Each year, the fine folks at Warner Bros. Animation serve up a handful of films based on DC properties and, more often than not, they knock it out of the park. Not only that, but a significant portion of the fanbase argues that they’re superior to what’s offered in the live action realm. And, to be completely honest, I have to concede in most cases.
Having said that, the trend looks to continue in 2018 with Batman: Gotham by Gaslight leading the charge. First revealed to us via a sneak peek included on the Batman and Harley Quinn Blu-ray release, it boasts a Dark Knight unlike anything we’ve seen outside of the comic books.
For those unfamiliar, Gotham by Gaslight was originally published in 1989 and ended up starting the “Elseworlds” line of books. Written by Brian Augustyn and drawn by Mike Mignola, it followed the exploits of a Batman residing in the 1800’s, tracking down Jack the Ripper.
But, if you have read the comic, then you’re well aware of its brevity. It was innovative, sure, but it won’t take very long to read it in its entirety. That said, it makes sense that the filmmakers have seriously beefed up their adaptation, thus expanding it for feature length.
As such, we’ll be seeing Victorian era reinterpretations of various supporting characters. Case in point, the latest clip released (seen at the top) features Dick Grayson, Jason Todd and Tim Drake. A far cry from the Robins we’ve come to know on Earth 0, these street kids are instead clever homages. And while it remains to be seen if they’ll play a larger role in the movie or if they’re limited to just this scene, one still has to appreciate the dialogue that pays tribute to Tim Burton’s Batman.
Batman: Gotham by Gaslight arrives on Blu-ray and DVD on February 6.
