Comics by Elseworld
"Batman: Gotham by Gaslight was originally released by DC Comics in 1989. The story was written by Brian Augustyn, drawn by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola, and inked by P. Craig Russell. Batman: Gotham by Gaslight reimagines Batman as a Victorian era vigilante-detective investigating the serial killer Jack the Ripper.
Here’s an official synopsis of the comic book's story:
In an age of mystery and superstition, how would the people of Gotham react to a weird creature of the night, a bat-garbed vigilante feared by the guilty and the innocent alike? The very first Elseworlds tale re-imagines the Dark Knight detective in Victorian times and pits him against the infamous murderer Jack the Ripper." -via ComicBook.com
Okay seriously?
How AWESOME does that sound??
For those unfamiliar with the term "Elseworld Tale," it is essentially a story starring a character with an already established continuity, in a tale having absolutely nothing to do with that continuity. Complete fish out of water scenario, [typically] keeping only the main ingredients pertaining to the character itself. Sometimes the story will eschew their origin altogether, other times it will still be included, just warped in some invigorating way.
I've long held the belief that Elseworld Tales are the secret sauce for major comic book companies, but for the Big Two in particular. Marvel can't quite decide which end is up with all of their civilly secret wars, and DC hasn't quite formed the universe they're unwilling to obliterate back to ground zero again. Supers die and come back to life, movies are happening, TV is happening, and everything is being shoehorned into this very narrow slot dubbed "continuity."
Continuity: The official ongoing record of canonical events
Don't get me wrong. There is absolutely a place for such concerns, and a certain honor and respect that goes hand in hand with that particular aspect of the craft.
But the reason The Big Two are having such issues in their comics has very little to do with the canon cram and far more (arguably everything more) to do with the stories they're telling. Fans, don't hate me for what I'm about to say. Executives, don't take it personal what I'm about to say. I'm part of the family. I love the world of comics. Okay? Okay.
Woosah.
For the most part... the stories The Big Two are telling these days? Just aren't good. This doesn't apply to all of them- but most of them. Either the stories aren't good or they're not being well told (which is a slightly different problem, but still a significant problem nonetheless). There is a clear disparity in story quality if you read some of the old stuff, or any of the classics, or even just get into conversation with some comic extremists. Obviously it's never been a perfect genre and there have always been both goofs and goofiness... but overall the story quality has fallen off.
Now.
I'd like to rewind your attention back to 2016. Blogsites were buzzing with this "DC Rebirth" thing that was in the works. Everybody was glad to be far and away from New 52. Batman V Superman hadn't come out yet (yes, yes, I know, but we DID get Wonder Woman out of it). And then suddenly, SUDDENLY, DC Comics shredded the comicsphere with galaxy shattering news.
Due to the high volume of books they were going to be putting out under the Rebirth banner, they were canvassing for fresh talent and voices to bring onboard.
I was excited for two reasons. One was, obviously, I was sure that was my chance! Finally! But two, even more than that, I believed that DC had finally spotted their weakness and were doing a miraculous pivot away from the ineffective and back into an emphasis on story.
Long story short (Ha!), that's not at all what happened and I wasn't the only one who felt duped. They weren't really looking for new talent- at least not in the way they'd presented it. The cast of people they ended up hiring were basically fellow cohorts, already deeply entrenched in other pockets of the entertainment industry. There was not one single person, who they actually took a true chance on.
Not. One.
And so Rebirth happened.
No lie, I followed every book for the first 5 months, before I started cutting things out.
EVERY. Single. Book.
No lie, I followed every book for the first 5 months, before I started cutting things out.
EVERY. Single. Book.
And the stories were mostly just okay. Few cool moments, handful of really touching ones, lots of action scenes, a few light risks... but for the most part... it was only okay (except for the DC Universe Rebirth book- THAT was incredible). I dabbled over into what Marvel had going on... pretty much the same. Which then led me into purchasing titles from image (SAGA!!), idw, and other indie work, as well as picking up some classics by The Big Two, while still following the titles which held my interest. But I still couldn't shake this feeling... The story quality just wasn't there.
And then one day, my sister and I were shooting the breeze about superheroes how we usually do. Somehow we got on the topic of Batman and Superman and what if Clark actually landed in Gotham and got adopted right when Bruce was born and what if their parents still got killed and now it's the two of them vs Gotham City and what if Alfred was so concerned for them that he faked a bunch of crimes to keep them safe and what if he did this for so long that he developed schitzophrenia and actually became the Joker AND Alfred, and Bruce and Clark would have no idea that their deadliest enemy lived right in their home and OH MY GOSH HOW HAS THIS NOT HAPPENED YET!
To put it mildly... we were amped. We realized that there were so many Elseworld stories that could be told with these well known figures (ask me later about what we came up with for Ahsoka and the Jedi Order), without messing with the canon. Continuity could still be intact, and yet these incredible stories could be told, and the fanbase would grow. It would be an incredible win. Can you imagine? Comics based solely on creativity, boundlessness, and good stories?
It would put the emphasis in comics back where it belonged. Not on a flagship character, reliable trope, or catastrophic event... but on how strong the story itself was. And that's when I told my sister "I would LOVE to be in charge of such a department." I'd love to be the "Elseworld's Guy" for comic book companies.
(Brief tangent here... while I get the initial emphasis to try and catch Marvel's cinematic universe... why not dig deep and give the people a solid story? Flip the script and don't just give us a Batman movie- give us an Earth 2 Batman movie with Thomas Wayne as Batman. Nobody would see it coming. The focus would HAVE to be on a super dope story. And you would be heroes)
So time is passing and I'm reading, writing, learning about old stuff, paying attention to what is currently happening...
And then we get the announcement of Gotham by Gaslight.
An Elseworld's story.
An Elseworld's story.
And I get excited all over again.
If they execute this correctly, this will change the game forever in three ways.
- DC's animated films have drooped considerably, but this could boost them astronomically
- It opens the doors for not just new writers, but new kinds of writers to come on the scene
- When the focus is back on story, and not on gimmicks, then continuity tales become infinitely more valuable and interesting by default
And the best part? It doesn't only apply to DC- this would work for Marvel and everybody else well established too!
This, along with mainstream recognition for the many excellent indie stories out there, is what the industry needs right now and I am cheering for DC, this movie, and what it represents, the whole way. Great things are ahead.
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For those of you interested, I actually have written a couple of Elseworld's tales. One is an introductory trilogy of shorts for the Batman and Superman story I was talking about. The other one is a prospective new direction for the Avatar series on Nickelodeon. :o)
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Joshua Evans is a prolific writer and sci-fi/fantasy enthusiast who believes story is central to everything and that mythology can change the world. He currently hosts two youtube shows- The Truth About Superheroes and Comic of the Week, as well as runs a short story blogsite on medium as The Story Junkie. If you would like to further be a part of his cosmic psyche, you can join him on Twitter and Instagram or simply subscribe to this blog… and remember- sharing is caring! Cheers!
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