Gotham City is one of the most well-known locations in fiction. It houses some of the greatest heroes and villains from DC Comics and is as much a character as those who occupy it. The previously nameless city was identified early on in Batman #4 in 1940 and has remained Batman's home ever since.
Gotham City is an integral part of the Batman mythos, spawning villains like Two-Face and the Joker, and sets the stage for Batman's origin. It's often depicted as a dark city with noir styles and gothic architecture. While Gotham houses many heroes, it's one of the most dangerous places to live in the DC universe.
10 High Crime Rate Leads To Tragedies Like The Wayne Murders
Whether Bruce Wayne is beginning his journey in "Year One," fighting villains in the prime of his superhero career during "Hush," or regretting retirement in Dark Knight Returns, Gotham City always seems to be at its worse. It's a sad reality that no matter what stage of life Bruce Wayne is in, he hasn't succeeded in his mission.
For all of Batman's efforts, he can't be everywhere. The Waynes are murdered, but even after Bruce becomes Batman, Dick Grayson loses his parents. Gotham's crime rate sadly leads to many tragedies, whether Batman exists or not.
9 The Amount Of Property Damage
While there are few gods or aliens flying around Gotham, the city is still prone to lots of property damage thanks to the Joker's colorful schemes and even Batman himself. The TV series Powerless attempts to explain how citizens in the DC universe deal with constant destructive superhero battles.
Powerless proved more comical than most of the events depicted in Batman comics. Batman's "heroism" was beautifully explored in Sean Murphy's Batman: White Knight limited series, where Batman's reckless pursuits of criminals were criticized, and the Dark Knight was held accountable for his actions.
8 The Gotham Police Can Rarely Be Trusted
Gotham City is definitely one of the worst places to live in the DC universe, but it's not all the villains' faults. Gotham is full of corrupt officials and police officers who utilize their power for their own gain. Nearly every great Batman story features corruption within Gotham's police.
Comics like "Year One" introduced characters like Arnold Flass, who took advantage of his authoritative position. Movies like The Dark Knight and The Batman featured different versions of corrupt Gotham Police Departments. But for every Flass, there's a Jim Gordon or Renee Montoya who believed in the city and trusted heroes like Batman.
7 Batman Himself Can Pose A Threat To Gotham
There are many in Gotham City who believe Batman is just as dangerous as the criminals he captures. The Batman: The Animated Series episode, "Trial," literally puts Batman on the stand as his villains accuse him of creating them.
Alternate universes like Batman: White Knight and the universes within the Dark Multiverse explore more reckless and dangerous Batmen. The Dark Knight's decisions have led to the creation of many villains. Most notably, Batman misjudges Azrael when he gives him the mantle of Batman, forcing Nightwing and other heroes to step up and defend Gotham.
6 Gotham City Public Officials Are Often Targets
In Gotham City, being well-known can be dangerous. Public officials like police commissioners, mayors, or district attorneys are often the targets of Gotham's most wanted criminals. Harvey Dent is scarred in court, Barbara Gordon is shot by the Joker when the villain pays a visit to the Commissioner's home in Killing Joke, and Mayor Hill is frequently targeted by criminals in Batman: The Animated Series.
While these characters are attacked by villains, they play extremely important roles in Batman's world. Beyond Batman and his Bat Family, there are people like Jim Gordon, Alfred Pennyworth, Vicki Vale, and countless others who prove Gotham is worth fighting for.
5 Gotham Frequently Experiences City-Wide Attacks
Superman and Green Lantern may attract more threats from outer space — due to their connections to cosmic villains across DC's universe — but Batman's villains are capable of attacking all of Gotham. The Joker poisons random beauty products, Ra's al Ghul pollutes Gotham's water supply, and Bane threatens the city with a nuclear bomb... and those are just the films.
In the comics, villains like the Joker and Scarecrow — who thrive on fear and chaos — threaten Gotham every year with Joker toxins and fear gas. In "No Man's Land," the citizens of Gotham were forced to evacuate the city after a huge earthquake. Natural disasters or not, the city was always under attack.
4 Gotham Has Metropolis To Be Compared To
Gotham City wouldn't be so memorable as a bad place to live in DC Comics if there weren't places like Metropolis to compare it to. A Beacon of hope, Superman inspired the people of Metropolis whereas Batman was often portrayed as a terrifying creature of the night who focused more on scaring criminals than uplifting others.
It's an unfair comparison. Superman is an alien with godlike powers while Batman is just a man. Fortunately, the citizens of Gotham can rest easy knowing Superman attracts far more alien invaders to Metropolis.
3 Citizens Get Pulled Into Batman's World
The actions of Batman and his villains affect everyone in the city. When the Scarecrow threatens the city with fear toxin in Arkham Knight, everyone is forced to evacuate. More specifically, when the Joker murders Jason Todd — the second Robin — in "A Death in the Family," Tim Drake insists on becoming the new Robin.
Harley Quinn, a psychiatrist working at Arkham Asylum, is seduced by the Joker and lured into his world. Anyone in Gotham can become the Joker's next partner in crime or the next member of the Bat Family. For better or for worse, most people in Gotham are connected to each other in some way.
2 Arkham Asylum Isn't Big Enough For All Of Batman's Villains
Batman has one of the largest, greatest rogues galleries in comic book history. This is great news for comic fans, but horrible news for the citizens of Gotham who actually have to live with these villains. The Joker and Scarecrow may affect Gotham on larger scales with their poisonous toxins, but citizens have to endure frequent attacks from villains like Ra's al Ghul, Mr. Freeze, the Riddler, and dozens more.
Blackgate Prison and Arkham Asylum are the two prominent facilities that house Gotham's criminals, but they're notoriously bad at keeping them locked up. Criminals frequently escape Blackgate, and Arkham has a terrible rehabilitation record.
1 The Joker Is Loose, More Often Than Not
Not much is known about the Clown Prince of Crime. Killing Joke delves into a possible origin story for the Joker, but Geoff Johns's Three Jokers proves the Joker has many conflicting origins, and none of them should be trusted. However he came to be, the Joker exists as the worst criminal in Gotham.
The Joker is a truly chaotic character who frequently kills for no reason. More often than not, the Joker plans an elaborate scheme to torment the Dark Knight. These schemes usually involve the deaths of many innocent Gotham citizens or those closest to Batman.