Set in an alternate reality, Batman: Gotham by Gaslight follows the adventure of a famous superhero during the Victorian Era. Gotham City is reimagined to be a part of the British Empire and looks like a replica of London city. The animated action film is based on the comic book of the same name and the film has been directed by DC’s star director Sam Liu.
‘Batman: Gotham by Gaslight’ Summary
The streets of Gotham City are threatened by a dreadful serial killer, Jack the Ripper. Under the moonshine, the masked murderer sneaks around the dark dirty lanes, killing women he considers immoral. His actions depict efforts to clean social scum by killing prostitutes and indecent women.
The police department tries to thrust their suspicion upon Batman who is another masked vigilante but soon finds the connection of the killing with the town’s rich businessman, Bruce Wayne. Unaware of the fact that Bruce Wayne is Batman, the coopers celebrate their victory while the serial killer is still on the loose.
Selina, the Catwoman, and Batman’s love affair in the film try to help him by revealing the truth about his identity. Bruce inside the prison is in a fix, who has to find a solution to save his identity and the women of Gotham city.
Spoilers Ahead – If you haven’t seen the film, please don’t scroll further.
‘Batman: Gotham by Gaslight’ Ending Explained
Bruce breaks out of the prison and reaches Commissioner Gordon’s house to stop Selina from revealing his identity. At the house, Bruce finds out a secret door that reveals the true identity of James Gordon. He was a war patriot, a trained ring boxer, and a collector of human organs. Each clue inside this secret room hints that he’s Jack the Ripper.
Batman ran towards Gotham City World’s Fair where Gordon was going to kill Selina accusing her of harlotry. In an intensive fight, Batman cuffs down Gordon but he chooses an ending rather than a prison. He walks into the fire and burns himself.
James Gordon was a war veteran and American surgeon who served in the American Civil War. All his life, he had seen violence and was later trained to eradicate scum from society, the main motive of the civil war itself. When the war ended, soldiers like Gordon had nothing to kill, something they were engineered for. In such a crisis, Gordon programmed his mind and created an alter-ego called Jake the Ripper. His motive was the same, to clean the society and he found the vile in indecent women. Once in the pit of madness, there was no way out for him and he had to be stopped.
Batman: Gotham by Gaslight stands out for its portrayal of James Gordon. The commissioner who has always been a salient henchman for Batman becomes a threat to society. However, a marvelous point that some might have missed, Gordon didn’t trap Batman when he had the chance to label the blame upon him. Instead, he got Wayne arrested after finding out that he slept with Selina, which according to him was an act of indecency. James Gordon adored Batman’s work and found similarities with his masked vigilante aura. Some could say that Batman-inspired Gordon to become Jack the Ripper.
The animated film gives interesting insights into James Gordon’s character who has never been explored extensively. The film is both entertaining and captivating. The action sequences are a bit dull and the film lacks some Bruce Wayne humor, yet it is an intriguing watch.
Batman: Gotham by Gaslight is a 2018 animated film directed by Sam Liu.
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