Batman: Gothic
Encyclopedia
Gothic is a 1990 Batman
comic book
storyline that ran through the Legends of the Dark Knight
monthly series. It was written by Grant Morrison
and illustrated by Klaus Janson
.
bosses one by one. The mobsters explain to Batman that he was a child killer
over thirty years ago, and (similar to the film M
) the mobsters had found and killed him when there was too much pressure from the cops over them. At the same time, Batman's investigation links Mr. Whisper with a hideous event in Bruce Wayne's school days, a bargain reminiscent of Don Giovanni
, and the Gotham City
Cathedral
.
The events take Batman to a Monastery
in Austria
, where he finds the truth about the Monk Manfred
, who sold his soul to the Devil
in exchange for avoiding the Black Plague. Manfred was also given three hundred years of life, after which he will be taken to hell. Manfred is indeed Mr. Whisper, and also Mr. Winchester, a teacher Bruce Wayne had when he was a child and was studying in a men only
-British like school. Winchester had terrorized Bruce and a lot of young students, and murdered one of them. Before leaving the school, Bruce saw clearly that Winchester's figure was shadowless, like Manfred's figure.
Batman monitors the mobsters that can be attacked by Mr. Whisper, who's out for revenge. When Whisper makes his try at one of them, Batman chases him, but he is eventually captured by him. Whisper tells Batman that as a sign of appreciation over his abilities, his persona and what he represents, he has prepared an elaborate death for him (the trap is essentially a Rube Goldberg
/Heath Robinson
-style device). He also has a young nun
that has recently arrived to Gotham as a hostage. Manfred reveals his plan to Batman: He is going to cheat the Devil by giving him the souls of the whole city instead of his own. For that he needs a combination of magic and the very same plague that almost killed him, and he has both ready.
Batman escapes from the trap and fights with Whisper in the Cathedral, but the floor collapses and they fall into the subway tunnel. There, Whisper is run over by a train. Batman disables the Cathedral's bell that should have rang, and thus the plague is kept contained in the Cathedral.
Whisper is then confronted by the young nun, who reveals herself as Satan
, finally taking Manfred to Hell
where he belongs. Later, Bruce Wayne receives, in a package, Whisper's heart. He flies back to Austria, and throws the heart into the river to let the nun who was killed by Whisper so long ago finally rest in peace.
Comics ranked Batman: Gothic #16 on a list of the 25 greatest Batman graphic novels, saying that "Gothic offers not only a new twist to the origins of Bruce Wayne, but a dark and suspenseful tale perfectly suited for the Dark Knight."
:
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
storyline that ran through the Legends of the Dark Knight
Legends of the Dark Knight
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, commonly referred to as simply Legends of the Dark Knight is a DC comic book featuring Batman. It was launched in 1989 with the popularity of the Batman movie, following on from Frank Miller's Batman: Year One...
monthly series. It was written by Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison is a Scottish comic book writer, playwright and occultist. He is known for his nonlinear narratives and counter-cultural leanings, as well as his successful runs on titles like Animal Man, Doom Patrol, JLA, The Invisibles, New X-Men, Fantastic Four, All-Star Superman, and...
and illustrated by Klaus Janson
Klaus Janson
Klaus Janson is a German-born American comic book artist, working regularly for Marvel Comics and DC Comics and sporadically for independent companies...
.
Plot
Batman finds that a man known as "Mr. Whisper" is killing off five mobstersMobsters
Mobsters is a 1991 crime-drama film detailing the creation of the The Commission. Set in New York City, taking place from 1917 to 1931, it is a semi-fictitious account of the rise of Charles "Lucky" Luciano, Meyer Lansky, Frank Costello, and Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel.-Plot:This highly dramatized...
bosses one by one. The mobsters explain to Batman that he was a child killer
Child murder
The murder of children is considered an abhorrent crime in much of the world; they are perceived within their communities and the state at large as being vulnerable, and therefore especially susceptible to abduction and murder. The protection of children from abuse and possible death often involves...
over thirty years ago, and (similar to the film M
M (1931 film)
M is a 1931 German drama-thriller directed by Fritz Lang and written by Lang and his wife Thea von Harbou. It was Lang's first sound film, although he had directed more than a dozen films previously....
