Bruce Wayne battles an ancient evil as he faces a sinister legacy in the 1920s. Batman: The Doom That came to Gotham adapts Mike Mignola and Richard Pace's classic DC Elseworlds comic series into a twisted animated story. The Dark Knight must shed wit and logic to understand a supernatural foe that has emerged from the depths of Hell. Running away from his parents' murder for a lifetime must have tragic consequences. Demons, monsters and gruesome mutants abound in this bleak Batman tale. The dots do not run smoothly into each other, but lead to a shocking climax with an unexpected twist.
In Antarctica, Bruce (David Giuntoli) searches for Professor Oswald Cobblepot's (William Salyers) ill-fated expedition. He arrives on his ship with young wards Dick Grayson (Jason Marsden), Sanjay Tawde (Karan Brar), Kai Li Cain (Tati Gabrielle) and his trusted butler, Alfred Pennyworth (Brian George). They find dead bodies and a diary of bizarre events. Bruce investigates further and discovers a survivor with gouged eyes; he somehow lives in the freezing cold. Grendon (David Dastmalchian) cackles that his master will soon be unleashed. Gotham City is destined to burn.
Gotham City changed
They sail into Gotham harbor with Grendon trapped in the ship's cooler. Bruce and Alfred have been gone for 20 years. The Depression and Prohibition changed the city for the worse. A dear friend awaits you in Wayne Manor with long shutters. Lucius Fox (Tim Russ) secretly runs the company; he has dutifully stored Bruce's equipment in the cavernous wine cellar.
Everyone is stunned when they find a dead body in the house. Kirk Langstrom (Jeffrey Combs), a colleague of Cobblepot's, was viciously tortured. Bruce leaves the youngsters with a drunken Oliver Queen (Christopher Gorham). Batman swings through the night sky towards the university. What did Cobblepot and Langstrom know? Why did the disturbing visions of his parents' death return? Batman fears that Grendon's prophecy will soon come true.
Batman: The Doom That came to Gotham channels Lovecraftian themes into an ominous mystery. Bruce believes in deductive reasoning. Alfred warns that he should be open to the possibility that other forces are at play. Never ignore wise advice from your butler. Bruce finds out the hard way that his diabolical enemies don't play by the normal rules. He must embrace their occult tactics or risk defeat and the fiery destruction of the city.
Burning demons
Longtime DC animation stewards Christopher Berkeley and Sam Liu bring the source material to light in gruesome fashion. The bad guys are scary and ruthless; they are savage killers who love to suffer. Batman's initial fight with a burning demon is just a hint of the macabre to come. The number of deaths becomes high as the number of casualties increases.
Different aspects of the story are treated with varying degrees of success. Familiar characters are revisited in an interesting way. You see a very different Oliver Queen and Barbara Gordon here. Plus, the period setting and weaponry are unique: Batman's gadgets have old-world flair, but still get the job done. The primary problem with Batman: The Doom That came to Gotham about the actual detective work. There is no. Batman constantly encounters new villains who just happen to point him in the right direction. The script needed to be much sharper in that regard. We have been spoon-fed.
Horrible transformations
Batman: The Doom That came to Gotham is full of satanic and pagan imagery. Characters undergo horrific transformations that are sure to frighten younger children. Adult audiences should enjoy this different superhero perspective despite obvious flaws.
Batman: The Doom That came to Gotham is a DC and Warner Bros. production. Animation. It is currently available on DVD, Blu-ray and digital download from Warner Bros. home entertainment.
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