When the fall finale of Gotham aired not long ago, many were left on the edge of their seats not just by the episode’s content, but also by a spine-chilling trailer promising the return of Jerome Valeska, the proto-Joker, when the show resumes early next year. This surprise revelation doubly makes the hiatus hard to bear, as many agree that this particular character has been one of the best aspects of the entire series despite his limited involvement. And, as a fan of the Clown Prince of Crime for over three decades, I must echo that sentiment in saying this has to be one of the best live action interpretations of all-time.
Matters were made even more interesting when actor Cameron Monaghan recently Tweeted a closeup of himself looking more Joker-ish than ever before. In fact, it’s getting kind of hard to use the “proto” prefix when describing him if he’s going to continue to be such a sharp dresser along with having pale skin and a smile marked by scars.
It seems as though Monaghan may have had second thoughts and removed the Tweet, but thankfully the image was grabbed by the folks over at ComicBook.com. Capturing a gleeful malevolence worthy of the timeless villain, we find it quite fortunate that this photo wasn’t lost to the ages as it were.
One has to wonder how long it may be before he’s paired with Harley Quinn, be it Erin Richards or someone else. It’s understandable that some purists may scoff at these characters being fully realized while Bruce Wayne is still a teenager – and their concern is valid – but it’s hard to argue against Gotham’s reassembling of the pieces when the performances are so strong.
Gotham returns with new episodes on Monday, January 16 on Fox.
