10 Factors That Give Batman The Best Extended Comics Universe
6. Gotham City
When the best Batman stories are examined and analysed with the aim of pinpointing what it is that makes them so brilliant, we believe that the portrayal of Gotham City is absolutely central. Most of DC's heroes exist is their own fictional cities, from Superman's Metropolis to Green Lantern's Coast City, but Gotham is undoubtedly the finest creation. The best writers have managed to make Gotham seem like a character of it's own, not simply a generic city with large skyscrapers for superheroes to fight through. Gotham has it's own intricate and enthralling history, featuring key events that have shaped it's past, present and future but are completely separate from real world events (yet maintaining a believability that appeals to readers). Gotham was once nearly destroyed when Ra's al Ghul released a virus named 'The Clench' on the population, and was then rocked by an Earthquake that destroyed much of the city, leading it to be abandoned by the US government and turned into a 'No Man's Land', a post-apocalyptic wasteland ruled by territorial gangs. Various writers have added to Gotham's back-story, including hints at an occult heritage and a supernatural force influencing behaviours in the city. Is Gotham an evil city at it's core and the terrifying villains of the city are manifestations of this? An unnerving but compelling idea indeed. Current Batman writer Scott Snyder has worked wonders with Gotham, adding new elements that at once seem original and contemporary, but also feel like they fit so well that they've always been a part of the mythology. Even before his creation of The Court Of Owls, a secret society that have ruled Gotham from the shadows for centuries and are embedded so deeply in the city that they have claws in the very architecture and infrastructure, Snyder co-wrote the miniseries Gates Of Gotham with Kyle Higgins. In this series, a new villain named The Architect is blowing up famous Gotham landmarks, and the mystery of his identity points to someone with links to the city's founding fathers. The mystery touches on the history of prominent Gotham families the Wayne's, the Kane's, the Cobblepott's and the Elliott's, cleverly tying in Batman's family with the family of some of his adversaries.
