Originally published as a DC Comics one-shot (1989) It came before the official Elseworlds logo, but despite being unbranded, "Gotham by Gaslight" is generally considered to be the first Elseworlds tale. And as the saying goes, the old ways are often the best - rarely has an Elseworlds story felt so organic. Something about Batman's persona and his entire mythology seems to fit within the context of the Victorian Era, and both the thematic and visual elements at play form a near-perfect mesh between the original know-him-and-love-him character and the new, alternative version of the classic hero. Like its descendant "Red Rain", the story of "Gotham by Gaslight" sees a stranger arriving in Gotham and Bruce Wayne hunting him as Batman. The presence of Jack the Ripper, fleeing London, prompts the birth of the Dark Knight in 1890s rather than the 20th Century. The plot is not as complex as some of the other Elseworlds tales on this list, but that's definitely not a negative point in this case. This is still Bruce Wayne, still the vigilante that haunts the night and cleans the Gotham streets between midnight and four o'clock. The steampunk bent, the Gothic setting and the Victorian Era dialogue don't negate the personality of the Batman as we know him. A lesser Elseworlds book would change the inherent character to fit within the greater context of the story. Thankfully, writer Brian Augustyn and artist Mike Mignola realize that Batman already fits without changing the character's interior.
