For the Earth-89 version, see Gotham City (Earth-89).
Gotham City
- "Please inform the citizens of Gotham that Gotham City has earned a rest from crime, but if the forces of evil should rise again to cast a shadow on the heart of the city, call me."
- ―Batman[src]
Gotham City is the largest city in the state of New Jersey. It was founded by Norwegian mercenary, Captain Jon Logerquist in 1635, until the British later took it over and it came under the care of John T. Gotham during the American Revolutionary War.
Gotham is Batman's home city and base of operations. It is home to many businesses and organizations, including the Gotham Globe, Shreck's and Wayne Enterprises.
Many eccentric criminal masterminds have attacked Gotham and each time Batman has always saved the day.
History[]
Gotham's skyline by moonlight.
To be added
Overview[]
- "This section is under construction."
Gotham City has very high levels of crime. Due to the absence of contributing businesses due to corruption and criminal influence, the city's tax base was crumbling.
Business Max Shreck aimed is to build a supposed "Power Plant" for Gotham City's future. Standing in Shreck's way, however, is Mayor Jenkins, who believes such a Power Plant to be unnecessary. Bruce Wayne is also unconvinced of the need for a new plant, and opposes Shreck's plans.
Notable locations[]
- Arkham Asylum
- Axis Chemicals
- Claw Island
- Cobblepot Manor
- Flugelheim Museum
- Old Gotham Cathedral
- Gotham City Police Department
- Gotham Globe building
- Gotham Observatory
- Gotham Museum
- Gotham Zoo
- Hall of Records
- Hippodrome
- Monarch Theatre
- Ritz Gotham
- Second Bank of Gotham
- Shreck's
- Snowy Cones Ice Cream Factory
- Statue of Justice
- Turkish Bath House
- Wayne Enterprises Head office
- Wayne Manor
Notable organizations[]
- Golums
- Gotham City Police Department
- Red Triangle Gang
Behind the scenes[]
State flag photo
For the 1989 original Batman film, the look of Gotham City was designed by production designer Anton Furst, who won an Oscar for his work on the film. Wayne Manor's exteriors utilized Knebworth House, a Gothicised Tudor, while its interiors were Hatfield House in Hatfield. Axis Chemicals, where Jack Napier plunges into the chemical sludge, was filmed at a disused power station in Acton Lane, West London. The exploding exterior was Little Barford Power Station, a couple of miles south of St Neots in Cambridgeshire.
In Batman Returns, Burton filmed city scenes almost entirely on soundstages. Production designer Bo Welch, who took over from Furst, based his designs on Furst's concepts.
Joel Schumacher era[]
When Joel Schumacher took over directing the franchise from Tim Burton, Barbara Ling handled the production design for both of Batman Forever and Batman & Robin. Ling's vision of Gotham City was a luminous and outlandish evocation of Modern expressionism and Constructivism. Its futuristic-like concepts (to a certain extent, akin to the 1982 film Blade Runner) appeared to be sort of a cross between Manhattan and the "Neo-Tokyo" of Akira. Ling admitted her influences for the Gotham City design came from "neon-ridden Tokyo and the Machine Age. Gotham is like a World's Fair on ecstasy."
During Mr. Freeze’s attempt to freeze Gotham in Batman & Robin, the targeting screen for his giant laser locates it somewhere on the New England shoreline, possibly as far north as Maine. The soundtrack for Batman & Robin features a song named after the city and sung by R. Kelly, later included on international editions of his 1998 double album R.
Impact[]
DC implemented Furst's designs into mainstream continuity.
