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Batman's villains are so varied and complex that they're arguably more interesting than Batman himself — and the new teaser for Fox's upcoming Gotham wisely puts them front and center. "Looking into the eyes of a criminal, you have to ask: How will a little girl, a low-level thug, and a businesswoman becomes the most dangerous villains around?" says James Gordon (Ben McKenzie). "Simple answer: they all got their start in this city. And it's up to us to stop them."

For the uninitiated, those would-be villains are Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett Smith), Edward "The Riddler" Nygma (Cory Michael Smith), and a very young Selina "Catwoman" Kyle (Camren Bicondova) — and Gotham takes place at a time before Batman, when the Gotham City Police Department is the only line of defense against the criminals looking to exploit the city.

Fox has ordered Gotham straight-to-series, so audiences will have plenty of time to sink into this Batman prequel when it premieres this fall. --Scott Meslow