Gotham by Gaslight

Gotham by Gaslight is a DC Comics one-shot by Brian Augustyn and Mike Mignola, with inks by P. Craig Russell (famous for his work with Neil Gaiman). 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. Not all the citizens of Gotham trust this Bat-man. Could the Batman be Jack the Ripper? Read to find out! Although it was not initially labeled as such, 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 (a sort of What if? scenario). While not originally labelled as such, subsequent printings of Gotham by Gaslight have incorporated the Elseworlds logo. It spawned one sequel, Batman: Master of the Future (1991), also written by Augustyn, with art by Eduardo Barreto, that was included in the edition I read. Both stories are enjoyable for the alternative worldbuilding that is on display. I enjoy a good historical fiction/superhero mashups. Gotham by Gaslight was a bit disappointing in the end, however, as the motivation of our killer was absolutely ridiculous.

Damn it. In this comic there are basically two stories. The first one was interesting! And if it had been the only story in this comic I would have given it a 4/5 stars. However the second story was so boring, and not worth it at all that I had to lower the score. Also I hate it when British authors make batman and gotham citizens speak English words rather than American ones. It ruins the immersion. Seeing Jim Gordon saying "Bruce my Ol' Chap, how are you my boy?" it just doesn't sit well when I am trying to enter into the world of gotham. Overall, first story was interesting and I haven't seen it done before. Don't waste your time with the second one though.

I picked this up during the holidays when my comics guy recommended it (and yes, after I found out it was being made into an animated feature). The first installment with Jack the Ripper was great. I really liked the smoky streets, muted tones, the bleak noir feel. The second story...not so much. I felt like it was asking too much of me and it was just too out there, but I can't figure out what bothered me about it. On the whole, the book vaguely reminded me of Doctor Who's The Next Doctor episode with David Morrissey, particularly the "modern" inventions used by Batman (hello air ships!). Now to find out how many liberties were taken with the film...