Gotham City

[Magnus2k]

Where is it? For all my years of reading Batman books, I dont think I've ever read where the city actually is. What state is it in?

[Fanatix]

New Jersey I think

[Blake Petit]

DC is very careful not to reveal the exact locations of most of its fictional cities. Metropolis, Gotham and Bludhaven all exist in an ambiguous area somewhere on the East Coast.

[S.A. Parvaze]

I think it was the Batman: No Man's Land novelization that pinned down Gotham City as being in New Jersey. I don't think that's been repeated in the comics though; DC has indeed been careful.

[Magnus2k]

DC is very careful not to reveal the exact locations of most of its fictional cities. Metropolis, Gotham and Bludhaven all exist in an ambiguous area somewhere on the East Coast.

Huh? I thought Metropolis was still in Kansas?!?!

[Blake Petit]

Metropolis has NEVER been in Kansas... except, apparently, on the Smallville TV show. But considering how often we've seen the docks on the Atlantic ocean in the comics, Kansas is right out as a potential location.

[Craig Reade]

I always thought that Metropolis was either Chicago or Cleveland, Gotham New York (after all, Gotham is a nickname for New York, Gotham Gazette, Gotham Center - all are real things), Central and Keystone Kansas City, and Star City like San Francisco (liberal like its hero).

[Blake Petit]

Nope -- New York and Chicago exist in the DCU, separate from the cities you mentioned. (And Chicago, last I checked, doesn't sit on the Atlantic. ;) )

Keystone and Central are two of the only cities that DO have a definite place -- it's Keystone City, Kansas and Central City, Missouri. They straddle the border just like the two "Kansas City"s.

Other fictional cities that DO have a definite state (if not a more specific location): Coast City, California and St. Roch, Louisiana.

I don't know if Star City's location was ever pinned down.

[Croyd Crenson]

(Somebody had asked a similar question a month ago and i had found some information, here it is. )

I don't know much about the DCU. I mean, i have Grant Morrisson's run on JLA, John Byrne's run on Wonder Woman and Superman, Peter David's on Supergirl and Aquaman, Mike Grell's Green Arrow and a couple other minor runs. Not a lot really.

But years ago, while i was in role-playing games, i picked up a used 1989 DC Heroes RPG boxed set from Mayfair games. It does contain a map of America listing all these cities -excepting Bludhaven and Opal City- you are talking about (and more!). Since the real cities of america are not on the same map, i've picked up an Atlas and will do my best to locate them.

Metropolis seems to be right on the state line that splits Delaware and Maryland on that semi-detached patch of land that leads to the bridge-tunnel that connects Norfolk to whatever's up there!

Gotham City would be just south of Philadelphia, Camden and Wilmington, right where the bay of Delaware is.

According to the information in the book, that would make Metropolis and Gotham City real close. Makes any sense ?

Keystone City and Central City are really close to each other too, but without any point of referrence on this map, the best i can come up with is "around St. Louis".

Coast City is north of San Francisco. There is a real-life city there though! It's called Eureka.

Midway City is facing Lac Huron north of Detroit near a real-life plce that's called Bay City.

Themyscira... is not on my map. But i did say i had Jonh Byrne's Run and in issue 104 WW states that "Themyscira is not part of this world as we know it. It exists on another plane and when it touches on the world of man it does so whatever place the amazons choose for it".

That's it, hope it's helpful

[Craig Reade]

Nope -- New York and Chicago exist in the DCU, separate from the cities you mentioned. (And Chicago, last I checked, doesn't sit on the Atlantic. ;) )

Keystone and Central are two of the only cities that DO have a definite place -- it's Keystone City, Kansas and Central City, Missouri. They straddle the border just like the two "Kansas City"s.

Other fictional cities that DO have a definite state (if not a more specific location): Coast City, California and St. Roch, Louisiana.

I don't know if Star City's location was ever pinned down.

Oh, I know they exist. But when the cities were concieved of, they didn't really. I was simply talking about inspiration.

And those docks could be still in a city like Chicago, on a huge lake, with ocean shipping access... I still believe that Metropolis should be a bit further inland, but for a few unimaginative creators who assume that a huge, major city MUST be on the East Coast, and write the locationless Metropolis as such...

And you can't deny that Gotham is inspired by New York...

[S.A. Parvaze]

An East Coast Metropolis never did sit well with me either. Chicago has always been a better match for me too. I think it's that "farm boy going to the big city" thing that does it for me. For the Midwest, the "big city" is Chicago.

And strangely enough, I tend to think of Gotham more in terms of Detroit than New York... *shrug*

[klwiggs]

I asked the same question about DC city locations. Here is a link to the thread that might give some insight:

http://www.comixtreme.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21168&highlight=city+locations

[Magnus2k]

Oh, I know they exist. But when the cities were concieved of, they didn't really. I was simply talking about inspiration.

And those docks could be still in a city like Chicago, on a huge lake, with ocean shipping access... I still believe that Metropolis should be a bit further inland, but for a few unimaginative creators who assume that a huge, major city MUST be on the East Coast, and write the locationless Metropolis as such...

And you can't deny that Gotham is inspired by New York...

I agree about Gotham and New York. In the novelization of Knightfall, the author describes Gotham as a darker, more bitter version of New York. And I dont view it as a Detroit setting. This is just personal preference, but I've never viewed Detroit as both dirty and glamorous. New York has both, as does Gotham, but when I hear of Detroit all I think of is trash. Everyone I've ever talked to thats been to Detroit has said the entire city as a whole, is the nastiest place in the states.

[Blake Petit]

Oh, I know they exist. But when the cities were concieved of, they didn't really. I was simply talking about inspiration.

And those docks could be still in a city like Chicago, on a huge lake, with ocean shipping access... I still believe that Metropolis should be a bit further inland, but for a few unimaginative creators who assume that a huge, major city MUST be on the East Coast, and write the locationless Metropolis as such...

And you can't deny that Gotham is inspired by New York...

Oh, inspiration, sure. But I was talking about actual physical location.

And you may consider it "unimaginative," but Metropolis has long been established as an east coast city, like it or lump it. It's not far from Gotham, Croyd is right.

[Owen D]

Hi,

I know that this thread considers the actual physical location of Gotham/Metropolis, apologies for this slight digression; I guess my take on this is more philosophical.

It has always seemed to me that both cities are supposed to be the same place, the naming of the cities and the way they are depicted through the different stories reflect the moral centre of each central character in a different way - Superman appears to have a less ambiguous moral stance than Batman whose murky 'Gotham' is a reflection of this, 'Metropolis' always seems to be a slightly sunnier place where good will out, and the evil is something which comes to spoil things. With Gotham you have a rum feeling that the evil is part of the fabric- it's not going anywhere.

Both characters have in the past been shown to be out of their depth when they turn up in each others home turf, which if you apply the above idea, kinda makes sense - because they have not gone to a different place - but instead a different state of mind.

Cheers

Incidentally - I love that Gotham/Metropolis could equally be New York/Chicago the great competing US cities of the early 20th Century, just adds another level of schiz to the mix.

[Blake Petit]

I think Metropolis and Gotham were both probably inspired by the lighter and darker sides of New York City, but I don't think one could argue that they're actually the same city in the DCU -- if for no other reason than because Metropolis was unaffected by the plague, the earthquake and No Man's Land.

[Jason Alan]

I started reading over this thread with the intention of replying with what I already know but I found something better. You all might be interested in taking a look at this...

Gotham City (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gotham_City)