Since the release of Gotham Knights on Oct 21st, 2022, it's become clear that WB Games Montreal included several minute details that are very easy to miss on the first few playthroughs. The game is set in Gotham City after the lethal ambush of Batman, and it follows the heroic exploits of Nightwing, Batgirl, Robin, and Red Hood as Ra's Al Ghul, Harley Quinn, and others terrorize the city. Although Batman is absent for most of the game, he leaves a lasting detective legacy behind with his case files to help the Gotham Knights follow in his footsteps and deliver swift justice.
A major part of Gotham Knights' appeal is discovering the wealth of hidden details after playing the acclaimed comic book video game, many of which include historical tie-ins to long-held DC lore. Whether paying homage to Bruce Wayne's childhood hero, referencing Black Canary's time as a musician, or honoring late DC comic artists who helped developed the aesthetic of Batman during DC's golden age, there's no shortage of granular tidbits that make the game feel genuinely tied to Gotham City and DC's overarching legacy.
Wonder Woman Apron
In the game, The Belfry serves as the main Bat family headquarters rather than the Batcave. The massive open space is peppered with lots of hidden details that are easy to miss, including a passing glance at an apron decorated with Wonder Woman's logo. It's located in the kitchen on the wall by the water cooler.
Beyond the size, scale, and scope of the Gotham Knight's Belfry that makes it difficult to spot the piece of merchandise, the apron itself is partially folded, making it even easier to overlook and walk right past several times before noticing. YouTuber MojoPlays, for one, has claimed the item is actually a tote bag, which further indicates how hard it is to identify due to its obscure fold.
The Gray Ghost Movie Poster And Date
When investigating Dr. Langstrom's darkly lit lab, it's easy to miss The Gray Ghost movie poster hanging on the wall. The Gray Ghost was Bruce Wayne's childhood hero in Batman: The Animated Series.
Furthermore, the 04-11-92 date on the poster is a reference to the original air date of the episode for Season 1, Episode 32, "Beware the Gray Ghost." Hidden in shadow, it's also surrounded by other items hanging on a bulletin board that diverts attention away from the image. Furthermore, the silhouette of The Gray Ghost remains hidden, leaving only the title as the most visible signpost. There's also a calendar beside the poster with the game's release date circled, which is another subtle detail that's hard to spot.
Scarface The Ventriloquist Dummy
Without thoroughly examining the GCPD evidence locker during lockup on the first night patrolling Gotham City, it's almost impossible to see the presence of Scarface, Arnold Wesker's ventriloquist dummy gangster, which is sitting on a shelf.
Wesker met Scarface in Blackgate Prison, making the doll's partially hidden presence inside a police station a subtle reference to the character's past that is easy to forget. It's also a cool callback to Scarface's cameo in Arkham Knight, in which he insults Joker.Furthermore, the dummy's face and cigar are shrouded by his trademark fedora, making it hard to identify his visage when first encountering the GCPD lockup during a first playthrough.
Harley Quinn's Artwork On Basher And Blazer's Shield
Harley Quinn's henchmen, Basher and Blazer, do everything in their power to protect their boss, including using heavy shielding in the popular comic-book video game. However, Harley's obscure graffiti style makes it tough to spot her iconic artwork hidden in plain sight.
On close inspection, Harley's henchman uses a shielding battering ram that reads "Harley Was Here" in red spray paint, although it's nearly illegible. In the right corner below, the iconic Batman symbol is circled in red and crossed out, indicating Harley's plans to eliminate the Caped Crusader. The detail serves as a subtle foreshadowing of Harley's later introduction.
A Villainous Display In The Iceberg Lounge
A meeting with the Penguin in the Iceberg Lounge leads to a room containing glass display cases. The iconic hat of The Clock King is present, a reference to a Green Arrow villain in the 1960s. Another case displays the namesake weapon of choice for the 1960s-era Flash villain Captain Boomerang.
Those without expert-level knowledge of DC Comics lore dating back 60 years will find it nearly impossible to spot these canonical tie-in details. Moreover, the dark lighting in the display room makes it twice as hard to physically see the artifacts. Even so, both relics tie into DC Comics' past to provide context for the larger world outside Gotham City.
Neal Adams Memorial
The most touching detail that's bound to be overlooked in Gotham Knights is the memorial tribute to the late Neal Adams, an iconic DC Comics book artist who passed away in 2022. The memorial plaque is located in Gotham's West End outside the hospital.
While the memorial plaque is well-lit and fairly easy to spot, not everyone will know who Adams was or what he worked on in the DC universe. Adams was responsible for creating DC comic book covers and defining the visual aesthetic of Batman, Superman, and Green Arrow, and was the co-creative force behind Batman villains such as Ra's Al Ghul and Man-Bat. To find the moving Adams tribute is one thing, but understanding its meaning is doubly special.
George Pérez Tribute
As with Neal Adams' moving memorial, it's easy to miss the meaningful context for the tribute to artist George Pérez, who also passed away in 2022. Pérez's memorial plaque is located on Court Street in the Old Gotham district.
Even if the plaque is tough to spot, many people may not know about Pérez and his lasting legacy. A major contributor to The New Teen Titans, Crisis onInfinite Earths, and the relaunch of Wonder Woman in the 1980s, it's nice to see the hidden details in Gotham Knights extend beyond frivolous trivia and pay homage to true DC Comics legends and iconic panelists like Pérez.
Black Canary Poster
Located in the Belfry is a poster featuring Black Canary, a superhero who was introduced in 1947's Flash Comics #86 and is often considered Barbara Gordon's close friend. While it's easy enough to recognize the character, it's harder to understand the poster's much more subtle reference.
While the Black Canary poster in the Belfry depicts a woman singing into a microphone as if it were a concert poster, the headline "Kicking and Screaming" is a sly reference to the 2016 comic Black Canary: Kicking and Screaming Volume 1. In it, the character does, in fact, front a band called Black Canary. The poster also mentions the Monarch Theater, the venue Bruce Wayne's parents left before being killed.
The Flying Graysons Poster
Adjacent to the Black Canary poster is another for The Flying Graysons, which depicts what looks to be a young Dick Grayson performing at Haly's Circus. While the name Grayson is definitely familiar, the precise reference is loaded with extra detail relating to Dick Grayson's past.
The Flying Graysons circus poster refers to the time on New Earth when Dick worked as a circus performer with his parents, Jonathan and Mary. They often performed at Haly's Circus, located in Robinson Park, which is also a subtle reference to Jerry Robinson, a Golden-era DC Comics artist known for being the co-creator of Robin (Dick Grayson) and the Joker, a double-dose of detail that's pretty sly.
Clayface's Movie Preferences
Several easily missed details can be found in the DC character's email chains, revealing personal details about the villains in Gotham City. One granular detail that slips through the cracks is Clayface's past movie attendance, which directly references former Batman video game titles Vengeance and Dark Tomorrow.
Aside from the tedium of pouring through email exchanges to find the reference, which is simply too boring and time-consuming to do, the details are easy to miss because Vengeance and Dark Tomorrow are relatively obscure, middling Batman video games that most have long forgotten about, especially since both are both roughly 20 years old. It's a great callback to discover in Gotham Knights that shows how far Batman games have come in the last two decades.
Source:gamerant.com