Gotham by Gaslight

Last updated
Gotham by Gaslight
Gotham by Gaslight.jpg
Cover to Gotham by Gaslight (February 1989) by Mike Mignola.
Publication information
Publisher DC Comics
Format One-shot
Genre
Publication dateFebruary 1989
No. of issues1
Main character(s) Batman
Jack the Ripper
Creative team
Written by Brian Augustyn
Artist(s) Mike Mignola
Inker(s) P. Craig Russell
Colorist(s) David Hornung
Editor(s) Mark Waid
Collected editions
Gotham by Gaslight ISBN   0-930289-67-6
Gotham by Gaslight(inc. Batman: Master of the Future) ISBN   1-4012-1153-4

Gotham by Gaslight is a DC Comics one-shot by Brian Augustyn and Mike Mignola, with inks by P. Craig Russell. The story revolves around a 19th-century version of Bruce Wayne making his debut as Batman just as Jack the Ripper has arrived in Gotham City.

Contents

Gotham by Gaslight is considered to be the first Elseworlds story in which DC Comics characters from alternate timelines or realities are featured in stories outside of the DC Universe canon. At the time the story was first published, the Elseworlds concept had not been established yet and initial printings were not labeled as such. Subsequent printings of Gotham by Gaslight, however, have incorporated the Elseworlds logo. It spawned two sequels, Batman: Master of the Future (1991), also written by Augustyn, with art by Eduardo Barreto, and a third book in the series, Gotham by Gaslight: The Kryptonian Age, which began publishing in June 2024. [1]

Plot summaries

Gotham by Gaslight

In 1889, Bruce Wayne is on a tour of Europe which ends in Vienna. There, he is studying under Dr. Sigmund Freud. Bruce tells Freud that he has a recurring dream in which he recalls the murder of his parents and decides he must return to Gotham City. On the return trip, Bruce meets Jacob Packer, an old family friend whom he calls Uncle Jake, who has also returned from a trip to Europe.

Shortly after arriving, Inspector Gordon informs Wayne about criminal gangs currently operating in Gotham. Gordon also shows Bruce the case of a man who poisoned his wife and tried to commit suicide with the poison, which left him alive with a permanent grin. Bruce takes up the mantle of Batman to fight criminals on the street.

At the same time, a series of murders of women take place and some people begin to suspect that Batman is the murderer. It is soon discovered that Jack the Ripper has come to Gotham, as the murders in Gotham City seem to resemble the Ripper murders in London.

After a search of Wayne Manor, a bloody knife is found under Bruce's bed and Bruce is arrested. A trial is held in which Uncle Jake is Bruce's defense attorney. After the trial, Bruce is convicted of being the Ripper and sentenced to be hanged for his crimes. Bruce is imprisoned in Arkham Asylum.

Once Bruce is in prison, Gordon gives him all the documentation on the crimes. Bruce toils day and night to try to figure out how he can get the Ripper. Just one day before the execution, Bruce learns the Ripper's identity by discovering he had the skill of a surgeon and used a knife that belonged to the medical group who worked with his father. Bruce escapes from prison with the help of Alfred and heads straight for the Ripper.

Batman interrupts the Ripper as he is about to claim his next victim. Batman chases the Ripper throughout Gotham and the two eventually come to a stop at the grave of Thomas and Martha Wayne, where it is revealed that Packer is the Ripper. Packer had been trained in medicine and law with the money of Thomas, but he was driven insane by Martha's rejection of his advances. Since then, he had been killing women who resembled Martha to silence the laughter of Martha he heard in his head.

Packer reveals that he hired an assassin to kill Bruce's parents. Gordon appears at this time with the police and Batman tells them to arrest Packer. Packer confesses that he is the Ripper and tries to kill Batman, but Gordon shoots Packer dead at the last minute. Batman disappears into the shadows, leaving Gordon to take in the body of Jack the Ripper.

Batman: Master of the Future

In 1892, three years later, Bruce has "retired" his alter-ego and is engaged to be married. Having brought his parents' murderer to justice, he has come to regard Batman as a childish fancy, and intends to devote his life to more serious pursuits. Others believe that Gotham City needs Batman more than ever, namely now-Commissioner Gordon and Bruce's own fiancée, Julie Madison, whom Batman rescued from a late-night assault.

