While WB has and still is taking the slow approach when it comes to bringing its various DC properties to film, things have been moving much more rapidly in the TV realm. That much was very apparent this week as fans were treated to new announcements and costume reveals for no less than three new TV projects set to debut this fall. We saw the first image of Grant Gustin in full costume for The CW's The Flash, the first shot of Matt Ryan as the title character in NBC's Constantine pilot, and the logo and and a detailed synopsis for Fox's Gotham. While Constantine at least is still in the pilot stage (the chances of The Flash not being picked up to series seem almost null at this point), it's clear DC fans have plenty to look forward to in the months and years ahead.

Click through the gallery below for images from the upcoming DC TV projects:

DC TV Superheroes 9 IMAGES

Arrow's Batman Dilemma

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Constantine's Supernatural DCU

Matt Ryan as John Constantine.

Completely unrealistic!

But one of the big questions surrounding DC's live-action TV projects is how closely they'll interact, and if each of these shows is meant to exist in the same shared universe. Obviously Arrow and Flash will interconnect, as one is an offshoot of the other. And the same goes, most likely, for The CW's Hourman, if that project ever gets the greenlight (it doesn't look like a pilot will be made this year, at least). But will these shows also link up with Constantine and Gotham, despite the fact that those shows are airing on different networks? Should WB pursue a singular vision for its superhero adaptations like Marvel Studios has?We've decided to take a bigger look at the benefits and challenges of building one, cohesive, shared DC Universe on TV. [Note, we're not bringing iZombie, also at the CW , into this conversation, since that comic, while from DC, is a Vertigo title that never had any ties to the true DC universe, and we don't expect the show to either... though who knows?]Arrow has been the launching point for The CW's shared superhero universe, recently introducing Barry Allen and chronicling his transformation into the Flash, as well as likely laying the groundwork for the proposed Hourman series we know was being written in the form of the Mirakuru super-soldier drug. So it's clear there's a much larger world out there than just the one Oliver Queen operates in. And it's one that increasingly is allowing for genuine super-powered characters and not just costumed vigilantes. So the question eventually becomes - just how wide is the scope of this world? Is there room for any and all of DC's many superhero franchises?That's a question Arrow is going to have to address more and more as time goes on. And in particular, the show is going to have to settle the matter of whether or not Batman exists in this world. Season 1 was entirely mum on that issue. And it was a sensible approach on the part of the writers. Green Arrow shares a number of similarities with Batman (the rich playboy dressing up and fighting crime, the secret lair and gadgets, the tragic origin, the gritty metropolitan setting). Calling attention to the fact that Batman exists early on is a distraction. It makes Green Arrow out to be a copycat or also-ran hero. And yes, the character pretty much was that when he started out in the comics, but there's no need to distract from Ollie's early evolution by bringing Batman into play.But at this point, the Arrow has built a name for himself and started encountering heroes and villains outside his normal sphere. He's had several run-ins with the League of Assassins and now Nyssa al Ghul. We know Ra's al Ghul is out there. And based on the preview for next week's episode, Harley Quinn may very well be making her return to live-action TV. If Batman's villains are starting to crop up, can Batman himself be far behind?The show is going to have address the Batman issue soon and probably present some version of the Caped Crusader in the flesh. That is, unless the writers want to suggest that Green Arrow inspired Bruce to take the mantle of Batman, which we don't imagine would go over very well. So then the question becomes whether to tie the show in with Gotham or offer a different version of Batman. The distinction may not even matter, as Gotham features a very young Bruce Wayne and reportedly won't show Batman until the very end, a la Smallville. But there could still be some crossover in terms of casting some of Gotham's actors to play older versions of their characters. Ben McKenzie could play an older and more world-weary Gordon. Robin Lord Taylor could play a more seasoned Oswald Cobblepot - one who has usurped the throne as Gotham's premiere crime lord and is now calling himself Penguin.Arrow has already borrowed a handful of Batman villains because they fit Ollie's milieu so well. So the show might as well celebrate the ties between Gotham and Starling and try to build some common ground wherever appropriate. The time gap would still give both shows plenty of room in which to operate.John Constantine operates in his own, seedy little corner of the DC Universe - more at home in a dank pub or an abandoned asylum than the Justice League Watchtower. It wasn't until DC's New 52 relaunch and the debut of the Justice League Dark comic that the publisher reintegrated him into the DC Universe after years of isolation. With that in mind, there's no reason the Constantine show needs to be part of larger shared universe. Constantine, Chas, Papa Midnite, and the rest can get along just fine on their own. But just because they don't need to intermingle with the likes of Green Arrow and Flash doesn't mean they shouldn't.Both sides stand to benefit. On the Arrow/Flash end, a tie-in with Constantine would allow these shows to more fully embrace the colorful, unrealistic side of the DC Universe. Arrow has slowly been veering away from grounded, Dark Knight-style territory this season, and the debut of the Flash will be the next big step in that direction. We have super-soldier drugs and speedsters, but is there room in this world for magic and the supernatural?The problem with a Dark Knight approach to superheroes is that it's limiting. As much as fans might have wanted Christopher Nolan's franchise to continue for several more sequels, it would have been really difficult to adapt iconic villains like Poison Ivy and Mr. Freeze to suit the tone of that world. If Arrow and Flash are to last as long as Smallville did, they can't afford to only stick to the more plausible villains. They might as well embrace the idea of a cunning trickster magician waging a magical war against monsters and demons. Besides, is magic any less plausible than the idea that a hood and some grease paint are enough to prevent people from realizing that Oliver Queen is the Starling City vigilante?And the same applies to Constantine. It would be a shame if the show never ventured outside of its specific corner of the DCU and acknowledged the non-supernatural characters. John Constantine has a dim view of the world's costumed avengers, which tends to make for memorable interaction when he's forced to team up with them. It would be disappointing if Constantine never crossed paths with Flash or Green Arrow and the show never tapped into that antagonistic relationship.Of course, there is the issue of the shows airing on different networks (more on that later). One option is for Constantine to simply introduce its own versions of DC's costumed heroes as needed. And that's certainly preferable to no costumed heroes at all. But do we really need multiple versions of Oliver Queen or Barry Allen on TV? Assuming WB aren't planning on connecting their TV projects with their films, we're already looking at the possibility of two simultaneous versions of some characters in live action. Three or four seems a bit excessive. The nature of Constantine allows the show to exist on its own and separate from the rest of these shows often enough that, ideally, it wouldn't be difficult for the networks to arrange crossovers every once in a while.

Continue to Page 2 for the argument on why maybe Gotham should be kept on its own and overcoming the multiple networks issue.