) the mobsters had found and killed him when there was too much pressure from the cops over them. At the same time, Batman's investigation links Mr. Whisper with a hideous event in Bruce Wayne's school days, a bargain reminiscent of Don Giovanni
Don Giovanni
Don Giovanni is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and with an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It was premiered by the Prague Italian opera at the Teatro di Praga on October 29, 1787...
, and the Gotham City
Gotham City
Gotham City is a fictional U.S. city appearing in DC Comics, best known as the home of Batman. Batman's place of residence was first identified as Gotham City in Batman #4 . Gotham City is strongly inspired by Trenton, Ontario's history, location, atmosphere, and various architectural styles...
Cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
.
The events take Batman to a Monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, where he finds the truth about the Monk Manfred
Manfred
Manfred is a dramatic poem written in 1816–1817 by Lord Byron. It contains supernatural elements, in keeping with the popularity of the ghost story in England at the time. It is a typical example of a Romantic closet drama...
, who sold his soul to the Devil
Devil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
in exchange for avoiding the Black Plague. Manfred was also given three hundred years of life, after which he will be taken to hell. Manfred is indeed Mr. Whisper, and also Mr. Winchester, a teacher Bruce Wayne had when he was a child and was studying in a men only
Single-sex education
Single-sex education, also known as single-gender education, is the practice of conducting education where male and female students attend separate classes or in separate buildings or schools. The practice was predominant before the mid-twentieth century, particularly in secondary education and...
-British like school. Winchester had terrorized Bruce and a lot of young students, and murdered one of them. Before leaving the school, Bruce saw clearly that Winchester's figure was shadowless, like Manfred's figure.
Batman monitors the mobsters that can be attacked by Mr. Whisper, who's out for revenge. When Whisper makes his try at one of them, Batman chases him, but he is eventually captured by him. Whisper tells Batman that as a sign of appreciation over his abilities, his persona and what he represents, he has prepared an elaborate death for him (the trap is essentially a Rube Goldberg
Rube Goldberg
Reuben Garrett Lucius Goldberg was an American cartoonist, sculptor, author, engineer and inventor.He is best known for a series of popular cartoons depicting complex gadgets that perform simple tasks in indirect, convoluted ways. These devices, now known as Rube Goldberg machines, are similar to...
/Heath Robinson
W. Heath Robinson
William Heath Robinson was an English cartoonist and illustrator, best known for drawings of eccentric machines....
-style device). He also has a young nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
that has recently arrived to Gotham as a hostage. Manfred reveals his plan to Batman: He is going to cheat the Devil by giving him the souls of the whole city instead of his own. For that he needs a combination of magic and the very same plague that almost killed him, and he has both ready.
Batman escapes from the trap and fights with Whisper in the Cathedral, but the floor collapses and they fall into the subway tunnel. There, Whisper is run over by a train. Batman disables the Cathedral's bell that should have rang, and thus the plague is kept contained in the Cathedral.
Whisper is then confronted by the young nun, who reveals herself as Satan
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
, finally taking Manfred to Hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
where he belongs. Later, Bruce Wayne receives, in a package, Whisper's heart. He flies back to Austria, and throws the heart into the river to let the nun who was killed by Whisper so long ago finally rest in peace.
Critical reaction
IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
Comics ranked Batman: Gothic #16 on a list of the 25 greatest Batman graphic novels, saying that "Gothic offers not only a new twist to the origins of Bruce Wayne, but a dark and suspenseful tale perfectly suited for the Dark Knight."
Collected editions
The storyline has been collected into a trade paperbackTrade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
:
- Gothic (collects Legends of the Dark KnightLegends of the Dark KnightBatman: Legends of the Dark Knight, commonly referred to as simply Legends of the Dark Knight is a DC comic book featuring Batman. It was launched in 1989 with the popularity of the Batman movie, following on from Frank Miller's Batman: Year One...
#6-10, DC Comics, 1998, ISBN 1-56389-028-3, 2007, ISBN 1-4012-1549-1, Titan BooksTitan BooksTitan Publishing Group is an independently owned publishing company, established in 1981. It is based at offices in London, England's Bankside area. The Books Division has two main areas of publishing: film & TV tie-ins/cinema reference books; and graphic novels and comics reference/art titles. The...
, ISBN 1845766717)