Gotham City
Gotham City (/ˈɡɒθəm/ GOTH-əm), or simply Gotham, is a fictional city in the Eastern United States that serves as the primary city appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It is best known as the home of the superhero, Batman, and his allies and foes. Created by writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane, the city was first identified as Batman's place of residence in Batman #4 (December 1940) and has since been the primary setting for stories featuring the character. In most of its incarnations, Gotham is depicted as one of the most crime-ridden cities in the world.
For other uses, see Gotham City (disambiguation).Gotham City
Batman #4
(December 1940)
Bill Finger (writer)
Bob Kane (artist)
City
Ace Chemicals
Arkham Asylum
Batcave
Blackgate Penitentiary
Gotham City Police Department
Iceberg Lounge
Wayne Enterprises
Wayne Manor
- Aaron Cash
- Ace the Bat-Hound
- Alan Scott
- Alberto Falcone
- Alfred Pennyworth
- Amadeus Arkham
- Arnold Wesker/The Ventriloquist & Scarface
- Arthur Brown/Cluemaster
- Bane
- Barbara Gordon/Batgirl
- Basil Karlo/Clayface
- Bruce Wayne/Batman
- Bud and Lou
- Carmine Falcone
- Chuck Brown/Kite-Man
- Damian Wayne/Robin
- Dick Grayson/Nightwing
- Drury Walker/Killer Moth
- Edward Nygma/The Riddler
- Floyd Lawton/Deadshot
- Francine Langstrom
- Garfield Lynns/Firefly
- Gillian Loeb
- Hamilton Hill
- Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn
- Harvey Bullock
- Harvey Dent/Two-Face
- Hugo Strange
- Humphry Dumpler/Humpty Dumpty
- Jack Ryder/The Creeper
- Jason Todd/Red Hood
- Jean-Paul Valley/Azrael
- Jervis Tetch/Mad Hatter
- Jim Gordon
- Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow
- Julian Day/Calendar Man
- Julie Madison
- Kirk Langstrom/Man-Bat
- Lazlo Valentin/Professor Pyg
- Lonnie Machin/Anarky
- Lucius Fox
- Mario Falcone
- Martha Wayne
- Maxie Zeus
- Nora Fries
- Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin
- Otis Flannegan/The Ratcatcher
- Pamela Isley/Poison Ivy
- Penelope Young
- Prometheus
- Ra's al Ghul
- Renee Montoya
- Roman Sionis/Black Mask
- Sal Maroni
- Selina Kyle/Catwoman
- Slade Wilson/Deathstroke
- Sofia Falcone
- Solomon Grundy
- Stephanie Brown/Spoiler
- Talia al Ghul
- Terry McGinnis
- The Joker
- Thomas Blake/Catman
- Thomas Elliot/Hush
- Thomas Wayne
- Tim Drake/Red Robin
- Vicki Vale
- Victor Fries/Mr. Freeze
- Victor Zsasz
- Warren White/The Great White Shark
- Waylon Jones/Killer Croc
Gotham City is traditionally depicted as being located in the U.S. state of New Jersey.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] Gotham's look and atmosphere was primarily influenced by New York City.[8] Architect Hugh Ferriss' designs also influenced the look and emotional feel of Gotham City, particularly in its later depictions.[9] Bill Finger said that he chose the name "Gotham", and not New York, so that all readers in any city could identify with it.[10]
Locations used as inspiration or filming locations for Gotham City in the live-action Batman films and television series have included St. Louis,[11] Chicago,[12][13] Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, New York City, Newark, London, Glasgow,[14][15][16][17][18][19] Hong Kong, Detroit,[20] and Liverpool.[21]
Origin of name[edit]
In Jim Steranko's History of the Comics, writer Bill Finger, on the naming of the city, said, "Originally I was going to call Gotham City 'Civic City.' Then I tried 'Capital City,' then 'Coast City.' Then I flipped through the New York City phone book and spotted the name 'Gotham Jewelers' and said, 'That's it,' Gotham City. We didn't call it New York because we wanted anybody in any city to identify with it."[10][22]
"Gotham" has been a nickname for New York City that first became popular in the 19th century; Washington Irving had first attached it to New York in the November 11, 1807, edition of his Salmagundi,[23] a periodical which lampooned New York culture and politics. Irving took the name from the English village of Gotham, Nottinghamshire, which was known for the Wise Men of Gotham story, a legendary incident where the village's residents feigned idiocy to prevent a royal visit from John, King of England.[24][25]
In other media[edit]
Television[edit]
In multiple episodes of the 1960s live-action Batman television series, Batman is seen consulting a transparent lucite map of Gotham, which was actually an inverted map of St. Louis.[11]
The live-action TV series Gotham was filmed in New York City and was an important requirement of the show's creative team.[95] According to executive producer Danny Cannon, its atmosphere was inspired by the look of the city itself in the 1970s films of Sidney Lumet and William Friedkin. Clues to this include and signs showing phone numbers bearing the area code 212.[96] Donal Logue, who portrayed Harvey Bullock in the series Gotham, described different aspects of that series' design of Gotham City as exhibiting different sensibilities, explaining, "for me, you can step into things that almost feel like the roaring 20s, and then there's this other really kind of heavy Blade Runner vibe floating around. There are elements of it that are completely contemporary and there are pieces of it that are very old-fashioned...There were a couple of examples of modern technology, but maybe an antiquated version of it, that gave me a little bit of sense that it's certainly not the 50s and the 60s...But it's not high tech and it's not futuristic, by any means."[97]
In the TV series Smallville, Gotham City is mentioned by the character Linda Lake in the episode "Hydro", who jokes she can see Gotham from her view. In "Reunion", one of Oliver Queen's friends mentions having to get back to Gotham.
The fifth episode of Young Justice, entitled "Schooled", indicates that Gotham is located in Connecticut, near Bridgeport.
The 2019 series Batwoman, which is set in Gotham City, was filmed in Chicago.[98]