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Batman: Gotham by Gaslight – The Kryptonian Age #1: A Return To Earth-19 Worthy Of The Original?

Chad Burdette
8.5/10

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight - The Kryptonian Age #1

Author(s): Andy Diggle

Artist(s): Leandro Fernández

Colorist(s): Dave Stewart

Letterer: Simon Bowland

Publisher: DC Comics

Genre: Action, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Psychological, Superhero, Supernatural

Published Date: 06/11/2024

By Chad Burdette

 on 

Recap

In 1989 the original 52-page one-shot pitting the Dark Knight against Jack the Ripper and a death-dealer from the skies over Gotham in  Gotham By Gaslight 

Then in 1990 Batman: Master of the Future found the Victorian-era Bat-Man facing an insane prophet Alexandre LeRoi in 1892 who is hell bent on keeping Gotham City from entering the 20th century by seeking to disrupt Gotham's Turn-of-the-Century celebration.

Then in 2007, Countdown: The Search for Ray Palmer led the heroes to Earth-19, and now the 19th-century DC Universe expands beyond the confines of Gotham City, showcasing bold new visions of once-familiar heroes…
The new era of Elseworlds kicks off with the return of its crown jewel, the mysterious and gothic world originated by Brian Augustyn and Mike Mignola!
When a mysterious meteor falls on the wide-open plains of the Midwest, it will unleash a chain of events that find Gotham's bizarre Batman contending with not just the twin threats of the Catwoman and a mysterious international assassin but also the emergence of superhuman beings beyond all comprehension! Do not miss it!

Review

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight – The Kryptonian Age #1, the return to the Elseworld Earth-19 is a slow beginning to the series that looks to expand the world of the Victorian Age Batman as seen in the classic Elseworlds tales Gotham By Gaslight and Master Of The Future.

The issue begins with the classic yet period-appropriate arrival of Superman’s rocket which crashes on the prairie and is found by a homesteading Jon and Martha Kent in 1860 before jumping forward to Gotham City, in 1893.  Here readers are introduced to Selina Kyle, a woman of means who also runs a brothel in addition to her other nightly activities, and is full of cameos and easter eggs.,but very little Batman.

Diggle does a good job of establishing an overview of Gotham City and how there are two classes of society, the haves & have-nots, by following Selina Kyle on her way to an event where a ring that glows green is set to go on display which looks to be a be made of Kryptonite  Julie Madison returns as part of the society and looks to play a small role in this issue like in Master of the the Future.

The art is somewhat reminiscent of the art in Master of the Future by Eduardo Barreto but has a cleaner look and is a large departure from Mike Mignola’s work in the original.

Final Thoughts

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight - The Kryptonian Age #1 has the potential to be an interesting chapter in the further exploration and expansion of the DC Universe set in the Victorian Era. The issue introduces many threads that will hopefully be woven together to give readers and fans a story worthy of the Elseworlds

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight – The Kryptonian Age #1: A Return To Earth-19 Worthy Of The Original?
  • Writing - 8.5/10
    8.5/10
  • Storyline - 8/10
    8/10
  • Art - 7.5/10
    7.5/10
  • Color - 8.5/10
    8.5/10
  • Cover Art - 10/10
    10/10
8.5/10
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