Summary
Warning! Spoilers for Batman: Gotham by Gaslight - The Kryptonian Age #1 ahead!DC’s belovedElseworldsline returns with a sequel to one of its most iconicBatmanstories,Gotham by Gaslight. The original, written by Brian Augustyn with art by Mike Mignola, was released more than 30 years ago to huge acclaim, kicking off theElseworldsimprint of alternate reality stories. The new series revives the imprint and builds off of the Victorian version of Gotham by adding in some familiar faces from the Batman mythos, tweaked to the time period.
InBatman: Gotham by Gaslight - The Kryptonian Age#1, Andy Diggle (Batman: Legends of Gotham), Leandro Fernández (American Carnage), Dave Stewart, and Simon Bowland have stepped up to recapture the magic of 1989’sGotham by Gaslight. They smartly know that Batman’s world works best with his most notable friends and foes, including, as the title suggests, Superman.
The first issue also sees Selina Kyle living in high society while supporting sex workers and abused women (and still finding time to thieve, women really can have it all). Talia al Ghul is in Gotham with the League of Shadows to steal a Kryptonian artifact, while Superman has yet to be glimpsed as more than a baby.
DC’s Elseworlds Relaunch Begins - See the Full 2024 Timeline
DC has finally announced the official comic release timeline for its out-of-continuity Elseworlds stories, with its first story dropping this June!
The Kryptonian Age Is a Thrilling Continuation of Gotham by Gaslight
Panels fromGotham by Gaslightby Brian Augustyn & Mike Mignola, 1989
The firstGotham by Gaslightfeatured Alfred, Jim Gordon, and a mention of the Joker, butevery other character was a new invention, including the story’s identity of Jack the Ripper. Bruce Wayne, newly returned to Gotham after a five-year absence training around the world, becomes Batman in a newly industrialized city. However, at the same time that he arrives, Jack the Ripper seems to have made Gotham his new home, committing similar murders. Bruce is framed for his killings, and has to solve the mystery (from his jail cell) that has stumped numerous police departments, or face execution.
The Kryptonian Age#1 picks up a short time after the previous book ended. “The Bat Man” has some more experience, and is more widely known among the criminal element of Gotham. He’s also much more confident: Bruce Wayne has set up the entire Kryptonian Age museum exhibition asa trap to draw out the League of Shadows. This means that Bruce thinks he’s up to the task of taking out an international syndicate of world-class assassins. As this issue ends, it looks like he’s bitten off more than he can chew.
The world ofGotham by Gaslighthas appeared in a few other books since its 1989 premiere:Batman: Man of the Future, and the Green Lantern crossoverThe Search for Ray Palmer.
TheKryptonian AgeExpands the World of Victorian Gotham
As writer Brian Augustyn said in the 2020 re-release ofGotham by Gaslight, the popular book has hardly ever been out of print since it was first released. While Batman vs. Jack the Ripper was a thrilling meeting of two titans,The Kryptonian Ageshows how other DC characters would fill out and enhance a Victorian-era Gotham. Issue #1 has hit the mark perfectly, and the rest ofBatman: Gotham by Gaslight - The Kryptonian Agewill surely follow suit. You don’t need to have read the originalGotham by Gaslightto pick up this series, and it’s a must-read for anyBatmanfan that starts DC’s new Elseworlds line off on the right note.
Batman: Gotham by Gaslight - The Kryptonian Age#1is available now from DC Comics.
Batman
One of DC’s most iconic heroes, Batman is the vigilante superhero persona of billionaire Bruce Wayne. Forged by tragedy with the death of his parents, Bruce dedicated his life to becoming the world’s leading martial artist, detective, and tactician. Recruiting an entire family of allies and sidekicks, Bruce wages war on evil as the dark knight of his hometown, Gotham City.
