While this year’sThe Batmanmay have had one of the most comic - book accurate Gotham Citys in on the big filmdom , many fans would agree that it ’s   one of the worst fictional metropolis to hold out in . Most often just called Gotham , it ’s whereBatmanmakes his home , but with streets nicknamed " Crime Alley " and a revolve verandah of knave break out of Arkham on a even basis , it just might be the most dangerous place in all of comic to call home .

Gotham has been part of DC Comics since 1940 , and in that time , it ’s view   many change and had a circumstances of interesting bits of account let on . Even some of the biggest Batman fans might not know all of these historic details .

Gotham Is In New Jersey

Many depictions of Gotham in pic and television make the audience reckon that the urban center is in New York . After all , the comic book metropolis does take a stack of inspiration from New York City itself . That ’s not the compositor’s case , though .

When Gotham is picture on a mathematical function in DC comic strip , it ’s typically in New Jersey . Add to that the idea of Metropolis being its " sister metropolis , " and Superman ’s stomping grounds are just across the river .

Gotham Was First Identified In Batman #4

Though the city where the Caped Crusader does most of his work appeared in earliest comics , specifically , in number of Detective Comics before Batman got his solo serial , the city itself was n’t really identified .

Batman # 4featured four dissimilar taradiddle , published in December 1940 , let in one call " The Case of the Joker ’s Crime Circus . “This translation of the Jokerrobs affluent menage who host his miniature circus at party . It ’s in this story that Batman ’s metropolis is first   touch on to as   Gotham . Like most piece of the classicBatmanmythology , Gotham was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane .

Early Gotham History Wasn’t Written For Batman Comics

While Gotham City has spiel emcee to a mess of crime fighter aircraft over the year , it ’s best known as the home of Bruce Wayne . The history of the city , however , was n’t primitively fleshed out inBatmancomics , but or else , inSwamp Thing .

Alan Moore’sSwamp Thingis where funny book reader would see the story of the Norse soldier of fortune who to begin with base the city . In 1635 , the soldier of fortune make Gotham , but it would eventually be taken over by the British , and later on , by several different wealthy families and crime bosses .

More Mayors Of Gotham Die On The Job Than Leave Office

Being mayor of a comic book metropolis like Gotham is   really more dangerous than being a vigilante fighting in it . Over the 80 years since Gotham ’s risible book debut , the city has had   many city manager on the page . alas , most of them do n’t last long because they end up being point by a villain .

The most frequent villain to target the mayor of Gotham is , of course , the Joker , but there are a few others antagonists after these civic leaders . Marion Grange , for example , is assassinated by Nick Scratch ’s team . Armand Krol also dies , but he ’s infect by the Clench virus . Even theGothamtelevision serial goes through six mayors during its run , and one-half of them are killed .

A Villain Brought Movie Architecture To The Comics

The1989Batmanmovie barrack many memes , and is also known for its   distinct Gothic look .

Backstory for the urban center revealed that Judge Solomon Wayne ( Batman ’s ancestor ) once commission a down - on - his - luck creative person to design construction that could make Gotham a morphological powerhouse of a city , one to keep villains out . The artist was Cyrus Pinkney . Over the class of several decade , Pinkney ’s designs were largely lost as the city grew and Modern buildings were built around his sometime ones . It was n’t until the former ' 90s that an obsessed " fan " of Pinkney commence blowing up buildings in Gotham to break Pinkney ’s study underneath , and act the comics closer to the 1989 movie ’s artistic created by Tim Burton and production graphic designer Nigel Phelps .

Falcone Penthouse Is A First Meeting Place For Iconic Villains

Carmine Falcone is a name Batman fans will recognize well . A member of one of Gotham ’s most fertile organise crime folk , Falcone ends up in a pile of Batman cover adjustment . In the comics , his penthouse also becomes an   Hades   hotspot .

That ’s becauseBatman : The Long Halloweenturns that penthouse into a place for Batman to have his first meeting with two different Batman baddie . In a retcon , he first encounters both Two - Face and Catwoman at the penthouse , and both go on to become two of his most iconic foeman , particularly the latter , as there have been manydifferent versions of Catwoman .

Several Gotham Landmarks Have Easter Eggs For Names

There is a luxurious custom in comic books to honor the Lord who come before the current writers and artist . That ’s part of the cause so many superhero movies boast Easter eggs that utilize the names of laughable book Almighty . The same is done in the funnies .

Many Gotham landmark spotlighted in the comics , even if they only appear once or twice , are named for those who have a deal in shaping Batman ’s legacy . Finger River and Finger Memorial Park , for example , are both named after Batman co - creator Bill Finger . Kane County Morgue is named after co - creator Bob Kane . The Westward Bridge is refer after ' 60s eraBatmanactors Adam West and Burt Ward .

Arkham Asylum First Appeared In Batman #258

In advanced comics , the adroitness is known by the full name of the Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane . When it first appeared , however , it was simply Arkham Hospital . While it was n’t initially identify when the Joker escaped from it a few issues earlier , it made its first real appearance inBatman#258 .

That issue landed in the ' 70s , more than 30 years after Gotham made its comic book unveiling . So , even though the adroitness is one of the most noted Gotham locating of the modern solar day , it take a long time before the comics integrate its story . The first arc featuring the hospital include Two - Face ’s escape .

Blackgate Prison Has Been Shut Down By Amnesty International

In the macrocosm of Batman , if one of his scoundrel does n’t end up in Arkham , they belike stop up in Blackgate . Some of the villains have spend time in both places for their crimes .

However , the comics give away that Blackgate was actually shut down for a metre . When it was n’t operable , it was because Amnesty International closed the prison . In the real macrocosm , Amnesty International is an organization that is n’t affiliated with any fussy government activity group and advocates for human right all over the universe . If the fancied version make Blackgate shut down , the prison house had to have some specially inhumane practices .

Gotham Almost Had Three Other Names

According to theNew York Times , Before Bill Finger and Bob Kane chose Gotham as the name for Batman ’s home city , there were three other options .

Civic City , Capital City , and Coast City all almost were names hold to Gotham . Civic City hold out on to be the name of a Justice Society of America headquarters location . Coast City went on to become the home for Green Lantern Hal Jordan .

NEXT : Every Movie Depiction Of Gotham , Ranked Least - Most exact

Comic book art: Batman faces the four Robins: Nightwing Dick Grayson, Red Hood Jason Todd, Red Robin Tim Drake, and Robin Damian Wayne.

Comic book art: batman by arkham asylum

Collage of Willow and Clash of the Titans

A split image features Batman in a destroyed Gotham in No Man’s Land comic and the bat signal in Batman movie

A map includes Gotham City in DC Comics in 1977

Robin and Batman on the cover of Batman Vol 1 Issue 4

Swamp Thing raising his arm into the air

A split image features comic book Gotham mayors Marion Grange and Armand Krol

Wayne Manor In Batman 1989

Two-Face Batman Long Halloween

Batman standing in a destroyed Gotham City in No Man’s Land.

Arkham Asylum First Appearance

A truck drives into Blackgate Penitentiary

The Batsignal in Gotham in Batman v Superman

Batman