You have to hand it to DC, they are not off to a great start with their “extended universe.” But they just keep soldiering on, adding release dates, signing new stars. The one area though that needs no help thriving, is their animated originals. These little gems are lifted directly from page to screen, and offer up the best that DC films have to offer. And now, with so many popular stories coming to life, DC has managed to do something BEFORE Marvel got there: they’re thinking outside the box. Outside the world, and off somewhere. . .  else. This is where comics start to get a little stranger.

So, since he’s always in the mood for some Batman weirdness, This Guy’s watching. . .

Batman: Gotham By Gaslight

Famous for being DC’s first real ‘Elseworld’s story, Gotham By Gaslight takes Batman out of the twentieth century, and finds Gotham in the 1800s. Bruce Wayne is still the city’s favourite son, and he still spends his evenings stalking the rooftops. But rather than Jokers and Penguins, Gotham is beset by the infamous Jack the Ripper. Batman rushes to catch the sadistic killer, while the police seem to be on the trail of the Bat himself.

“But what does a light in the darkness do? It draws flies. Vile, unclean, like you.”

It’s a terrifically original tale, with a fresh twist on the Dark Knight, and his cohorts. Gotham and its infamous inhabitants look and feel right at home in Victorian times, and the Ripper provides a new and challenging nemesis for the Bat. Gotham By Gaslight is a testament to the potential Elseworlds stories in DC’s library. This could open the door for adaptations of Red Son, The Doom That Came To Gotham, or maybe even Batman: Vampire! And why not? These are great, fun stories that cast our favourite heroes in a new, exciting light.

So, tonight, This Guy’s watching Gotham By Gaslight, and you should too!

This Guy give it: 8/10

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