262 GOTHAM BY GASLIGHT
of the Future , and a 2008 spin-off , Countdown Presents the Search for Ray Palmer: Gotham
by Gaslight , which featured the Silver Age microscopic hero, Th e Atom.
Th e popularity of the Elseworlds imprint was that it placed familiar DC Com-
ics heroes and villains in new situations and time periods, without being limited
by the constraints of long-established continuities. Th e stories were completely
self-contained and separate from the mainstream DC universe. Beginning in the
1950s, DC Comics produced numerous tales speculating what life would be like
for its heroes in alternate realities. Th ese works were presented as “Imaginary Sto-
ries” and generally featured tales of Superman being aff ected by events (like births,
deaths, and marriages) that were avoided in the regular continuity. While the major-
ity of these Imaginary Stories involved the Man of Steel , some did present alternate
versions of characters like Batman and Wo n d e r Wo m a n. Th e last offi cial Imaginary
Story to be published was Alan Moore’s Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomor-
row? ( Superman #423 and Action Comics #583, September 1986). Th e Elseworlds
label essentially continued the Imaginary Stories agenda of reinterpreting the DC
Comics characters, but within the graphic novel format and with an expanded sense
of possibilities.
Th e back cover of Gotham by Gaslight features the image of a retro-looking Batman
and asks the question, “What would the Gotham City of 100 years ago have been like?”
Th is informs readers that they must suspend any preconceived notions as to what
comprises a typical Batman adventure. Gotham City, along with its hero, villains, and
citizens, has been re-imagined to fi t Victorian-era standards. Th e book begins with an
introduction by famed horror novelist and the author of Psycho , Robert Bloch. Titled
“From Hell,” it is written from the perspective of Jack the Ripper and is crafted in the
style of the killer’s signature letters. Th e story starts with a two-page reinterpretation
of the murders of Th omas and Martha Wayne. Th e familiar back alley shootings of
Batman’s parents is essentially the same as in the established DC Comics continuity;
however, it occurs when the Wayne family’s carriage is overtaken by a murderous high-
wayman. It is soon revealed that these events are being recalled by an adult Bruce Wayne
as he speaks with Sigmund Freud, his mentor, in 1889 Vienna. Wayne soon sets sail for
Gotham City, which readers encounter not as a modern urban center, but as a misty,
late-19th-century city illuminated by gaslight. Many of Gotham’s landmark locations,
such as Wayne Manor, Arkham Asylum , and Gotham City Police Headquarters, are
all presented in the Victorian style.
Gotham by Gaslight is structured around two main plotlines: Bruce Wayne’s
return to Gotham to assume the mantle of Batman, and Jack the Ripper’s arrival
in the city to continue his series of sadistic murders. Th e plots eventually converge
as suspicions are raised against Wayne, who often cannot account for his nightly
whereabouts. Th roughout the tale readers are presented with 19th-century re-
interpretations of various members of Batman’s supporting cast. Inspector James
Gordon is transformed into a Teddy Roosevelt-like character in both his looks
and manner of speech. Th e Joker makes a cameo appearance as a “Merry Widow”
