Ranking Every DC Original Animated Movie Worst To Best

Gotham By Gaslight was the product of an exciting mandate to reach into more Elseworlds material for DC Animated and started with exciting source material too. Brian Augustyn and Mike Mignola’s gothic mini-series set in a Victorian-era steampunk Gotham, where Batman is pitted against Jack the Ripper.

The anticipation surrounding this adaptation was natural due to the visual aesthetic and cracking murder mystery from the page lending itself well for an animated venture. Unfortunately, the clean cartoon style robs the movie of the eerie atmosphere and grimy streets seen in Mignola’s stunning comic art, and the world itself never lives up to its potential.

Certainly, with reliable Sam Liu directing, there are a handful of impressive fight set-pieces, but overall the murder mystery plot never really grips; it’s pretty standard stuff, and you’ll be guessing the culprit before the third act reveals the 'whodunnit' aspect.

For fans of the comic, it makes for a fun curio to see it translated and it’s a decent enough watch, but there's no denying that the potential for something much more special was there. Unfortunately, the end result is kind of forgettable.