At a City Council meeting, Mayor Tolliver (the former Police Commissioner who aggressively prosecuted Bruce as the suspected Jack the Ripper) is promoting Gotham's hosting of the "American Discovery Exposition" to market Gotham as the "City of the Future". The meeting is interrupted by the flamboyant Alexandre LeRoi, who demands that he be proclaimed master of the city, or else he will burn it to the ground. He leaps out the window before he can be arrested, and Tolliver insists that the fair proceed.

While the fairgrounds are being erected, a Maxim gun on an automated carriage rolls in and opens fire. Bruce, in attendance, pushes Tolliver out of the line of fire and disables the machine.

On the opening day of the fair, LeRoi kidnaps Tolliver from his mansion and takes him aboard a Zeppelin, forcing him to watch as LeRoi focuses a giant burning glass on the fair's main pavilion, before LeRoi throws Tolliver over the side to his death. Bruce is desperate to act, when Alfred arrives with his costume.

With the police fully occupied, Julie runs into the burning pavilion to rescue a small girl, but both of them are trapped by falling debris. Batman saves them, then seizes a glider from one of the exhibitions and takes off after LeRoi's airship. The two men engage in a brutal rapier duel that disables LeRoi's robotic pilot "Antonio", causing the airship to drift off course and become unstable. Noticing this, Batman urges LeRoi to surrender and abandon ship, but LeRoi refuses to believe him. Batman jumps overboard, but LeRoi is trapped as the airship crashes into the ocean and explodes. More than 100 people are killed by LeRoi's fires, but further fatalities and destruction are prevented by the Gotham police and firefighters.

Batman confronts Councilman Franklin Claypool, who confesses to being LeRoi's accomplice and providing him with information for his attack. Claypool secretly owns a large portion of Gotham City's slum housing, which he expected to sell profitably through his proposed redevelopment program, but the program was pushed aside by Tolliver in favor of the fair. LeRoi agreed to target Claypool's properties, allowing Claypool to collect a lucrative insurance payout, but Claypool never intended the deaths that LeRoi's actions caused, and so does not resist when Gordon arrives to arrest him.

Bruce and Julie are walking along a hilltop overlooking the city, when she reveals that she recognized him at the fair, even through his mask. Apprehensively, he asks her what she plans to do, and she replies, what she has always done: continue to love and encourage him, especially now that they both agree that Gotham still needs Batman.

Publication history

Gotham by Gaslight, which retroactively became the first official Elseworlds publication, was initially released as a 52-page one-shot in February 1989. It was written by Brian Augustyn and pencilled by Mike Mignola, with inks by P. Craig Russell. Two years later, the 68-page sequel Batman: Master of the Future — also written by Augustyn, but with art by Eduardo Barreto — was released, this time officially labelled as an Elseworlds publication. A second sequel, Gotham by Gaslight: The Kryptonian Age, was released in June 2024.

In 2006, in the wake of the 2005–2006 storyline Infinite Crisis , the Gotham by Gaslight world was identified as "Earth-19".

Prior to its appearance in Countdown Presents: The Search for Ray Palmer: Gotham by Gaslight (January 2008), the two one-shot issues were collected into one 112-page trade paperback volume (which was released under the same name and with the same Mignola cover as the first one-shot issue).

Collected editions

The two stories have been collected into a trade paperback:

Reception

IGN Comics ranked Gotham by Gaslight #11 on a list of the 25 greatest Batman graphic novels, saying that the comic is "as taut and well-conceived a graphic novel as you can find — Elseworlds or otherwise; quite simply, no other Elseworlds tale has managed such a brilliant concept nor executed it so perfectly".

Gotham by Gaslight was not the highest-ranking Elseworlds story on the list, as Batman & Dracula: Red Rain ranked higher at #9. [2]

Spin-offs

Countdown Presents: The Search for Ray Palmer: Gotham by Gaslight (January 2008) and was written by Gotham by Gaslight's original author, Brian Augustyn. [3] The story saw Bob the Monitor accompany Jason Todd, Donna Troy, and Kyle Rayner (the latter three inhabitants of "New Earth") through the Multiverse in search of multiuniversal counterparts to Ray Palmer. The group arrived on Earth-19, the Earth where the Batman of the earlier two Elseworlds storylines acted, where they also encountered this Earth's counterpart of the Blue Beetle and the Man-Bat before they went to the next Earth to continue their search. Their search would take them to worlds populated by characters from other Elseworlds stories, including those seen in the Batman & Dracula trilogy (Earth-43) and Superman: Red Son (Earth-30).

