In a Victorian era Gotham City, Batman teams up with Selina Kyle
​to hunt down an elusive serial killer known as Jack the Ripper.

ACTION/CRIME

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight (2018)

Directed by Sam Liu

Written by James Krieg

Starring Bruce Greenwood, Jennifer Carpenter, Scott Patterson, Anthony Head, Yuri Lowenthal, John DiMaggio, William Salyers,
​Tara Strong, Kari Wuhrer, Grey DeLisle

​Based on characters from DC Comics

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Connor Eyzaguirre

March 1, 2018

8/10

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight is one of the most inventive reimaginings of the Dark Knight I have ever seen. I can't explain why, but placing Batman in the Victorian times works really well. Every character just fits, like this was the way it was supposed to be. This film shows audiences what would happen if Batman fought Jack the Ripper, and it's pretty damn awesome. Apart from the abrupt ending and failure to tie off several loose ends, this film is another entertaining animated feature from DC's best division.

When a demented killer stalks the streets of 19th century Gotham, Bruce Wayne dons the cape and cowl of Batman to stop him. Bruce Greenwood plays a good Batman, but he's no Kevin Conroy. I was really surprised at Jennifer Carpenter's performance as Selina Kyle. I couldn't even tell it was her. Add in James Gordon, Harvey Bullock, Alfred, Harvey Dent, and cameos from Poison Ivy, Grundy, and three different Robins, and you've got an all-star roster of classic Batman characters to round out this creative Elseworlds story. My only problem is how quickly the movie ended. When we learn Jack the Ripper's identity (which is bonkers, by the way), the battle is awfully short, and then the movie's over. We still need answers to a lot of questions, and it felt like a big let down to know that we were never going to get them.

Still, for what it is, Gotham by Gaslight is a fun romp through an alternate reality Gotham where things got started a little earlier. I enjoyed the voice talent, the animation was gorgeous, and the envelope was pushed pretty far with an R-rating and some surprising brutal violence. While the ending is pretty lousy, the rest of the film is still a decent watch. I'd definitely give it a shot.