DC Comics realized at some point that they could put their heroes in “Imaginary Stories”. These were stories where they could show their heroes in stories that were in some way different from their usual ones, so in the middle of the Silver Age, maybe Superman could finally marry Lois Lane or something. Granted, Alan Moore once wrote in a DC book of imaginary stories “but aren’t they all?” Moot point. These sorts of stories are probably what eventually evolved into the modern Elseworlds story, and those could do things like take familiar characters and concepts and really mix them up a bit.
Case in point: what if a 19th century Batman investigated the Jack the Ripper case? That was the premise for a special issue called Gotham by Gaslight. I’ve never read that one, but the animated version is available on HBO Max.
It’s the end of the 19th century, with Gotham City preparing to host a World’s Fair paid for largely by wealthy bachelor Bruce Wayne (Bruce Greenwood), but the city has its problems. For one, the mysterious Batman is prowling the streets at night, battling crime. For another, a serial killer is also stalking the streets, mostly targeting young women with some of the more disreputable professions. That would be Jack the Ripper. Who is Jack? No one knows, but the movie opens with Jack attacking and murdering burlesque dancer Pamela Isley. There are no clues, and people are demanding answers, especially as there is a strong suspicion that Batman and the Ripper are the same person.
They obviously aren’t, but this story rather cleverly plays around with the audience’s knowledge of Batman characters. Harvey Dent (Yuri Lowenthal) is a local barrister and Bruce’s friend, someone who apparently becomes a different person when he drinks. Local singer/suffragette Selina Kyle (Jennifer Carpenter) learned a thing or two about survival on her own and catches Bruce’s eye. Sister Leslie Thompkins (Grey Griffin) runs an orphanage with a lot of support from Bruce, and she even takes in a few orphans early on based on a recommendation by the Batman in form of young boys Dickie, Jason, and Timmy. Faithful butler Alfred (Anthony Head) is there, and Police Commissioner Gordon (Scott Patterson) might make a good ally. But really, the Ripper, whoever he is, is dangerous, especially as he starts targeting those closest to Bruce Wayne for some nefarious reason.
Now, as I said, I have not read the original comic despite being a big fan of artist Mike Mignola, so I don’t know how faithful this story is. I will say it works best by taking into account the expectations of Batman fans. There’s only one Ripper, but numerous Batman enemies are running around the city, so which one is it? It helps that the Joker is nowhere to be seen. That would make the mystery too easy. And despite the clues out there, the final reveal on who the Ripper was was incredibly clever. Additionally, these projects usually have good if not great animation, and the overall design of this Victorian-era Gotham was rather cool.
As for the voice cast, Greenwood is a good Batman, a character he likewise portrays on the animated Young Justice series. Most of the rest appear to be professional voice actors who more or less know what they’re doing. I generally like but don’t love these direct-to-video animated features, and this one is no exception, a fun quick movie that is a little more adult than something intended for kids while not quite reaching the heights of something that would go out theatrically. I am curious to read the original comic now, but as for this one, it’s fun and that’s all I generally hope for.
Grade: B-
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