Batman: Gotham by Gaslight

Director - Sam Liu (Batman vs. Dracula, Godzilla the Series)
Starring - Bruce Greenwood (Star Trek, Super 8), Jennifer Carpenter (Brawl in Cellblock 99, Dexter), and Chris Cox (Ted, The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy)
Release Date - 2018
Genre - Action/Crime
Tagline - "Catching a legendary killer takes a legendary hero"
Format - 4K Ultra HD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I've been a comic fan for years now.  I started out mostly reading horror comics like The Walking Dead, Hack/Slash, Evil Ernie, and so on.  I eventually made the jump to superhero.  I fell in love with Marvel but my favorite series belonged to DC with Green Lantern and Flash.  Most DC fans would bitch because I didn't like Batman or Superman but I like what I like.  Batman and Superman was just like Spider-Man to me.  You see them everywhere and honestly I was fuckin sick of seeing them.  However, I can't lie.  I do enjoy the movies based on them.  For Christmas my wife surprised me with Justice League Dark on blu.  I never watched the animated DC films but Constantine had me hooked.  I tossed it in and was immediately a fan.  I now have to have them all.  Recently Batman: Gotham by Gaslight was released and when I heard that it involved Jack the Ripper I knew this was another film I had to have.  I was able to secure a review copy and I'm so glad I did.

     The film follows Gotham in the Victorian era with playboy Bruce Wayne is putting together a world's fair but a string of murders plagues the town.  A skilled hand is killing working women and Batman is trying to catch him before the body count rises.  As he tries to crack the case he befriends Selena Kyle, an actress who has Harvey Dent's eye.  When they become lovers one night Bruce Wayne finds himself in jail with the Ripper setting him up.  Now Bruce must escape prison and stop the ripper while trying to figure out who he really is.

     Much like Justice League Dark, Batman: Gotham by Gaslight is not meant for children and delivers a fun film that most avid comic fans are begging for.  I had watched a few of the Marvel animated movies in the past.  These movies were fun but easily forgettable but these two DC animated flicks are fantastic.  Batman: GbG is fantastic and one that I will be revisiting soon.  The voice acting in this one is solid.  There was a few scenes where the cast was unable to draw the excitement of the scene or the right emotion.  Bruce Greenwood has the perfect Bruce Wayne/Batman voice which is something I never even considered before now.  He may not have the look but his voice is great.  I also liked Jennifer Carpenter as Selena Kyle.  I recently reviewed Brawl in Cellblock 99 and noticed how her performance was lacking.  I can't say that about her voice work here.  She did a great job.  The story for this one is great.  Combining Batman and Gotham with Victorian England and Jack the Ripper.  It does take a minute to get behind the changing of a known character like Batman but once the film starts rolling and the setting is fully explored you quickly fall in love with the meshing of the two and the liberties the story takes with these characters.  The scenes have great pacing and there is a lot of character development due to the fact that a lot of the characters are now rewritten to fit the story.  Finally, the film does have a few death scenes.  They are not graphic but they do rely on your imagination to make them work.  They are violent in context but the kills themselves are subtle.  Overall, Batman: Gotham by Gaslight is fucking awesome.  Fans of Batman and awesome movies in general need to check this one out.  You will not be disappointed.