Monday, March 13, 2017

Review: Gotham by Gaslight: A Tale of Batman by Brian Augustyn, Michael Mignola, P Craig Russell, Eduardo Barreto (Graphic Novel)

Synopsis: Presenting a new edition of the title collecting the adventures of the Victorian era Batman. This volume includes the breakthrough Elseworlds epics GOTHAM BY GASLIGHT and MASTER OF THE FUTURE, which pit the Dark Knight against Jack the Ripper and a death-dealer from the skies over Gotham. This title features artwork by Mike Mignola (HELLBOY) and P. Craig Russell (THE SANDMAN). (from the online description)

Review: Told in the classic Batman style, with crazed villains and much daring-do, this graphic novel contains two short stories, both of which are amusing and entertaining. It won't win any awards for storytelling, as the plot is run-of-the-mill for Batman. But seeing him in the Victorian era is a fun twist.
The first tale sets the Dark Knight against the notorious Jack the Ripper, and has a touch of the macabre to it. Also woven in is a tale of revenge and the beginnings of the Dark Knight. The villain wasn’t hard to figure out and the story was a bit trite, but that didn’t detract from the overall amusement of the graphic novel. The authors and artists did a fine job of making Batman just as brooding and badass in a world without the high-tech gadgets for which he is known.
The second tale was decidedly more steampunk, with flying fortresses and robotic men. The villain was clear from the start and had the requisite touch of crazy all of Batman’s foes seem to possess. Again, the plot was a bit trite, but fun, none the less, and had a nice dose of dramatic action.
Over all, this was a fun read and I recommend it to any Batman fan. 

Bookmarks: 3.5 of 5

Awards: None

ISBN: 978-1-4012-1153-0
Year Published: 1989 / 1991 (Compilation 2006)
Date Finished: 3-10-17
Pages: 100

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