![]() There’s more than enough substance there for a book twice this size. It’s the “World’s Greatest Detective” hunting down arguably the most notorious murderer in history. The idea of Batman hunting down Jack the Ripper is just too juicy to sum up in so few pages. Jack the Ripper’s identity (the real Jack the Ripper’s identity) is one of the greatest mysteries of all time and when you take just a second to look at the cast of characters in this book there really was only one legitimate suspect all along and it makes for a rather predictable end. Perhaps it should have had a few red herrings before Batman found his #1 suspect? ![]() While that made for a very intense and thrilling read I really, really wanted it to be stretched out longer than it was. It’s about 50% longer than Gotham by Gaslight but only has a quarter of the substance! An 1800’s Gotham functions surprisingly well and the author really took care to perfectly set up the death of the Waynes, the arrival of Bruce in Gotham from his travels, and his relationship with Inspector Gordon in a fantastic example of perfectly paced world-building but once the Jack the Ripper slayings began to occur in Gotham things started to hasten. Look at the sequel that’s also collected in this graphic novel. It’s a great concept that I don’t think was explored as thoroughly as it should have been. Call me greedy but I really wanted more from this world. So I liked the concept of Gotham by Gaslight and the art of Gotham by Gaslight, but what about the actual story? Well, it’s great as well but a bit too brief. You can show a fan any single panel from Gotham by Gaslight and they’ll know exactly where it came from. It’s a Batman book that has a unique look all it’s own. Colorist David Hornung also did a terrific job complementing these drawings with equally dark hues and really distinguishing colors for the various flashback segments. Craig Russell’s use of shade and shadow that give the book the moody tone it deserves. But most of all it’s Mignola and inker P. Be sure to pay close attention to all the little details in the background. The architecture, clothing and hair styles, etc. Mignola’s Batman looks appropriate to the time, as does everything else. Batman: Gotham by Gaslight is a perfect example of writer and artist working in perfect harmony. I rather like the Teddy Roosevelt-esque Jim Gordon but truly I could throw complements at the designs all day. However, that’s not to say there aren’t a couple of Easter eggs here or there that readers can keep an eye out for. It’s a story that strives to do only what’s necessary and to reach its climax in an economical fashion. It didn’t try to push its concept too far by introducing a steam powered batcomputer or throw in a bunch of over-the-top swashbuckling heroics into what should be a dark and disturbing mystery, nor did it attempt to showcase every member of the Gotham City cast when they weren’t germane to the tale at hand. It’s a Victorian era Batman unraveling the mystery of Jack the Ripper, so how could it not be a fun read? And it’s a real testament to how great the concept of Batman is that Augustyn could take such an iconic character, translate him to a vastly different setting, and still have it work so effectively! I was also impressed by how understated the story was. Now that I’ve actually sat down with it I can say that it did a good job of living up to all the hype. I have saved a few “classic” Batman stories for myself to enjoy and Gotham by Gaslight is one of those that I had never touched. Each one will have its own review and score and then in the end I’ll figure out a worthy number to assign the collection as a whole with the price and presentation of the book taken into account just like I how I do with any other graphic novel review. No, you’re also getting its lesser known sequel, Batman: Master of the Future written, again, by Brian Augustyn but illustrated by Eduardo Barreto, who recently passed I’m sorry to say. But that’s not the only story you’re getting when you purchase A Tale of the Batman: Gotham by Gaslight. ![]() Jack the Ripper written by Brian Augustyn and illustrated by none other than the creator of Hellboy, Mike Mignola. Originally published in 1989, Gotham by Gaslight tells the “What if” story of a 19th century Caped Crusader who comes face to face with the Butcher of Whitechapel. Well I have good news for you! Gotham by Gaslight is considered a Batman classic and one of the finest Elseworlds tales ever released. Did you read Alan Moore’s From Hell and think “Man, this is really great but it needs fewer annotations and more Batman.
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