Additionally, the Gotham by Gaslight version of Batman was briefly featured in the limited series Dark Nights: Metal alongside other alternate versions of the character.

In other media

Film

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight is an animated loose adaptation released in 2018. [4] It features Bruce Greenwood as Batman and Jennifer Carpenter as Selina Kyle. The adaptation differs significantly from the original comic, and includes elements from both books.

Video games

See also

Other Elseworlds that involve Jack the Ripper:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nightwing</span> DC Comics superhero

Nightwing is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The most prominent is Dick Grayson, who takes the name when he leaves his role as Batman's partner and sidekick Robin in his adulthood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Two-Face</span> Comic book supervillain

Two-Face is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Bob Kane, and first appeared in Detective Comics #66. He has become one of the superhero Batman's most enduring enemies belonging to the collective of adversaries that make up his rogues gallery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elseworlds</span> Imprint of comics from DC Comics

Elseworlds is the publication imprint for American comic books produced by DC Comics for stories that take place outside the DC Universe canon. Elseworlds publications are set in alternate realities that deviate from the established continuity of DC's regular comics. The "Elseworlds" name was trademarked in 1989, the same year as the first Elseworlds publication.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alfred Pennyworth</span> Fictional character throughout the DC Universe

Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth, originally Alfred Beagle and commonly known simply as Alfred, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, most commonly in association with the superhero Batman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Gordon (character)</span> Fictional character in the DC Universe

James W. "Jim" Gordon Sr. is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, most commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane as an ally of Batman, the character debuted in the first panel of Detective Comics #27, Batman's first appearance, making him the first Batman supporting character ever to be introduced.

Victoria Vale is a fictional journalist appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Her character often serves as a potential love interest, character in peril, and source for information about crimes being committed, often drawing parallels to Lois Lane from the Superman comics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bat-Signal</span> Distress signal device to call Batman

The Bat-Signal is a distress signal device appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, as a means to summon the superhero Batman. It is a specially modified searchlight with a stylized emblem of a bat affixed to the light, allowing it to project a large bat symbol onto cloudy night skies over Gotham City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hush (character)</span> DC Comics character

Hush is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee, the character first appeared in Batman #609 in January 2003 as part of the twelve-issue storyline Batman: Hush. Hush's background is parallel to the superhero Batman, and he serves as a criminal foil to him, as an example of what Batman could have been if he came from an abusive family and had used his abilities and resources for malice. He belongs to the collective of adversaries that make up his rogues gallery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Augustyn</span> American comic book editor and writer (1954–2022)

Brian Augustyn was an American comic book editor and writer. He often worked as editor or co-writer with writer Mark Waid, such as on The Flash in the 1990s. He wrote Gotham by Gaslight – which imagines Batman tracking Jack the Ripper – the prototype of DC's Elseworlds imprint, which featured versions of their characters in alternate settings.

<i>Batman & Dracula</i> trilogy 1991 graphic novel by Doug Moench and Kelley Jones

The Batman & Dracula trilogy consists of three American graphic novels—Batman & Dracula: Red Rain (1991), Bloodstorm (1994), and Crimson Mist (1998)—written by Doug Moench and penciled by Kelley Jones. The books were published by DC Comics as a part of its Elseworlds line of comics. Moench created the concept for the first installment and convinced Jones, of whom he was a fan, to join the project. Red Rain's eventual popularity resulted in DC commissioning sequels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Wayne</span> Comics character

Dr. Thomas Wayne, M.D. is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is the father of Bruce Wayne (Batman), and husband of Martha Wayne as well as the paternal grandfather of Damian Wayne. Wayne was introduced in Detective Comics #33, the first exposition of Batman's origin story. A gifted surgeon and philanthropist to Gotham City, Wayne inherited the Wayne family fortune after Patrick Wayne. When Wayne and his wife are murdered in a street mugging, Bruce is inspired to fight crime in Gotham as the vigilante Batman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Batman of Zur-En-Arrh</span> Fictional character in DC Comics universe

Batman of Zur-En-Arrh is a character appearing in media published by DC Comics. Introduced in the Silver Age, the character is an alien named Tlano from the planet Zur-En-Arrh who decided to become a version of Batman for his own planet.

