Batman Gotham By Gaslight: The Kryptonian Age #3 – Andy Diggle, Writer; Leandro Fernandez, Artist; Matt Hollingsworth, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: This series has been expanding the world of the steampunk Gotham explored in the first one-shot in a fascinating way, introducing elements of sci-fi and horror – as well as a hefty Lovecraft influence, which is more famously associated with Mike Mignola’s “The Doom That Came To Gotham”, another iconic Elseworlds of the 1990s. This influence is clearest in the story of Adam Strange, who is on an extended mission in the Arctic for Bruce Wayne, and finds horrific beasts lurking behind ancient ice – but also finds a powerful woman warrior who speaks in a language we can understand but he can’t. This woman handles the giant centipedes that emerge, communicating with them and trying unsuccessfully to broker peace – but before her enemy goes, it speaks of a coming doom that came for Krypton once upon a time. These segments have some truly monstrous visuals – perfectly suited for the story.
The Gotham segments, meanwhile, continue to have a fun pulpy feel. Matches Malone makes his debut this issue, using Bruce’s most famous disguise to make his way into Selina Kyle’s inner circle – a feint she quickly sees through. Similar to Selina’s recent appearance in the cartoon, this is a version of the character who is a bit more ruthless and has fewer scruples, but she and Bruce still have a lot of the fun rapport they did in all versions. There is so much going on in each issue of this mini that it almost feels overwhelming, and some plots do get lost in the shuffle along the way. But the visuals are stunning, the plot advances briskly, and there is a chilling cliffhanger that indicates that a major figure from DC lore might be about to make his appearance – but not in the way one might expect. The new Elseworlds line is off to a pretty strong start so far.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
