Although I’ve seen this map of DC’s Gotham City before — I don’t remember where — today it pops up on the quirky Strange Maps blog, complete with some “lesser-known facts” about Batman’s stomping grounds. A sampling:
The place-name ‘Gotham’ has an interesting pedigree. It was used as early as the 15th century to refer to places with foolish inhabitants – a direct reference to the eponymous town in Nottinghamshire, England.
Washington Irving, author of ‘Sleepy Hollow’ fame, used it as a sobriquet for New York for the first time in his satire Salmagundi (1807).
Prior to 1941, Batman’s home (in the DC Comics) was New York City; he didn’t move to Gotham until DC Comics #48 (in February 1941).*
(* That should be Detective Comics #48.)
December 29th, 2006 at 10:15 am
I love Grant Morrison’s explanation of the geography of New York, Gotham, and Metropolis– something which bugs me a lot. He says they’re like 3 sister cities very close to another. That’s as close to a satisfying as we’re likely to get.
December 29th, 2006 at 10:27 am
Isn’t this map out of the “Atlas of the DC Universe”, from the old RPG?
I remember it stating that Gotham was in Jersey, and Metropolis,in Maryland.
December 29th, 2006 at 10:43 am
That’s a very cool blog … I’ll have to add it to Bloglines.
December 29th, 2006 at 12:10 pm
This map also popped up during several issues of the “No Man’s Land” story. In fact, I think that’s where the little number/dots are from.
December 29th, 2006 at 8:46 pm
Actually, its original form first popped up in Batman: No Man’s Land # 1. This particular modification first saw print in Gotham City Secret Files and Origins # 1, and it’s been reused in several places since then.