more than he lets on. This is usually seen in his interactions with the lovely Selina Kyle and in how he adopts kids... and promptly let's them get involved in crime fighting. This is unsurprisingly a very bad idea that can get into disastrous territory. For this aspect of Batman's mythos, check out the animated movie Batman: Under the Red Hood.

If You Want To Know More About the Detectives...

Written by Greg Rucka and Ed Brubaker, Gotham Central is by far one of my favorite Batman-related properties ever. Gotham has taken a lot of cues from this great, short-lived series. Batman himself makes brief appearances, but the series is more interested in how the normal citizens who make up Gotham Central Police Department's Major Crimes Unit deal with costumed criminals, superpowered villains, and a vigilante everyone is very divided on. If you want to learn more about Renee Montoya and Crispus Allen then you'll love this series. Gritty but soulful, fantastical, and intelligent — this comic has everything you'll ever want in a Batman story.

If You're a '90s Kid...

Most people in their twenties probably fell in love with everything Batman through the animated series. It was genuinely moving, smart as hell, and pretty deep for a show that is technically for kids. Batman the Animated Series has stories ranging from hard boiled to comedic to outright fantastical. If you love the series (how couldn't you?), also check out the other related animated series The New Adventures of Batman and Batman Beyond, which gives you a hilariously cranky old Bruce Wayne training a protege after finally hanging up his own cowl.

Images: Jessica Miglio/Fox; medusathegorgon, gaykinq, fuuworld, boniferhasty/Tumblr; Giphy