Gotham City

Gotham is one of the nicknames of New York, of which the initiative is allotted to Washington Irving, American author of the 19th century ( The Salmagundi Papers , 1807). The nickname remains so popular that the authors of cartoon Bob Kane and Bill Finger seize some in the Années 1940. Gotham becomes the imaginary urban universe where evolve/move of the Super-héros such as Green Lantern (Alan Scott) and Anarky.

But Gotham City is especially known like decoration of the adventures of Batman.

Gotham City in the cartoon

History

Alan Moore is the first to have written the history of the imaginary city of Gotham City, history which its successors as a whole respected. According to Moore, the city was rested by a Norwegian mercenary in 1635, before passing under the authority of the British. These antecedents are not without pointing out the Histoire of New York, rested by the Dutchmen under the name of Nouvelle Amsterdam and later last under Britannique domination. During the war of American independence, Gotham City is the site of a decisive battle and the short noise which it is the different seat Secte S esoteric. Gotham City is at the 19th century century a rich metropolis and grouillante. Based on marshes, it does not delay with embourber in internal wars which ruin its reputation. The shadies resulting from the lower classes multiply whereas corruption spreads.

In number 5 of Shadowpact , Bill Willingham fabric the esoteric dimension of the Gothamiennes traditions by putting in scene a creature deadened since 40 000 years under the foundations of the city. Strega, such is the name of the servant of the creature, explains why the character dark and often malefic of the city is the result of the influence of this creature which is made call Doctor Gotham .

The following accounts enrich the history by Gotham city of fictitious events which assign the city and its inhabitants. The most outstanding catastrophe perhaps in its after-effects gave place to several stories followed throughout various episodes, the first being the diffusion of a debilitating virus, the clench by Ra' S Al Ghul in the series Contagion . In cataclysm , the city is victim of an earthquake of force 7,6 on the scale of Richter. The federal government decides that Gotham will not form any more part of the United States in No Man's Land . These three intrigues provide to the authors any freedom to redefine the character and the environment of the city. Gotham becomes hardened, its inhabitants become more resistant, débrouillards and cynical. Architecture diversifies, becomes spectacular.

A series of dysfonctionnelles personalities (Enemy of Batman) plunge the city on a downward slope which culminates with the year of the “ No Man's Land ”. Bruce Wayne, alter ego of Batman and owner of the Wayne Companies, share then in crusade against these shadies and politically to bring back the city to an acceptable moral level.

The rebuilding of Gotham City starts after this year of forfeiture. Lex Luthor takes again Gotham and its rebuilding between its hands. Encensé like saver of the metropolis, it is crowned new father of Gotham. The new city takes a resolutely modernistic turn, preserving certain traditional and Gothic features.

The asylum of Arkham

Built on the hills of Gotham, the asylum of Arkham ( Arkham Asylum in English) shelters all the insane ones of Gotham City that Batman with faced since its creation like the Joker, Harley Quinn, Double-Face, Mr. Freeze, or even the Épouvantail. Like Batman says it: “This asylum is a true strainer”. Indeed, it does not occur a day without one of the patients not escaping.

Works

The asylum of Arkham was the subject of several clean accounts:

Arkham Asylum: In Serious House one Serious Earth , a Romance graph scenarized by Grant Morrison and illustrated by Dave McKean. *
Arkham Asylum: Living room Hell , a mini-series of 6 episodes scenarized by daN Slott; drawings of Ryan Sook; inking of Sook, Wade Von Grawbadger, and Royal Jim; covers of Eric Powell.
Batman: The Last Arkham , mini-series in four parts written by Alan Grant and drawn by Norm Breyfogle.

(the titles followed of one * were translated into French)

GCPD

The department of police force of Gotham City has a long reputation of corruption. The most known elements are: the Police chief James Gordon, from now on with the retirement, Harvey Bullock and Renee Montoya.

One of the most important units is the Major Crimes Links directed by Maggie Sawyer, a defector of Metropolis. The investigations of this unit in the shade of Batman are told in the series Gotham Central .

The year of “No Man's Land”

Other literary misadventures of Gotham City

Xavier Mauméjean, Gotham, the Mask (2001)

Sources

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