The Doom That Came to Gotham is DC/WB's latest Batman, animated (Elsewhere) feature. It pits the Dark Knight against Lovecraftian lore, with dashes of Faust and Constantine for devilish measure. More so, it's a tale that claims that sons must pay for the sins of their fathers, but at what cost to their morality, let alone their souls?
The gnawing apologue comes from a 2001, graphic-novel trilogy, by Michael (Hellboy) Mignola and Richard Pace (with artwork by Troy Nixey and Dennis Janke), which takes place in an undisclosed, alternate-reality year in the 1920s. The animated feature was adapted by Mignola, Pace and Jase Rici and directed by Sam Liu and Christopher Berkeley, who merge H.P. Lovecraft's The Doom That Came To Sarnath (and smidgeon of The Color Out of Space) with Talia al Ghul summoning dark forces to resurrect her fanatical father, Ra's al, in hopes of tearing "irredeemable" Gotham down.
The story starts with an investigation of an Oswald Cobblepot, Antarctic expedition, conducted by Bruce Wayne and his Robin variants, which includes the diligent Ka Li Cain. The gang deduces that the expedition's catastrophic aftermath, flanked by killer penguins, sprung from a fit of madness, though in truth, it's the consequence of a long interred curse.
The curse is, in fact, the result of Cobblepot, Thomas Wayne and other Gotham founding fathers having fiddled with The Necronomicon to strengthen their teetering city, but as with any Faustian pact, there's a catch, and now with the passing of years, the repercussions of the reckless entente come to light, unleashing a tentacled monster, The Lurker at the Threshold (a modified Yog-Sothoth, derived from August Derleth's Lovecraft homage), foreshadowed by Daitya, Talia's hulking, volcanic pawn.
As Wayne/Batman investigates the terrifying signs, other characters reveal the complexities of the curse and how such fits into its frightful web, including Mr. Freeze (shivering in a whole new way, despite his established, icy condition); Kirk Langstrom (Man-Bat, if only in mind); Harvey Dent (made a mayor, though plagued by a ruddy rash); Poison Ivy (zombie-fied, but strangely fetching); Jason Blood (the two-fisted Etrigon); Killer Croc (a would-be Resident Evil recruit); Barbara Gordon (a super-charged Oracle); James Gordon (sporting a Teddy Roosevelt scowl); Alfred Pennyworth (still faithful to the hilt); Lucius Fox (still erudite and astute); and in a twisty, John Barrymore-esque turn, Oliver Queen, who steals the show when he suits up as the knightly Green Arrow.
Though the characters may possess quirks unique to this parallel path, the story often leans on tested tropes, including the assault on Thomas and Martha Wayne (though this time murdered by blade, not bullet), and the establishment of The Bat Cave, which Pennyworth coins " the wine cellar" (a nice home for a neato, steampunked Batmobile). The Ra's al Ghul element isn't much different, either, even if it slithers from another angle, acting as a means to purge that which was meant to be good, but has soured over time. (What unfolds, however, is much more dangerous than in any previous Ra's al Ghul/Talia/Bane attempts to annihilate the eminient city.)
Though it eventually becomes clear why Bruce Wayne must take a personal interest in his city's demonic infestation, it's tricky to justify why he must perish (sacrifice himself) for the misguided act that his father (and others) committed. He does his best to avoid his reputed fate, but then Wayne/Batman isn't one to bemoan his circumstances. He acts upon the task at hand to help one and all, but in this instance, does he deserve the blame or the trouble? For anyone who's been told they must suffer the consequences of others' crimes (whether in recent years or centuries past), The Doom will prompt frustration and maybe along the delineated course, pathos for a dilemma that burns at both ends.
With that said, The Doom is a worthy watch, if only for the deep (if not uncomfortable) contemplation it inspires. In other words, it stands as one of Batman's most profound submissions, even if its rationale may prove problematic for some.
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