Unreal City, under the brown fog of a winter dawn.

Themes

Gotham's restructuring starts with its criminal elements, which in turn define Batman and his extended family. The emphasis is urban and philosophical, an exploration of one's role as a vigilante/protector/son in a society that neither wants nor encourages such interference. Self-determination. The ethics of interference. What it means to always ask questions, even at the cost of self. While there will be occult influence and other superheroes will be acknowledged, the focus is on the everyday citizen of the city and the intersection of the "normal" world versus the world of inexplicable powers and consequences.

Specific Goals

• retain mood and tone with architecture
• clarify general layout of city
• build a better picture of criminal activity, the underground world
• modernize aspects of Batman's origin that no longer make sense
• pare down background and continuity of various characters to the essential and most interesting elements
• replace the SCIENCE!!! aspects of certain villains with more reasonable mundane or supernatural explanations— stay true to the spirit of the character, rather than the law