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In a flashback to 1881, Nicholas Gate is commissioned to design three bridges by Alan Wayne, Edward Elliott and Theodore Cobblepot. In the present day, [[Rich

Gates of Gotham is a Batman storyline written by Scott Snyder and Kyle Higgins with illustrations by Trevor McCarthy. Published as a self-contained five-issue miniseries, it features Dick Grayson as the Batman of Gotham. It's the second installment in the Snyder's Batman run, following The Black Mirror and leading directly into The Court of Owls.

The storyline is an update to the history of Gotham City. In the present day, Batman tries to stop a new villain Zachary Gate, calling himself the Architect, from destroying famous Gotham landmarks beginning with its bridges. This makes Grayson delve into the city's history through the legacies of Bruce Wayne's ancestor Alan Wayne, Hush's ancestor Edward Elliot and Penguin's ancestor Theodore Cobblepot. Its title is a reference to the destroyed bridges, at one time known as the Gates of Gotham, and the family lineage of Zachary Gate.

Synopsis

In a flashback to 1881, Nicholas Gate is commissioned to design three bridges by Alan Wayne, Edward Elliott and Theodore Cobblepot. In the present day, Batman is tracking down a shipment of explosives linked to the Penguin. There are three massive explosions that destroy the three bridges and hundreds of lives are lost; Commissioner Gordon receives a note that says "the families will fall by the gates of Gotham." Batman meets with Blackbat, Red Robin and Robin at the Bat-Bunker to deal with the crisis. Hush is visited in Arkham Asylum by a super-villain named the Architect who asks if he can come out to play.[1]

In flashback again, Nicholas and Bradley Gate detail their plans for a greater Gotham to Cobblepot, Elliot and Wayne. Their expansion on Cyrus Pinkney's designs commissioned by Solomon Wayne leads to the construction of Wayne Tower at the center of the city, making them well-known as the "Gates of Gotham." In the present day, Architect has kidnapped Hush and the GCPD investigate his disappearance. Batman places his crew to observe possible danger spots, and Blackbat is forced to evacuate the Iceberg Lounge in another bomb threat. They discover Hush tied to a bomb inside Wayne Tower, and Batman is forced to let it explode if he wants Hush to survive.[2]

It's explained that Nicholas and Bradley Gate fought, as Bradley believed their wealthy friends would betray them. Eventually Nicholas turned down an offer by Cameron Kane in favor of the Waynes, and his brother Bradley was killed by sabotage. Batman realizes that they'll never get information out of Hush, and the team reconvenes in the Bat-Bunker. Red Robin traces the Architect's costume as an early construction suit used by the Gate brothers, and they find him when they trace down the last known location.[3]

Following the death of his brother, Nicholas Gate sought revenge against the Kane family. When his friends refused to help him, he wore his construction suit to Kane Manor and murdered Robert Kane before he was arrested. Back in the present Robin and Red Robin fight the Architect in his modified suit, although he defeats them and escapes. Batman tries to hunt down the Architect before he can blow up Kane Bridge, and announces that he'll stop him by revealing his family history is a lie.[4]

Batman fights the Architect while Blackbat and Robin defuse the bombs. He explains that the Gates had each gone mad from the decompression sickness, and their paranoid accounts were unreliable. Bradley and Nicholas had become delusional, causing the family man Nicholas to become a murderer. They determine that the Architect is Zachary Gate and has also gone mad inside the suit like his ancestors. He's defeated and sent to Arkham Asylum. Later on Dick has a conversation with Bruce where they discuss his upcoming return to Gotham. In flashback, Nicholas Gate is seen living the rest of his days in Arkham while Alan Wayne confirms with Cameron Kane that they must remain unimpeachable as the future of Gotham.[5]

Issues


Recommended Reading

Links and References

Batman Blind Justice TP
Batman Family Storyline
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This event or storyline is specifically related to Batman, or to members of the Batman Family. This template will automatically categorize articles that include it into the Batman Storylines category.

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