Batman: Gothic

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Creative team
""Gothic""
Cover to trade paperback of Batman: Gothic.
Publisher	DC Comics
Publication date	April - August 1990
Title(s)	Legends of the Dark Knight #6-10
Main character(s)	Batman
Writer(s)	Grant Morrison
Artist(s)	Klaus Janson
Collected editions
Gothic	ISBN 1563890283

Batman: Gothic is a Batman storyline written by Grant Morrison and illustrated by Klaus Janson.

1 Plot
2 Publication
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Plot

Batman finds that a man known as "Mr. Whisper" is killing off five mobsters one by one. The mobsters explain to Batman that he was a child killer over thirty years ago, and (similar to the film M) the mobsters killed him when there was too much pressure from the cops. However, Mr. Whisper is also linked with a hideous event in Bruce's school days, a bargain reminiscent of Don Giovanni, and the Gotham City Cathedral.

The story takes Batman to a Monastery in Austria where he finds the truth about the Monk Manfred who sold his soul to the Devil in exchange for saving him from the plague. The Devil also gave Manfred three hundred years of life.

Manfred is indeed, Mr Whisper. He is also Mr Winchester, a teacher Bruce Wayne had when he was young. Batman chases Whisper and he is captured by him. Whisper has everything ready. He tells Batman he kind of likes him so he prepares an elaborate death for him (the trap is essentially a Rube Goldberg/Heath Robinson-style device). He also has a young nun as a hostage. Manfred reveals his plan to Batman: He is going to cheat the Devil and give him the souls of the whole city instead of his own. For that he has to use a combination of magic and the very same plague that almost killed him.

Batman escapes and fights with Whisper in the Cathedral but the floor collapses and they fall into the subway tunnel. There, Whisper is run over by a train. Batman disables the Cathedral's bell that should have rang, and thus the plague is kept contained in the Cathedral.

Whisper is then confronted by the young nun, who reveals herself as Satan, finally taking Manfred to Hell where he belongs.

Later, Bruce Wayne receives, in a package, Whisper's heart. He flies back to Austria, and throws the heart into the river to let the nun who was killed by Whisper so long ago finally rest in peace.