<i>Batman: Earth One</i> Graphic novel series published by DC Comics

Batman: Earth One is a series of graphic novels written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Gary Frank. The series is a modernized re-imagining of DC Comics' long-running Batman comic book franchise as part of the company's Earth One imprint. Earth One's Batman exists alongside other revamped DC characters in Earth One titles, including Superman: Earth One and Wonder Woman: Earth One, as well as other graphic novels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Batman Incorporated</span> American comic book series by DC Comics

Batman Incorporated is an ongoing American comic book series published by DC Comics, featuring the superhero Batman. Written by Grant Morrison, the series debuted following the events of Batman R.I.P, Final Crisis, Batman and Robin, and The Return of Bruce Wayne where, after being stranded in the distant past and believed dead, Bruce Wayne has returned to the present day DC Universe. Now, he is prepared to take his war on crime to the next level by essentially "franchising" it and drafting, training and commanding a global team of heroes who will answer to Batman himself, known as Batman Incorporated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Batman (Thomas Wayne)</span> Superheros incarnation by the fictional character Thomas Wayne in some Batman comic books

Batman is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Geoff Johns (writer) and Andy Kubert (artist), he made his first appearance in Flashpoint #1. He is a hardened murderous version of Thomas Wayne seen in the alternate timeline comic Flashpoint (2011) whose son was killed instead of Martha Wayne and himself, eventually helping Barry Allen/The Flash defeat Eobard Thawne. His character returned to the main DC Universe in DC Rebirth as a revived amalgamation of his original self that was killed by Joe Chill and the Flashpoint version of Batman that was killed in "The Button", a storyline revolving around the "Smiley-face" button from Watchmen.

<i>Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham</i> 2000–2001 DC comic book miniseries

Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham is a three-issue comic book miniseries published from November 2000 to January 2001 under DC Comics' Elseworlds imprint. Written by Mike Mignola and Richard Pace and illustrated by Troy Nixey (pencils) and Dennis Janke (inks), with Mignola providing covers, the story deals with an alternate Batman in the 1920s fighting against mystical and supernatural forces that are taking Gotham by storm after he accidentally reawakens the being known as the Lurker on the Threshold. The comic was loosely adapted into an animated film with the same name in 2023.

<i>Batman: Gotham by Gaslight</i> 2018 animated film directed by Sam Liu

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight is a 2018 American adult animated superhero horror film produced by Warner Bros. Animation and distributed by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, featuring an alternate version of the DC Comics character Batman. It is the 31st film of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies. It is directed and produced by Sam Liu and written by James Krieg, loosely based on the standalone graphic novel of the same name by Brian Augustyn and Mike Mignola.

References

  1. ↑ McMillan, Graeme (29 March 2024). "Batman returns to the Victorian age in Gotham by Gaslight: The Kryptonian Age (and more!) this June" . Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  2. ↑ Yehl, Josuha; Goldstein, Hilary (9 April 2014). "The 25 Greatest Batman Graphic Novels". IGN . Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  3. ↑ Contino, Jennifer M. (November 12, 2007). "Augustyn by Gaslight! Brian returns to Gotham". ComicCon.com. Archived from the original on March 2, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-03.
  4. ↑ Lovett, Jamie (7 August 2017). "DC Animation's Next Movie Revealed". Comic Book.com. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  5. ↑ "Gotham By Gaslight Video Shows Canceled Elseworlds Batman Game". February 27, 2012. Retrieved February 27, 2012.
  6. ↑ Cummins, Chris (February 29, 2012). "This Gotham by Gaslight Game Looks Great, Doesn't Exist". Toplessrobot.com. Retrieved March 17, 2012.
  7. ↑ Sarkar, Samit (26 September 2013). "Batman: Arkham Origins season pass available for $19.99". Polygon. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  8. ↑ Musgrave, Shawn (19 February 2018). "Best iPhone Game Updates: 'Vainglory', 'Marvel Avengers Academy', 'Portal Knights', 'Dashy Crashy', and More". TouchArcade. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.