Each Friday, we'll be letting a different DC.com writer share what they'll be reading over the weekend and why you might want to check it out. Here's this week's suggestion for a perfect Weekend Escape!
 

When it comes to spooky season, DC Comics fans are spoilt for choice. From the zombie nightmares of DCeased to classic series like House of Mystery and The Witching Hour, DC has always been a welcoming home for horror lovers. But when I think of the scariest stories that the publisher has to offer, I always go back to one chilling Batman yarn that I read as a gore-obsessed child that changed the way I saw the Dark Knight and the world of DC. So, this weekend, I'm recommending the legendary Gotham by Gaslight, which launched the universe-changing Elseworlds concept, features a famous artist before his big break, and pitted Batman against one of history's most infamous serial killers!  

If you're an Ultra member you can read the Gotham by Gaslight collection on DC UNIVERSE INFINITE right now, and if you haven't committed yet, you can read the original prestige issue free!
 

THE PREMISE:

In what still stands as one of the best loglines of all time, Gotham by Gaslight essentially asks the question: What if Batman was hunting Jack the Ripper? Translating the classic Bruce Wayne origin story to the 1800s, we begin as Bruce's parents are set upon by a highwayman and Bruce recalls the trauma with his close personal friend and teacher Sigmund Freud. Yes, if you can't already tell, writer Brian Augustyn has a whole lot of fun with the historical setting. As Bruce returns to Gotham for the first time in years, he discovers that he's not the only new arrival as Jack the Ripper is hunting the streets of the city murdering young women, and the only one who can stop him is, of course, Gotham's most famous son and hero, Batman.
 

LET’S TALK TALENT:

As I mentioned above, this story is written by Brian Augustyn who is probably most well-known for this very book. It’s penciled by a young Mike Mignola (who was yet to create Hellboy), inked by soon-to-be Sandman artist P. Craig Russell, colored by artist David Hornung and lettered by John Workman, one of the most prolific letterers of his generation. It's a stacked creative team that delivers a haunting fable which is still just as iconic 35 years later. But of course, getting to see Mignola on Batman is the big draw for comics here, and he brings his unique eye to the equally unique setup, delivering the overtly over-stylized gothic vibe that would become his staple. As a teen, it was the chance to see Mignola draw Batman that brought me back to this comic time and time again, a tonal fit so great that you're surprised it didn’t become one of those long-running iconic character and creator pairings.
 

A FEW REASONS TO READ:

• An especially gothic take on DC's most gothic city: If you've always enjoyed the gargoyles of Gotham, the steampunk rendition in Batman: The Animated Series, and the gothic nature of Batman as a concept, then you'll enjoy just how textual the creative team makes all of that. This is peak gothic Gotham as we explore the streets of the city and its secrets in the Victorian age, something that feels like a natural fit.
   
• A chance to enjoy pre-Hellboy Mike Mignola: It's hard to put into words just how great it is to see Mignola doing his stuff here. It's proto-horror, proto-Hellboy and just a wonderful example of an artist about to break out and make his mark on the world. It's also one of the few Big Two comics that Mignola drew interiors for, and definitely his most famous. So, if you love the man and his monsters, you've gotta check this out.

• Batman showing why he's the World's Greatest Detective: There's often a lot of talk about whether Batman lives up to his famed moniker, but here there's no question that he's a detective of the highest caliber. This is a mystery at its heart, and one that like so many in DC history, connects directly to the Waynes and the death of Bruce’s parents.
   
• This is just the beginning: I’m focusing here on the 48-page story that kicked everything off, but it’s not the last word when it comes to this steampunk Dark Knight. Batman: Master of the Future, written by Augustyn and drawn by Eduardo Barreto, continues where Gotham by Gaslight leaves off, and Andy Diggle and Leandro Fernandez’s still-in-progress Batman: Gotham by Gaslight – The Kryptonian Age expands the world considerably by introducing other DC heroes into this intriguing alternate timeline.
   

WHY IT’S WORTH YOUR TIME:

Who doesn't want to read a chilling tale about Jack the Ripper and Batman during spooky season? While it might be a simple selling point, it's a unique one that has kept this book in print and at the forefront of DC fans’ consciousness for almost four decades. If you've checked out the 2018 animated movie, but haven't read the original comic yet, it's the perfect time. Or if you're simply looking for a comic that'll haunt you long after the first page, this will fill that need nicely. So, grab your favorite hot drink, pop on a warm sweater, and get ready to lose yourself in one of Batman's most infamous and horrifying cases.
 

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight by Brian Augustyn, Mike Mignola, P. Craig Russell and Eduardo Barreto is available in a graphic novel collection and can be read in full on DC UNIVERSE INFINITE.

Rosie Knight is an award-winning journalist and author who loves Swamp Thing, the DC Cosmic and writing the monthly gossip column here at DC.com. You can also listen to her waxing lyrical about comics, movies and more each week as she co-hosts Crooked Media's pop-culture podcast, X-Ray Vision.

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Rosie Knight and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.