Batman: Gotham by Gaslight: A League for Justice #1 – Andy Diggle, Writer; Leandro Fernandez, Artist; Matt Hollingsworth, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: This 19th-century Elseworlds started out as a gritty Gotham adventure – but with this new chapter, the scale has increased to an almost staggering degree. After taking about half a year off, a new arc begins as the entire Justice League of this era has gathered in Smallville. There’s just one problem – very few of them can stand each other. As Harley Quinn’s criminal gang ravages the town on behalf of Lex Luthor, Superman is focused on stopping them. This version of the character is very similar to the classic 1930s version, more a brawler than a superhero. But he’s the only one focused – as this version of J’onn J’onnz views him as a murderer, complicit in the ancient Kryptonian genocide of the Martians. As a flashback journal by Adam Strange makes clear, this is a darker world – and every character in this world is haunted by the times in a way they usually aren’t.
The most interesting segment of the issue is the showdown between J’onn and Alan Scott. Alan’s ring has given him memories of the past wielders – including Jong Li, the last human wielder, who died in battle with J’onn ages ago. Alan in this world is a distinctly less honorable man than he usually is, but there’s a brilliant flashback segment to his childhood with an abusive father that shows how he became so embittered and how he’s choosing to rise above it now. This issue packs a lot of character work into an oversized first issue packed with action, but the scale of the issue escalates even more with the final page – as Lex Luthor arrives in town and debuts a new weapon that fits the aesthetic of this world perfectly. This is very much just the next issue of this series, so I highly recommend reading the previous mini before jumping in here – it’s a great ride and another win for the Elseworlds line.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
