Elseworlds begin again! The imprint holds some of my favourite books. Red Rain, Holy Terror, but the most famous of them has got to be Gotham By Gaslight. Now the series has been brought back to kick off this new line of Elseworld stories. With a brand new creative team tackling the story, can it not only recapture the hearts of original fans but also introduce a whole new generation to Elseworlds?

New team, who dis?

Gotham By Gaslight. Arguably one of the most iconic Batman books of all time, followed up by the generally less well-received Master of the Future. Brian Augustyn penned both of those tales, with Mike Mignola drawing the original and Eduardo Barreto working on the sequel.

This is the first Gotham By Gaslight book not penned by Augustyn, having passed away in 2022, being written instead by Andy Diggle. Mignola and Barreto are not drawing the book either, the latter also having passed away. Leonardo Fernandez takes the illustrative reins here, giving the book a whole new creative team. I did not have high hopes for this book, but I found myself pleasantly surprised.

We start with a new, albeit familiar scene. Jonathan and Martha Kent travelling on horse-drawn wagon through the Kansa Tribal Territory in 1860. Something crashes down near them, opening up to reveal a green glow.

The opening scene is one that really establishes the concept of Elseworlds for new readers. Familiar characters in unfamiliar settings. These days of course, the multiverse is a concept far more utilised than in the '90s so I feel that the original appeal of the imprint is somewhat diluted. Black Label has been giving us a lot of out of continuity stories, so what makes this any different?

We cut now to Gotham City, 1893, not long after the events of Master of the Future. We're introduced to a woman getting ready for a gala. Not any old gala, but the Kryptonian Age Exhibit opening gala. As she enters, the woman is introduced as Lady Selina Kyle. Selina Kyle in a museum. No matter what universe you're in, that can only mean one thing.

Selina does as Selina will do, donning her feline attire and breaking into the museum, sending her associate to pretend to be her. At the gala dinner, Miss Julie Madison informs the guests that her fiancée was unable to make it and offers his apologies. She tells her guests that the Kryptonian Age exhibit houses a variety of artifacts from lost age of prehistory, as Selina Kyle steals a familiar looking green ring.

This concept is very intriguing. I assumed that the Kyrptonian Age would be in reference to perhaps a future powered by Kryptonite or something along those lines. I want to know more about this prehistoric Kryptonians and I'm very excited to see where this leads. As a quick side note, it's great to see Julie again. She's popped up in a few books recently, and I've always enjoyed her appearances.

Selina goes to sell her ill-gotten gains when her deal is interrupted by the League of Shadows! The ring revealed to be a fake, we finally see our caped crusader. It appears he set up the fake ring and is the mastermind behind this ploy.

Pretty Pretty Pictures

The original Gotham by Gaslight is a beautiful book. Mike Mignola is a certifiable genius when it comes to dark and gothic imagery and the whole book just oozes style. I vastly prefer it to his other work, The Doom That Came to Gotham. Master of the Future suffers, I think, from a lack of that same style. Fernandez's art fits the world more than Barreto, and definitely elevates the book.

It is definitely a new take on the word artistically, though I can see subtle references. I find the way that teeth are drawn to be very similar to Mignola's work, and some panels remind me of Darwyn Cooke. Take a look at Selina stealing the ring and you'll see what I mean.

The shadows are excellent in this book. The environments feel full, but with enough empty spaces potentially house a Dark Knight. The book may not be as iconic as the original, but that's a very high bar. The dark cool hues of the city, mixed in with the occasional bright flash of green or fire red really fit the world the story exists in.

The character designs remain top-notch. Most of it is the same, but the new take on Catwoman's suit is a pretty great design and certainly fits in with the rest. The aesthetic choice's for the League of Shadows costumes are fantastic. Their masks resemble beautifully adorned face veils and turbans,  and their whole outfit is a great ensemble.

My biggest criticism with this issue would be just that. It's one issue. Gotham by Gaslight and Master of the Future are both one shots. One issue each, one book. This certainly feels like the first part of a series and so doesn't feel as complete as the others. This issue doesn't have that much going on story wise and most of my enjoyment comes from the art. I am intrigued to see where it goes but am not satiated with this issue alone.

Recommended If...

• Master of the Future left you underwhelmed
• You'd like to see a new creative team work on the series
• Elseworlds is back! Surely you'd want to read the first title?

Overall

I love Elseworlds. Am I happy it's back? Yes, absolutely. Am I worried? Also yes. It's fairly obvious to see the cash-grab possibilities inherent with bringing back an old imprint. People buying into it for nostalgia as well as getting new fans onboard is a sure fire way to make money without necessarily having to make it good. This first issue was good, and if it keeps up, will certainly instil a confidence for this revamped title. Tl;Dr: Loved the art, the story ended too soon. Hopefully next month's issue can give us a bit more to chew on.

Score: 7.5/10

DISCLAIMER: DC Comics provided Batman News with a copy of this comic for the purpose of this review.